Charging Fault error.

[JejuSoul]

I'd heard that a software update limited the OBC to somewhere around 28A -is that true? If so, perhaps that may have been an attempt to derate the equipment, to reduce strain.??

It is a software change that applies to MY2016 cars. There is no software update for earlier cars as far as I know.
The real reason for this change is not known. Cars with this change continue to fail.
It is a different change to the new version of the OBC firmware that came out in 2016. (MY2016 would be in cars from June 2015)

... model 2016 have different SW and that Kia downgraded internal charger for some 10- 15% of its stated amp charging as to be more safe....

From Soul's charger allowing less amps

Edit - given further failures after this was posted I am no longer sure "It is a different change to the new version of the OBC firmware that came out in 2016"

 

[2016Electric]

I'd heard that a software update limited the OBC to somewhere around 28A -is that true? If so, perhaps that may have been an attempt to derate the equipment, to reduce strain.??

It is a software change that applies to MY2016 cars. There is no software update for earlier cars as far as I know.
The real reason for this change is not known. Cars with this change continue to fail.
It is a different change to the new version of the OBC firmware that came out in 2016. (MY2016 would be in cars from June 2015)

... model 2016 have different SW and that Kia downgraded internal charger for some 10- 15% of its stated amp charging as to be more safe....

From Soul's charger allowing less amps

Overall, it would be _very_ helpful to know which portion of the unit is failing: Communications & Logic vs. Power Electronics (rectifier, voltage step up circuitry, and output voltage/amperage control). If in fact it's the power electronics portion, I'm still wondering if it is a case of supply voltage vs. the 240VAC max input rating of the OBC (as in this area, L2 would often supply the units with more than 240VAC in residences).

 

[nibularr]

i had my obc changed a couple weeks ago

build date on the obc was may 2016

here is my recent charging stats on Torque

 

[JejuSoul]

nibularr: I can't see the image in your last post.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

I am in Korea - domestic electricity here is 220V 60Hz.
My wall box provides 220V 60Hz 32A 7.0kW according to the sticker. It is not adjustable.

The OBC in my car presumably is similar to this. I have a 2015 model. There is no reduction in ChargeAmps.

Here is an L2 charge with the AC on. The values are the input to the OBC.

The voltage is clearly higher than the 220V assumed but I doubt it will often go above 240V.
Some cars here have failing OBC's. I don't think above 240V is the cause here.
(We have had some amazing lightning storms here recently when the remnants of typhoon Nepertak passed over and I think some Chademo chargers got fried, but no one on this thread has ever mentioned lightning as a contributor to their OBC failing)

For the second time while testing the OBC I got this error on the nav screen. The first time was because I unplugged without turning off the car. This time I did turn off. So I don't know why it came up. Am still assuming this error has nothing to do with the Charging Fault Error that requires a new OBC.

 

[nibularr]

Here is the link

http://m.imgur.com/IYBiIHy

 

[JejuSoul]

Thanks nibularr,
You are in Canada, Yes? and have a new OBC. What are the specs on your wall box?
I see from your data that you are getting 240V at 28.7A. Do you think the OBC has derated your current by 10% from 32A to 28.7A?
What is on in your car that causes the efficiency to be low 82%.
Is this the same wall box that caused the previous OBC to fail?
Did the previous OBC also draw 240V at 28.7A.

 

[nibularr]

yes in Canada

i have the 30a bosch evse

here is the sticker. sorry for the crappy photo work

https://imgur.com/NVsmUgV

i didnt have torque on the old OBC to know what the charging rate.
but it looks like the amps are held lower than 30 for maybe safety of obc?

 

[JejuSoul]

It's a 30A wall box so obviously it's not supplying 32A.
Am not sure your OBC is lowering the input at all.
In the thread where people suggest the 2016 OBC does lower the input it states you only get 26 amps out of 32.

Separate question more related to the Torque thread. What version of the OBC software are you using?

 

[nibularr]

here is some info i took
one from level 1 here at work and 1 from Ikea near by

https://imgur.com/a/NzEV9

 

[vinnymess]

Here we go again!!! This morning i unplugged my car from the charger, got in the car, turned it on, and low and behold i got the dreaded 'Charging Fault Error' message on the screen, AGAIN!!
Last time was in December when i first started this topic. Luckily i have a fast charger 2 blocks from where i live. I called the dealer and they booked me in for Monday. I'll update....

