I took my Jeep in to Xxx Dodge and Jeep service for some warranty checks. I have 38,195 miles on my 2012 Jeep Wrangler Sport 2-door. I am no stranger for warranty work. I had the cylinder issue back around 10,000 miles, the transmission cooler tube fixed at about 30,000.
This time I took it in because my Jeep had developed a vibration on the road most noticeable when cold and idle but also happens from idle to acceleration and faint when driving to and from work (stop and go traffic up to 50 MPH).
The second issue was related to the transmission. There has been a whine when changing gears. Most noticeable while accelerating from idle to 1st and a little bit into 2nd gear. Also I notice it when coming to a stop light or stop sign and then when I turn off the jeep. Thank the Lord the service tech heard the whine when he took the Jeep as it is intermittent but frequent.
That is not really what gets me. I dropped it off on Thursday, no issues at all with the battery. None, ever! He calls me today (Saturday) and says that the tech tried to diagnose the symptoms but "the Jeep barely started." They won't be able to further diagnose the symptoms until they get a new battery in there. They want to charge $184 for the battery and $60 for the install. The tech said he will call Jeep and try and get the battery covered under the basic warranty because I am so close to the 36,000 mile mark.
He has to wait till Monday though to talk to them... :/
I said I will get the battery myself and install it if there Chrysler won't do it. Does this seem fishy at all to anyone? Am I overreacting? I have had ZERO issues with the battery. I know it has been almost three years which is the normal time to replace the battery. But I find it odd that the time I bring my Jeep into the dealership for service, the next day "the Jeep barely starts." With it started though shouldn't they be able to diagnose it? Argh. I'm frustrated. I don't need any sympathy. If I'm being too whiney just tell me. Sometimes having an outside perspective and input changes things.
Sorry about the long post. I wouldn't blame you if no one actually finished reading this thing. Blah.
P.S. They want to charge me for two diagnostic fees if there are no issues found. Has anyone come across that before?
I say buy whatever battery you want, and go to dealer and replace it yourself. They're not going to say crap. Trust me. They're just hoping you're a sucker and pay all that money for them to do it. The Jeep should be parked in the parking lot. So, just walk up to it, pop the hood, and replace. Make sure you bring a couple sockets and wrenches. Should be a 5-minute job. Even if you buy a Mopar battery, you can install it yourself. That, or just take the old battery home and buy a nice battery recharger. Charge it up, then go back to dealership and put the old battery in. Should be good as new.
I guess it depends --- do you want to invest in a battery charger which you can use again and again, or do you just want to buy a new battery?
Sad thing is, every manufacturer dealership I worked for had battery chargers. So, ask the service manager why they decided not to charge the battery for you.
I hear ya and I sympathize with you as well. I also agree it's fishy. At the same time I'm not sure there's a whole lot you can do about it. It would be tough to prove they did anything that caused it to die. I agree on you buying one yourself and installing it $60 to put in a battery? That's crazy. I wouldn't be surprised if they change it for free though. If they did do something that killed it they are not going to admit it. Then they'll say something like well it was tough but we gotcha a new battery, then they feel good about themselves, the customer thinks wow great service and everybody is happy and nobody cares that some poor tech fried himself accidently on your battery. Just my guess as to what will happen. Everyone saves face and you get a new battery. Let us know how it works out.
I did forget to mention that they did put it on the charger but for some reason that won't cut it and they will still have to replace the battery. I'm not super good with battery technicalities. Should they be able to charge it and then it be good to go? Thanks.
Also, if I call back to get specifics about the battery what should I ask? What would a reading have to be below in order for them to say a battery needs replaced?
Oh, my other vehicle is a motorcycle. I won't be able to take a battery to it and install :/ But good point. I could just buy it there and install myself and save $60.
My gut feeling is they're probably on the level. I've had batteries last less than 3 years - it isn't all that uncommon. And if the battery has a bad cell, a simple test will prove that. Go in and tell them to show you. It's a stretch for me to believe they'd go to the trouble of removing your battery and replacing it with a bad one, just to sell you a new one.
I've had batteries fail that I knew were getting ready to go. I've also had them fail with no warning.
Sometimes coincidences are just coincidences. :blackeye
My gut feeling is they're probably on the level. I've had batteries last less than 3 years - it isn't all that uncommon. And if the battery has a bad cell, a simple test will prove that. Go in and tell them to show you. It's a stretch for me to believe they'd go to the trouble of removing your battery and replacing it with a bad one, just to sell you a new one.
I've had batteries fail that I knew were getting ready to go. I've also had them fail with no warning.
Sometimes coincidences are just coincidences. :blackeye
Getting charged diagnostic fees is normal. Usually, if the dealer finds something wrong, they'll apply the diagnostic fee amount to the labor costs to repair the problem.
It's possible for a battery to be unchargeable if it has a bad cell or cells. Most of the dealer recharging machines are automated. The machine will refuse to charge a battery with bad cell. I used to be a Honda tech, and this happened occasionally.
So, if the dealer was being forthright, then just whatever battery you decide and install yourself.
I assume you're out of warranty on everything? I know you said you were actually at more than 36,000 miles.
