Hey guys......
I had a couple of strange occurrences with my CRD today and yesterday and I could use some advice.
Yesterday: When I was out and about.....I went to start my Jeep and it started fine except that it didn't make all the beeping and chimes like normal when you put the key in. I took the out and stuck it in and the same thing....no chimes. After I drove it to my next stop....all was good when I stuck my key in....the chimes were there.

Today: While driving.....my low tire pressure sensor came on for a second and then went back out....even though the pressure was fine. The big thing.....for o reason my horn starts blaring. Not pulsing like a car alarm going off...just WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!. I tried hitting the lock/unlock as well as the panic button to get it to shut off but the only way to get it to stop was to disconnect the battery. I waited a couple of minutes and started to reconnect the battery and it started again. Disconnected....waited...reconnected the battery again. This time I got the battery disconnected and it started up fine again (was worried the security system went wonky) but the horn started again. I left it with battery disconnected and I'll retry in about 30 minutes or so.

My question is what would be the more likely culprit for this type of behavior: the battery (which is an Optima Red Top....unsure of the age but my wife *thinks* it was swapped out once before and is not the original Red Top) or a chaffed wiring harness?

I'll post again in about 30 minutes when I try it again.

Thanks guys.

_________________
Stock 06 CRD Limited
Timing belt replaced at 110,000 miles

Well....waited a little over 30 minutes and the same thing happened. Talking with my wife....she said the security system went wonky once before (before we met) and they ended up changing the battery. I think I'll head to Sears first thing in the morning and get a new battery to see if that changes things. Hopefully that is the issue and not something else electrical.

_________________
Stock 06 CRD Limited
Timing belt replaced at 110,000 miles

I wouldn't get a new battery unless it is going bad. If you can start the car easily, battery should be fine. This sounds like a security issue (except that the honk should be intermittent) or it may ba a short in the wires or steering wheel honk switch connectors, I hope papaindigo will read this and advice you more, because I have no clue. But all my cars that I had, not a single one had those symptoms when battery goes bad... See if you play with the horn switch, shake/turn/twist/press/release the steering wheel cap and see if it stops, if not, I would just disconnect the horn till then. I would advice you to take the steering wheel cap off, to inspect the circuits/test connections, but since I had never done it, I don't know if you could mess the airbag if you're not careful.

If you have a gde tune and the flash tool, then you could also re-flash the ECM and see if it fixes it.

_________________
2005 kj CRD, samco, suncoast tc, provent, Kennedy lift pump, GDE ECO full torque, 2nd gen filter head, 245/70/16 a/t tires, mopar light bar, fumoto oil valve, OEM Skid Plates, ARB Front bumper and HD OME, tru cool LPD47391 40k GVW tranny cooler (stock cooler delete), FF Dynamics e-fan and shroud, rocker arms replaced, HDS2 190F thermostat.

Thanks for the reply. I haven't had an issue starting it (although it did seem to crank slower this winter in the cold than it did last winter once it got below freezing) but from what I have read here in the forums....the electronics systems on the CRD do very strange things at the first sign of the battery starting to go....even though it may test fine. It's dark now....I've got the battery cable pulled til morning. I'll pull the horn fuse and put the battery cable back on to see if all is well otherwise and if it starts ok.

Jim

_________________
Stock 06 CRD Limited
Timing belt replaced at 110,000 miles

If the voltage is over 12.4 in the AM before you start it, and warm it up, it should be fine, any less means it is failing.

_________________
2006 LTD Bright Silver loaded with all the needed mods, CCV intact.
Proudly supporting CRD vendors, and their development of quality parts and accessories.
Equipped with HDS thermostat, plenty of heat, faster warm-ups, increased fuel mileage.

I'll check it again in the morning.....but I just went out to check it and it read 12.54 volts. It was, however, started less than 2 hours ago. I'm curious to see what it says in the AM.

