[Longtimemopar]

Well, this post is not exactly about 'procedure'. Running some errands Saturday and when I lifted my foot off the brake the normal ESS seemed odd. Kind of like it did a double start in a micro second and sure enough............"Service ESS system" appeared on the dash. We finished our errands and by the time we got back to the house the message and symbol were gone. Sunday I used the remote start and the van seemed fine except the message was back. I had an early meeting Monday morning. Remote start. I noticed the LED parking lights were on as normal. When I started to drive down the street, the headlights didn't seem to be on. Got home from my meeting and called the dealership. I told them about the ESS service message and asked if they had the battery (I can't for sure recall if I asked about 'battery' or 'batteries'). The service writer said sure the battery is in stock, bring it on in. Within 20 minutes of getting it to the dealership, they told me that both batteries needed to be replaced and the ESS battery wouldn't be there for several hours. They got me a loaner Pacifica that I kept overnight.
The work order says that: "Auto start/stop function is not working. Low battery voltage codes in several modules. Both the main and aux battery failed when tested with the GR8 tester. Both batteries must be replaced and the stop start system relearned. Replaced both the aux and main battery. Relearned stop start feature. Repair complete 1390".
So both batteries were replaced under warranty - 25,710 miles and under 3 years old. The van seems to working normally again. The work was done at Atlantic Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep in St. Augustine, FL.

Just an update to this post: The headlights were the same yesterday morning.??? SOMEBODY must have changed the headlight switch from "auto". Please notice that I am NOT blaming my wife. So the headlights being 'dim' had nothing to do with the batteries.

 

[jerry17]

Just an update to this post: The headlights were the same yesterday morning.??? SOMEBODY must have changed the headlight switch from "auto". Please notice that I am NOT blaming my wife. So the headlights being 'dim' had nothing to do with the batteries.

Not sure it applies here, but about half the time I get the van back from the dealer the headlight switch was moved to "off."

I can't think of why, except that either they have the van in "RUN" with the engine off and don't want the battery drained, or the headlights glare off their tools......

 

[Jimal]

I found out the hard way today that Interstate lists an H7 size battery for 2017 Pacificas, and a smaller H6 battery for 2018 Pacificas. Since our 2017 has ESS, it takes the battery for the 2018 application. The bigger battery is what comes up when I crossreference the P/N off the battery, 56029758AB.

So back to the store I go tomorrow.

 

[Xarpolis]

Has anyone found a viable aftermarket battery for the ESS system that works? I tried a replacement battery that I found at AutoZone, and it fits fine (a little undersized), but my start stop light is still flashing as needs service. So I guess it's back to the drawing board. And I don't want to just pay the dealer $500 to replace a battery that I can do in under 20 minutes.

 

[Jimal]

Has anyone found a viable aftermarket battery for the ESS system that works? I tried a replacement battery that I found at AutoZone, and it fits fine (a little undersized), but my start stop light is still flashing as needs service. So I guess it's back to the drawing board. And I don't want to just pay the dealer $500 to replace a battery that I can do in under 20 minutes.

Skip the Service Dept. and get the battery from the Parts Dept. They'll sell it to you. That is where I got mine. I got my main battery from Interstate because the dealer didn't have that battery in stock.

 

[Jimal]

I am now willing to proclaim that almost three months later, and after a couple cold nights and a bunch of driving, that my ESS problem has been solved. Not by the V53 recall, as some have been theorizing, but by replacing prematurely aged out batteries. That Chrysler has (or had) a shortage of batteries a couple months ago because they were changing suppliers makes me suspicious that they know that there was a problem.

 

[freddief73]

I am now willing to proclaim that almost three months later, and after a couple cold nights and a bunch of driving, that my ESS problem has been solved. Not by the V53 recall, as some have been theorizing, but by replacing prematurely aged out batteries. That Chrysler has (or had) a shortage of batteries a couple months ago because they were changing suppliers makes me suspicious that they know that there was a problem.

