2012 Journey Crew 3.6L - battery problems

[jkeaton]

My 2013 is also on the original battery.

[bramfrank]

Accessing the battery isn't all that hard . . . and in however many miles in a tough environment (welcome to Canada) I have been lucky enough not to have suffered any of the gremlins described with either of my Journeys.

Having said that, the only glitch to date on my current vehicle has been on 3 occasions when the vehicle would not start ("no FOB detected") and pressing the FOB against the sensor didn't get the vehicle to start; Operating the door locks and then opening and closing the driver door solved that each time.

However, for those with them, reports are that those electronic rust inhibitors don't work except as a device to generate profits for the dealers that sell them. From a corrosion resistance perspective it is much more effective to get your vehicle rustproofed by having it sprayed annually - it protects all of the exposed electrical connections, sound-deadens the vehicle and actually works well where it has been sprayed (which means that if the roof pillars start to rust, you'll know why).

Anything that is powered on continuously can eventually drain the battery anyway - it is much better to keep your accessories on the switched side of the vehicle. Often people will leave their vehicles for extended periods with chargers and navigators plugged into unswitched outlets . . . . those things draw power too - and that can lead to a discharge condition.

Some of the reports in this thread seem to describe issues with bad cells (bad batteries) and one seemed to have been a bad alternator, based on the symptoms, admittedly heard second-hand and without any access to the vehicle or the service report.

Things do happen.

That doesn't exonerate the vehicle design, but a dealer telling you to remove the memory stick from the dash ought to be told off.

And any dealer that has replaced more than 2 batteries during the warranty period has to have his feet held to the fire - pay the bill then sue him and Chrysler jointly in small claims court for the cost of the repairs as this is clearly either a latent defect or shoddy workmanship. You are entitled to get fair use from the vehicle and if something has been fixed a number of times without success some states have lemon laws - I prefer the UK rules which simply let you dump the problem at the seller's feet if the item doesn't deliver the intended service.

Branded car batteries typically carry 3 year 100%, then 4 more years of pro-rated warranties when bought aftermarket - if you had bought those replacement batteries over the counter in the parts department what warranty would you have received? So what difference does it really make WHO bought those replacement batteries? They ought to be covered.

Edited May 31, 2016 by bramfrank

[2late4u]

My 2013 is also on the original battery.

your doing good on that one jkeaton, i put one in my 2011 at about 60 k then traded it in at 70 k for my 2014.

[bigtsr]

When I traded my 2011 DJ last month it still had original battery.

[dhh3]

When my old battery was out, I had them spay the entire metal tray with rubberized undercoating. Now I don't have to worry about the battery falling out! LOL Bottom of tray is now double undercoated as I had the vehicle undercoated soon after I purchased it; before its first winter.

Edited May 31, 2016 by dhh3

[TommyS]

I had another problem with my wife's 2012 Dodge journey had to jump start again Called chrysler to get them involved cause the dealer sad last time it was a light in the glove box. they have had a week and something came on the other day draining the battery 4 times but they don't know what it is but they claim they will fix it

[2late4u]

I had another problem with my wife's 2012 Dodge journey had to jump start again Called chrysler to get them involved cause the dealer sad last time it was a light in the glove box. they have had a week and something came on the other day draining the battery 4 times but they don't know what it is but they claim they will fix it

didnt even know we had a light in the glove box....LOL hope they get to the bottom of your problem.

[dhh3]

That's the first thing I checked when my battery was dead!

[TommyS]

Its crazy the dealer has the car since last weds and are paying for the rental and as of weds this week chrsyler was paying for another 7 days so they no they will never find the problem. They should buy the car back and put it with all the other recalled vehicles

[Journey_SeXT]

When I traded my 2011 DJ last month it still had original battery.

I'm still on the original battery with my 2011.

[jkeaton]

Its crazy the dealer has the car since last weds and are paying for the rental and as of weds this week chrsyler was paying for another 7 days so they no they will never find the problem. They should buy the car back and put it with all the other recalled vehicles

All the Hondas, fords, Chevys and toyotas?

