Community Forums

Steve Lutz · 05-02-2022, 03:14 PM

Hello all:

Need some advice. I tow a 2019 Jeep Wrangler using AF1. The last three trips I've arrived at the final stop of the day with a dead battery in the Jeep. After the first time this happened I tried running the vehicle for 10 minutes after four hours on the road to give the battery a lift. Didn't help. Still had a dead battery. The Jeep battery must then be jumped. I can trickle charge the battery back to normal so I don't think the battery is the problem.

The 2019 Jeeps require that the vehicle be towed in ACC mode...so the vehicle is technically on which I think puts some drain on the battery....so I make sure the radio, fan, etc are off.

Suggestions?

Many thanks,

Alpine36 · 05-02-2022, 03:19 PM

First, remove the Jeep battery and have it load tested. Chances are it's getting weak and due for replacement. Buy a good one.
Next, add the appropriate charge line from the coach to the Jeep. Lastly, refer to your owners manual to insure your towing procedure is correct.
This should remedy your problem.

vsheetz · 05-02-2022, 03:20 PM

LSL or similar toad charger. Uses the charge line of the 7 pin connector (pin 4) and umbilical from the motorhome.

AZ RV'r · 05-02-2022, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve Lutz

The 2019 Jeeps require that the vehicle be towed in ACC mode...so the vehicle is technically on which I think puts some drain on the battery....so I make sure the radio, fan, etc are off.,

No... it should NOT be in left ACC mode, it should be completely off.

Myabe thats your problem?

I have towed our 2018 JL over 50,000 miles and never with ACC on.

Here is a link to another post in which the Jeep steps are talked about...

(click this link below)
https://www.irv2.com/forums/f85/tow-...lp-572744.html

Here are the steps mentioned and please refer to your manual and you will see it also will say that the Jeep should be all the way OFF when towing.

Heres what mine says... in the manual page 269
Start engine
Bring vehicle to a stop
Press brake pedal
Shift transmission to neutral
Turn engine off
Shift transfer case to neutral
Start the engine
Shift into reverse and release the brake and make sure there is no movement
Repeat with vehicle in drive
Turn engine off
Set parking brake
Shift transmission into park
Attach vehicle to the towbar
Release parking brake

I believe I have some Jeep experience....

BEACH · 05-02-2022, 03:30 PM

While we’re on towing Jeep’s… my 2018 JL tows great, except one issue: I use a road master 9100/9160 supplemental brake system….. which applies the brakes, however doesn’t seem to release them
Yes I’ve depressed the brake pedal to release pressure (10-15 strokes)
Does my Jeep require a pressure reducer?…

Arch Hoagland · 05-02-2022, 03:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AZ RV'r

No... it should NOT be in left ACC mode, it should be completely off.

Myabe thats your problem?

I have towed our 2018 JL over 50,000 miles and never with ACC on.

Here is a link to another post in which the Jeep steps are talked about...

(click this link below)
https://www.irv2.com/forums/f85/tow-...lp-572744.html

Here are the steps mentioned and please refer to your manual and you will see it also will say that the Jeep should be all the way OFF when towing.

1. Stop
2. Press the brake
3. Shift transmission to neutral
4. Turn off the engine
5. Shift transfer case to neutral
6. Start engine
7. Shift to reverse
8. Release brake
9. Repeat step 7 & 8 with transmission in drive
10 turn off engine
11 apply parking brake
12. Shift to park. (Not neutral)

I believe I have some Jeep experience....

I'm curious about step 11... apply parking brake.

AZ RV'r · 05-02-2022, 03:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arch Hoagland

I'm curious about step 11... apply parking brake.

I edited my post above....

If you click on the link I put in that post... In Post #1... Someone else wrote that list and I copied and pasted it.

After reading it I agree with you, it's not correct or complete so I went back in and edited and corrected the list but you caught me before I made the changes.
If you look at that persons list there is 12 steps... but in my picture of the manual there is 14

But... the reason is for the brake is that the Jeep is in neutral and they cant tell you to leave it that way as it could roll and injure you or someone else. Even though in step 12 it says to "put it in park" the vehicle is still in neutral so it can roll freely.

In the post above, I now included a picture from the actual manual where it has all the steps.

