This Site Was Built With You In Mind!

2023 Wagoneer Dead Battery

Wagoneer Badge

 Wagoneer Dead Battery

by Eddie Carrara

I have been turning wrenches in the automotive business since 1986. My title is an ASE-Certified Master Technician, my mission is to help people understand the machines they drive every day and help save them a few dollars along the way. If you find my website interesting and helpful, please share it! 

All About Wheel Bearings

Luxury vs. Reliability

The Wagoneer is a stunning vehicle that offers a range of luxurious features. However, these options come at a cost—not just a hefty price tag, but also expensive repair costs. The insights in this article reflect my personal experience working on these vehicles.

Dead Battery

If your Wagoneer’s battery frequently dies—whether overnight or every time you turn off the ignition—this article will help you identify a potential issue. You won’t find this information anywhere else online until I publish it today.

This Wagoneer is equipped with two batteries: a main battery and a stop/start battery. When jump-starting the vehicle, I have found that connecting the jumper cables to the small stop/start battery tends to work better than connecting them to the main battery. I'm not sure why, but that's just my experience with this system.

The issue I have found is with the charging system. The vehicle batteries discharged overnight and would constantly have to be jumpstarted. Digging deep into the charging system I noticed that the main battery would charge at approximately 12.5V and the small stop/start battery would charge at 14.5V this is an issue since both batteries should be charging at the same rate of approximately 14.5V.

Batteries Charging at Different Rates

Wagoneer Main Battery

The main battery is only charging at 12.47V and should be approximately 14.5V

Stop/Start

The small Stop/Start battery is charging at 14.55V which is normal.

Searching for Information

After hours of searching for information on how the system operates and multiple wiring diagrams, I noticed a 150Amp fusible link in the system but couldn't find any other information about where this link is located. I continued to inspect the fuse boxes for any blown fuses while on the lookout for a fusible link somewhere in the system.

Wagoneer Dead Battery

The Missing Fusible Link

In the engine compartment, near the front of the batteries, there is a fuse box that contains several fusible links connected to the vehicle's main electrical cables. During my careful inspection and testing of the inline fuses, I discovered another fuse box located beneath the main one. This sub-fuse box contains additional fuses and fusible links. Positioned between the upper and lower fuse boxes is a 150 Amp fusible link that connects the two. This 150 Amp fusible link is the source of the issue.

150Amp Fusible Link

Fusible link

To the right in the photo, you'll notice a 150Amp Fusible link connecting the upper and lower fuse boxes. 

Fusible Link

This is the 150Amp Fusible link outside the fuse box. 

YESPER Boost Jump Starter Battery Pack 4120A 27000mAh
Yesper Jump Pack

I have had this Yesper Jump Pack for 2 years now and use it several time daily. Being is the rental car business we see a lot of dead batteries and I fond the reviews on the jump pack to be quite impressive. There is a huge discrepancy price tag between the Yesper Jump Pack ($60) compared to the NOCO competitor Jump Pack ($300), but, the quality is very comparable. I took a chance on the Yasper Jump Pack and won!

Cause and Correction

My thought is that this fusible link was blown because of the amount of time the vehicle had been jumpstarted, but the Wagoneer came in with this issue so the fusible link had to have blown before it was towed to the shop. Regardless of how it happened, it fixed the no-start issue and the vehicle hasn't returned, thankfully.

In these pictures and videos, you will see the locations of the fuse boxes, fuses, fusible links, and what the fusible link looks like. I have also supplied the Mopar part number for the fusible link P/N 6849 6448 AA.

Wagoneer Fuse
Wagoneer fuse box
Fusible link P/N

People Also Ask

Why won't my Jeep Wagoneer start?

The most common reason is a dead battery. If the vehicle dash lights do not come on when you push the start button, the battery is a good place to start your diagnosing. Another quick check is to turn on the vehicle headlights, if the parking lights and headlights do not turn on, the battery is completely dead or you have blown one of the main fuses. 

What are the signs of a completely dead battery?

When the vehicle battery is completely dead, absolutely nothing happens when you push the start button, no slow crack, no dash lights, no noises. None of the electrical components will work.

Why won't my Jeep start but has power?

If you push the start button in your Jeep and the dash lights come on, the battery may need to be charged or jump-started. The tell-tale sign of a low-charged battery is either a slow engine crank or you'll hear a clicking noise coming from under the hood. The clicking noise is the starter trying to start the engine but it doesn't;t have enough amps to do so. The battery may have enough power to turn on a few lights and the radio but it takes much more power to start an engine.

Is my battery dead or my alternator?

It's funny that when the battery is dying in your car there are no warning signs or lights, but when the alternator has an issue, the battery light comes on. This is confusing for most people because the vehicle should have an alternator light as well as a battery light, but it's been like this from the beginning. If your battery is dead, have it either jump-started or charged, once the engine is running the alternator can be checked for any issues.

With a dual battery system I find it's better to connect the jumper cables or jump pack to the stop/start battery rather than the main battery.

Why won't my Jeep start but the radio and lights work?

If the radio and lights work in your jeep but the engine will not turn over, there may be other issues with the vehicle. If your engine cranks slowly or you hear a clicking noise, there may not be enough power in the battery, and a battery Cold Cranking Amp test should be your next step. If the battery is fully charged, you may have high resistance in either the starter or the wires going to the starter, or the battery may have a dead cell which can cause a lot of confusion. At this point, it's most likely time to get a professional opinion. 

The questions above are all good and I hope I have answered yours. Automotive problems may not be rocket science but you do need a fair amount of automotive knowledge to grasp what is actually happening when the key is turned or that button is pushed.

Share the Knowledge

This vehicle was down for several days because of the lack of information available. Hopefully, this information will help a fellow technician or DIY person with the same issue. The location of this fusible link is not found anywhere on the internet and this is why I think it's important to share what I found.

Stellantis products have some of the worst electrical problems among the cars I work on. They not only have an enormous amount of issues, but some of the repair information is non-existent.

This article is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge. Content is for informational or entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for personal counsel or professional advice in business, financial, legal, or technical matters.

Show / Hide