[jeepcreep]

Hey everyone, hoping one of you can help me out...

My wife's 2016 Trailhawk is currently sitting in the driveway dead. She used remote start to warm it up and she looked out the window to make sure it started, but as soon as she saw the side-view mirror lights blink she assumed it started. She didn't hear if the engine actually started or not. We came out about 10 minutes later and the engine was off but the headlights were on (normally if you leave it running it'll shut off after 10-15? minutes and the lights turn off too). When I got into the car, the instrument cluster showed "Remote engine start active" or whatever, so it seemed like it thought the engine was still running. I tried pushing the ignition button and it did nothing. Absolutely nothing. If I pushed the brake I was able to shift it into Reverse, Neutral, Drive (which was odd considering it was still in 'remote start').

Anyways, after realizing I was getting the Jeep equivalent of the blue screen of death, I pulled the negative battery terminal, left it for about 30 seconds and reconnected. Now I get nothing. When I open the door the cabin lights come on normally, but the instrument panel is black, and I have the red BRAKE light blinking. Again, the ignition button doesn't do anything. The radio will come on if I push the power button. Otherwise it's like the battery is completely dead (battery was replaced ~4 months ago, was testing at ~12.4 V with all this happening so I don't think it's the battery). I tried disconnecting and leaving it for ~45 minutes and still nothing. Checked all fuses that made any sense and all looked good.

I connected an older Actron code reader to the OBD port and it obviously had connection problems, but when I went to the erase code function, it was telling me "engine is running, turn key on, engine off."

Could this be a bad ignition switch?

Thanks in advance!!!
Matt

 

[TWH7458]

I'd be interested to learn what you have come up with regarding your problem. I have a similar situation where nothing but the radio works, and the BRAKE indicator blinks four times and remains ON. And if I learn anything on my end then I'll share that with you as well.

 

[18Rene]

I'd be interested to learn what you have come up with regarding your problem. I have a similar situation where nothing but the radio works, and the BRAKE indicator blinks four times and remains ON. And if I learn anything on my end then I'll share that with you as well.

Ha! I read this post and was about to link this to you TWH!
I know the OP stated their battery is about 4 mos old and showing ~12.4 volts, but both of your situations sounds like a bad battery/dead or weak cell. Or a battery issue that has caused issues with the super super sensitive CAN bus modules in these rigs...

 

[jeepcreep]

I'd be interested to learn what you have come up with regarding your problem. I have a similar situation where nothing but the radio works, and the BRAKE indicator blinks four times and remains ON. And if I learn anything on my end then I'll share that with you as well.

After reading countless threads on similar issues I figured it could be the ignition switch or the BCM failing. So I replaced the ignition switch on Saturday morning thinking that was the cheapest and easiest first step. After reconnecting the battery and waiting ~30 minutes I tried again and nothing, same frickin' thing. No dash, only the BRAKE indicator flashing 4 times and staying on, exactly like yours.

Started looking online for dealers with open appointment slots and figured I'd just wait 'til Monday to call them. Went out last night, Sunday, to move my kid's car seat into another car and boom, the dash lit up like normal and the Renegade started up no problem. No clue why it decided to shut itself down for a few days, but what a pain... Wife took it to work this morning, no issues yet, but I'm nervous that it's going to do it somewhere that isn't as convenient as our driveway. I need to take it in for the transmission update so I'm going to ask them about this too. I'll update y'all with what they say.

I'm almost wondering if this might be caused by some LED headlights and reverse lights I installed this summer, as it did the same thing back in August shortly after the battery was replaced and LEDs installed... No bulb indicators with either though...

TWH, did you figure out anything with yours??

 

[TWH7458]

After reading countless threads on similar issues I figured it could be the ignition switch or the BCM failing. So I replaced the ignition switch on Saturday morning thinking that was the cheapest and easiest first step. After reconnecting the battery and waiting ~30 minutes I tried again and nothing, same frickin' thing. No dash, only the BRAKE indicator flashing 4 times and staying on, exactly like yours.

Started looking online for dealers with open appointment slots and figured I'd just wait 'til Monday to call them. Went out last night, Sunday, to move my kid's car seat into another car and boom, the dash lit up like normal and the Renegade started up no problem. No clue why it decided to shut itself down for a few days, but what a pain... Wife took it to work this morning, no issues yet, but I'm nervous that it's going to do it somewhere that isn't as convenient as our driveway. I need to take it in for the transmission update so I'm going to ask them about this too. I'll update y'all with what they say.

I'm almost wondering if this might be caused by some LED headlights and reverse lights I installed this summer, as it did the same thing back in August shortly after the battery was replaced and LEDs installed... No bulb indicators with either though...

TWH, did you figure out anything with yours??

