Lisa Brown Posted December 28, 2015 Report Share Posted December 28, 2015 I have a 2009 Journey R/T with 3.6L V6 AWD and for a while have been experiencing battery drain whenever the vehicle is left for more than a few hours. After several unsuccessful attempts at finding out the cause for this, I decided to temporarily install a 500A switch to isolate the battery from the rest of the vehicle's electrical system, to prevent having to jumpstart the vehicle every morning. This has been effective in this regard for a while now, however, the other day while travelling on the highway the vehicle started experiencing a loss of power for a second or so, then power would be restored, and this would randomly repeat for the remainder of my trip. Then, upon my arrival at my destination city, when coming up to a stop sign and the engine idled down, the power loss occurred again only this time the engine died. When I attempted to start it immediately after this, I found there was no charge left in the battery whatsoever - no dash lights,no sound....couldn't even shift from park without using the manual release button. I then used a charged battery to boost the vehicle, and it fired up, but after continuing to drive a short distance, the same thing happened again, I then noticed the battery symbol for the charging system had appeared. Then the vehicle could only been driven with limited power and only without using any headlights for a short time (constantly requiring me to press the accelerator to prevent idling too low) before it would die again with the battery drained. I have checked all the connections, all the cables, swapped the battery for a different one, removed the battery and jumpered it directly to another running vehicle, all with the same result. It will fire up, and run for a short time, then the charging system symbol will light up, and the engine will die shortly thereafter. It will run for a while jumpered to another vehicle, but even during this time the warning light will still come on. I removed the alternator and had it tested - it passed all tests and I was told it was good. I should also mention that this alternator was purchased and installed just 8 or 9 months ago, and the battery was only purchased a month or two ago. The belts appears to be working properly and with the correct amount of tension, and as far as I can see all of the conncections are solid and free of corrosion, etc. I'm uncertain as to where I should go from here, and after being left stranded several hours from home for a few days now (everywhere being closed for Christmas) and the expense of hotel rooms, I don't wish to throw a bunch more money away for the dealership to try all the things I've already tried, with no guarantee of results. I am planning to run a diagnostic tomorrow to see if this yields any additional information as to the possible cause of the problem, but am hoping maybe another forum member could provide some insight if they have encountered a similar issue in the past. Thanks in advance for your assistance. dhh3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bramfrank Posted December 28, 2015 Report Share Posted December 28, 2015 (edited) Not a definitive troubleshooting guide, but here's a couple of suggestions on where to start:I know that sometimes the pulley can be an issue - if the pulley is spinning on the alternator shaft you might get a no-charge condition.But there are two points you raised that make me suspect that this could be a corrosion issue - incidentally, I have my vehicles rustproofed mainly to avoid electrical issues related to corrosion;1. You said the power cut and was restored 2. You indicated a battery drain condition It could be that you have a seriously corroded connector or relay - if there's enough salty, partially conductive crud on a key connector or relay you could lose battery power and/or charging - or it could be a corroded crimp or worn relay . . . . and corrosion might cause a sneak current between the two poles of the connector when it is damp or wet - and that would cause the battery to drain.This is going to need some poking into the electricals to see where things are going wrong - now that it doesn't charge at all it shouldn't be hard to figure out why that is happening . . . the sneak current is going to be a bit trickier - you will need to measure current as you disconnect things - the good news is that you have that new switch you can use to connect your ampmeter to while you disconnect circuits to see which one is causing issues . . . . by the way do you have any aftermarket devices installed? A car starter or aftermarket alarm system perhaps? If you do, look to those first.It is down right now, but you can find the electrical diagrams here: https://techauthorityonlinedemo.extra.chrysler.com/service/repair/wiring/view/classic.htm Edited December 28, 2015 by bramfrank OhareFred and jkeaton 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa Brown Posted December 28, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 28, 2015 Thanks for the reply. To answer your question no there are no aftermarket devices installed. It does have a remote start but I believe it is OEM. I should mention that we did put a voltmeter on it while it was running and the voltage did seem to be in the range to charge the battery, well over 14 or 14.5 volts and it seemed to respond to an increase in engine rpm to some degree. As well, the batteries I've had connected to the vehicle do seem to hold a charge somewhat, but it doesn't seem to be a charge that's a result of being charged by the alternator, but rather if it were left from being hooked up to a charger. And in the instances where the engine died while the vehicle was running, attempting to start it immediately afterward showed there was no charge left in the battery. Another possibly unrelated thing i might mention is that I noticed a couple of times while the engine was off there was a relay clicking wildly and loudly for probably a minute at least when no power should have been drawing. I thought this might be normal when a battery has a very low level of charge but in not really sure. dhh3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bramfrank Posted December 28, 2015 Report Share Posted December 28, 2015 If you are measuring 14.2 volts across the battery terminals with the engine running and if the battery is good it *should* be charging unless the alternator is kicking out AC or really dirty DC, rather than clean power. You indicated that the alternator had been professionally tested, which *should* eliminate it from consideration as the source of the problem. But that testing is not longer term - the alternator is cold and run for a couple of minutes - it never gets really warmed up.The alternator output is wired directly across the battery - in some installations (I haven't had a look at the wiring diagram for the Journey) there could be a