Jim

_________________
Stock 06 CRD Limited
Timing belt replaced at 110,000 miles

This could be a bad SKIM module or Key Fob security thingy. That's the industry term for that system if I'm not mistaken. When I bought me Jeep in 05, it had sat in the lot NEW for 9 months and they had to jump it just for my test drive. I bought it anyway (What the heck was I thinking?) and took it home. Two days into my ownership experience, it wouldn't start in the driveway. I turned the key and nothing came on. No noise, no jerk of the starter, nothing. I jumped it and it was fine. Later in the day it did the same thing and I couldn't even jump it. I had it towed to the dealer and they replaced the SKIM KeyFob system. It has to do with the security system. All was well for another few days and then I had the same problem. I had it towed again and they dealership replaced the battery. I've never had the same problem again.

Now - My wife and I leased a 2012 Chrysler Town and Country this summer, and about two months ago, I started it in the driveway and none of the gauges came on. Everything was dead even though the car was running. Every light and gauge acted as if the engine were off. I think I let it sit there for about a minute and all of a sudden there was a chime and the gauges came to life. I've never had it happen again. The van had about 5k miles on it at the time. Perhaps it was random interference between the key and the security system?

I wonder if you're having the same issue. Could you try to use the other key to rule out the individual key signal? That is probably a waste because if it is the system it is the module on the car.

Either way, just my experience.

_________________
2005 Black KJ Sport CRD,
GDE Full Torque ECO TUNE, GDE Transmission ECO Tune,
Samco British Racing Green Hoses
Build Date 1/05
200k miles.
Original Owner

Hmmmm....this situation sounds a bit different as my horn started up while both keys were in the house and the Jeep wasn't running. It didn't cross my mind that it could be a key fob issue. I got my wife's key out of her purse. I didn't look like anything had pressed against it in her purse as to accidentally press the panic button. But.....as others pointed out......the horn was a constant waaaaaaaaaaa and not an on and off like when you set off a security system. It was just sitting in the driveway with no key in it and it started blaring continuously by itself. I'm curious to see if, once I pull the fuse to kill the horn, it starts and runs fine to indicate that there isn't an issue with the security system. Should be an interesting morning though. The one thing that keeps me wondering is the fact that yesterday at one point when I stuck the key in it didn't chime like it normally does. No sound or anything.....totally quiet. The dash lit up like normal and it started fine. The next time I put the key in (and every time since then) it chimed like normal.

Jim

_________________
Stock 06 CRD Limited
Timing belt replaced at 110,000 miles

Update: Well....I checked the voltage of the battery first thing this morning after sitting all night and it was reading 12.51. I know the CRD is finicky about voltage and flman said that 12.4 volts is good to go but with the stories of batteries testing fine at the auto parts stores and still causing crazy random electrical issues.....can I rule out the battery? I pulled the horn fuse and proceeded to start it up. Stuck the key in, all the chimes went off, and it started up just fine with no issues. Shut it off.....repeated....and once again no issues. The one thing I did find out, however, was that there was moisture in the fuse panel. I remember when I started my running around yesterday I did go through a huge puddle of water on the road (was raining all day here yesterday) and it made a gigantic splash of water on the driver's side. I wouldn't think that water could get to the fuse box but somehow there is some water in there. I'm wondering now if this is the source of my problem.

Jim

_________________
Stock 06 CRD Limited
Timing belt replaced at 110,000 miles

I think you found the problem. Get some silicone and seal her up.