[dhh3]

Don't forget Mitsubishi and Suzuki! LOL

[Hankster]

My 2013 still has the original factory battery. I pulled it out cleaned the salt and sand from the Tray, Cleaned and Lubed the Battery Terminals. Lubed the mounting hardware. In my Owners manual on the maintenance schedule a battery terminal cleaning and service is called for at every oil change. I wonder if this is actually being done as stated on the schedule?

Hank

I just replaced the battery in my 2013, no longer will accept or hold a charge. Put in a Motomaster Eliminator with a 10 year warranty and 4 year free replacement. Let see how long it actually lasts.

Hank

[2late4u]

Re: MotoMaster Eliminator Battery at Crappy Tire

Originally Posted by

Carson

Maybe crappy tire is better, but I have heard places charging hidden fees if you try to claim for the replacement. For example they can charge for installation ("warranty only applies if installed professionally", or alternator test ("we have to make sure your alternator is working well before you can get the replacement, or you will be coming back"), those fees ranges from $20-$40. Make sure you ask about that.

TRUE 100%. CrappyTire.

Experienced it myself today.

I bought

http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/brows....jsp?locale=en

last year as my old battery died.

This Canadian Tire product lasted me 1.5 only year and died today.

Battery came with the Extended Warranty (2 years) and 24-h roadside assistance, brochure had the number which I called.

- My battery died. Can you send tow truck and take me to Can Tire so that they can replace their product under warranty?

-- Well, we can send the tow truck, but you'll have to pay for service.

- Will you reimburse the cost of towing since I got stranded because of you product?

-- Yes, we will reimburse the cost of towing, but only up to $25 and provided that repair shop officially concludes that battery is faulty.

- What can you do then?

-- We can send a booster truck to give your car a boost

- Can the booster truck operator test the battery on the spot and confirm it's faulty?

-- No

- If I'm positive that battery needs to be replaced - can booster truck operator replace it on the spot and save me hassle of going to repair shop?

-- No

Quite a service, huh?

So I called my friend, who lives nearby, he came with a booster battery - car started fine. Just to be sure we disconnected booster battery - car won't start. Connected it again - car starts OK. It seems that logic is very simple here - my CanTire battery is dead. Well, as it turned out later it's not so simple in from Canadian Tire perspective.

I took the car to CanadianTire garage and asked them to replace it as it's under warranty. They told me to bring the battery to the store, they will test it and and if it's bad the'll give me new battery. Since I had no tools on me I asked them to take the battery out and install a replacement. $25 for the labor, was their response. My argument that it's their product that failed and cost associated with its replacement should be carried by CanadianTire itself, was bluntly rejected with the statement that "mechanics can't work for free".

I had to say OK, otherwise battery wouldn't have been replaced today.

"And do the AVR test" manager told mechanic.

"What's AVR test?" i asked. "Testing the battery to ensure it's faulty indeed" said manager.

So then mechanic clamped the tester to the battery, played with it for 5 mins and said that battery is good. "If it's good, why the car starts with booster battery and fails with mine?" I asked. He tried starting the car - no luck. Then he brought their booster battery - car started just fine.

So he called for the manager. Manager pretty much repeated all his steps and then declared: Battery is good, alternator is good.

WTF, do these guys even listen to what they are saying??

Then he probably realized that there is some contradiction between his words and the fact that car fails to start on my battery.

"We'll test it on the computer" he said and then plugged the car to a bigger stationary tester. 10 mins later manager walks over and says "Your battery is dead, we'll replace it for you". Whew, finally some sense here, I thought.

So they replaced the battery and asked me pay the bill. Thinking I'll be paying $25 for the labor (battery installation) I looked at the bill and it says $50!

WTF!!!

Turns out "labor" was just a word thrown around by the manager. The bill showed $19 for AVR Test (to test the battery) and $25 for installation (all before taxes).

I tried to argue that I already knew that battery is dead, plus they couldn't even test properly - why the hell they even ran this test and charge me then? Manager said that they can't take customer's word for battery diagnosis plus his mechanics can't work for free they need to be paid.