Edit: I see that powertrain is 5-year/ 100,000 mile. They shouldn't be charging you any diagnostic fee for the transmission issue. As for the vibration, that's a tough call. From your description, it seems powertrain related though.
Getting charged diagnostic fees is normal. Usually, if the dealer finds something wrong, they'll apply the diagnostic fee amount to the labor costs to repair the problem.
It's possible for a battery to be unchargeable if it has a bad cell or cells. Most of the dealer recharging machines are automated. The machine will refuse to charge a battery with bad cell. I used to be a Honda tech, and this happened occasionally.
So, if the dealer was being forthright, then just whatever battery you decide and install yourself.
I assume you're out of warranty on everything? I know you said you were actually at more than 36,000 miles.
OK, that is good to know. Yes, my Basic Warranty ends at 36,000 but the powertrain ends at 100,000. So, if there ends up being something wrong with the transmission it will be covered since it is covered by the powertrain warranty.
This is exactly why I like this forum. I can run my situation through others to see if I am getting mistreated. I appreciate your quick and honest responses. I'd rather have this than someone just side with me and we feed off each other and before we know it, are marching down to the dealerships in protests! :atomic:
I live in So Cal. Any reason why not to get the Mega-Tron II? I do occasionally do trips up into the Pacific NW or Colorado during the winter. So it does see snow and freezing temperatures. I also plan on getting a Winch and a LED light bar. Would that be enough justification to get the MT7 AGM at $259? Or will the Mega-Tron II be enough for those applications?
I'm just impressed they looked at your jeep already. I dropped mine off last Tuesday (Sat. now) for a CEL light cylinder head issue (2nd time in a month) and they still have not even looked at my car (1st time just reset it to make the light go off). The only saving grace is they gave me a free loaner this time.
When I have my car serviced they give me a report on my battery (six years old and still turning it over, on a 211K mile car) So I'm asking of OP has any records from prior regular service which state the health of the battery.
When I have my car serviced they give me a report on my battery (six years old and still turning it over, on a 211K mile car) So I'm asking of OP has any records from prior regular service which state the health of the battery.
I'm assuming OP means original post? If that's the case, I don't think I have any records about prior battery health. Do you ask about that specifically when you take it in for service or is on one of their courtesy check lists?
Besides the warranty work and the first complimentary oil change, I have done all the other service items on it myself. I don't have a battery meter or thing to check the battery condition unfortunately. Good idea though.
Interstate will deliver and install (free) one of their batteries for you. I had them do it at my office one time while I was working, well, I wasn't really working but I thought it might be too obvious that I wasn't if I just went to the parking lot and started working on my car.
Interstate will deliver and install (free) one of their batteries for you. I had them do it at my office one time while I was working, well, I wasn't really working but I thought it might be too obvious that I wasn't if I just went to the parking lot and started working on my car.
It's not uncommon for a battery to fail when you least expect it. What I find odd, is that dealership shop couldn't just jump start your vehicle and then continue on with the diagnostic. They really don't need to replace the battery to do this.
It's not uncommon for a battery to fail when you least expect it. What I find odd, is that dealership shop couldn't just jump start your vehicle and then continue on with the diagnostic. They really don't need to replace the battery to do this.
They probably left the key in the ignition for an extended period of time. Someone probably left it on overnight. If they got it started and it runs, the alternator should recharge the battery, but if the battery is truly drained it won't get back to 100%. I've had batteries last for years and years, but my brand new 2010 Frontier had the factory battery go out in 6 months.
I would play hardball with them. You've had several warranty problems already. I would tell them it's odd that you never had a battery issue until you left it overnight with them. Once the vehicle is running the battery really isn't doing much, so I don't know why that would affect their diagnostics. It seems odd to me. I wouldn't agree to a new battery until I witnessed the condition/hard starting from the old one. They should also be able to put it on a charger. I would ask why they are so quick to replace it without charging it first.
I got one of these for around $50. It's paid for itself a hundred times over. Between the Harley (eats batteries like candy), boat and cars I always have batteries in various states of crapping out. This little Solar really works, I've checked old and new batteries. It doesn't run just voltage but amps (load test) and does it in less than a second. Solar Automotive Battery Tester - YouTube No more having to replace a battery "just to be safe" or waiting until it's dead.
:dance:Hi I also live in Florida and most of the time I get between 2 to 3 years of battery life. On my 2012 Jeep wrangler it went out at 2.5 years.
I called AAA AND they gave me a jump start, went to Jeep dealer and they:iamhappy:
replaced battery FREE under warranty. Got to love FREE. :thumb::thumb:
I am starting to have issues with my 2012 stock battery after 2 years + 3 months. In my case it may just be that it is a standard battery and the vibration or rough use off road caused premature problems.
I got a quote from 4 Wheel parts for an Odyssey Extreme for $211 installed, so I will likely do that next week. I also live in So Cal and do a fair amount of hot weather running.
Why would anybody go cheap with the one piece of equipment that can and will leave you stranded? People will pay good money for unneeded accesories but skimp on the battery?
Why would anybody go cheap with the one piece of equipment that can and will leave you stranded? People will pay good money for unneeded accessories but skimp on the battery?
Another good point on walmart batteries is that you will be hard pressed to find a town without a walmart if it goes bad while you are on vacation or just not in your hometown.
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