_________________
Silver 2006 KJ 2.8L CRD Limited:
GDE ECO Tune / Fumoto Valve / E-Tecno GX3123 7v Glow Plugs / 2nd Gen Fuel Head / Mishimoto RED Hoses / Rockers/Lifters @ 114k / Hayden FC + 11 Blade Nylon / Sears P1 Battery / Transgo 45RFE-HD2 Reprogramming Kit / Timken Front Bearings

Much as I appreciate thermorex's reccommendation of my opinion I certainly won't claim any expertise in matters electrical beyond some semi-informed logical speculation. With that said:
1. the only beeping and chimes, I just checked my 05, that you should get at a) key left in ignition with door open but only if you insert key while door is open and b) seat belt not on but only if you switch key on and/or start engine without fastening seat belt. If you get in close door and fasten seat belt before starting then no beeps or chimes as far as I know.
2. if your wife "thinks" the red top was swapped once then I'd bet that event was over 2 years ago so a) her memory is wrong and it wasn't swapped so you have a 6-7 year old original red top or b) a 2+ year old newer red top. If a) that's old for the original red top and if b) the newer red tops don't seem to last much past 2 years. I note also your comment about somewhat slower starting in cold weather but no mention of how cold; keep in mind cold is hard on any battery and rapidly cuts into battery charge holding ability.
3. the security system is designed to shut the car down within a few seconds after cranking up with an "invalid" key but I don't recall what the horn does then. I do know that manually unlocking the car with a valid "chipped" key instead of the remote acess key will trigger the horn into beeping but not constantly running (your wawa...) until you turn the ignition on with a valid "chipped" key or the remote access key. Assuming you were using the remote access key it wouldn't hurt to replace that key's battery simply because it's old. The battery is a pretty standard inexpensive one available at most drug stores (Walgreens/CVS/etc).

So speculation:
1. if you have an 06 it's possible there is a chaffed wire in the harness due to the 06 having a slightly different route behind the fuel filter head than the 05. To check you need to pull the fuel filter head and then pull the bracket the head mounts to. Once that's done you can access the harness and inspect the wires.
2. vehicle with computerized systems are more and more sensitive to having weird problems when batteries go south or start to go south. A simple voltage test will tell you that a battery has XX volts in a static situtation but as far as I know won't tell you a thing about the battery or alternator performance under load and even a load test is not always helpful although it can be. Back in the early 1980's I had a 65 Mustang I rebuilt with a 1 year old "5 year" sealed battery which developed an annoying habit of not starting (no power to the system at all) and then 15 minutes later starting just fine. Took several load tests to diagnose an internal short between cells.

What to try after checking for chaffed wires:
1. new battery(ies) in remote access key - cost ca. $10 for 2
2. decent local shop to load test battery and check output of alternator. You probably should check alternator clutch, which can impact battery charge especially while running, by cranking up and, at idle, looking down the serp belt from the alternator to the serp belt tensioner. If the tensioner is bouncing (e.g. more than barely twitching) you have a bad alternator clutch which can be replaced but a better option discussed on the forum is to see if you can score a "lifetime" warranty alternator from like Autozone.
3. new battery

If none of the above you may have to get access to a code reader. If so try a non-dealer 1st as I suspect any related codes would be stored in the ECU which many/most systems can read.

Just a reminder, shouldn't relate to your problem. The key turns a shaft that runs under the steering column and that shaft turns the ignition (a box on the left side of the steering column) which sends a signal that in effect asks the ECU for "permission" to start. If the shaft is broken or cracked or the ignition is bad then start may or may not occur. There is, apparently, a wire antenna around or near the key that picks up the signal from a "chipped" or remote access key to determine it's a valid key. FYI only as I don't think these relate to your issue.

Hope this helps. Pls report back when you find a solution as that adds to the knowledge base.

PS - water in fuse box I assume means the power distribution center in front of the battery. Could be. Hair dryer is wonderful for drying things out after you blot up most of the water with paper towels. I would not seal it up with silcone as that makes future access difficult at best but purchase of some dielectric grease (ca. $7 for 3oz tube at OReillys) and application to each relay/fuse prongs wouldn't hurt. That reminds me - check and clean your battery terminals. It's possible you have good voltage at the battery posts but a bad post (corroded or lose) to wire connection can mimic a bad battery.

