Well done ETS! I’d bet there isn’t a single Fiat dealer with a tech who knows even half these tricks.

 

Well done ETS!

Thank you, but it's really "Well done Fiat 500e owners!", because I learned every single one of the fixes from the fabulous members of the 2 forums. All I did was copy/paste all the fixes in one spot.

 

If it drives but just won’t charge:

• Check orange socket & black plug for cleanliness, cracks, bent or straightened pins.
• Deactivate charge timer in car’s menu. It can default itself to “active”.
• Reboot charger WITH CAR UNPLUGGED, via reset button, unplug/replug, or circuit-breaker off/on.
• Turn the car on before plugging in (especially if the battery pack is below -14F).
• Try a different charger.
• Hold down the button on the plug until it's all the way into the socket.
• Plug into the OEM unit. It can reset some charge errors. Click to enlarge:

Left 2013-17. Right 2018-19.



After many reports of the above fixes working, one user's "dead" car was at a dealership for a month. He informed them about this list, & then the car worked .

Another "dead" car's dealer said his $6k PIM was dead, he gave them this list & the car worked (with a "dead" PIM ).

Yet another user's "dead" car showed codes for faulty PIM & HV battery, but just clearing the codes fixed it.

Edit/Credit List:
7th edit 1/13/23: Shorter, hopefully more logical sequence, & added button hold during plugin, thanks to @bolomiester
6th edit 9/25/22: Replaced jumpstarting with BM2, & added late model OEM cord pic
5th edit 9/23/22: Onscreen code-clearing fineprint, thanks to @jedwards1654
4th edit 9/3/22: Press white HV fuse lock to open the black arm 90º, thanks to @rxd24
3rd edit 8/25/22: Black HV fuse lock WIDE open before HV fuse insertion
2nd edit 8/22/22: Contactor reset needs PAID version of AlfaOBD, & HV disconnect can require contactor reset after.
Edit 12/24/21: "Contactor Glitch" added, thanks to @MDMTahiti & @witmannerik (for confirming it worked)
Credit for different HV reconnect sequences to RatfinkHarley & BoggleMe on the other forum.

Sorry if I missed anyone (PM me if I did).

 

Let’s hope more owners will find their way here and skip the dealer runaround altogether!

We need a moderator to pin this one so people can find it easily.

 

Extra details to go with post #1 above. Click pics to enlarge:

1: The humidity sensor is just to the right of the rearview mirror & causes many false alarms, including ABS, RBS, ESC, HSA, PRND, SRS (airbag) etc. Put your middle fingers in each opening near the top & pull perpendicular from the glass:

With a tiny screwdriver or round toothpick parallel to the glass, stick it straight into the black socket to wedge it open & remove the purple plug:

Even though you LEAVE it unplugged, the cover fits, with its left side hooked on & then the right side snapped upward perpendicular to the glass. Hook/snap points circled in pic above.

2: When you open the left door there should be a little "clunk" or "da-dunk" like this:

500e Normal Clunk Sound on Plugin

This is the normal little "clunk" sound a 500e makes right after plugging in.

youtube.com

If not, the 12V starter battery isn’t connecting the High Voltage battery contactors, as needed to charge or start the car. IF you wait several seconds after opening the door, to hear the disconnect clunk, THEN there should also be a clunk:

• When you turn the key on, & another clunk several seconds after you turn it off.
• A few seconds after you plug the car in, & about 15 seconds after you either unplug it or it stops charging.

The starter battery terminals must be clean & tight, with 11.6V or more. Just like any gas car, a low 12V starter battery is the most common cause of failure, including contactor failure.

Even after a parts store does a load test with good results, the voltage can still be too low, so you have to check it. Grab each end of the black plastic motor cover & yank it straight up like you’re lifting a laundry basket full of wet clothes. It’s almost unbreakable, but completely useless, so I leave mine in my garage closet.

Left to right: $10 Amazon "multimeter", $22 BatteryTender.com gauge, "BM2".

A 500e will often start (but sometimes with errors) even when the battery is WAY too "dead" to start a gas car, & it sometimes won't even jumpstart when it's SO dead it won't even start a 500e, which can happen without warning after normal use for only 2 years, so after that you should get your own Bluetooth alarm, such as the "BM2" in the last pic. Just search "bm2" on Amazon. Also available at eBay or Walmart.

