6 months storage of Kona EV-

Discussion in 'Hyundai Kona Electric' started by Konagirl, Aug 27, 2020.

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  1. Konagirl

    Konagirl New Member

    I’m headed to my winter home and need to store my Kona. What do I need to do to maintain the battery ?
     
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  3. johnparjr

    johnparjr New Member

    Charge it to 80% and that will be fine for months
     
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  4. Also put it into utility mode. Check your 12v status. Ensure your boot is closed properly.
     
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  5. The only other thing I might suggest is putting the 12v battery on a low amperage battery tender. I have had zero luck having the 12v battery last more than a couple of weeks unattended. I now have a new battery and the recent BMS updates but I have no faith that the 12V battery systems problems are resolved. The other option would be just disconnecting the negative lead on the battery altogether or turning off the main transport fuse switch in the cabin fuse box. The lithium battery should be able to look after itself without any active input from the BMS.
     
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  6. Read the owners manual.
     
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  8. You can do two things. Either attach to the 12V battery a battery maintaininer OR remove the connection from the negative post of the 12V battery.
    The first option will provide just enough charge for the battery to keep it in top shape while maintaining all settings of the car like radio stations, clock etc.
    The second option will require you to reset the clock and whatever other stuff the 12V battery is used for. Note that while disconnected your power windows and keyess entry will not work.
    As for the truction (Lion ) battery, charge to anywhere between 60-80% and it should be there when you need the car next - months later.
    I have done this for years on our iMiEV.
     
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  9. mikeselectricstuff

    mikeselectricstuff Active Member

    There's a "fuse switch" in the passenger compartment fuse box which is used during shipping to reduce power draw. However as mentioned above I'd be inclined to disconnect the 12v battery completely
     
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  10. If the car is in a secure location and an outlet is nearby, set the charge percent limiter to 60% and leave it plugged in on the trickle charger for the duration. If you can do that there's nothing else to change and it's the safest bet, IMO.
    If you can't do that then you can either charge it up to perhaps 80-90% and leave it as-is, or charge to 70-80% and disconnect the 12V battery. My only experience shows ~2% loss in 5 weeks when left with the 12V battery still connected, and that was in ideal temperatures.
     
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  11. Konagirl

    Konagirl New Member

    I did. It recommends charging to 100% then charging every 3 months. Not sure I will be back in 3 months. So wanted the collective wisdom of the owners.
     
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  13. cmwade77

    cmwade77 Active Member

    Umm, in utility mode, it would be using the main battery the entire time.
     
  14. GeorgeS

    GeorgeS Active Member

    The owners manual says to charge to 100% then charge every few months. I would not put it in utility mode. It serves no purpose but to draw directly from the main battery. You should not need to use your climate controls or accessories while gone. When off, the car's communications will go to sleep if not used after some time. (per conversation with Blue link support). I verified this several times. This means you won't be able to monitor it after it sleeps with your blue link app. The battery charge mode the car performs will continue to maintain the 12v lead acid battery while your gone. We were gone a month and this did not drop the high voltage battery state of charge much but if you are going to be gone several, it might be good to start at 100%. If your car is secured such as a garage, I would agree that a trickle charger on the 12v battery might help reduce the maintenance draw but I have no evidence of this and Hyundai does not address it in everything I have read.
     
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  15. ericy

    ericy Well-Known Member

    While there might be value in charging to 100% once in a while, charging to 100% and then leaving it for 6 months doesn't sound like a good plan.

    I would only charge to 100% if I was planning on driving somewhere in the next day or so where I would draw it down to below 80%.
     
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  16. To be clear, when I say "trickle charger" I mean this thing, not one on the 12V battery.

    A26530AE-C3E1-4421-A8B8-7295BF08C81F_1_105_c.jpeg
     
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  17. Love how that feeder cord is bushed entering the box, is that pipe insulating foam?:D
     
    Last edited: Aug 28, 2020
  18. No, it's just a bit of waste foam to keep most water out, not that it matters. Once I decide this is where I want the EVSE located I will have the 10A outlet hardwired to the flat, about 8m of plastic conduit. So far this is the third location in my courtyard I've tried over 10 months as every spot has its pros and cons, some I never had anticipated until tested.
     
  19. Hi Konagirl,

    I am in the same scenario as you, out of the country for 6 months. Rather than rely on this or any forum, I suggest asking your dealer and if they can't answer the question, have them forward it directly to Hyundai to answer. Make sure you get a reference number so that you can follow up. Also, you may want to ask what can be done about BlueLink if you have it. Cheers, Steve
     
  20. mikeselectricstuff

    mikeselectricstuff Active Member

    Do you honestly expect a dealer to have a clue about something like this ?
     
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  21. Well, Wildeyed, if you had read the manual, you'd know it only references 3 months, not 6 months which is the OP's criteria. Not really a helpful answer was it?
     
  22. mikeselectricstuff

    mikeselectricstuff Active Member

    If it's safe to do so, you might also want to secure the car with chocks and release the parking brake to avoid it binding. Maybe also lift the wipers off the windscreen
     
  23. Good guess ... 2 months? 3 months? 4 months? Or 6 months, which is the question the OP wanted answered? If you don't know, don't post.
     

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