I think the batteries themselves were only a part of the problem. I think many vans sat undriven on lots for too long which caused the batteries to lose their charge. When we were shopping for vans before we bought ours, I remember seeing some that had been on the lot for almost a year and a half. The only time they would have been driven during that time is the short time they were started up if a salesman needed to move them, or if someone decided to take them for a test drive.

Also, think about all the times the screens woke up when people were looking at vans afterhours when the doors were locked.

There's no dealership that I'm aware of that constantly maintains their entire inventory. Even the small dealerships have 20 or more vehicles. It would just require too much time & resources to do so. I don't even want to think about the large dealerships that have hundreds of vehicles on their lots. The only vehicles that get attention are those that don't start or have other obvious problems.

 

[Jimal]

I think the batteries themselves were only a part of the problem. I think many vans sat undriven on lots for too long which caused the batteries to lose their charge. When we were shopping for vans before we bought ours, I remember seeing some that had been on the lot for almost a year and a half. The only time they would have been driven during that time is the short time they were started up if a salesman needed to move them, or if someone decided to take them for a test drive.

Also, think about all the times the screens woke up when people were looking at vans afterhours when the doors were locked.

There's no dealership that I'm aware of that constantly maintains their entire inventory. Even the small dealerships have 20 or more vehicles. It would just require too much time & resources to do so. I don't even want to think about the large dealerships that have hundreds of vehicles on their lots. The only vehicles that get attention are those that don't start or have other obvious problems.

Time in inventory is a reasonable explanation, but probably not the only explanation. We bought our van from CarMax, and it was originally a rental van (IIRC it was from Enterprise), so it isn't likely it sat on a lot for any length of time. Unsold inventory is a big problem in the industry as a whole, but the issue this issue with batteries seems to be unique - or at least localized - to these vans. If it were simply an issue of batteries not being maintained, this issue would be more widespread. And while not definitive, I do find it curious that FCA is changing its battery supplier.

 

[irpilot]

This is what I found on the Gas van battery
Replacement: cranking battery replacement.pdf
ESS battery replacement: SUPPLEMENTAL battery removal.pdf

Idle draw test: IGNITION-OFF DRAW TEST.pdf

Air cleaner removal (referenced in the other documents) Air Cleaner Removal and Installation.pdf

I have a Hybrid, so no additional insight.

@stop-eject Thanks for sharing the google drive docs. Came in handy. Just finished my battery replacement and it was pretty easy. All you have to do is remove the air filter charge pipe by pulling on the front of it to pop out the tabs as someone else had mentioned. Then it just slides forward and out. You do not have to remove the whole filter canister.

I also unplugged the circular pipe at the front of the canister to get it out of the way. Next was removing the negative with a 10mm socket and then the positive also 10mm socket. Then I used a 10mm socket with a 10" extension as someone suggested to remove the strap screw that is at the front center area in front of the battery (pic). Then I removed the 2 plugs that plugged into the back of the whole positive block (pic). There are no screws, you just push down to unlock the clips and they slide out. This made getting the battery out really easy. Then you tilt the battery up 90 degrees from the left side and pull it out. Removed the insulator sleeve from the old battery and placed it on the new one and reversed the steps. Added some pics for reference. 10 minute job. This is for a non hybrid non start stop van.

 

[Col F]

I think the batteries themselves were only a part of the problem. I think many vans sat undriven on lots for too long which caused the batteries to lose their charge. When we were shopping for vans before we bought ours, I remember seeing some that had been on the lot for almost a year and a half. The only time they would have been driven during that time is the short time they were started up if a salesman needed to move them, or if someone decided to take them for a test drive.

Also, think about all the times the screens woke up when people were looking at vans afterhours when the doors were locked.