Thanks for reply, and great that yours is running! Bad for me though because I was hoping to get some answers. Same condition for me this morning. I provided information to my dealer this morning also but I"m not too confident they'll find an answer. But like I told the service manager "the blinking BRAKE indicator is a code for something". My vehicle is waiting on a new quarter panel to arrive (seven weeks we hope from Mopar). I don't want to close the Hatch completely because then I won't be able to open it. The parking brake is set (upon power up last week it did let me set the brake) but without getting the Jeep to turn on I am unable to release the parking brake. I offered to pay to have the tech show up at my shop to hook up and hopefully get some answers, but that probably won't happen. I explained to service manager that me dropping a dead vehicle off in his lot with the brake set that can't be released doesn't do anybody any good. I'm hoping he takes the time to actually make a phone call to Jeep to figure out what the blinking code is, and what my solution(s) are. This is my fifth Renegade that was salvage but it's the first that I've ever had a BCM issue with. On previous Renegades I've had airbags deployed, removed and reinstalled front clips and NEVER had a BCM issue.

Failure to solve this problem, for both of us, is not acceptable. Just need to find the right person with the resources and ambition to come up with the correct answer that doesn't include "bring the vehicle to our dealership". And I would have no problem purchasing a new BCM but without knowing what locked this one up I'll need some guarantee from the dealer before I start throwing parts and labor at it.

 

[TWH7458]

After reading countless threads on similar issues I figured it could be the ignition switch or the BCM failing. So I replaced the ignition switch on Saturday morning thinking that was the cheapest and easiest first step. After reconnecting the battery and waiting ~30 minutes I tried again and nothing, same frickin' thing. No dash, only the BRAKE indicator flashing 4 times and staying on, exactly like yours.

Started looking online for dealers with open appointment slots and figured I'd just wait 'til Monday to call them. Went out last night, Sunday, to move my kid's car seat into another car and boom, the dash lit up like normal and the Renegade started up no problem. No clue why it decided to shut itself down for a few days, but what a pain... Wife took it to work this morning, no issues yet, but I'm nervous that it's going to do it somewhere that isn't as convenient as our driveway. I need to take it in for the transmission update so I'm going to ask them about this too. I'll update y'all with what they say.

I'm almost wondering if this might be caused by some LED headlights and reverse lights I installed this summer, as it did the same thing back in August shortly after the battery was replaced and LEDs installed... No bulb indicators with either though...

TWH, did you figure out anything with yours??

Sorry for second reply, but you got me thinking. I've kept my battery disconnected while you kept yours connected. Your vehicle came back to life by leaving it sit with battery connected, so I've connected mine and I'm keeping a trickle charge on it and I'll leave the vehicle sit as you have and keep my fingers crossed. Maybe there's some sort of reboot diagnostic it has to go through of something? Anyway please keep in touch with me on status of your wife's Renegade and if the dealer has anything to add, and I'll definitely keep you updated on my end as well.

 

[jeepcreep]

Sorry for second reply, but you got me thinking. I've kept my battery disconnected while you kept yours connected. Your vehicle came back to life by leaving it sit with battery connected, so I've connected mine and I'm keeping a trickle charge on it and I'll leave the vehicle sit as you have and keep my fingers crossed. Maybe there's some sort of reboot diagnostic it has to go through of something? Anyway please keep in touch with me on status of your wife's Renegade and if the dealer has anything to add, and I'll definitely keep you updated on my end as well.

I'll keep in contact for sure! I let ours sit for ~18 hours with the battery disconnected before deciding to replace the ignition switch. After the switch replacement it sat for ~32 hours with the battery connected before it came back to life. I'm wondering if the BCM has a reset timer or something... So strange... I'm very curious to hear if yours starts up after reconnecting the battery.

I'm afraid now that when I ask the service advisor about this issue that it'll get blown off since it's not currently happening and it's hard to diagnose intermittent issues. I 100% agree that this is unacceptable to not have an answer on, so I'll press on the maintenance advisor as hard as I can to get an answer. I just don't want my wife getting stuck somewhere unsafe if the Renegade decides to act up again.

I also made the mistake of applying the parking brake when this all first started and kicked myself the whole time because I couldn't get it to release. I was afraid of damaging something else if they had to drag it onto a flatbed and then drag it off at the dealership. As soon as I hit the button and heard it apply the brake I was like, "CRAP, WHY DID I DO THAT?!?" 😫

 

[jeepcreep]

Also, my appointment for the trans update isn't until next Wednesday, 1/12, so it'll be a while before I get anything back.

 

[TWH7458]

I'll keep in contact for sure! I let ours sit for ~18 hours with the battery disconnected before deciding to replace the ignition switch. After the switch replacement it sat for ~32 hours with the battery connected before it came back to life. I'm wondering if the BCM has a reset timer or something... So strange... I'm very curious to hear if yours starts up after reconnecting the battery.

