[travelingsages]

I have replaced the battery on my 2015 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk three times now. Grr. We live in Arizona which is hard on batteries with the heat. The last battery was an Interstate AGM from Firestone. It carried a 60 month prorated warranty with a free replacement for the first 30 months. This battery lasted 25 months so I got a replacement but had to pay $30 for the installation labor. Grr again. I have two questions now. The first is what is the best and longest lasting battery available also considering the summer heat of 115? The second is about jump start portable batteries. We have only one car, live in a 55+ retirement community that mostly clears out for the summer and I am worried that the car could not start at any time and might strand me in the desert or out on the highway someplace. It seems like a jump start battery would bring peace of mind. What do you recommend that would start the Cherokee V6 and be reasonably priced?

 

[AZJeeper]

I'll wait for @Flybynightcru to give his endorsement for the Batteries Plus X2 AGM.

My take is it's only "reasonably priced" if you factor in the 5-year free replacement warranty (not prorated).

I'm in AZ and managed to get four years from my OEM battery. I have the X2 now.

Edit: I guess I didn't exactly wait for the endorsement!

 

[Mark_]

I have replaced the battery on my 2015 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk three times now. Grr. We live in Arizona which is hard on batteries with the heat. The last battery was an Interstate AGM from Firestone. It carried a 60 month prorated warranty with a free replacement for the first 30 months. This battery lasted 25 months so I got a replacement but had to pay $30 for the installation labor. Grr again. I have two questions now. The first is what is the best and longest lasting battery available also considering the summer heat of 115? The second is about jump start portable batteries. We have only one car, live in a 55+ retirement community that mostly clears out for the summer and I am worried that the car could not start at any time and might strand me in the desert or out on the highway someplace. It seems like a jump start battery would bring peace of mind. What do you recommend that would start the Cherokee V6 and be reasonably priced?

Hi,

Yeah that AZ heat... dry but deadly for batteries

Best battery, if you can find one : https://www.batteriesplus.com/product-details/auto_light-truck/battery/x2power/sli94ragmdp

It has a 5 year full replacement warranty. It's a premium thin plate pure lead AGM, unlike that Interstate you have which is identical to the original , the Mopar replacement and a bunch of other labels). The X2 Power is a Northstar, best battery for this Jeep.

As far as the booster pack goes, I'll let others chime in.

 

[sanghill]

Actually 3 batteries is probably better than average.
With regards to heat refer to this Post: Service Transmission light ON 2014 TH
Insulation wrap.
I bought a NOCO BOOST GB50 battery jump start. Close to $200. Never used it, but it is charged-up and ready to go.
My X2 Power AGM battery is nearing 4 years old. I don't drive off road much so I charge it about every 5 days. Should improve battery life.
Whenever you turn the Jeep OFF open the engine hood to let the heat escape whenever you can.
Especially when you buy gas. My Jeep went into limp home mode once because the battery was "at the end of its useful life".
I tested the heat with with an indoor/outdoor thermometer and it really gets hot in there.

 

[AZJeeper]

Forgot the part about the jump start battery...

They work really great and have saved my butt on several occasions. However, the Arizona heat takes a toll on them too. They die quickly without warning, so you need to make a habit of checking and recharging them often. I do mine about every three months or so. Even that leaves a potential 3-month window of not working! So far the batteries have been there when I needed them.

In the last ten years I'm on my 3rd one. The first two were name-brand, with the second one a warranty replacement. The current is a cheaper Amazon alternative. So far, so good.

 

[travelingsages]

Thanks about the specifics on the Batteries Plus. That's probably the direction I will go next time. By the way, it appears that the computer has a specific voltage that it hits which causes it to shut down the start circuit. The dash lights and key fob still work fine but the starter will not even try to engage. It seems that they could set the limit a bit lower so we would hear the starter turning over slower and have a warning to get the battery replaced. Another idea is to post a dash warning saying that the battery needs to be replaced. This warning could come a week or two before the computer shuts off the starter. It is troubling, and the reason I am considering the jump starter battery, that the car stops starting with no warning.

I have watched some videos on the Noco Boost GB 40. It is under $100 and the reviews seem to be good so I may get that one unless this thread points me at a different one.

 

[sanghill]

You should have ESS, that is usually a good battery test.
My 2015 doesn't have ESS so I don't know much about it.
Every 3 months or so I let AAA check my battery for free and keep the printout for future reference.
It seems that "battery health" is the most accurate indicator of the batteries condition.

 

[travelingsages]

I do have ESS but that didn't kick off this time.

 

[MikeR.]

I also recommend the x2. As far as jumper battery. Make sure that is a lithium pack, and bigger is better. Go to youtube and look up project farm. He did a bunch of testing of packs. I'm not sure what the cell reception coverage is in your area, but something like AAA would probably be worth it for the piece of mind. If you don't have good cell coverage, you could always look into the ham radio world. Using something like repeaterbook.com, you can see if you have any repeaters close by, so you can at least reach out for help. I'm not familiar with AZ, but in Florida we have a linked network that covers something like 98% of the state. If you can hit one, they relay to them all. Very easy to get help from almost anywhere. I bet AZ would probably have something similar.

