Lately, I’ve noticed that the orange light indicating the 12V battery is charging has been on almost daily. It happens in my garage or when I park at places like the mall or a restaurant. This is different from when I first got the EV6—it only happened about once a week in warmer weather. Now, temperatures are in the high 30s to low 40s, so I’m wondering if the colder weather is affecting it.
I’ve also noticed that the red battery icon during startup doesn’t always flash like it used to. Is that normal, or should I be concerned?
Our 12V battery died within the first two years, so we replaced it with an AGM battery. You might want to get yours checked—it sounds like it could be on its way out.
Edit: We also found that the dealership had installed a LoJack module on the OBD port. It wasn’t activated but still drained the battery when the car was off. That might have contributed to the early failure.
emma said: @izael
We’ve only had the EV6 for 2.5 months, so that seems really quick. I’ll get it checked out ASAP. Thanks for the advice!
Good luck! I highly recommend upgrading to an AGM battery (Group H5/47). Costco and Walmart both sell them. AGM batteries handle the drain cycles in EVs much better.
emma said: @izael
Thanks! I’ll look into it if mine has already failed. I definitely don’t want to be stuck in freezing temps with a dead battery.
If you’re troubleshooting the 12V system, I recommend an OBD2 reader and a good app like Car Scanner. The EV6 doesn’t seem great at managing the 12V system, possibly due to prioritizing the ICCU after earlier issues. Your battery might not be failing given its age, but the OBD2 reader will confirm.
I’ve installed a battery monitor, and mine charges about once a day for 30 minutes. Since EVs don’t have engine cranking sounds to warn you of battery issues, better monitoring or warnings would be helpful.
Did you sign up for any programs, like a power company off-peak charging incentive, or give your Kia Connect credentials to a third-party app? I did, and my 12V battery started dying quickly. If so, change your Kia Connect password. The car might be waking up too often, which drains the battery.
Howard said:
It sounds like your 12V is failing. The car keeps trying to charge it, but it’s not holding a full charge. Any auto parts store can test it for you.
That’s disappointing—it’s only 2.5 months old. I’ll get it checked. Thanks!
@emma
Kia’s OEM batteries aren’t great. Mine died after 4 months, and I replaced it with an aftermarket AGM. It’s been fine since then. Have the battery tested first; if it’s good, the dealer might need to check the charging system. The 12V battery should be covered under a 3-year warranty, so the dealer should replace it for free if it’s bad.