_________________
Sold to LOST member my 05 Ltd, GDE Stg II turbo + TCM tune, SunCoast TC w. Transgo kit, Steiger window regulators, Samcos, Fumoto valve, 2nd gen filter head with Lub. Spec. bleeder, Hayden clutch & 11 blade fan, inverted spare, P-1 battery, BF Goodrich Long Trail TAs, Etecno1 glow plugs, timing belt at 50K miles/8 yrs

Thanks again for the replies guys. As far as the fuse box.....I was referring to the in cabin fuse panel by the driver's door. Here are a few pics of what I found:

Inside of the panel cover

Water pooled in the grey square area

Water droplets hanging from the yellow fuse.

I'm still a little dumfounded as to how water would have gotten in there even driving through that huge puddle.

Papaindigo: The red top battery dates back to at least 11/2009. That was when we met and the battery hasn't been changed out since we met. She did say the security system went wonky once before we met and she thinks the dealer swapped the battery out. Even if they did...this red top is at least 3 years old. I checked the voltage after starting and running it and my meter read 14.3 volts. As far as staring temps....we have had some mid 20's and low 30's. The Jeep never struggled to turn over but it did take a couple of extra seconds to crank up. I'm going to change out the batteries in the key fobs (any trick to opening them without breaking them) and try to get the water dried out in the fuse panel and see what happens when I put the horn fuse back in. I'm going out and about today so I'll get the battery/alternator checked. Even if it checks out fine.....I'm guessing you'd upgrade to a Platinum P1? I just changed the fuel filter the other day....Could have pulled the whole assembly while I was in there if I knew this was going to happen LOL.

_________________
Stock 06 CRD Limited
Timing belt replaced at 110,000 miles

Some of the red tops have a sticker with month and year on them, not very accurate since it doesn't show the purchase date, but enough to give you an idea on what year the battery was made at least (in the pic, the year is 2010 and month 11-November). My crd still has that and also both on my xj's. you may be lucky to find the sticker on yours, should be on the top of battery.

_________________
2005 kj CRD, samco, suncoast tc, provent, Kennedy lift pump, GDE ECO full torque, 2nd gen filter head, 245/70/16 a/t tires, mopar light bar, fumoto oil valve, OEM Skid Plates, ARB Front bumper and HD OME, tru cool LPD47391 40k GVW tranny cooler (stock cooler delete), FF Dynamics e-fan and shroud, rocker arms replaced, HDS2 190F thermostat.

My bad, what is the voltage key on, after glow plugs have cycled, do not start the engine, that is when the voltage should be checked, and if you are at 12.5 before you turn it on, you are getting very close already.

_________________
2006 LTD Bright Silver loaded with all the needed mods, CCV intact.
Proudly supporting CRD vendors, and their development of quality parts and accessories.
Equipped with HDS thermostat, plenty of heat, faster warm-ups, increased fuel mileage.

I did some checking of the voltage. I went back out, put the key in, waited for everything to cycle and checked it. It dipped to 11.9x. I pulled the key and checked again-12.1x. I Started the Jeep and checked the running voltage and it was again at 14.2/14.3. I turned it off and rechecked with no key in/not running-12.3/12.4. I did look for a sticker and found none. I did find out some interesting stuff though. Even though it is an Optima red top....the specs listed on the top are:
CCA (EN) 715
CCA (SAE) 700
AN 50
The info on my red top was laid out horizontally across the bottom vs vertically on the side as in thermorex's pic. I'm off to have it load tested to see what happens.