 

[MikeR.]

I do have ESS but that didn't kick off this time.

It sounds like you had a shorted cell. That is common in high heat climates. There is really no warning when that happens.

 

[sanghill]

Do you think my battery wrap idea would help?
Where I live it is cool enough I really don't need a wrap so I really can't test its usefulness.

 

[travelingsages]

I also recommend the x2. As far as jumper battery. Make sure that is a lithium pack, and bigger is better. Go to youtube and look up project farm. He did a bunch of testing of packs. I'm not sure what the cell reception coverage is in your area, but something like AAA would probably be worth it for the piece of mind. If you don't have good cell coverage, you could always look into the ham radio world. Using something like repeaterbook.com, you can see if you have any repeaters close by, so you can at least reach out for help. I'm not familiar with AZ, but in Florida we have a linked network that covers something like 98% of the state. If you can hit one, they relay to them all. Very easy to get help from almost anywhere. I bet AZ would probably have something similar.

AAA is a thought that I should consider. I am a geocacher so I do go out on the two track dirt and rocky roads in the desert that AAA might not respond to. It would work for times like yesterday when the car died in my driveway.

 

[travelingsages]

Do you think my battery wrap idea would help?
Where I live it is cool enough I really don't need a wrap so I really can't test its usefulness.

I’m not sure a wrap would be much help. I already have a this insulation blanket that came from the factory. The problem is that in the summer we can have nights that have low temperatures in the 80s and 90s. The daytime highs are something else too. We have 90 to 147 days over 100° and 27 to 54 days over 110° each year. I think a blanket would work best to insulate on a hot day but cool down at night. Otherwise it would just hold the heat in.

 

[jcool001985]

As @MikeR. Said check out project farm on YouTube he did a few videos of testing jump packs and really over stresses things to the limit. Put them through starting a big diesel tractor with the packs below freezing etc. The noco's didn't come out on top and imho are way overpriced. Typically the best jump pack is the one with the biggest lithium battery. I have a cheap one off Amazon that has saved myself once and friends a few times. It was around $60 but that was a few years ago.

 

[1coopgt61]

I love how you folks preach about this battery. Batteries Plus X2 AGM. There is one problem . Not everyone has a Batteries Plus near them. How about an equivalent battery folks.

 

[Flybynightcru]

I'll wait for @Flybynightcru to give his endorsement for the Batteries Plus X2 AGM.

I've barely had mine for about 3 months now, but I've been endorsing the X2 Power for years. They have proven to be the powerbeast of AGM batteries around here...LOL!!!😎

 

[Flybynightcru]

I love how you folks preach about this battery. Batteries Plus X2 AGM. There is one problem . Not everyone has a Batteries Plus near them. How about an equivalent battery folks.

I think you can about have literally everything delivered to your door. Any premium AGM is sufficient. There's many to choose from, but the Northstar/X2 Power group are just kind of in a league of there own with little, or no competition in reliable deep cycle hybrid Power and Amps. The industry leading 5yr free replacement warranty is a huge selling point as well...😎

 

[Mark_]

I love how you folks preach about this battery. Batteries Plus X2 AGM. There is one problem . Not everyone has a Batteries Plus near them. How about an equivalent battery folks.

They ship, I think ?

If not, search for a Northstar Pro 94R, it's the exact same battery :

NORTHSTAR GROUP 94R AGM 12 VOLT 840 CCA 159 MIN RC, NSB-AGM94R

completebattery.com

Northstars are hard to find, they are being disconituned since Odyssey bought them out a couple years ago. There is an option from Odyssey, which is available at Autozone and elsewhere, it's their premium thin plate pure lead 94R-850 Odyssey, now known as their ODP-AGM94R H7

https://www.autozone.com/batteries-starting-and-charging/battery/p/odyssey-battery-94r-850-group-size-94r-850-cca/937704_0_0

Problem with the Odyssey is the 3 year (only) replacement warranty. But it's a premium AGM, it will last longer than the cheaper lead-calcium AGMs (like the Interstate, Mopar, Duralast Platinum, etc...).

So if you can find an X2 Power before they are all gone, it has a 2 year shelf life (can sit on a shelf for 2 years, no charging, no permanent damage. If you charge it once in a while, even better).

 

[1coopgt61]

Thanks Guys . My battery is fine . I was just making a point that not everyone has a Batteries Plus near them to buy this remarkable battery and you guys might want to suggest others that are more readily available that are equal to the Batteries Plus X2 AGM .

 

[Mark_]

Thanks Guys . My battery is fine . I was just making a point that not everyone has a Batteries Plus near them to buy this remarkable battery and you guys might want to suggest others that are more readily available that are equal to the Batteries Plus X2 AGM .

Yeah the Northstar is an endangered species (that includes the X2 Power). Odyssey have not disclosed when there won't be any left. Batteries+ had a contract with Northstar, but a Northstar executive did tell me the relationship was covered by a NDA, so we have no details on when Batteries+ will run out, and what the replacement will be (meaning do they have a deal with Odyssey to continue selling their premium AGMs, or not).