I'm afraid now that when I ask the service advisor about this issue that it'll get blown off since it's not currently happening and it's hard to diagnose intermittent issues. I 100% agree that this is unacceptable to not have an answer on, so I'll press on the maintenance advisor as hard as I can to get an answer. I just don't want my wife getting stuck somewhere unsafe if the Renegade decides to act up again.

I also made the mistake of applying the parking brake when this all first started and kicked myself the whole time because I couldn't get it to release. I was afraid of damaging something else if they had to drag it onto a flatbed and then drag it off at the dealership. As soon as I hit the button and heard it apply the brake I was like, "CRAP, WHY DID I DO THAT?!?" 😫

LOL! Yep, I did the same thing, now the brake is set.

 

[18Rene]

I'll keep in contact for sure! I let ours sit for ~18 hours with the battery disconnected before deciding to replace the ignition switch. After the switch replacement it sat for ~32 hours with the battery connected before it came back to life. I'm wondering if the BCM has a reset timer or something... So strange... I'm very curious to hear if yours starts up after reconnecting the battery.

I'm afraid now that when I ask the service advisor about this issue that it'll get blown off since it's not currently happening and it's hard to diagnose intermittent issues. I 100% agree that this is unacceptable to not have an answer on, so I'll press on the maintenance advisor as hard as I can to get an answer. I just don't want my wife getting stuck somewhere unsafe if the Renegade decides to act up again.

I also made the mistake of applying the parking brake when this all first started and kicked myself the whole time because I couldn't get it to release. I was afraid of damaging something else if they had to drag it onto a flatbed and then drag it off at the dealership. As soon as I hit the button and heard it apply the brake I was like, "CRAP, WHY DID I DO THAT?!?" 😫

When she gets back home do another remote start to see what it does...

 

[jeepcreep]

When she gets back home do another remote start to see what it does...

She did it this morning since it was 2 degF out and it worked just fine.

 

[jeepcreep]

Update: Got a call from my wife saying it was doing the same thing again after work. She said she did not use remote start, walked up to the car and the Enter and Go unlocked the door, but when she got in the dash was completely black like before. After attempting to start several times (pressing the brake, pushing the start/stop button) the BRAKE indicator light came on, blinked 4 times and then stayed on for ~30 sec before turning off. Radio turned on no problem.

I had her disconnect the battery while she was waiting for me. I got there ~30 min later and just for the hell of it swapped the LED headlight bulbs back out for standard H13s. Reconnected the battery and after that everything worked just fine.

This might be a long shot, but TWH, you said you're waiting on a quarter panel... Do you happen to have any bulb sockets empty right now?

 

[TWH7458]

Update: Got a call from my wife saying it was doing the same thing again after work. She said she did not use remote start, walked up to the car and the Enter and Go unlocked the door, but when she got in the dash was completely black like before. After attempting to start several times (pressing the brake, pushing the start/stop button) the BRAKE indicator light came on, blinked 4 times and then stayed on for ~30 sec before turning off. Radio turned on no problem.

I had her disconnect the battery while she was waiting for me. I got there ~30 min later and just for the hell of it swapped the LED headlight bulbs back out for standard H13s. Reconnected the battery and after that everything worked just fine.

This might be a long shot, but TWH, you said you're waiting on a quarter panel... Do you happen to have any bulb sockets empty right now?

interesting! I have a few interior lights disconnected in the rear, otherwise I believe everything is connected. I now have turn signals (exterior only) and I don’t recall having that before. I’ll hook up interior lights to eliminate that as a possibility.

 

[jeepcreep]

interesting! I have a few interior lights disconnected in the rear, otherwise I believe everything is connected. I now have turn signals (exterior only) and I don’t recall having that before. I’ll hook up interior lights to eliminate that as a possibility.

Lol the fun continues over on my end... After getting the Renegade started, it made it to my in-laws house no problem. As my wife was driving home she got a Service Airbag message and a Service Power Steering System message followed by a complete loss of power steering. Also, the engine won't shut off, currently idling in the driveway. I'm going to check the battery voltage as we had this same issue before (minus the engine not turning off), prompting the battery replacement ~4 months ago.

 

[jeepcreep]

Battery voltage was good, 14.6 V. So the alternator is charging fine. Might just take the battery in to have it tested for giggles. I was ready to pull the negative terminal just to shut it off, but I got in and all the warning lights were off, power steering was working and the engine shut off with the ignition button. 😭😤🤬😵

The ONLY thing I've learned through all of this is that to fix this damn thing, you just have to threaten to have it towed, threaten to sell it, or threaten to shut it down by pulling battery terminals. Then it's like, "ok ok fine, I'll work again jeez."

Well, looks like I'll be renting a car for the next week, as this has gone from inconvenient to complete pain in the ass to dangerous. Hopefully Jeep Cares is paying attention to this thread.....

