Dodge Charger Battery Saver Mode: Impact & Quick Fixes
Was your vehicle working perfectly fine yesterday and today out of the blue, the 2014 Dodge Charger battery saver mode is activated? Quite surprising, isn’t it? Well, this is how a battery works. It can drain within a few hours and either activate the power-saving mode or go dead. There could be a number of reasons behind this, including a faulty battery, damaged wiring, a malfunctioning alternator, overloaded electrical system, or a bad sensor.
So what can you do to get rid of this unwanted mode turn on?
Since the 2012 Dodge Charger battery-saver mode can negatively impact your vehicle’s performance by limiting its speed, its acceleration, and preventing the electrical equipment from functioning, you can fix it by replacing the malfunctioning components. Continue reading to learn all about it.
What does the “Dodge charger battery saver mode” Alert mean?
According to the 2013 Dodge Charger battery saver mode alert, the Dodge vehicle is restricted to running more than the speed limit. This alert means to save battery power to make the vehicle operation last longer, the power generation is constrained. This will also put a limit to the speed at which the vehicle can run as well as other components like the music player or radio player. The heater, AC, and rear defrost mechanism may also be turned off.
Like the 2014 Dodge Charger battery-saver mode, the 2013 and 2012 Dodge Charger have the same working order. It shuts down extra electrical activity in the vehicle allowing the system to save power. The battery is mainly only working to run the car at a limited speed.
You can use this function if you notice battery saver lights are turned on and the car isn’t starting. This means that the battery isn’t charged, or has no juice. This quick hack will help you save time on manually charging the battery when you are in a hurry.
If your 2014 Dodge charger battery saver mode allows you to modify certain options instead of providing permanent pre-defined settings, you can adjust it according to your need, for example, if it’s too cold, turn the heater on but keep the other features fixed to save power. Keeping the lights off in the daytime also helps save power.
Usually, you choose to turn the battery saver mode on but if it turns on without you opening it, your battery is either out of juice, defective, or malfunctioning.
Common Cause of Battery Saver Mode Dodge Charger Error
There are several common causes for the battery-saver mode Dodge Charger error to appear with the most common one being low battery power production. If excess battery is used up while it is not charging for example the lights are left on when you turn off the car, the battery charging decreases and it cannot produce enough voltage. The battery-saver mode automatically turns on if the electrical system is overburdened or the alternator is faulty.
Frequent Activation of Battery Saver Mode: Causes and Concerns
If the battery-saver mode in your Dodge is frequently activated, then there is some underlying issue in the system that should be a matter of concern. Let’s look into some of the possible causes behind the Battery Saver Mode error.
A Fault in the Alternator
When the engine is operating, the battery is being charged side by side. The alternator is the key player in this scenario. It works to produce electricity to charge the battery as well as make other electrical components function. If there is a fault in the alternator, the battery fails to charge and cannot produce enough power, consequently turning on the battery-saver mode.
Depletion of Battery Power
When your Dodge vehicle is turned off, the battery is not charging. Some of the components still use up energy, for example, the radio, extra lights inside the vehicle, or the electrical ports. This depletes the battery of power and it is not left with enough energy to start the vehicle. This is when the battery-saver mode Dodge charger is turned on. It helps save energy that would have been wasted on additional components.
Low Power Production by the Battery
If there is a defect in your battery or it is not able to charge promptly, the power production by the battery will be lowered. This also occurs when you turn off the vehicle but forget to turn the lights off. The battery-saver mode then comes to the rescue. Its automatic activation saves the leftover battery energy so that it is enough to get the vehicle started.
Overburdened Electrical System
A vehicle’s electrical system can only manage so much power usage. The battery-saving mode can be activated to keep the battery from being unnecessarily exhausted if a number of unreasonable requirements are placed on the electrical system. These include using many extras at once or letting the bulbs stay on for a long time although the vehicle is turned off. The Battery Saver Mode Dodge Charger is then turned on as a preventative action to prolong the life of the battery and guarantee that the vehicle turns on without any issues.
Other potential electronic malfunctions or errors include an error in the vehicle’s software. The battery-saver mode alert often appears as a result of a software bug or malfunction in the electrical system of the vehicle. A system issue or out-of-date software might be to blame for this. In certain situations, the problem might need to be fixed by upgrading the software on the vehicle or going to a service facility.
How to Diagnose the Battery Saver Mode Issues in Dodge Ram?
The diagnoses of the battery saver mode issues in Dodge Ram are crucial to discovering the root cause so that the problem may be fixed. Unless the underlying issue is not found there is no way to deactivate the 2014 Dodge Charger battery-saver mode.