relay that disconnects the alternator from the battery - in which case that relay and/or it's connections could be the source of problems, but if it was, or if the connectors or terminals were issues you would not see the battery getting the charging voltage . . . . are you measuring the actual battery terminals? Or are you measuring voltage at the connectors at the ends of the wire? Batteries (especially cheaper aftermarket ones) have been known to have a high failure rate - your battery might be have a high resistance bond or a bad cell - of course you could also have a bad alternator too . . . it could go bad when it gets warmed up - again, possibly a bad bond in the rectifier/regulator pack or a bad connection.Regarding the discharging; You said you have a starter - if it has it's own fob then it is aftermarket - my understanding is that like the current version, if you have a factory starter the buttons are on the key fob. OhareFred and rolly 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OhareFred Posted December 28, 2015 Report Share Posted December 28, 2015 I agree with Bamfrank. The alternator can be fine when cold, but once it warms up you get a bad connection and no charge. The fact that the battery light is coming on is telling you that the battery is not being charged for some reason. The fact that its off at first and then comes on once hot leads me to believe your alternator is bad. Can you possibly charge your battery enough so you can start the car ( not fully charged, you want a load on the alternator) start the car and check the amperage & voltage at the alternator right away. Now let it run long enough for the light to come on and check the amperage and voltage again in the same spot. If the amps/volts are low, alternator is bad. If theamps/volts are normal, the problem is between the alternator and battery. Hunting down electrical issues can be a pain in the ass, but you cant run around with spare batteries everywhere you go! Let us know how you make out...... rolly and dhh3 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhh3 Posted December 28, 2015 Report Share Posted December 28, 2015 Just out of curiosity, where did you purchase the battery and alternator? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa Brown Posted December 28, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 28, 2015 Both the alternator and battery were purchased at A Napa auto parts store earlier this year. And the voltage was tested mostly at the terminals on top where te cable from the battery branches off to the fuse box and starter/alternator (where you attach booster cables). I'll try testing the voltage again here today and update you. Thanks. dhh3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhh3 Posted December 28, 2015 Report Share Posted December 28, 2015 Good. I was hoping you wouldn't say Auto Zone! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larryl Posted December 28, 2015 Report Share Posted December 28, 2015 Dont think you have a 3.6 in an 09 3.5 perhaps? dhh3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miggy17 Posted December 28, 2015 Report Share Posted December 28, 2015 I have the same issue with my 2011 journey crew. Installed new battery gold series. Has to be jumped after few hours. Of sitting And 2 codes coming up throttle body sensor circuit and low voltage. Let me know how you make out with yours. Thx. dhh3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa Brown Posted December 28, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 28, 2015 Ran a diagnostic and I have a bunch of codes that come up: C2100 battery voltage low C2101 battery voltage high C2115 dynamics sensor supply voltage high C0562 system voltage low C121c torque request signal denied Any thoughts? dhh3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miggy17 Posted December 28, 2015 Report Share Posted December 28, 2015 My codes are PO 123 and PO 562. Lost no clue dhh3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bramfrank Posted December 29, 2015 Report Share Posted December 29, 2015 The only way the battery voltage is too high is if the alternator is delivering too much voltage . . assuming your BCM is good and the measurement is right . . or you have a bad ground - bad grounds are the bane of the repair shop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miggy17 Posted December 31, 2015 Report Share Posted December 31, 2015 Anybody ever had the battery dead the next morning as if he accessory was staying on ? Having an issue with My 2011 journey crew. dhh3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OhareFred Posted December 31, 2015 Report Share Posted December 31, 2015 I have not but there is a TSB for exactly that issue, but im not sure what years (didnt apply to 09). It has been discussed many many times here. Mayby try a search, or perhaps someone else will chime in..... dhh3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhh3 Posted January 1, 2016 Report Share Posted January 1, 2016 (edited) I have had it happen to me two times, each in a different vehicle. Both times it was a battery with a bad cell. Good one day, dead the next day. I wonder if it could be the crankshaft position sensor? The electronics are going crazy because they have no idea what position the crankshaft is in at any given moment. The 3.6 has variable valve timing, i believe on both the intake and exhaust valves: for economy, power and emissions. If the engine does not have any idea what position the crankshaft is in, none of this stuff can work properly. To lose charge as fast as you do, there has to be a dead short somewhere. Once the voltage drops below the optimum threshold, all of the electronics go crazy. Edited January 1, 2016 by dhh3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkeaton Posted January 1, 2016 Report Share Posted January 1, 2016 (edited) Anybody ever had the battery dead the next morning as if he accessory was staying on ? Having an issue with My 2011 journey crew. Please start your own thread instead of hijacking someone else's. Makes answering questions hard because no one knows who's answering who's questions.Folks, please limit responses to the OP's (Lisa Brown) issue. We get too many side conversations going on and it can be frustrating to the OP. Edited January 1, 2016 by jkeaton dhh3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bramfrank Posted January 1, 2016 Report Share Posted January 1, 2016 Can you just split this into two threads? dhh3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkeaton Posted January 1, 2016 Report Share Posted January 1, 2016 If we had the admins and others mods active maybe one of them could. I can only hide posts and move complete threads. Can't move posts to new threads. Not in my limited list of actions I can perform. dhh3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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