My 500e only starts reliably with the 12V battery at 20% or more, so I would set the alarm to 30%, & when it sounded, I'd start checking regularly. I'd start battery shopping when it started getting close to the 11.7V needed to start it reliably. That is so low that even AAA often can't jumpstart it unless they have old-fashioned cables AND disconnect the dead battery. So carrying a portable jumpstarter may not save you.

3: Disconnecting the 12V for 30 seconds worked for me, but when that failed for someone else, & so did a few minutes, & a half hour, & 3 hours, 30 hours worked. Ideally, disconnect the NEGATIVE, since it’s more robust, & it won’t short out the 10mm wrench (or even pliers, in a pinch) on any surrounding metal. Retighten it until you can’t twist it off of the post by hand. Someone reported that disconnecting the 12V & HV failed, but they tried different sequences & one of them worked, HOWEVER it's most likely they just got the reconnect wrong at first, & got it right on the retry. Make SURE to first ALWAYS have the car asleep* for any disconnection, & check car function after each one before you continue:

• Disconnect 12V, disconnect HV, reconnect 12V, reconnect HV.
• Disconnect HV, disconnect 12V 30+ seconds, reconnect 12V, reconnect HV.
• Disconnect HV 30+ seconds & reconnect. Disconnect 12V 30+ seconds & reconnect.

* I thought that only the left door woke it up, since it's the only one that awakens the HV systems (contactor clunk), HOWEVER the other door and even the hatch can awaken the 12V systems (instrument screen lights up).

4: Both the free AlfaOBD "demo" app & the $49 lifetime-membership version are available on the Google Play Store. If you only have an iPhone/iPad, try a laptop/tablet, or ask your friends if they have an old Android, or get one for $30 on Amazon. No service needed, just download the app on WiFi. A Veepeak or $16 eBay ELM327 KONNWEI KW902 will connect it to the car, clear faults, & reset the contactors, but they won't prevent stalling if you ever get an unavoidable flashing odometer, which requires 1 of the following:

• With USB on the app's device: $50 OBDLink SX cable (for Android, add $10 USB A-to-C adapter)
• Bluetooth: $81 OBDLink LX or $126 MX+ (incl. 10% off at obdlink.com if you sign up to the free newsletter)

"Clear Faults" sometimes requires clearing 2 or more separate control units, 2 or more times each, before it stays clear:

If you don't have OBD, codes will often clear with the key off for 3 minutes. Repeat if needed, up to 10 times, but usually ONCE works for me, & the most I've ever needed is 3 times, off for 1.5min, but other users report needing 3 min, 5-10 times.

5: The contactor disable glitch seems totally random. It's VERY rare compared to a dead battery, but it's equally debilitating (won't start OR charge). After connecting as in #5 above, do this:

 

I just bought a 2014 500 e. It worked fine with good range. Drove to the store today with 50% charge at the store. When I tried to start it after half hour it was totally dead. Showed 0% and the turtle was there. "Service charging system" came on. Plugged it into charging statio that was right there. The two side orange lights came on, but now effect. Can this be the 12v?

 

The zero percent indicates the contactors didn't close. Most likely due to a bad 12 volt battery. Car won't charge unless the contactors are closed. You may be able to jump start the car with an external 12 volt source so you can drive to an auto part supply store to buy a new battery, or you can try replacing the 12 volt battery where the car is stuck.

 

Maybe. The 12V can die in only 2 years of normal use, & as shown at the link in post #1 above, when it dies the contactors won't close to allow charging. Also in that link: the onboard charge timer can also prevent charging.

 

I have a question here, if the 12 V dies and the contractors don't close does that mean the HV is now not connected to the 12V because of the contactors? If so how can an empty 12V drain the HV?

 

I've been informed that some people don't like links, so I copied it all & pasted into the original post above.

 

Deleted. Dirty screen made my reply irrelevant. I thought it said "charged" the 12v, not "changed".

 

Probably a case of luck, but my 2016 500e still has the original battery. Voltage is ~12.5V and 14.3V when powered on.

