Dead Battery

[juju007]

We too had "drained battery" problems. We purchased a 2011 Dodge Journey Lux on May 27,2011. June 2, 2011 leaving work battery was dead. On advice of the salesman we jump started the car. It started immediately on connecting the cables, drove straight to the dealership. Next day they called and said "can't duplicate problem" you must have left the lights on. June 16, 2011 leaving work dead battery. They kept it two days put over 80 miles on it and again, can't duplicte problem. If it happens again don't jump start it bring to us dead so we can read "error codes". July 18, 2011 again dead battery. Had the car loaded on a truck and delivered to them dead. They kept it 12-days. Following week after never hearing from anyone I called they told me they found a bulletin stating the passive entry feature was the problem. Moisture was getting in the button on door handles and causing the system to keep the vehicle communication bus awake, therefore, draining the battery. They replaced both front driver and passenger door handles. August 2, 2011 when I picked up my car the service manager said Chrysler was designing a new handle and I might want to turn the passive entry off. Everything okay until November 19, 2011 dead battery. At this point I knew it was of no avail to call the dealership, we just jump started the car. I did call Monday to report it, their lack of concern was comforting, and did not ask if I wanted it brought in. On January 14, 2012 dead battery. I called dealership and talked with the saleman that sold us the car. He agreed we must have a "lemon" he would talk to management and call me Monday. Their offer was to trade in my "used" car with 3680 miles on it, sell me a car in value of what I owed, not what I paid including my trade in. I considered filing lemon law even though I did not want to. I decided to take it to a different dealership. I dropped it off on Sunday, they called me Monday come pick up your car. Seems there was bulletin that came out August 10, 2011 recommending they "flash reprogram the Body Control Module with new software". Everyone at this dealership were wonderful, a pleasant change from where I bought it. After being told this I searched the internet and found they actually issued a previous bulletin on June 14, 2011 for "drained battery" recommending the same reprogram. After reading the posts here there were several different "solutions" from dealerships for drained battery. We have not had a problem since the module was reprogrammed and I also turned the passive entry back on. Hope this helps those of you having same problem. Mind you, I live in Florida and everytime I had to wait for a tow truck for 30, 45 minutes or longer it was 100 degree weather, I was melting and NOT happy. The service manager and other personnel at the dealership where I bought my car were very abrupt, rude or just plain insolent. I will never buy from them again. That's what they call 5 star service for you!

[mrlux]

Had my 2011 Lux BCM flashed back in July and did not have a dead battery problem until just the other day and sure enough went out to start the car and it was dead. Jumped the battery and it has been working fine. The big question is when will be the next time??

[Mohammadsen]

Guys put the keys further away from the car itll stop. it happened to me twice then i started to put the keys away from the car and it stopped the battery draining.

[dkplatner]

I'm having similar problems with my 2012 Journey. Battery is going dead in just over a week. The car is currently at the Chrysler dealer, who just informed me that they have completed their diagnostic tests and have found nothing. The battery is charging and holding a charge (at least for the duration of their test). Their suggestion is to hook the Journey up to a trickle charger, which is difficult to do at Detroit Metro Airport. I can read my tire pressures and many other functions, but there is NO provision for battery voltage. Second suggestion is to keep the key fobs at least 30 feet from the vehicle, since any closer than that, the passive electronics are activated and seeking various modules while drawing battery current. Interesting suggestion, but not very practical and not entirely accurate, since we have always kept the keys near the garage door and this battery issue was not present in June, when we picked up the vehicle. Third suggestion was to use the "shipping disconnect" which is present on my 2010 Caliber, but removed in 2012 for a "dealer activated shipping key", which is not available to the public. Fifth suggestion is to go to an auto parts store and buy a manual battery disconnect switch. Additional info: the ECU toasted itself last month and had to be replaced.

Just read about all the similar battery problems and the possibility of the passive entry button drawing in moisture. We have had a lot of freezing and thawing the last few weeks and moisture collecting on the windows and under body metal is obvious. Anything more current on this button issue and, by the way, how can you turn the passive entry system off?

[LUX MAN]

Ok. All those options by that dealer are crazy. My wife leaves the keys in the car and I don't have a dead battery anymore. See previous posts but it just needs a flash update of the body control module. Have another dealer (one that isn't inept) find out what TSBs technical service bulletins r outstanding for YOUR car (vin specific) and have him flash computer. He will probably also have to flash the Radio amp as well. Mine was due for this and I didn't know it and the radio died last week. Worked but no sound. Not related to your battery problem but you probably need that update too. These computerized cars can be maddening but service te us need to know what to do and Chrysler should notify customers when updates are available and needed.

