Resolved: Heat pump stopped working after climate software update SA427, fixed via Kia Service Action 210031

[Gordo]

I've asked them to contact Kia of Norway. I wish Kia of Norway had a twitter or something.

 

[IanL]

How about Facebook? https://www.facebook.com/kiabilnorge

 

[YpinEV]

Good news from Canadian front.

Went to dealer Today for main battery check. They told me new BMS/FACT was required on my car. Guess it is new one since it was first time technical advisor saw that particular one. Leaving dealer at 10 deC, heatpump was roaring again. I will try to share update information as soon I get it from my dealer. I guess our voices was finally heard.

Considering I will get new main battery soon, it was very good visit after all.

 

[2016Electric]

Good news from Canadian front.

Went to dealer Today for main battery check. They told me new BMS/FACT was required on my car. Guess it is new one since it was first time technical advisor saw that particular one. Leaving dealer at 10 deC, heatpump was roaring again. I will try to share update information as soon I get it from my dealer. I guess our voices was finally heard.

Considering I will get new main battery soon, it was very good visit after all.

Excellent news. I will have mine updated as well and see what happens.

It's getting a little warmer now so I have some concerns about that (for testing purposes), but I'll test it on a cold night and make sure it is working after the update.
After that, I will chill the ambient temp sensor down one degree at a time to see what the new cutoff point is (see my prior postings - it generally would not come on at sensed ambient temps of less than 15C, which rendered it inoperative).

 

[notfred]

That's promising. I got my new epcu last Monday but the heat pump still isn't running. It's going back in next Monday so hopefully they can fix it this time.

 

[Gordo]

Kia Customer Care US still tells me (as of a few minutes ago) that no update is available.

 

[2016Electric]

Kia Customer Care US still tells me (as of a few minutes ago) that no update is available.

Hi Gordo, I am sorry to hear that.

I just wanted to provide a quick update on this:

I contacted a local dealer and they verified there is an update for the vehicle. The update was applied, and appears to have rectified the inoperative heat pump problem. In testing the heat pump at an ambient outside temp of approx. 8C, inside cabin temp set to 20C to 22C, the heat pump is working as it did prior to update SA427. After all of that, what a relief!

Furthermore, testing in the garage by chilling the outside air temp sensor down one degree at a time to as low as -20C, cabin temp set to 22C confirms that the heat pump continues to operate throughout testing (prior to that, once ambient sensed temp dropped below approx 15C, the heat pump would not operate, at all).

For information purposes, the update is listed by Kia Canada as "Service Action 210031", released April 23, 2021.

The text of the update indicates:

"This bulletin supersedes Service Action # 200042 and provides the procedure to update the Battery Management System (BMS) and Full Automatic Temperature Control (FATC) software on some Soul (PS EV) vehicles to improve air conditioning operation while the battery is charging.

Correction:

To correct this concern, update the BMS & FATC system using KDS event #501 and event #540"

 

[Gordo]

That's awesome! Thank you for the bulletin info too. This might come in handy.

 

[2016Electric]

That's awesome! Thank you for the bulletin info too. This might come in handy.

I hope it helps you and anyone else with this problem.

 

[2016Electric]

That's awesome! Thank you for the bulletin info too. This might come in handy.

I hope it helps you and anyone else with this problem.

I'm going to revise the thread title for now to reflect that the software glitch appears to have been resolved by this service action (210031).

 

[notfred]

Just to confirm, I had the update done on Monday and it was cool enough to verify today - the heat pump is fixed!

 

[Gordo]

Nice! If Kia of U.S. doesn't get this I might have to make a trip up to BC once the border opens :lol:. ABRP says I only need one stop.

 

[Gordo]

Service action 473 (SA473) is now on the NHTSA website, dated April 29 (Kia was still telling me there was no update a few days ago...). I will try and get an appointment for next week!

 

[notfred]

Here's a link to the actual document https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2021/MC-10191060-0001.pdf
It doesn't say what has actually changed, just gives new software version numbers. It's mainly the instructions to the techs on which buttons to press on the KDS to do the update.

 

[Gordo]

Thanks, I should have linked it. Yeah, it's not very descriptive.

 

[Gordo]

Does anybody have any documentation about this issue? SA473 for Kia of America is out there, but there is no documentation that it is to fix this issue. The dealer didn't understand what I asked for at all

edit: in desperation, I paid the $19.00 to access the Kiatechinfo website for 72 hours, but there's nothing in there.

 

[IanL]

KIA are probably being coy about documenting their foul-ups, and will not come clean in writing. Has the dealer refused to perform the Service Action?

 

[Gordo]

KIA are probably being coy about documenting their foul-ups, and will not come clean in writing. Has the dealer refused to perform the Service Action?

They only do what Kia tells them to. I'm not kidding, they just fill out a form and wait for some Kia suit to reply on what to do. From the invoice I got back the service writer didn't understand what I was saying or didn't write it correctly.

I can go back tomorrow and say the fix didn't work but I really don't have that big "talk to your manager" energy, and I'm not sure it even works anyway.

 

[notfred]

None of the software updates are documented as to what they actually do, apart from the parking brake one. They all just say "logic improvement".

Are they not applying it to your car? Or have they applied it and you still have the issue?

 

[Gordo]

None of the software updates are documented as to what they actually do, apart from the parking brake one. They all just say "logic improvement".

Are they not applying it to your car? Or have they applied it and you still have the issue?

They have not applied it and I'm trying to convince them to!