FloridaSon · 05-02-2022, 05:27 PM

There is a discussion on another forum that may shed some light. Late model JL electrical systems have a sleep mode. When the wake, the ECU goes through a systems check. If that happened EVERY time the coach brakes are used it results in a dead battery on the JL.

I do not know if 2019 does this, but 2022 sure does. So here is a link to a discussion, fact finding and results that may help.

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/for...-2#post-417091

Hope it helps

TampaDave · 05-03-2022, 05:47 AM

That LSL charger looks pretty slick. As little as $72 for that thing, compared with brake buddy charging you $50 for a length of wire and a fuse holder.

Having just replaced all my house batteries because my regulator went bad, that LSL unit strikes me as a really good idea...

Stock jeep batteries are pretty horrible. Mine died within two years of purchase if I recall. Which is fine; a decent battery is a good investment I think. Then it becomes a question of protecting that investment

2cyber71 · 05-03-2022, 06:37 AM

I put a charge line in my 2022 Wrangler Sahara
Bought it in February
Pulled it 3800 miles since February, no dead battery
I put a charge line in when I installed my Blue Ox Baseplate.
The tail light kit is a 6 pin, where the charge line comes into the Jeep.
Added two hot 12 volts up front, one for the front dash cam and one for the Patriot 3. The Patriot 3 does not required th eJeep to be on.
It’s completely off.
The rear dash cam runs off the back 12 volt which is hot.
Friday and Saturday I pulled it 1080 miles from Forest City, Iowa to my home.

BTW- getting the transfer case into neutral was initially hard to do but now it’s easier to do.
The first time was very difficult to move it.

Here is one at trailer, cheap
https://www.etrailer.com/Accessories...RM-156-25.html

DGBPokes · 05-03-2022, 06:46 AM

FWIW….I don’t have a Jeep, but did have the dead battery at the end of a long day, due to my braking unit. My solution was to buy a battery jump box. I share this because it has exceeded my use and applications so much more than I ever expected.
I plug it in the coach at night to recharge, and place it in the toad the next morning. Never a dead toad battery now.

twill · 05-03-2022, 07:08 AM

I have a 2018 JL and if I turn the acc on to play the radio it shuts after 15 or 20 minutes.

dizcom · 05-03-2022, 07:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FloridaSon

There is a discussion on another forum that may shed some light. Late model JL electrical systems have a sleep mode. When the wake, the ECU goes through a systems check. If that happened EVERY time the coach brakes are used it results in a dead battery on the JL.

I do not know if 2019 does this, but 2022 sure does. So here is a link to a discussion, fact finding and results that may help.

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/for...-2#post-417091

Hope it helps

I've heard this before. My 2021 doesn't do this. I use a Curt harness and ReadyBrake and my battery is exactly the same when I stop as when I started. I've tried to get it to "wake up" by pressing on the brake pedal, both with the doors locked with the remote and unlocked and mine doesn't do it. What magical Jeep did I buy that exempts me from this problem? I think someone in one of the other posts on this topic said that it only does it with the LED lights, but I have the LED lights also.
I get that the ReadyBrake doesn't use electricity to activate, so there's that, and the Curt harness doesn't use the Jeep's battery to activate the lights. Did I just get lucky?

dizcom · 05-03-2022, 07:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AZ RV'r

I edited my post above....

If you click on the link I put in that post... In Post #1... Someone else wrote that list and I copied and pasted it.

After reading it I agree with you, it's not correct or complete so I went back in and edited and corrected the list but you caught me before I made the changes.
If you look at that persons list there is 12 steps... but in my picture of the manual there is 14

But... the reason is for the brake is that the Jeep is in neutral and they cant tell you to leave it that way as it could roll and injure you or someone else. Even though in step 12 it says to "put it in park" the vehicle is still in neutral so it can roll freely.

In the post above, I now included a picture from the actual manual where it has all the steps.

Am I the only one that connects the Jeep to the tow bar before I put it in neutral? Never rolls away from me because it's already connected, so I don't reapply the parking brake after putting it in towing configuration. I can see how that might lead to some mistakes. When I leave the Jeep, it's ready to roll. No need to go back and release the parking brake.