[dkplatner]

Picked up Journey with following recommendations:

1) Keep on charger

2) Keep keys away from vehicle

3) Turn off passive entry feature

"All modules were updated" according to the service report. Only up side is this is a lease vehicle, which will be returned at end of lease. We will also be going back to GM cars, or maybe try a Ford hybrid this time. Dodge may have one the battle, but once again they have lost another customer!!!!!!!!!!!!

[LUX MAN]

Dude. Really. Find a dealer that is worth a .....

This is just a computer update.

What moron would suggest you keep a new car on a battery charger, not keep the keys near it and turn off an expensive feature of the car?!?

Take it somewhere where they know what they r doing and you will once again enjoy they car

[Journey_SeXT]

Only up side is this is a lease vehicle, which will be returned at end of lease. We will also be going back to GM cars, or maybe try a Ford hybrid this time.

The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.......you might want to read how well the 2013 Ford Escapes/Fusion are doing with their new redesigned models before you ditch Dodge. http://www.thecarconnection.com/news/1080803_2013-ford-escape-fusion-recalled-for-fire-risk

Too bad you are dealing with an incompetant dealer who could have fixed this issue quickly.

[mrlux]

Get them to flash the Body Control Module(BCM). That seems to take care of the problem.

[Micpit]

Hi, I’m a new member of this forum and I’m writting from Italy. 10 months ago I bought my dodge journey 2.0 CRD ... I like very much this car. In Italy it’s a very big car. Unfortunately I’ve had a problem with the battery: it discharged in few days of inactivity. Is it a common problem? Is there a software solution?
I hope you understand my bad english.Thank you very much for your help

Michele

[bigtsr]

Welcome to the forum.

Micpit you don't give any details such as year or possibly extra added

electronics etc.

Batteries typically have a 3 - 5 year replacement cycle on most vehicles

so that's the first thing to note.

Have the battery load tested along with the charging system.

Don't leave the FOB (if it's 2011 - 2014 model) close to or in the DJ when

parked as this may be keeping the body control module awake therefore

depleteing battery.

Let us know what your solution is when you resolve.

[Neto]

The years mentioned above are 2011 - 2014. Does that mean to say that the older models are not affected by this? Our 09's battery went dead during the winter, but was fine then until a few weeks ago (after a slow charge). Considering where the battery is located, and the difficulty of changing it, I didn't want to mess with it in the cold winter months. So now when it happened again, I put in a new battery. The old one said Daimler-Chrysler on it - does that mean that it was the original, from the factory? If so, it gave very goos service, as the manufacture date on our 09 is 01-2008. That means the battery lasted more than 6 years.

[bigtsr]

The fobs on the '11 - '14 are passive entry types so they activate

the body control module from approximately 6 feet from the DJ

enabling the door to unlock when you touch the door handle,

those yrs also have push button start.

I would say you lucked out on the car battery if it is indeed

the OE unit.

[Micpit]

You’re right… more details below:

Construction: October 2010

Engine: 2.0 CRD

Manual transmission

Battery: Optima red top New, 6 months old

I parked my car on monday and friday the battery was dead

I red that if I leave air conditioned activated when I stop engine and I close the car, after few minutes it’s possible that fan or other electronic components starts again absorbing energy from battery. Is it true?

thanks

MP

[Neto]

I read an interesting article in the June Motor Age magazine last night, and it reminded me of this thread. I searched on-line for the article, and it's at:

http://www.searchautoparts.com/motorage/electrical/troubleshooting-parasitic-electrical-drains

I don't personally have most of the test equipment the author mentions, but it gives an idea of the possible sources for the drain, and how the various systems on these cars can drain a battery when the vehicle isn't used every day. I'm wondering now if that isn't what happened with our Journey, even if the battery was actually quite old. It just didn't make sense that after it happened the first time, during the coldest part of the winter here in Ohio, I was able to just charge it again, and it didn't happen again until again this summer. (I did recharge it the second time, and it seemed to be fine after that, the same as the first time. But after I saw how old the battery probably was, I just figured I'd rather do in now, while it's warm, than to have to do it beside the road, possibly next winter. I still haven't taken the old battery in for the core refund, because now it seems to hold a charge OK.) I do have the habit of turning everything off in the car when I shut it off, but I ocassionally forget to, and my wife has already asked me what does it matter. Well, it used to be just so that there was not that extra drain when you're starting it up the next time, but it sounds like now it is important for other reasons as well. It could well be that leaving the A/C or heater, fan blowers, wipers, etc. on when the car is shut down may have been the cause of the battery drain problems. It all gives me the blues with the idea of trying to keep up a car like this as it ages. I sometimes wish for the pre-computer age cars.

[Windancer]

I've had my 2011 Journey for 4 months now. I've had to jump start the battery twice.