There's no dealership that I'm aware of that constantly maintains their entire inventory. Even the small dealerships have 20 or more vehicles. It would just require too much time & resources to do so. I don't even want to think about the large dealerships that have hundreds of vehicles on their lots. The only vehicles that get attention are those that don't start or have other obvious problems.

Automobile batteries which are not frequently/regularly charged (by driving, trickle/maintenance charger, bulk charger) not only discharge, but they also sulfate. Sulfation is essentially the accumulation of lead sulfate crystals on the plates in the battery. Charging dissipates sulfates. Once sulfation is too advanced, there may be no rehabilitation of the battery. Sulfated batteries cannot be charged. This is the problem that occurs when a vehicle is not driven on a regular and frequent basis.

The problem is exacerbated by parasitic (vampire) battery draining caused by electronics which are constantly drawing low levels of current (and sometimes by defects which increase parasitic loads dramatically).

My new 2020 Pac was only purchased a few weeks ago, however it was delivered to the dealership in mid September. We didn't drive it for just over a week, and sure enough the ESS was not operating, and checking the dash messages revealed, "ESS not ready - battery charging"... The battery voltage message was a continuous 14.3 - 14.4 volts while driving (reflecting charging voltage, not battery voltage). Finally, after 3.5 hours of mixed driving, the ESS started functioning, and the battery voltage message indicated 12.6 volts (a fully charged auto battery is appx. 12.67 volts). Thus, I am concerned that either, or both of my batteries are at least partially sulfated...

As tempted as I am to test the batteries with my scan tool which has electronic Conductance Battery Testing functions, that would require disconnecting both batteries (and losing all vehicle settings). So, I plan to wait a bit and see how they perform during driving over the next few weeks.

Battery maintenance is a real problem, especially with ESS vehicles, and especially in very hot or very cold climates, and especially in vehicles which are not frequently driving for long enough periods to keep them fully charged.

We had a heck of a time with a GM car with ESS. My wife wasted three trips to a dealer before I finally had to take the car in myself. Even then, the "technicians" who are not always the most competent or cooperative, insisted that the batteries were OK, until I proved otherwise, and further convinced them that the root cause of the problem was a defective battery distribution module which is supposed to ensure that both batteries receive sufficient charging voltages... I do not look forward to having a similar ordeal with my new Chrysler dealer...

 

[Xarpolis]

So my Pacifica ran into yet another battery problem. First up was the ESS battery. I replaced that and everything was good once more. But recently the primary battery also throwing flags. It's fine if I drove every day, but if I took 2-3 days off, I needed to jump the car to start once more. So I uninstalled both batteries and replaced. Then followed the steps from my previous post (the ESS one), and I'm still running into issues. Here's the post in question:

Ok, I wanted to give you all an update on the vehicle again. As of right now, everything is working as "brand new" once again.

I returned the battery linked above because it didn't immediately fix the problem. Turns out that's because I didn't know how to reset the entire system. So I purchased the same battery again, and installed the power, but not the ground. At the same time, I also disconnected the ground from the main battery. I used the smaller 10mm bolt to remove the primary block from the battery itself, instead of removing the larger 13mm bolt and the smaller ground cable from that.. After loosening that 10mm bolt, it would do minor sparks while I rotated it. Not an issue, so I grabbed it with needle nose pliers and removed it. I let the car sit for around 15 minutes without either negative terminal connected. Then I connected the negative to the new ESS battery (minor sparks), and then the main negative to the big battery (also minor sparks).

The car started right up, and the ESS warning light has vanished. In addition, the ESS feature works once more. However, when I tried to back up, the camera + 360 degree overhead didn't activate, so I lifted the hood again and went to the fuse box located next to the battery. I removed the #76 fuse (20 amp) for a few minutes. It turns out, this is the uConnect system's fuse. After replacing that, my cameras worked once again. Everything is back to normal. Hurray.

