New, weird start-up issue ??

[MikeD1]

This just started happening in the last month or so -- I drive the car once a week (of every other week if the weather is bad) and it's on a battery tender most of the time.

The last 3 or 4 starts the BSM's light up & I get the 'blind spot monitor temporarily unavailable' message on the dash console. Main console is totally black and no amount of button pushing seems to have any affect. After a minute or so, the BSM lights go out & the main screen fires up & goes thru the normal boot process. Functions normally after that, volts flicker between 14.1 & 14.3. Nothing unusual about the engine start (window drops, lights come on when I open the door, starts & idles normally). No CEL or other warning lights on the dash.

Car is 6 years old, but the OE battery was replaced (under warranty) at just over 2 years and that's when I started using the tender.

Wondering if this is somehow battery related or is there some other electrical gremlin lurking waiting to grab me?
It's almost like the car is putting itself into some sort of sleep mode or ???

 

[BULL]

Subscribed for a resolution


(My first unlikely guess is a bad BSM sensor)

 

[DavidKFla]

My car goes through batteries like candy. I would test yours.

 

[MikeD1]

Subscribed for a resolution


(My first unlikely guess is a bad BSM sensor)

Thought about that, but why would it prevent the infotainment system from booting ??

Was wondering if it had something to do with the 3G shutdown & it not liking being cut-off from the mothership, but then, there would be others experiencing the same thing.

 

[Slowpoke387]

Low battery will make your car freak out and do weird random things. Very doubtful it’s the 3G thing. Your radio would still work at the very least. I would start there, especially with yours being four yrs old. In theory the tender shouldve helped but I usually only get four years out of a battery in a hellcat. I don’t use a tender very often though.

 

[DGatzby]

I will add, my car will not see a trickle charger ever again. Multiple people have lost their aftermarket suspension module to something mysterious caused by connection to a trickle charger this last winter - including me. For some reason they lose their programming and become bricks. Nothing else seems to be affected, but it could have caused another computer item within your system to malfunction.

I will hook up a big charger every few weeks next year and just bring the battery up.

 

[MikeD1]

I will add, my car will not see a trickle charger ever again. Multiple people have lost their aftermarket suspension module to something mysterious caused by connection to a trickle charger this last winter - including me. For some reason they lose their programming and become bricks. Nothing else seems to be affected, but it could have caused another computer item within your system to malfunction.

I will hook up a big charger every few weeks next year and just bring the battery up.

Argh, hoping that's not the case with my car

 

[Bowtie Guy]

I would guess low Battery
Seems to be the popular thing with these cars
Maybe once its started & running the alternator juices up the system ???

I put my trickle charger on once a month
Charge it up
Leave it 1 day after full charge
Take if off

My $250 Harley charger dried up my new Harley battery
I don t leave anything plugged in now

I may start it 2 times in 6 months ( Nov thru May )

All my key fobs are dead as PHACK too
I have heard the FOB s send signals to the car ??????

I found out a couple weeks ago my F150 don t start like the Challenger with a dead fob
SOB !!!

 

[MikeD1]

Guess I should start battery shopping, probably for the Durango as well it's coming up on 5 yrs (but get driven regularly).

 

[Bowtie Guy]

Guess I should start battery shopping, probably for the Durango as well it's coming up on 5 yrs (but get driven regularly).

Back long long ago when things were simple like me I use to test the cells out
Now all I can do is check the voltage

 

[DGatzby]

Argh, hoping that's not the case with my car

Well it only blasted the aftermarket board, so your probably okay, they were able to “reboot”. But, I accepted a new and “updated” firmware unit.

I does sound like your battery is the cause. Have fun! Got mine all recovered, clean and now under wraps, holding my breath. In a couple of weeks I’ll need to load it up and head east for two track days without much testing/road time at all this season.

 

[Slowpoke387]

I would guess low Battery
Seems to be the popular thing with these cars
Maybe once its started & running the alternator juices up the system ???

I put my trickle charger on once a month
Charge it up
Leave it 1 day after full charge
Take if off

My $250 Harley charger dried up my new Harley battery
I don t leave anything plugged in now

I may start it 2 times in 6 months ( Nov thru May )

All my key fobs are dead as PHACK too
I have heard the FOB s send signals to the car ??????

I found out a couple weeks ago my F150 don t start like the Challenger with a dead fob
SOB !!!

.

 

[Slowpoke387]

I found out a couple weeks ago my F150 don t start like the Challenger with a dead fob
SOB !!!

Are you sure? What year is it? My wife's Lincoln (Ford lol) MKX suv has a slot in the center console to slide the fob into if it's dead. Works well.

 

[Bowtie Guy]

Are you sure? What year is it? My wife's Lincoln (Ford lol) MKX suv has a slot in the center console to slide the fob into if it's dead. Works well.

Yes that is what I found out ( the hard way )
2018 F150
I had to remove the beer cup holder base
My Challenger starts by pushing the start button with the key fob ( at least for me it does LOL )

 

[jroyk]

Guess I should start battery shopping, probably for the Durango as well it's coming up on 5 yrs (but get driven regularly).

Are Durango batteries under the front passenger seat like Grand Cherokees? They seem to last forever in that location. I finally changed out a 9 year old that was functioning perfectly.

 

[MikeD1]

Are Durango batteries under the front passenger seat like Grand Cherokees? They seem to last forever in that location. I finally changed out a 9 year old that was functioning perfectly.

Yes, I have the R/T (so only 1 battery) and it is under the front seat. Dreading having to change it out as I have my dog transport barrier partially attached to the seat & grab bar, so it will need to be cut free for the seat to move all the way forward .

Batteries don't last as long down here & the D's coming up on 5 years old.

 

[jroyk]

Yes, I have the R/T (so only 1 battery) and it is under the front seat. Dreading having to change it out as I have my dog transport barrier partially attached to the seat & grab bar, so it will need to be cut free for the seat to move all the way forward .

Batteries don't last as long down here & the D's coming up on 5 years old.

It’s kind of bitch to get at even without any extra barriers. You have kneel outside the rear door, twist your body and reach under the front seat. Gloves are recommended for pulling that 50 lb thing out and placing the new one in.

 

[MikeD1]

Yeah, heard it was a real PITA to get out, not going to try it myself - can feel the backache, knee pain & muscle cramps just thinking about it

 

[Smitty]

I made it easy. Unbolted the seat, lifted it up and plenty of room without fighting to yank it out from under the seat.

 

[Hellcat Cuda]

As has been stated, it’s your battery. The car will do all kinds of wonky chit when the battery goes bad. I managed a fleet of Charger police cars and between all the sophisticated electronics added to the car and all the extra demands for power the batteries didn’t last long and when they’d get real low or dead, the cars would start doing all kinds of weird stuff. Sometimes the symptoms were the same between the cars and sometimes different but it was always the battery.