Kona Electric 12V Auxillary battery Issues?

1

170/daykonaguy

New Member
My 2019 KonaEV Ultimate has been running seamlessly since I got it in March 2019. Then came the recalls. The 1st recall was to replace the Electric Water Pump (EWP). This was done by the dealer Oct 30. The car ran with no issues afterward and I still had a big smile on my face while driving. The dealer set another appointment for Nov 10 to replace the Electrical Can Case and to address a 2nd recall for Battery Management System (BMS) & VCU update.
After the 2nd visit and the completion of the BMS & VCU update, when the car was about to be handed back to me the tech scratched his head and told me the 12V aux battery was very low. This was strange since it is charged while driving or while the car is being charged. Essentially it should never be "low".
14 days later on Nov 24 the 12V battery seemed to have died so the car could not start. It measured 4.5V. I got a battery boost & took it to the dealer. They couldn't find a problem and reported it had a full charge and "cranking" amps. They kept the car for 24 hrs. When I went to pick it up I measured the battery at 11.7V closed the car and told them it was low again. 10 mins later with the Tech beside me the car would not unlock using the fob. We used the key but the cabin was dead. The 12V battery measured 6.4V. They gave me a rental and are trying to diagnose.
Over to you guys ..... any ideas what is going on?
 
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You need a new battery. It sounds like it was damaged during the updating process as perhaps they took too much time.
 
I thought in some of the update docs it says to hook the 12v up before the update so it doesn't die. Maybe they omitted that step and it got too low due to that.

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On the latest update it says to leave the car in Run mode for some time, I think 30 min or so, to ensure it's charged up. It seems the updates are done with the car in a state where the 12V battery is running the electronics and so they have to be done promptly. My 12V battery is still perfect and my fear is that my dealer will damage it because they would not have had much practice due to the few Konas in the area. Worst still, I need all the BMS updates, not just the latest.

Frankly if this happened to me and I got the dealer runaround, I'd just purchase a new battery myself rather than have them waste my time.
 
KiwiME said:
You need a new battery. It sounds like it was damaged during the updating process as perhaps they took too much time.
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That's an interesting thought! Would a EV be relying on the 12V whilst in the garage? Would the car be switched off/on more often, and I say that because I think the biggest challenge for an EV is when the car is powered up again.
 
The 12V battery is constantly in use even when the car is off, though the draw is supposed to be minimal. This keeps the very basic vehicle functions alive, such as the timers, listening for the keyfob signal, and some battery monitoring functions IIRC.

The car is supposed to monitor the 12V battery SOC and use the main traction battery to recharge it periodically, even if not plugged in. When this happens you will notice a yellow-green light in the front emblem; this light means the high voltage system is active, and it's using the main battery to recharge the 12V accessory battery.
 
Yea, that was what I thought was supposed to happen as well (Genevamech). Mine is parked some weeks for 4-5 days at a time before using it & I only charge about once per month.... Knock on wood - I haven't had any dead battery issue YET.
 
Wouldn't it be a NICE feature to have the status (voltage) of the BATTERY in BLUELINK ????? In the "VEHICLE STATUS" display ... Might have to go to the PLAY STORE and contact the developers with that suggestion.
 
Even if your battery wasn't bad to begin with, discharging it to 6.4vdc will cut it's life substantially. Twice probably has done it in. Lead acid batteries cannot be discharged below 50% without damage. Even when they charged it up, it may hold the charge temporarily. I'm wondering if they really did a cold cranking amp test. I would check the current draw from the battery with a current meter to see what the draw down is. Really up to the dealer to do this troubleshooting. Sounds like there might be something stuck on.
 
That's what I'm thinking that there is something on. Its likely one of two things is happening.
1) Either one or both of the upgrades was done using the 12V to power the onboard computer and took a while thereby draining and possibly damaging it.
2) Following the upgrades a connection was not done properly and is grounding the battery.
I'll wait until Mlonday to see what they found and what direction the dealer got from Hyundai Canada.
 
Great idea about having BlueLink be able to detect the status of the 12V as well. When I checked it showed green on all systems but the car clearly not 'all systems go'.
 
170/daykonaguy said:
My 2019 KonaEV Ultimate has been running seamlessly since I got it in March 2019. Then came the recalls. The 1st recall was to replace the Electric Water Pump (EWP). This was done by the dealer Oct 30. The car ran with no issues afterward and I still had a big smile on my face while driving. The dealer set another appointment for Nov 10 to replace the Electrical Can Case and to address a 2nd recall for Battery Management System (BMS) & VCU update.
After the 2nd visit and the completion of the BMS & VCU update, when the car was about to be handed back to me the tech scratched his head and told me the 12V aux battery was very low. This was strange since it is charged while driving or while the car is being charged. Essentially it should never be "low".
14 days later on Nov 24 the 12V battery seemed to have died so the car could not start. It measured 4.5V. I got a battery boost & took it to the dealer. They couldn't find a problem and reported it had a full charge and "cranking" amps. They kept the car for 24 hrs. When I went to pick it up I measured the battery at 11.7V closed the car and told them it was low again. 10 mins later with the Tech beside me the car would not unlock using the fob. We used the key but the cabin was dead. The 12V battery measured 6.4V. They gave me a rental and are trying to diagnose.
Over to you guys ..... any ideas what is going on?
Click to expand...
170/daykonaguy said:
My 2019 KonaEV Ultimate has been running seamlessly since I got it in March 2019. Then came the recalls. The 1st recall was to replace the Electric Water Pump (EWP). This was done by the dealer Oct 30. The car ran with no issues afterward and I still had a big smile on my face while driving. The dealer set another appointment for Nov 10 to replace the Electrical Can Case and to address a 2nd recall for Battery Management System (BMS) & VCU update.
After the 2nd visit and the completion of the BMS & VCU update, when the car was about to be handed back to me the tech scratched his head and told me the 12V aux battery was very low. This was strange since it is charged while driving or while the car is being charged. Essentially it should never be "low".
14 days later on Nov 24 the 12V battery seemed to have died so the car could not start. It measured 4.5V. I got a battery boost & took it to the dealer. They couldn't find a problem and reported it had a full charge and "cranking" amps. They kept the car for 24 hrs. When I went to pick it up I measured the battery at 11.7V closed the car and told them it was low again. 10 mins later with the Tech beside me the car would not unlock using the fob. We used the key but the cabin was dead. The 12V battery measured 6.4V. They gave me a rental and are trying to diagnose.
Over to you guys ..... any ideas what is going on?
Click to expand...
I bought mine in March 2019 as well and I did not get any of these recalls. Should I be concerned?
 
The water pump was for a specific range of dates. There was one concerning a HV fuse but not sure of date range. You should definitely have had the BMS ones. Maybe contact Hyundai in your country and ask them to check against your VIN
 
mikeselectricstuff said:
The water pump was for a specific range of dates. There was one concerning a HV fuse but not sure of date range. You should definitely have had the BMS ones. Maybe contact Hyundai in your country and ask them to check against your VIN
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Thanks. I did get the BMS one, but not the others.
 
Why the heck are dealer-schlumps *not* putting chargers on these 12V batteries while doing reflashes??
Like, duh.

_H*
 
Jennifer said:
I bought mine in March 2019 as well and I did not get any of these recalls. Should I be concerned?
Click to expand...
You should put your VIN number in the recall search page. Hyundai has one and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has a page too. Go to www.nhtsa.gov/recalls and enter your vin. You should find your car in the recall. Take that information and call your dealer and schedule the recall.
 
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