So there you go, that's the easy steps to completely fixing an ESS battery. The replacement battery in question cost all of $68.00. Labor came to $0 (I don't bill myself). Total savings: $497.00. Total time for me "working" on the vehcile, around 25 minutes (not counting when I went back inside while waiting for things to reset).

Take that, Chrysler dealer that wants to overcharge for a simple battery replacement.

So after getting both batteries installed, I started the car but after a few seconds the ESS warning light was thrown. Ok, I know how to resolve that one. So I disconnected both ground terminals and went inside for a while. After about 45 minutes, I connected them up again. Same as before, now the uConnect system has an error. Backup cameras are gone. So is my XM radio. So I pulled fuze 76 and waited another 15 minutes, but that didn't solve the problem. Still going exactly the same. So I pulled it again and waited about an hour, while putting my daughter to bed. After I plugged it in again, still acting the same as before. IE - No cameras or XM radio.

Now to figure out what my next step is....

I'll leave the battery connected over night, then try again in the morning. If it's still no good, I'll try disconnecting the entire battery again and not just the ground terminal. I'll let you know how it works out. Unless one of you might know another method to "reset" the uConnect system.
-------------------------------------
Ok, disregard that whole "next step" thing. I just remembered that I left a flashlight turned on in the van, so I went out to shut it off. While out there, I tried the system again, prepared to do a software reset. When I turned it on, everything worked once more. So... day is saved. Good deal.

 

[pacifica_owner]

@stop-eject Thanks for sharing the google drive docs. Came in handy. Just finished my battery replacement and it was pretty easy. All you have to do is remove the air filter charge pipe by pulling on the front of it to pop out the tabs as someone else had mentioned. Then it just slides forward and out. You do not have to remove the whole filter canister. I also unplugged the circular pipe at the front of the canister to get it out of the way. Next was removing the negative with a 10mm socket and then the positive also 10mm socket. Then I used a 10mm socket with a 10" extension as someone suggested to remove the strap screw that is at the front center area in front of the battery (pic). Then I removed the 2 plugs that plugged into the back of the whole positive block (pic). There are no screws, you just push down to unlock the clips and they slide out. This made getting the battery out really easy. Then you tilt the battery up 90 degrees from the left side and pull it out. Removed the insulator sleeve from the old battery and placed it on the new one and reversed the steps. Added some pics for reference. 10 minute job. This is for a non hybrid non start stop van.

How did you remove the red power distribution box over the positive terminal?? I took all the nuts off plus the two plugs, three for me. It still will not move. Oh, and took the strap screw out.

 

[pacifica_owner]

In May 2019 the replacement battery died suddenly without warning. It was able to be jumped, tested, and replaced by the dealer (since it was 4 months old and had probably sat on the shelf too long). Even though I didn't have to replace the battery myself, whenever I looked at the battery, I didn't see how it would easily be changed so I looked for a video today when another forum member mentioned trying find out how to replace it without going to the dealer. I have no desire to do this myself, but it was an informative video so I thought I would post it for those interested. This is for a gas Pacifica.
Battery Replacement: 2017-2019 Chrysler Pacifica 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Touring 3.6L V6
@Longtimemopar, I thought you might like more added to the thread.

Terrible video as they film two different batteries.

 

[SciTchr]

How did you remove the red power distribution box over the positive terminal?? I took all the nuts off plus the two plugs, three for me. It still will not move. Oh, and took the strap screw out.

I think @irpilot might not be on the forum anymore. @freddief73 or @stop-eject any suggestions on what to do next?

 

[freddief73]

How did you remove the red power distribution box over the positive terminal?? I took all the nuts off plus the two plugs, three for me. It still will not move. Oh, and took the strap screw out.

Did you also remove the recessed nut shown in the picture next to step 6 in the cranking battery removal instructions below? That's the nut that attaches the pre-fuse assembly to the positive battery terminal. If so, then the pre-fuse assembly should come off. Top-post battery terminals are slightly tapered, so you may need to gently twist the pre-fuse assembly or pry it up to break it free from the positive terminal.

cranking battery replacement.pdf

drive.google.com

 

[stop-eject]

I think @irpilot might not be on the forum anymore. @freddief73 or @stop-eject any suggestions on what to do next?