 

My advice would be to replace it anyway. I regularly replace the 12v in my ICE vehicles every 5 years. I bought my 2014 in January and it also had the original battery. As luck would have it though the battery died instantly a few weeks back. Fortunately the car was in my driveway so there was no need to tow. Now I have a brand new battery, and a 12 booster pack in the car just in case!

 

12.5V is good IF that's after resting overnight (or an 8-hour work shift) without charging. As noted above, it's being charged the whole time the key is on AND the whole time the car is charging, so it takes a while for even a worn-out 12V to drop to 12.5V. My teeny, tiny 1/10-size 12V takes several days to drop to 12.5V, but as long as we don't let them drop below 11.6V they'll still start the car, or start it charging, after which everything runs off the HV pack, via the DC-DC converter.

HOWEVER, even a 12V that's ready to die will show over 14V when the key is on because that's the charging voltage being supplied to it by the DC-DC converter.

My 2013 had AN "original" battery that was still going strong in 2020, but for all I know it had been replaced with an OEM unit right before I bought it in 2015, however even 5 years is pretty good for a lead-acid battery.

Since the 500e's 12V is VERY gently used ELECTRICALLY, the reason they often die so fast must be heat from the adjacent onboard charger & PIM right below that. So it will last longer in cold climates or if you try to charge at cool times/places. Mine may have lasted so well because I do that AND leave the hood open whenever practical, plus I added a chunk of styrofoam insulation:

 

Given that there are many EVs where the 12V is an issue, my hunch is that lead acid batteries actually are better off with the enormous power drain when crancking the starter and then large currents to recharge, rather than the low power required for board computer and lights, and trickle charge… but that’s just my theory 🤓

 

You might want to take a look at batteryuniversity.com

For ANY battery chemistry:

• Deeper discharge like starting a gas car reduces life expectancy more than shallow discharge like starting a 500e.
• Large current like starting & recharging in a gas car reduces life expectancy more than low current like a 500e.
• Heat reduces life expectancy.

Most people do most of their charging on L2, which takes about an hour or more for every hour of driving, which DOUBLES the length of time that the 12V is exposed to heat from onboard charger, PIM, & motor/radiator. That is unless you insulate it &/or charge when/where it's cold &/or leave the hood open when charging.

 

Why Electric Vehicles deserve better 12V batteries!

It’s a prominent issue surrounding the electric vehicle market that the old-school lead acid battery just isn’t appropriate for new technology vehicles. Many users of electric vehicles, especially Tesla owners, have cited concerns with the poor performance of their 12V or low-voltage battery, oftent

www.linkedin.com

 

Wow! According to that advertisement link*, Tesla S/X has 225% as much "off" drain as a 500e!

That would mean our 12V batteries have only 0.0044 times as much cycle loading (0.02A compared to 5A). Another way to put that is parking a Tesla for one day would drain its 12v as much as parking a 500e for 22 days!

& my statement above still stands:

Since the 500e's 12V is VERY gently used ELECTRICALLY, the reason they often die so fast must be heat from the adjacent onboard charger & PIM right below that.

* The link has other statements that are just plain wrong though.

 

Wow! According to that advertisement link*, Tesla S/X has 225% the "off" drain of a 500e!

That would mean our 12V batteries have 0.0044 times the cycle loading (0.02A compared to 5A). Another way to put it is that parking a Tesla for one day would drain its 12v as much as parking a 500e for 22 days!

& my statement above still stands:

Since the 500e's 12V is VERY gently used ELECTRICALLY, the reason they often die so fast must be heat from the adjacent onboard charger & PIM right below that.

* The link has other statements that are just plain wrong though.

Not an expert but many ICE cars are a lot warmer under the hood?

 

Yes, ICE cars are likely warmer under the hood, but nowhere near as long. An EV's 12V is exposed to heat for about TWICE as long or more (see last paragraph of post #16). & it's pretty warm. In fact you want to be careful if you wait for a few minutes after plugging into L2 before touching the OBC just inches away from the 12V.

& it's actually exposed to heat SIX times as long or more, if you use a standard wall outlet like many people do, including me: 1 hour's drive takes about 5 hours to charge (while I sleep or work).

