This morning, I pushed the ignition button and got the dreaded 12v battery failure warning. I’ve only had the car for a bit over two weeks, and now I’m sitting here waiting for a tow to the dealership. Pretty frustrating start!
At least you’re getting this sorted out early! Are you sure you need a tow? Maybe you could try getting a replacement 12v battery from an auto parts store nearby?
From what I’ve seen, some dealers put cars into accessory mode and leave the doors open while they’re ‘prepping’ the vehicle. This stops the 12v from recharging because the car’s forced into an ‘ignition off’ state, which can drain the battery deeply. A few rounds of this can do serious damage to a 12v lead-acid battery’s health.
@abidemi
Yep, that’s exactly what happened to mine. Just one deep discharge in accessory mode, and now my original 12v is basically living on borrowed time.
Yeah, that’s tough. Mine has been draining if it sits for less than 24 hours, and I’ve only had it a few weeks myself. My dealership’s current ‘solution’ is to disable Kia Connect. I don’t get any warnings; just a dead battery every time.
@Howard
Is it actually helping to have Kia Connect disabled?
Connie said:
@Howard
Is it actually helping to have Kia Connect disabled?
So far, yes. It sat overnight, and it started right up the next morning. They’re keeping it for another day just to be sure it’s stable with Kia Connect off.
Do you know when your car was built? You can usually find the production date on the driver’s side door. If it was after the software recall in March 2024, that’s especially concerning because it means the ICCU shouldn’t be running old software. If it’s an older model, it might just be another one for the list.