I have a hybrid, can't offer any suggestions for a gasser. The batteries have nothing in common.

 

[SciTchr]

I have a hybrid, can't offer any suggestions for a gasser. The batteries have nothing in common.

Thanks for checking in.

 

[irpilot]

I don't have the Pacifica anymore but I thought it had a cover that just popped off. Sorry it's been a while but I don't remember it being an issue.

Update: looks like I mention it in the post you tagged me in.

 

[CenTexas]

I found this thread helpful, but a bit diverse. So I have put it all together and posted below for others to consider.

Summarized step-by-step instructions for replacing the H7 battery.

This is for a gas 2017 Limited Pacifica – a non-hybrid; non-start/stop (ESS) van.

REMOVING OLD BATTERY

• Remove the air filter pipe that crosses over the battery by pulling up on the front corners (by the radiator) to pop out the lock tabs. Then slide it up/forward and out.
• Use a 10mm socket with extension/s to remove the battery strap screw that is in the center area in front of the battery. The strap screw is long and requires lots of turning; it will stay in the rectangular strap block so you don’t need to worry about it coming out completely or dropping it under/into the engine compartment.
• Loosen (but not remove) the negative terminal nut with a 10mm socket, then wiggle it up and off the terminal. Wrap in rag to prevent shorting during remaining procedure.
• Open the red pre-fuse box covering the positive terminal; use a screw driver in the slots to assist with unlatching the cover; it hinges back toward you.
• Remove the 2 plugs (gray and purple) that are plugged into the back of the red positive pre-fuse block. There are no screws - just push down in the slots to unlock the clips and they slide out backwards. This will make removing/installing the battery easier.
• Loosen (but not remove) the positive terminal nut with a 10mm socket, then wiggle and slightly lift the entire pre-fuse block to ensure it is loose from the terminal. Note: there are still two wires connected to the block (gray washers in pic) so the red pre-fuse box remains in the cavity and you must wriggle it back and out of the way to remove/insert battery.)
• Remove the old battery by tilting up the left side and pull it out. Option: remove the nuts that hold the crossbar in place to eliminate the need to angle-insert the new battery; probably worth doing if only 1 person is doing the job as lifting and angling the 45lb. battery is cumbersome.

INSTALLING NEW BATTERY

• Remove the insulator sleeve from the old battery and place it on the new one.
• Place battery into engine compartment and fully seat it in battery tray.
• Replace battery strap screw block and tighten. Do not overtighten strap as you do not want excess pressure on the plastic case which might result in damaging the battery.
• Position the red pre-fuse block and plug the two wires back in (gray and purple), then place the positive terminal clamp in place and tighten. Snap the block cover closed.
• Carefully place the negative clamp on the battery while avoiding touching the metal. Note: there will be a spark as you touch it to the terminal. Tighten nut.
• Reinstall the filter pipe over top of battery.

 

[howie12]

Oh, I’m definitely watching this thread. I would love, LOVE, if someone said removing the ESS battery disables that function without penalty. My LIMITED is pre-ESS and we decided NOT to buy lifetime warranty because we were already planning to trade in for another Pacifica around 2019/2020 when all the bugs were addressed but I just don’t want ESS. Having a gas engine shut off at traffic lights during rush hour just gives me the creeps on rental cars I drive. Idling at traffic lights is where I guage my engine’s health, haha. I do have a friend with the DVD but it is pre-ESS and might not be relevant to your question even for the regular battery which is mounted directly next door to ESS battery so, like you, I am waiting for a more knowledgable 2018 owner to answer before chiming in. Interested for sure.

I have a 2018 with ESS and you can deactivate it. It isn't required to have it on.