 

My 500 is still at shop. Over a month now.
they have been communicating with fiat in Europe so diagnostics has been slow.

so far car will go to ready mode, all wiring has been check(per fiats suggestion) and now I am still stuck.

car goes to ready timers have been reset but I don’t know about them trying the oem charger on a 110 outlet. I have seen the dealers and they frequently have after market cords…

still stuck

 

Ironically dealer just emailed said the “obcm”
Was the problem and it would be 2950 to fix

Ouch. How do I know this IS the fix is the question??

 

1850 for the ibcm and1000 for labor and diagnosis….

better than what I have heard others say in this board I think.

 

I wonder what "timers have been reset" means. They reset to "active" sometimes, after disconnecting the 12V. That prevents charging except during whatever middle-of-the-night hours the user had set them for before the reboot.

In case that's too hard to explain, leaving the car on when you plug in will bypass the timers, so maybe you can get them to try that, AFTER REBOOTING THEIR CHARGER!

HOWEVER, it seems like there are some aftermarket chargers that just won't work properly with a 500e. There have been many reports of sudden failure to charge OR drive after using one, & even more reports of them failing to fully charge. EVERY ChargePoint charger where my friend used to work needed rebooting before they'd work.

At least 3 members of this very forum (including me) have reported errors fixed by simply plugging in the OEM cord. In my case the error was failure to charge from an aftermarket charger! (& I think one or both of the others were the same).

 

Timers are set to be active 23.5 hrs a day.
they have tried oem cord. Fiat Europe said
Obcm is expected to fail at some point over so many charge cycles. The car has a lots of charge cycles

 

Timers are set to be active 23.5 hrs a day.
they have tried oem cord. Fiat Europe said
Obcm is expected to fail at some point over so many charge cycles. The car has a lots of charge cycles

Not sure about a failing OBCM. What does AlfaOBD say? (There's a section under Battery Mgmt if I recall correctly)
Seems more likely an external charger issue, or bad "ground" connection causing goalposts.
Can you tell bit more about the state before the issue and what changed (gradually/overnight.etc)

Also funny how they refer to "Fiat Europe" as for us (in Europe) there's no one ever answering the phone at Fiat in case of the 500e

 

Thread moved back here:

On board charger

 

Car has 89k
Goal posts is what I’m getting.
oem charger has been used. Also timers are set to be on in other words car is chargeable 23.5 hours per day.

 

Car has 89k
Goal posts is what I’m getting.
oem charger has been used. Also timers are set to be on in other words car is chargeable 23.5 hours per day.

really remove/delete the timers, just to rule stuff out.

 

Ya, or leave the key on. I'm trying to shift this thread back where it started, with prior details like loose, corroded charge-port connectors, & 3 weeks at the dealer before a post on this forum taught them how to get it to drive :

On board charger

 

Can the Alfa OBD software close the contactors even if the factory scan tool cannot? I'm a Fiat tech that bought a 500e with a bad battery pack thinking it would be replaced under warranty. I have tried all the power up and power down procedures and have no contactor. I also cannot read any data in the BPCM under the data tab and cannot perform any of the "close contactor" , "reset weld check" , or "battery pack replacement" procedures.

 

I hope your "factory scan tool" didn't have a wire to it's own screen, since those have been reported to cause issues, although I think they might be fixed by the list of tricks in post #1 on page 1 of this thread.

Can the Alfa OBD software close the contactors even if the factory scan tool cannot?

Maybe. All it will cost you to find out is a $17 OBD dongle (or worst case add a $15 Amazon Android). Recently a dealership had a user's car for a month, & when they were informed about AlfaOBD fixing the contactor glitch they suddenly got it to drive.

But PLEASE let us know how it goes! (one way or the other).

 

I never got around to asking how the users with the contactor disable glitch were able to connect to OBD battery management in order to activate the contactors.

My 2013 has always worked perfectly* & while doing so it won't connect to OBD battery management unless the contactors are closed, either by turning the key at least 1 click, plugging in to charge, or in the few seconds after opening the left door.

I can do that last one due to lots of practice, so if that's what's required for the glitch, extreme patience might be required to learn the process during multiple attempts that only last a few seconds each.

*except one time (in over 6 years) when it was infected by a 2010 public L2 that activated ABS if I braked below 7mph (but still only braked as soft as I wanted) until a 30-second 12V disconnect fixed it.

 

Deleted (inserted above during midnight edit).