Love this car, but i can certainly do without the OBC problems. I am now looking forward to getting my new Tesla3. I think they'll start shipping their first ones in the year 2050, lol. :?:

 

[user 154]

I got the "External Charger Error" this morning too on my early 2015. Won't charge for more than a few seconds on L2, and no more than a couple of minutes on L1. Taking it in to the dealer on Monday.

 

[JejuSoul]

Hi Deane, sad to hear you too suffer from the OBC failure. I am assuming you are in the Bay Area. So another for the US list (4 now, +1 twice). Can you ask the dealer / tech guy if they know why so many are failing. and what is Kia going to do about it. Is there anything special or unusual in your recent charging that may be linked. There is also another report of an OBC failure in Quebec. (15 there now, +1 twice). There's also a few each from Ontario and BC in Canada.

If you need to continue using the car this weekend you can use Chademo rapid chargers as normal because they do not use the internal OBC.

Normally the 'Charging Fault' OBC error is this one. It is on the dash screen.

The 'External charger Error' is on the Nav screen I have seen it a few times. It has never been associated with an OBC error before.
You can get if you have your car on while plugging / unplugging the cable. It has no effect and will disappear next time you charge. (at least that was what happened in my case)

 

[user 154]

JejuSoul thanks for your comments. I think I did see the instrument cluster error window once or twice through many attempts at charging. The infotainment error window always shows up.

This was just another nightly charge at L2, nothing out of the daily routine. I don't think the car was on (overnight) when it first happened. It has not been on the several times I have tried to charge since.

I'm assuming that I have a bad OBC. I'm in Cupertino CA.

 

[SoulEV2016]

Can someone have the torque pro + OBD2 to post the number of hours before FAIL of the onboard charger ? (or from the dealer)

 

[user 154]

My problem was indeed the OBC. The dealer turned it around in one day. Did my 15k service at the same time for no charge.

 

[JejuSoul]

Hi Deane.
Glad they fixed that so quickly. It seems they now know what to do when a car with an OBC error comes in.
Did they ask you many questions or do any checks on the car before swapping the OBC?

 

[user 154]

JeJuSoul, I explained to the service counter rep that it would not charge on 120V or 240V using two different chargers. He was not familiar with EVs but carefully took down the info I told him. The notes on the invoice say that the service tech verified the issue on L2, checked the charging connector terminals for opens/shorts/other issues, and verified proper charging at L3. They had to get authorization to replace the OBC, did so, cleared the codes, and verified proper operation. From my point of view (and as an electrical engineer familiar with power electronics) they handled it very competently.

 

[vinnymess]

sorry for the late update i was away on a business trip. Brought the car in and it was as before the OBC that had to be replaced.

the part number is different from the last OBC that was replaced. I think there might be a recall soon.

 

[JejuSoul]

... as before the OBC had to be replaced; the part number is different from the last OBC that was replaced.

Interesting. From the first page of this thread your previous OBC was replaced on Dec 10th 2015.
At that time the OBC part number was 364000E040 cost $2,792.58 USD
I can't find a new part number. The same part number 364000E040 now costs $1955.00 USD. see http://www.kiapartsnow.com/parts-list/2015-kia-soul-ev/electronic-control.html

From your comment on Dec 15th 2015 it seems that your original OBC was a MY2015 and the replacement was a MY2016.
The difference being that " since they changed the OBC my car is now drawing 25 to 26.2 amps whereas before it was drawing 29-30 amps"
See this thread Soul's charger allowing less amps for the difference between MY2015 and MY2016.

On this thread we have had at least 2 recent failures of the MY2016 OBCs. (vinnymess and nibularr). Am doubtful that we can believe the rumour that this problem was fixed in 2016 because the version number of the failed OBC in nibularr's car was the same as that going into current cars.

vinnymess / DeaneG / nibularr: can you take a photo of the version number of your latest OBC. The sticker we want to see is the Mando one at the back of the OBC. The most current version number we have seen is 12.2R

 

[user 154]

My new OBC is version 12.2R.
Deane