 

[TWH7458]

Battery voltage was good, 14.6 V. So the alternator is charging fine. Might just take the battery in to have it tested for giggles. I was ready to pull the negative terminal just to shut it off, but I got in and all the warning lights were off, power steering was working and the engine shut off with the ignition button. 😭😤🤬😵

The ONLY thing I've learned through all of this is that to fix this damn thing, you just have to threaten to have it towed, threaten to sell it, or threaten to shut it down by pulling battery terminals. Then it's like, "ok ok fine, I'll work again jeez."

Well, looks like I'll be renting a car for the next week, as this has gone from inconvenient to complete pain in the ass to dangerous. Hopefully Jeep Cares is paying attention to this thread.....

a few years ago I worked on a new machine for BMW that tested a Dash assembly. It uses Lin Bus which I believe these vehicles also use. On the LIN Bus the device communication is daisy chained from one device to the next, and the device addresses are given in that order. So if there’s any issue with a device it can screw up the addresses of devices downstream.

so you now have me wondering if you have an intermittent issue connecting to a device. This might explain (for me also) the black console and pretty much nothing functioning when getting into the vehicle. But for you the fact that it’s getting errors while driving may also be indicating intermittent communication problems.

I purchased a new battery from dealer today, I guess I’ll install it and eliminate that as a possibility.

 

[TWH7458]

I have everything connected except both rear sub speakers. I installed new Mopar battery and have the charger on to top it off. Still have the five blink thing with brake indicator light.

so interior lights come on when opening a door, and go out minutes later after door is closed. Four way flashers work, exterior turn signals work, and the radio works. That’s it.

 

[jeepcreep]

a few years ago I worked on a new machine for BMW that tested a Dash assembly. It uses Lin Bus which I believe these vehicles also use. On the LIN Bus the device communication is daisy chained from one device to the next, and the device addresses are given in that order. So if there’s any issue with a device it can screw up the addresses of devices downstream.

so you now have me wondering if you have an intermittent issue connecting to a device. This might explain (for me also) the black console and pretty much nothing functioning when getting into the vehicle. But for you the fact that it’s getting errors while driving may also be indicating intermittent communication problems.

That sounds exactly like what's going on here. There's a communication issue that seems to randomly correct itself after the system does a timed self-check or reset or something. The problem is that this issue is so intermittent that I'd need a Mopar tech on call to come out and diagnose it while it's happening, same as you.

I have everything connected except both rear sub speakers. I installed new Mopar battery and have the charger on to top it off. Still have the five blink thing with brake indicator light.

so interior lights come on when opening a door, and go out minutes later after door is closed. Four way flashers work, exterior turn signals work, and the radio works. That’s it.

Yep, same thing here exactly. Very curious to find out where the broken link is. I'm going to see if I can get any other new errors/symptoms tonight that may point me in some direction. I'll let you know if I uncover anything new. Just going to keep experimenting until my appointment with the dealer next week.

 

[TWH7458]

That sounds exactly like what's going on here. There's a communication issue that seems to randomly correct itself after the system does a timed self-check or reset or something. The problem is that this issue is so intermittent that I'd need a Mopar tech on call to come out and diagnose it while it's happening, same as you.



Yep, same thing here exactly. Very curious to find out where the broken link is. I'm going to see if I can get any other new errors/symptoms tonight that may point me in some direction. I'll let you know if I uncover anything new. Just going to keep experimenting until my appointment with the dealer next week.

Something else to add, I am unable to connect to the vehicle with my scan tool, it's a BlueDriver. I verified there is approximately 13VDC between pins 4 & 16. JeepCreep you probably don't have a OBD2 scan tool, but if you do see if it will connect to the vehicle when it's in the comatose state.

Nothing yet from my Jeep dealer, but then I'm not holding my breath either waiting on them, it's too hard for them to call their contacts at Mopar and ask "what does it mean when..." Somebody somewhere has some answers, just need to find that person(s).

 

[jeepcreep]

Something else to add, I am unable to connect to the vehicle with my scan tool, it's a BlueDriver. I verified there is approximately 13VDC between pins 4 & 16. JeepCreep you probably don't have a OBD2 scan tool, but if you do see if it will connect to the vehicle when it's in the comatose state.

Nothing yet from my Jeep dealer, but then I'm not holding my breath either waiting on them, it's too hard for them to call their contacts at Mopar and ask "what does it mean when..." Somebody somewhere has some answers, just need to find that person(s).

I have an older Actron scan tool and did try that early on and I was also unable to connect to read codes, live data, etc. I did try the Erase Codes function just to see if there was a difference and I got the message "engine running, turn key on, engine off." I thought that was odd... I did not check the pin voltage, but I'm assuming it was the same as yours.

And I totally agree. the flashing BRAKE indicator means something to someone. Finding that person is likely going to be difficult though... Sucks having to wait another week before I even get ours into the dealer.