I didn't have time to continue those argument and had no choice but to pay $50 for battery replacement that was still under warranty in order to get my car back.

By the way, the brochure for Extended Warranty had the following words:

"We've got you covered! Get more than a new battery, get peace of mind too!

If your Eliminator battery should happen to fail, Canadian Tire will replace it for free!"

So there I got it - crappy battery that lasted only 1.5 years.

And "Peace of mind". CanTire's way

found this while checking out your new battery.....

Edited June 30, 2016 by 2late4u

[Karen]

Hi have a dodge journey sxt 2011 my hubby by has replaced the alternator and the battery and the light for battery saver mode is still on we only had for 3 months 

[Journeyman425]

Your Journey uses something called an Intelligent Battery Sensor which helps control the charging system. It is located on the negative battery cable terminal end. After it is disconnected and reconnected, it goes through a recalibration procedure. This is from the service manual:

 

OPERATION

The Intelligent Battery Sensor (IBS) contains a low value resistor, or shunt. The shunt creates voltage drop, which is read by an internal microcontroller to determine the current flow in and out of the battery. In addition to the shunt, the IBS contains a sensor to monitor the battery’s temperature. Data gathered by the IBS, including temperature, voltage, and current measurements, are transmitted over a LIN communication bus to either the Body Control Module (BCM) or the Powertrain Control Module (PCM), depending on the application. The IBS serves two primary purposes. The first is to provide the Powertrain Control Module (or PCM) with both immediate and historical battery information, so the PCM can precisely control the charging system. The second purpose is to provide data to the BCM for operation of the load-shedding feature. A fused power circuit and the LIN bus are connected to the IBS though a two-terminal connector.

In addition to real-time measurements, the IBS transmits some calculated battery data over the LIN bus, including state of charge, state of health, and state of function. These values are calculated by storing measurements over time.

The battery sensor is readable/diagnosable via a “scan tool” that can display all of the available parameters needed for vehicle servicing or trouble shooting.

Information the Intelligent Battery Sensor (IBS) transmits out on the CAN Bus is

 

 

• SOC = Battery state of charge (or SOC) is expressed as a percentage. The IBS calculates the SOC based on measured voltage, and charge and discharge rates. Therefore, SOC is not a direct percentage of battery voltage.
• SOF = Battery State of Function: Battery state of function (or SOF) is a calculated prediction of the lowest voltage the battery will drop to during engine cranking.

The PCM and BCM use this calculated information to optimize vehicle power management for increased fuel efficiency. The data transmitted from IBS is interpreted and sent over the CAN network by the module connected the IBS’s LIN bus.

 

When the IBS is powered up for the first time or is powered after a power disconnection, it enters a “recalibration” phase, where the IBS must recognize the type of battery and its characteristics and state. In this phase the tolerances on the state functions (SOC, SOF) are greater than in normal working condition. When IBS is disconnected from the battery, the device loses its stored memory. When power is restored, the IBS starts a relearn process. Until the relearn process is complete, accurate battery state information is unavailable to other vehicle systems. The IBS relearn process requires five normal, operator initiated starts with at least four hours normal or more during cold ambient conditions of engine off time between each start. Usually, the process takes a few days of vehicle operation to complete. Remember, the relearn process is restarted every time power is reconnected to the IBS.

If the IBS is faulty it cannot be serviced, it must be replaced.

 

[xXlowkotaXx]

On 2/12/2017 at 8:13 PM, Journeyman425 said:

Your Journey uses something called an Intelligent Battery Sensor which helps control the charging system. It is located on the negative battery cable terminal end. After it is disconnected and reconnected, it goes through a recalibration procedure. This is from the service manual:

 

OPERATION

The Intelligent Battery Sensor (IBS) contains a low value resistor, or shunt. The shunt creates voltage drop, which is read by an internal microcontroller to determine the current flow in and out of the battery. In addition to the shunt, the IBS contains a sensor to monitor the battery’s temperature. Data gathered by the IBS, including temperature, voltage, and current measurements, are transmitted over a LIN communication bus to either the Body Control Module (BCM) or the Powertrain Control Module (PCM), depending on the application. The IBS serves two primary purposes. The first is to provide the Powertrain Control Module (or PCM) with both immediate and historical battery information, so the PCM can precisely control the charging system. The second purpose is to provide data to the BCM for operation of the load-shedding feature. A fused power circuit and the LIN bus are connected to the IBS though a two-terminal connector.

