I have a 2020 with the original 12v battery (I think) that came with it, since I bought it CPO this summer and there are no records of a replacement. The car is parked in the driveway and is bricked. I do have jumper cables but would need a neighbor’s help to push it out of the driveway for a jump. Before I go through that, I’m wondering if there’s another way to get power to the 12v with my home charging setup. Probably not, right?
You can buy a portable charger that has its own battery.
Shan said:
You can buy a portable charger that has its own battery.
Interesting, I hadn’t thought of that. So something like this would work? https://www.harborfreight.com/4amp-fully-automatic-microprocessor-controlled-battery-chargermaintainer-63350.html
I was also thinking about getting a AAA membership because they’ll come out and change the battery, so I wouldn’t need to worry about this. My work hours are crazy right now, so the car can stay on the driveway, but it’s stressing me out. I’d just rather get it fixed.
@Samson
Yes, this will work. It’s a bit slow, and there may be cheaper options, but it should do the job.
@Samson
OP - AAA battery replacement costs are actually pretty decent and save you a lot of hassle. BUT you can’t just buy a membership and call them the next day (there’s some waiting period). If you have a friend with AAA, you could use their membership though.
@Paz
Thanks, I saw that. Looks like there’s a 2-day wait. That’s fine, though, since I work from home and have a backup car. The main issue is not having a plan for the Niro, but the wait for AAA is okay. I did price it, and the cost seemed fine. But maybe I’ll get the charger since it seems like I might need it again anyway.
@Samson
I have a cheap $20 one from a Chinese shop, and it works great. You just need a tiny bit of energy to sense the key and start the car, so with the EV, it takes about 5% of its battery. Always keep one with you, and you’ll be fine. If it starts happening often, just change the 12v battery.
Shan said:
You can buy a portable charger that has its own battery.
I used one of these the other day to jump my Kia. Worked great.
This video has a good part about the 12v battery and the portable charger, starting around 5:00.
Nye said:
This video has a good part about the 12v battery and the portable charger, starting around 5:00.
That’s it… I’m finally pulling the trigger and getting one of these gizmos. I found what looks like the cheapest on Amazon that doesn’t seem to have a lot of negative reviews. Anyone else have this one? Amazon.com: NEXPOW Portable Jump Starter,12V Car Battery Jump Starter Power Pack with USB Quick Charge (Up to 7L Gas or 5.5L Diesel Engine) Battery Booster with Built-in LED Light : Automotive
@Sky
I ended up grabbing this one for about the same price after the 50% coupon: Amazon.com: AstroAI S8 Air Jump Starter with Air Compressor, 1500A Car Battery Jumper Starter Portable (6.0 Gas/3.0L Diesel) with 150PSI Cordless Auto-Shutoff Tire Inflator, 12V Battery Charger Booster(Orange) : Automotive
I love that it also has an air compressor. My second car has a chronic air leak in one of the tires… it’s been an ongoing issue despite tire changes and rotations, so I just have to fill it regularly. I’ve been needing a portable compressor since getting the Niro. Now, I can fill my tire much more easily. Next step: make an appointment to replace the battery. Thanks everyone! I’m not super car savvy, and the EV learning curve just added a new layer of fun to all of this.
Nye said:
This video has a good part about the 12v battery and the portable charger, starting around 5:00.
That was super helpful, thank you .
You say it’s on the driveway and you have a home charging setup. Just charge the car. It will charge the 12v. If you can’t, a portable jump starter from Amazon works great. I have one myself.
Milan said:
You say it’s on the driveway and you have a home charging setup. Just charge the car. It will charge the 12v. If you can’t, a portable jump starter from Amazon works great. I have one myself.
If the 12V battery is already fully dead, doesn’t that mean the car won’t be able to engage the 400V charging circuit?
@Pacey
Dunno. My Niro wouldn’t start due to the ‘dead’ 12v. Plugged it in and it charged after a while.
Milan said:
@Pacey
Dunno. My Niro wouldn’t start due to the ‘dead’ 12v. Plugged it in and it charged after a while.
Weird. I thought that as long as there was 400V charge, it would passively recharge the 12V over time. I’ve seen the status lights flash like that when my car’s been parked and inactive for a while.
Milan said:
You say it’s on the driveway and you have a home charging setup. Just charge the car. It will charge the 12v. If you can’t, a portable jump starter from Amazon works great. I have one myself.
If the 12v is dead, it won’t be able to charge anything.
@Peyton
Fair enough. It worked for me. Maybe it wasn’t dead enough — wouldn’t start, but the lights would flicker on the screen when trying to start it.
Ok, jumpstart the car, then put it in utility mode for about 10 hours or so. Don’t hook up the charging cable!
Turn off the AC, display, and lights.
This method works without tools.
If people have a dedicated 12V charger, that’s great for them, but that wasn’t the question.
Utility mode is effective in charging the 12V battery. The duration depends on each situation. If the battery is dead, it needs all the help it can get, so 8-10 hours worked well for me.
If the battery keeps giving up, a new one is the best option. But if it’s just overly drained, like from open doors, no new battery might be needed.
@MegWhitgal
Just to emphasise one point of this message (from personal experience): do not plug in the charging cable while the car is in utility mode. The car thinks it’s being charged, so it doesn’t recharge the 12V from the big battery. Seems like a bug, but I doubt they’ll fix it.