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

[notfred]

That's odd. Every time my car goes in to my dealer, they run a query on the computer based on the VIN. It prints out any outstanding service actions and they add them on to the list of things to do automatically.

Maybe try contacting Kia's corporate headquarters and tell them that the dealer is refusing to apply a service action to your vehicle. I think Kia corporate wants everything kept up to date.

 

[Gordo]

I'm trying that again before going back to the dealer but they are slow to respond and generally dismissive.

 

[nware0]

Hey all,
Recently I got both updates :
201085 EPB UPGRADE,
210031 PS EV FATC OPERATION LOGIC IMPR WHILE BATTERY CHARG
And after that my heatpump stop working at all heating and cooling, no alerts in DTC codes nothing.
0kw consumption of energy while ac or heating.

 

[JejuSoul]

There is a diagnostic system for reading HVAC trouble codes from the console unit. Press the MODE switch more then 4 times within 2 seconds while pressing the OFF switch. The Kia Soul EV error codes are here - Kia Soul: Heater & A/C Control Unit (FATC) Repair procedures

 

[nware0]

Ok thanks for tip,
Checked and the same like with odb2 it is 00 so no alerts. But checked one more time heating and it's working in night when it is less than 30deg
But about cooling could be no refrigerant in system and no alerts ?

 

[notfred]

If you are low on refrigerant then cooling hisses and gurgles a lot and it still uses power.

 

[ksoul2084]

If it is too low on coolant it won't start the compressor (which does save power), but it doesn't throw any error codes then either, for some reason. I had this happen on my car last year. Once they refilled the coolant it was fine, but is running low again. Wish they could have found the leak but I get the sense they didn't look very hard.

 

[notfred]

My leak was the expansion valve on the back of the engine compartment, square thing with a round cap that the lines connect to. It was noticeably dirtier than the rest of the engine compartment.

 

[Gordo]

Still no heat pump action Is there a way to tell if they properly applied the update? It didn't seem like any of my settings were reset, I would have expected that after an update, but I've never had one done before.

 

[notfred]

I don't think that there is any way to tell without using the dealer KDS to read the software versions. My saved climate control preset heating / cooling times were unaltered by the update.

Maybe go in to the dealer with a print out of the service action and ask to watch the tech plug the KDS in to your car and get the read out of the software version?

 

[Gordo]

Well the SOH reads as 100.6% instead of the usual 110% after a battery reset so I think they didn't actually do the work.

 

[Gordo]

OK the firmware seems to be the latest, but they don't understand the difference between the heat pump and resistive heater. :? I noticed my coolant is between Min and Max -- would that be low enough to keep the system from functioning? There are no error codes.

 

[2016Electric]

OK the firmware seems to be the latest, but they don't understand the difference between the heat pump and resistive heater. :? I noticed my coolant is between Min and Max -- would that be low enough to keep the system from functioning? There are no error codes.

Your post is giving me déjà vu!
Last kia purchase for me!

 

[Gordo]

OK the firmware seems to be the latest, but they don't understand the difference between the heat pump and resistive heater. :? I noticed my coolant is between Min and Max -- would that be low enough to keep the system from functioning? There are no error codes.

Your post is giving me déjà vu!
Last kia purchase for me!

I really love the new Ioniq 5 (from what I can tell). The EV6 sort of but I like the Hyundai version more. This is hurting me. I love this car so much. I just want this to work.

 

[2016Electric]

OK the firmware seems to be the latest, but they don't understand the difference between the heat pump and resistive heater. :? I noticed my coolant is between Min and Max -- would that be low enough to keep the system from functioning? There are no error codes.

Your post is giving me déjà vu!
Last kia purchase for me!

I really love the new Ioniq 5 (from what I can tell). The EV6 sort of but I like the Hyundai version more. This is hurting me. I love this car so much. I just want this to work.

You like the punishment, I see!
Car design is one thing, having to get it serviced by clowns is another.

 

[2022SoulEV]

Thanks for this information, my 2022SoulEV has the same noise as the 2016 posted here, I will take this info to the dealer.
It is pretty loud, and I my wife's 2019NiroEV (much more refined) doesn't make any of the sounds.

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"

 

[notfred]

The 2022 is going to be quite different from the 1st Gen models that this thread is about. I do think that the heat pump gets noisy if it is getting low on refrigerant, may be worth getting them to check the pressures.