In addition to real-time measurements, the IBS transmits some calculated battery data over the LIN bus, including state of charge, state of health, and state of function. These values are calculated by storing measurements over time.

The battery sensor is readable/diagnosable via a “scan tool” that can display all of the available parameters needed for vehicle servicing or trouble shooting.

Information the Intelligent Battery Sensor (IBS) transmits out on the CAN Bus is

 

 

• SOC = Battery state of charge (or SOC) is expressed as a percentage. The IBS calculates the SOC based on measured voltage, and charge and discharge rates. Therefore, SOC is not a direct percentage of battery voltage.
• SOF = Battery State of Function: Battery state of function (or SOF) is a calculated prediction of the lowest voltage the battery will drop to during engine cranking.

The PCM and BCM use this calculated information to optimize vehicle power management for increased fuel efficiency. The data transmitted from IBS is interpreted and sent over the CAN network by the module connected the IBS’s LIN bus.

 

When the IBS is powered up for the first time or is powered after a power disconnection, it enters a “recalibration” phase, where the IBS must recognize the type of battery and its characteristics and state. In this phase the tolerances on the state functions (SOC, SOF) are greater than in normal working condition. When IBS is disconnected from the battery, the device loses its stored memory. When power is restored, the IBS starts a relearn process. Until the relearn process is complete, accurate battery state information is unavailable to other vehicle systems. The IBS relearn process requires five normal, operator initiated starts with at least four hours normal or more during cold ambient conditions of engine off time between each start. Usually, the process takes a few days of vehicle operation to complete. Remember, the relearn process is restarted every time power is reconnected to the IBS.

If the IBS is faulty it cannot be serviced, it must be replaced.

 

 

I just replaced the battery on my 2012 Journey the other day. While putting everything back together the female end on the sensor broke off along with the 2 prongs on the inside. I tried to repair it, but the only things I could find to replace the prongs were just too big to be inserted in the openings on the male end. The car still starts and runs without it hooked up and I'm not getting any messages or lights about it on the dash. But what I'm getting at is, does anyone know the importance of this part? Because a new one is $150 at the dealership and I'm not really wanting to spend that after just spend $150 on a battery.

[DJ2013SXT]

I have a 2013 Dodge Journey SXT and live in Johanesburg South Africa.

After 3 years of driving this vehicle I had the message Battery Saver Mode appear.

The vehicle started to slowly shut down to the point I had to have it towed.

After replacing the battery the message did not go away and I decided to take it to a dealer for diagnostics.

On route the vehicle STALLED in traffic and had to be towed to the dealer.

Eventually it was diagnosed as the ALTERNATOR AND PCM that required replacement.

There is a recall notice T36 which describes this exact problem but does not list the Journey as part of the recall for a bad ALTERNATOR?

As at 04/10/2017 still waiting for repairs to be done.

 

Edited October 4, 2017 by DJ2013SXT

[jkeaton]

29 minutes ago, DJ2013SXT said:

 

As at 04/10/2017 still waiting for repairs to be done.

 

 

6 months later, still waiting for repairs to be done???

[cgiff81]

On 8/2/2012 at 8:59 AM, walker said:

I was amazed at the location of the battery behind the wheel well. Must be a real treat to change!

Just changed one in my 2012 and had to pull the tire off and everything, pain in the butt. New battery solved all my issues though:)

[DJ2013SXT]

8 hours ago, jkeaton said:

 

6 months later, still waiting for repairs to be done???

No the message came up on 01/10/2017 for the first time

[jkeaton]

Never mind, I see you are putting the day before the month. Not the way we do it here....I.E. October 5, 2017 would be 10/05/2017. Not 05/10/2017 (which is May 10th, 2017....)