[Imacargeek]

I just acquired a dead 2014 500e with 48,000 miles.

The previous owner said one day it would not charge using the OEM EVSE. At some point they installed a new 12v battery which did not solve it but might have been the beginning of all this. Then...they let it sit for 10 months.

Details:
Will not ready - turtle. Will not shift into drive
Attempting to charge gets goal posts
Contactors do not seem to be closing - no audible clicking when opening door or turning key
OEM EVSE is showing all 4 green lights
BPCM is setting codes P1E25 and P0A1F and they will not clear using alfaobd (or they are immediately resetting)
12v battery is stable at 12.5 - 12.6 volts
Recall U69 has NOT been completed
Humidity sensor is unplugged
12 volt battery had been disconnected for a period of months before I acquired
"Enabling Contactors" using alfaobd does not seem to work - cannot hear contactors, nothing changes
All 12 volt accessories seem to work normally such as radio and lights
I am suspecting it is a failed HV battery, I am right at 8 years so I am not sure if I could score a battery under warranty.

Any suggestions/thoughts/opinions?

 

[Electric Tire Shredder]

...they let it sit for 10 months...
Contactors do not seem to be closing - no audible clicking when opening door or turning key...
"Enabling Contactors" using alfaobd does not seem to work - cannot hear contactors, nothing changes...
I am suspecting it is a failed HV battery, I am right at 8 years so I am not sure if I could score a battery under warranty...

The HV pack is likely ruined, since it loses about 12%/month, times 10 months is 120%, so even if it started with a full charge it would be so far past 0% that the cells will have dropped damagingly low. A terrible waste, if was just the contactor glitch that could have been fixed for $20 & a few taps on an app.

If you're PAST 8 years from the day of initial purchase then warranty almost certainly won't work.

If you're under 8 years then you should make a claim immediately but do NOT tell them it sat for 10 months, because the manual says leave it plugged in for long-term storage. I might tell THEM "failed", but "killed" would be more accurate. I'd likely just say: "It won't start or charge. Here's the keys. Call me."

Then they'd diagnose it with a failed pack that Fiat would have to pay them to replace. They'd try to make you replace the perfectly-good PIM first, but we'd help you cross that bridge if you're lucky enough to get that far.

When you try to enable the contactors, does it show "completed" like this? (click to enlarge):

Are you able to access "battery management"?:

Where you could check for Max/Min voltage:

& I believe somewhere on that long list of battery data it shows something like "Contactors: enabled".

 

[vladifresh]

I’m in the same situation except it’s been closer to 2 -3 years left unattended. The alfaOBD is showing process complete, but I don’t hear the clunks. Would be nice to find a way to trigger the contactor (clunker) manually or with a 12v external signal. I really don’t want to drop the hv battery

 

[fraktclassiclimo]

There is still hope for batteries left unattended for <1 year. I'm actually looking for a shop that refurbishes the battery pack.

Fiat 500e – My Website

mandmwaddle.ca

 

[twinturboz]

There was a period in time during my layoff in 2020 where the car sat unplugged and sitting for months and the pack only lost like 3% from 81% to 78% when I went to the market are you sure the car loses that much charge a month?

 

[Electric Tire Shredder]

Someone reported losing more than 3.3%/week, averaged over 2-3 months.

I checked mine, & parked unplugged at 60% it lost about 3%/week at around 70F, based on my max cell voltage dropping 15mV in 3.5 days.

From full charge* to dead** is about 1000mV, divided by 100% is 10mV for each 1%. So 15mV is 1.5% in 3.5 days which is 3%/week. It's not linear though, & long-term it seems to lose more than that. So maybe it loses significantly more at low % & less at high % (like 78 - 81%).

*~4100mV
**~3100mV

 

[twinturboz]

Someone reported losing more than 3.3%/week, averaged over 2-3 months.

I checked mine, & parked unplugged at 60% it lost about 3%/week at around 70F, based on my max cell voltage dropping 15mV in 3.5 days.

From full charge* to dead** is about 1000mV, divided by 100% is 10mV for each 1%. So 15mV is 1.5% in 3.5 days which is 3%/week. It's not linear though, & long-term it seems to lose more than that. So maybe it loses significantly more at low % & less at high % (like 78 - 81%).

*~4100mV
**~3100mV

So my next question is if Fiat has a bunch of these HV battery store in their warehouse what’s the charge state are they in and do they keep them charge it up because they sat there for a year before being sold your pretty much getting a dead battery

 

[Electric Tire Shredder]

That's a very good point, so I looked up the closest specs I've been able to find (the very-next-gen Samsung SDI after ours: 94Ah) & self discharge is less than 3.3% in TWO HUNDRED DAYS !

Of course it's possible our 1-gen-prior cells have much worse self discharge, but 30 times the loss seems unlikely. It seems like something else is going on.