Inspect the Battery Quality:
Your battery quality includes how well it is functioning or if it is defective. A battery’s quality and power production can be checked by a multimeter. It gives the reading in volts. A reading of 12.6V or more means that the battery is working fine but if it shows a reading of 12.4V or less indicates that the battery is discharged.
Check the Alternator
If the battery seems to be fine, check the alternator. First, examine its belt for signs of physical damage such as wear and tear. If all is okay, use a multimeter to check the voltage reading when the engine is working. A reading greater than 13.5V means that the alternator is fine but if it is lower, know that your alternator is malfunctioning. You may also use a tester manufactured specially to test the battery and alternator. It will give you more accurate results.
Inspect Accessories Accidentally Left On
If all parts of the battery and alternator are fine, check your Dodge Ram’s electrical accessories. When you turn off the Dodge Ram, it is not being charged. In this scenario if you leave any electrical equipment on, it will use up all the battery and your 2014 Dodge charger battery saver mode will turn on. Such accessories include the radio, the lights, or the air conditioning system. Check thoroughly which devices are open and draining the battery to diagnose the issue.
Dodge Charger Battery Saver Mode Fixing
Battery saver mode might be distracting and you probably want to fix the warning right away. So how can you get rid of it? Let’s check out the ways.
- Replace a Bad Battery: When you diagnose a dead battery, replacing it is going to fix the problem. Gently remove the plugs from the old battery, and mark the wires according to their sockets. Install a new battery, and secure the wires tightly so that the loose wires don’t get in the way of accurate power production.
- Replace the Terminals: It is possible that even when you replace the battery, the voltage is lower than required. This will make you question the battery quality or your wiring connection, but wait! The terminals connecting the battery can also be behind this. Defective or worn-out terminals prevent proper energy transfer leading to less power production in your Dodge battery. Replacing these terminals will fix the problem.
- Turn off Battery Draining Accessories: When you check and find out that a device like the radio is left open while your Dodge vehicle is turned off, quickly switch it off so that it is not draining the battery anymore. Start your vehicle and run it so that the battery charges up or you may manually charge the battery. This will make the 2012 Dodge Battery saver mode go away.
- Change the Faulty Battery Sensor: Sometimes the Dodge battery sensor is faulty which causes the sensor to detect less power even though enough is being produced. This leads to the battery-saver mode to activate. Changing this sensor to a new one will allow the correct battery working to be sensed. This way the battery saver mode will automatically deactivate.
Impacts of Battery Saver Mode on Dodge Vehicles Performance
The 2014 Dodge Charger battery-saver mode has a clear impact on the Dodge vehicle’s performance. It usually turns off the excess battery-draining components to save the battery juice. Let’s get into its depth.
- Modification to Devices: The devices that are using up the Dodge battery power are modified by the battery saver mode. It will turn off the radio, the air conditioning, and the heating system. This saves the battery but impacts the vehicle as you are unable to use the luxuries.
- Decreased Fuel Consumption: As power production by the battery decreases when the 2013 Dodge Charger battery saver mode is turned on, the fuel consumption also decreases. This is because more fuel is required to produce more power but it’s the other way round for less power generation.
- Less Power Generation: The 2012 Dodge Charger battery mode mainly works to decrease the generation of power by the battery. This automatically saves battery energy and prevents its juice from exhaustion. Due to this, your Dodge vehicle might be restricted to a speed limit. It will also impact the acceleration as for quicker acceleration more power is required.
- Potential Restrictions on the Vehicle Capabilities: To save power some of the battery capabilities such as the USB port charging or the power steering function may be compromised. Although this will decrease the usage of battery power, you might face trouble. To get rid of the hampered vehicle performance, it is best to diagnose the issue and fix it so the battery-saver mode can be turned off.
- Hampered Safety Mechanisms: Safety mechanisms like the power steering or airbags use up power which might be shut off as in the Dodge battery-saver mode. This is useful in saving energy but can be risky as it has a direct impact on your safety. To prevent this, the battery-saver mode needs to be turned off immediately.
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Wrap Up
To conclude, the Dodge Charger battery saver mode activates to save power so that you have no trouble starting your vehicle. This sometimes directly impacts the vehicle’s performance like the battery power production, the speed, and the electrical accessories. To deactivate this mode, the root cause should be diagnosed by checking the Dodge battery quality, the alternator condition, and the equipment draining the battery. The problem should then be fixed by either replacing the defective component or switching off the devices that are draining the battery.