Anyone else had issues with 12V battery and charging errors?

Discussion
1

I’ve noticed the 12V charging light has been on for a couple of days, and today when I started the car, I got a “Charging System Error.” Both the Charging System and Battery Error lights are now on.

I checked the 12V battery voltage, and it’s showing 11.8 volts. The car won’t charge, and from what I’ve read in the manual, it looks like the DC-to-DC charging system might be the issue.

I’m calling the dealer tomorrow, but has anyone else run into this? I thought maybe the 12V battery had died, but swapping it out didn’t fix anything.

2

How did you check the voltage? Are you using an external reader? Just curious.

3

diallo said:
How did you check the voltage? Are you using an external reader? Just curious.

I used a handheld volt meter and placed the probes directly on the battery terminals.

4

Got it, thanks for clarifying.

5

Did you mean a quick “change” or a quick “charge” of the 12V battery? Typos happen, and it makes a big difference.

If you swapped out the 12V battery and the issue persists, then it’s definitely time for a dealer visit. If you only charged the existing battery while it was still connected, the system might not have reset.

You could try disconnecting the battery, fully charging it, and then checking if it holds around 12.2V when the charger is removed. If it holds the charge, reconnect it and see if the error clears.

I’m an electrical engineer, not a Kia mechanic, but I hope this helps.