Jim

_________________
Stock 06 CRD Limited
Timing belt replaced at 110,000 miles

Thoughts
1. that's a disturbing place to get water and you may want to do some hunting with a hose in warmer weather although that may be very difficult as this is not where you can have a 2n party watch from inside while you apply water from the outside. I wouldn't suspect door gasket I don't think although it's possible but water would have to get past the door gasket and then behind the fuse box cover. You might also want to check under your driver side carpet for damp. Take a picture of all the fuses; put a fan or hair dryer on it to completely dry it out; reinstall fuses with dielectric grease of fuse blades won't fix water getting in but will fix water causing a problem.
2. 3+ year old red top and odd electric issues. I'd replace red top. Sears P1 I like but pricey. Interstate has a good Group 34 85 month battery that's less pricey.
3. key fob battery. Take key off key ring (needs doing to fully open), look at base of plastic head next to key for a small slot; insert regular size flat head screwdriver in slot and lightly twist to pop body of key open; remove old battery noting orientation; insert new battery (good to minimize finger oil contact); snap lid back together; test functions; replace on key ring. FYI the "chipped" gray head keys have no battery.

PS the CCA you reference sounds about right for the OEM red top but those voltage, not running, are IIRC marginal to bad. At a guess your alternator output is ok but you battery is going.

_________________
Sold to LOST member my 05 Ltd, GDE Stg II turbo + TCM tune, SunCoast TC w. Transgo kit, Steiger window regulators, Samcos, Fumoto valve, 2nd gen filter head with Lub. Spec. bleeder, Hayden clutch & 11 blade fan, inverted spare, P-1 battery, BF Goodrich Long Trail TAs, Etecno1 glow plugs, timing belt at 50K miles/8 yrs

Also, if you have left the window opened at some point in the rain, even a little cracked... It happened to me and other than a wet chair, I had water on the fuse panel. But haven't had any similar issues either, I wiped it dry that moment.

_________________
2005 kj CRD, samco, suncoast tc, provent, Kennedy lift pump, GDE ECO full torque, 2nd gen filter head, 245/70/16 a/t tires, mopar light bar, fumoto oil valve, OEM Skid Plates, ARB Front bumper and HD OME, tru cool LPD47391 40k GVW tranny cooler (stock cooler delete), FF Dynamics e-fan and shroud, rocker arms replaced, HDS2 190F thermostat.

You can get the Sears P1 this week for under $190 after tax. It's 850 CCA rather than 700.

Normally it's $220 before tax, Sears is having a big sale. You buy it online and apply the code and then just pick it up in store.

There's another thread here about it, it explains more, and why I have one now.

Duralast Gold 34DT-DLG is $99.99 at ChinaZone with $12 core charge, it's 800 CCA if you're tight on funds, worked fine for mine for 3+ years.

_________________
Silver 2006 KJ 2.8L CRD Limited:
GDE ECO Tune / Fumoto Valve / E-Tecno GX3123 7v Glow Plugs / 2nd Gen Fuel Head / Mishimoto RED Hoses / Rockers/Lifters @ 114k / Hayden FC + 11 Blade Nylon / Sears P1 Battery / Transgo 45RFE-HD2 Reprogramming Kit / Timken Front Bearings

If that Red top is 7 years old, it seems like it has been well paid for. I put new red tops in both of my CRDs for replacement despite the consensus around here. I am not know to follow the rest of the sheep.

_________________
2006 LTD Bright Silver loaded with all the needed mods, CCV intact.
Proudly supporting CRD vendors, and their development of quality parts and accessories.
Equipped with HDS thermostat, plenty of heat, faster warm-ups, increased fuel mileage.

Well.....I just got back from Advance Auto Parts and after doing some testing....the starter and alternator tested out as fine. The battery didn't test bad but it did say it was in need of a slight charge. I did some poking around and the carpet under the floor mat was indeed soaked. I checked under the Jeep and didn't see any rust holes or anything. I also checked behind the little kick panel by the hood release and it was a bit wet back there as well. I have to go change the oil my folks cars but when I get back I'm going to full the fuses and dry the fuse block out and then pull the carpet to have a look-see. Guess I'm going to be buying a battery here pretty quick. Didn't want to drop $200 on a battery but if I get one Id probably lean toward the P1 as it highly recommended. The Duralast is tempting though for half the price.

Jim

_________________
Stock 06 CRD Limited
Timing belt replaced at 110,000 miles