I must admit I have had to boost my 2010 2 or 3 times. It seems to happen where I go away for 2 weeks, my dealer tells me that there is so much electrical drain this is normal.

Terry

[DodgeCACares]

I must admit I have had to boost my 2010 2 or 3 times. It seems to happen where I go away for 2 weeks, my dealer tells me that there is so much electrical drain this is normal.

Terry

Windancer,

Certainly not like the old days as far as electrical components drawing from the battery that's for sure. There are so many modules and systems these days that rely on a constant feed.

[Windancer]

Certainly not like the old days as far as electrical components drawing from the battery that's for sure. There are so many modules and systems these days that rely on a constant feed.

So true.....So true.

Terry

[Doug D]

I must admit I have had to boost my 2010 2 or 3 times. It seems to happen where I go away for 2 weeks, my dealer tells me that there is so much electrical drain this is normal.

Terry

Not sure if this applies to my '10 Journey SXT, but the owner's manual for my '06 Ram 1500 recommends disconnecting the battery if the vehicle is to sit without being operated or started for more than 3 weeks.

That said, we went away for 18 days at Christmas one year (visited my in-laws for the holidays). I left the batteries in both vehicles connected. When we arrived home, both the Journey and Ram fired right up.

[Matteo_LX]

Dear all,

I own a Freemont AWD 2.0 Diesel.

In the italian Freemont forum many owners had the problem of dead battery.

The problem still afflicts recent cars (also the ones produced in 2014).

My car was produced in July 2013, so I suppose with all new software releases, nevertheless I had dead battery twice in 8 months.

Is in Dodge version the problem definetively solved with BCM new software release, or someone got dead battery even after the upgrade?

Thank you very much for your support!

Ciao from Italy!

[MKL]

It seems that this is such a common problem in Dodge Journey, specifically.  Here we are, 4 1/2yrs later from the last post and the problem we have with our 2012 Dodge Journey (base model) is pretty similar to everyone else's problem.  

*Key fob activates system, and putting it on the counter 20-25ft away still kills the battery (doesn't seem to be too bad when the key fob is upstairs vs downstairs overnight)

*Had the battery replaced 3-4yrs ago when the problems started (as in, I need to charge the battery before i go out of the house, even just a couple hrs after returning home), of course less than 6mths later, the exact same problems occurred.

*Dealership did a diagnostics, battery is dead (no kidding?) ... $600+ later to pay for diagostics, new battery, and labour

*In the hatch is the wire housing. Repeated opening/closing of the hatch pulls the wires apart, literally.  My dad had to re-attach 9 wires last summer as a temporary fix (which affected rear defrost, rear wipers, radio, and i forget what else).  Once the wires were fixed, the car didn't drain power.  Once one wire loosens, however, the problem returns.  Dad suggested a new wire harness, but that would cost in the 1000+ range to fix, mostly labour costs (you can buy the housing for $150 or so at thelocal parts store) as you have to take apart the door panels along the whole side of the car.  

*Over the weekend, we disconnected both wires connected to the battery at the top (where you connect to the +/- posts when you jump it) and power still drained by 40% in an hour of sitting.

*The car acted possessed when the key fob battery died--the same issue I saw mentioned somewhere else on the forum. 

*Headlights flicker, and dim when you simultaneously use the window up/down function, seems to be a wiring issue as it hasn't been bad since the wiring was fixed (the 2nd time we had to fix the wires was about 3wks ago).

*Rear doors hold water (pretty sad when the door swishes from all the water inside it)-- which on the West Coast is 6mths a year.  My dad fixed that -- took the plugs out of the door holes along the bottom.  ((Not related to electrical, but still a silly design flaw))

*We will be looking at some of the other suggestions on the forum before we look at another battery.  Seems finding the power drain source is the key...and we haven't found the source yet (other than the wire housing issue).

 

After being stranded in the middle of nowhere with all of my boys after a day of fishing....I invested in a portable battery starter.  Best investment I ever made.  The charger has saved me so many times I've lost count over the past 8mths.

 

With so many issues, one would think the vehicle would have undergone more extensive testing prior to being shoved onto market (and it's not just Journey, it's most of the new cars these days).  Huge Jeep fan (though not impressed they pansied up the body for the sake of mileage in 2015--you don't buy a Jeep for the gas mileage, it needs a rugged, sturdy body for off-roading);  l do like the Fiats (other than the wicked blind spot on the driver side of the 500),  but not a huge fan of Journey....I've never had so many issues with a vehicle after only 2-3yrs of owning it (water problem was evident from the start).  It's rather unfortunate, and hopefully the electrical/water issues were resolved on subsequent models.  Sometimes simpler is, indeed, better. =)   

[jkeaton]

I'm glad neither of our Journey's experienced these "common problems"....lol