Problem with battery cooling fan

lini · Jun 21, 2019

I saw an error on the dash during rapid charging my 2015 Soul EV. The error stated that there is a problem with the high voltage battery system. I connected an OBD II scanner and read the error code P1BA1, which after some googling turned out to be "Fan failure of the high voltage battery". I checked the battery temperature, which was 34-35 C. At that temp, the fan should be spinning, but when I opened the back it was silent. Torque showed 0Hz for "Batt Fan Feedback" and 2 for "Batt Fan Status". The car ignition was ON during the charging session (I was listening to music).

Has anyone seen a problem like that before? After disconnecting the charging cable and restarting the car, the error went away but I still did not hear the fan. Is there a way to test the fan manually (e.g. disconnect the fan connector and connect it to directly to 12VDC or something)? I bought the car second hand and the local dealer said they will not honor the warranty. I did not try to argue with them since everything with the car seemed just fine until now.

JejuSoul · Jun 22, 2019

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As far as I know you are the first to have this problem.
It does seem that the fan is faulty. Have you checked the wiring?

Here is the data table for Fan Status, Fan Feedback and the temps at which they come on:
It seems your car is trying to set the fan to level 2 but not getting any response.

Code:

Status	Feedback [Hz]          Temp[C]
Level 0				0                   < 31
Level 1				42    		     31C - 33C   
Level 2				50      		   33C - 36C 
Level 3				58     		    36C - 39C
Level 4				67     		    39C - 41C
Level 5				75     		    41C - 43C
Level 6				85      	      43C - 45C  
Level 7				88      		   45C - 49C
Level 8				95     		    50C - ???
Level 9				100   		      ?

There's a thread about the temperatures here - TMS Behavior

I hope you find an easy fix for this problem.
Looking in the parts catalog, buying an entire new fan is expensive - $539.72
See - Kia Part No.: 37580E4000 - BLOWER UNIT ASSEMBLY-BATTERY

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lini · Jun 23, 2019

I removed the blower motor and opened it up. It is clear now what the problem is:

The board is fried, probably due to moisture ingress. I did not notice any signs of flooding when I bought the car but this is some damning evidence. I really hope that the damage was only caused by a spill in the trunk or that the previous owner replaced the blower from another (flooded) car. I will start searching online for a new fan. The site you listed does not seem to be shipping to Europe.

Kish · Jun 26, 2019

Ouch, that looks like really bad corrosion. Used car dealers are really good at hiding flooded cars. Always get a CarFax / VIN check before buying used! (Not sure if those exist in EU. In the US its legally required to disclose flooded cars). In the meantime, I'd recommend not DCFC'ing until the fan is working again. In the summer, the battery heats up pretty quickly.

lini · Jul 26, 2019

Update - ordered a new fan from S. Korea and replaced the broken one. Replacement is very easy - took about 5 min and only needed a 10 mm spanner. New fan works as expected (tested during a DCFC session). Not sure if it makes a big difference though. Measured fan speed and battery temperature with the fan and compared to one with the broken fan and in both cases the batteries only got up to 39-40 C. Perhaps it's because the charging session is relatively short - it takes 35-40 min to go from 20 to 94 % SOC on a 27 kWh Soul EV using a 50 kW charger.

I guess in the long run it's better to have a fan than not and I hope that there will be no more hidden surprises with the car.

ksoul2084 · Jul 26, 2019

lini said:
Update - ordered a new fan from S. Korea and replaced the broken one. Replacement is very easy - took about 5 min and only needed a 10 mm spanner. New fan works as expected (tested during a DCFC session). Not sure if it makes a big difference though. Measured fan speed and battery temperature with the fan and compared to one with the broken fan and in both cases the batteries only got up to 39-40 C. Perhaps it's because the charging session is relatively short - it takes 35-40 min to go from 20 to 94 % SOC on a 27 kWh Soul EV using a 50 kW charger.

I guess in the long run it's better to have a fan than not and I hope that there will be no more hidden surprises with the car.

Congrats and glad it was a straightforward job to replace it. One thing to consider is that the fan simply pulls cabin air through the battery pack, so the cooling effectiveness will depend on the temperature (and moisture content) of the cabin air. Are you able to run the A/C while it is charging in the cabin to keep the air cool? If so that might make a difference.