R1S bricked and unresponsive while plugged in

[Chrissalis]

Yesterday we drove our R1s normally and all was working fine. Last night my wife plugged it in and it began charging. It did not complete the entire charge cycle and is completely unresponsive in my driveway. Can’t get the car to open, can’t get the car to do anything.

When the service center is back on Monday someone in service will determine if they can come out and do a mobile repair. But i won’t hear back until sometime Monday or Tuesday.

i also could have to get towed. I’m worried about the car being connected to the charger and how exactly the tow company will deal with it.

anybody have similar issues?

any tricks for getting my car back without waiting for service?

One phone rep said to jump in from the tow hitch receptor. The other phone rep told me not to do that.
Thoughts?

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[SolartoEV]

It's probably your 12 volt battery('s). If you have a powerful jump pack try the wires hidden in the hitch. You won't be able to drive it but should be able to get some doors open.

It could obviously be a million other things but it's worth a try. Follow the manual guide on how to do it

 

[lefkonj]

If you can unplug it, do it. There is a jumper in the back by the tow hitch. Mobile service can jump it to unlock it and then replace the 12V. I am surprised mobile service didn't come out to do this ASAP but I guess Monday would be soon enough.

 

[Chrissalis]

Unfortunately i can not unplug.

 

[VSG]

I would unplug the charger from the wall, or turn the breaker off if the charger hardwired, before you attempt to jump from the rear.

 

[FooF]

Unfortunately i can not unplug.

RTFM
https://rivian.com/support/article/r1s-owners-guide
Open manual for your model year and search for release cable
The hood can be opened manually. And then you can manually release the charge cable.

page 391 for 2022-2024
page 408 for 2025 and up

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

any tricks for getting my car back without waiting for service?

Precisely why every owner should know what is in the Owner Guide and Tow Operator Guide: https://rivian.com/support/support-documents

Both documents have instructions. Like how to manually access the jump leads in the back, next to the trailer hitch, or the 12V battery. You can jump with a 12V jump pack, or attempt to recharge the 12V battery (if you gain access to it).

If you use a jump pack, these guides state:

If you're using a portable jump starter, it must maintain a steady voltage between 13 to 16 V at 30 A.

Examples of this type of jump pack can be found at https://rivianservicetools.com/. Your local Harbor Freight or auto parts store might not have the exact ones, but would have ones with similar specs.

If successful, all systems will boot up and you'll be able to unlock doors and open charge port. Connect it to a vehicle charger. If it charges, leave it plugged in. Keep the appointment. They may still want to replace the 12V.

 

[VSG]

RTFM

The hood can be opened manually. And then you can manually release the charge cable.

Sure, but that doesn't solve the problem does it? The car is still dead. A plain-old RTM would have sufficed.

 

[Chrissalis]

I would unplug the charger from the wall, or turn the breaker off if the charger hardwired, before you attempt to jump from the rear.

Good advice. Thank you!

 

[Chrissalis]

Sure, but that doesn't solve the problem does it? The car is still dead. A plain-old RTM would have sufficed.

Sorry, what’s RTM?

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

Sorry, what’s RTM?

Read The Manual (Owner Guide)

 

[downranger12]

Yesterday we drove our R1s normally and all was working fine. Last night my wife plugged it in and it began charging. It did not complete the entire charge cycle and is completely unresponsive in my driveway. Can’t get the car to open, can’t get the car to do anything.

When the service center is back on Monday someone in service will determine if they can come out and do a mobile repair. But i won’t hear back until sometime Monday or Tuesday.

i also could have to get towed. I’m worried about the car being connected to the charger and how exactly the tow company will deal with it.

anybody have similar issues?

any tricks for getting my car back without waiting for service?

One phone rep said to jump in from the tow hitch receptor. The other phone rep told me not to do that.
Thoughts?

On July 4th, my 2022 R1t bricked like that, but was unplugged.
I am 3.5 hours from the factory and had it loaded and towed without difficulty.
The factory found a corroded and shorted out drivers side door opening wiring connection. I may have left a window cracked in the rain, or car wash residue. The truck was still running abnormal codes in the main wiring harness, after that replacement, but externally everything looked OK to them.
Having never seen this particular defect come in, they disected the wiring harness by resistance testing each wire....old school.
They found one defective wire and the exact location of a partial discontinuity in that wire. They spliced the wire with a factory approved method and test drove it.
My truck had nearly 70,000 trouble free miles on it. Rather than just replacing the main wiring harness, and spending technitian time and money on the problem, the factory and I both benefitted.
The problem was caused by a defect in third party purchased wire, and not a flaw in Rivian design that might have lead to an unexpected recall.
They kept me advised of my options along the way and I am grateful that they saved me 2800 dollars compared to replacing the harness.
Their labor rate is now 225 per hour and my total cost, out of warranty, was 3800 dollars. I save that much money on gasoline each year which I usually spend on tires.
Rivian repair will also charge for a half hour of service which is uncommon and appreciated.
I recommend Rivian service very highly. I also recommend Platinum Level towing insurance through Campers World/Good Sam. For 600 dollars, I have five years of "unlimited towing to my nearest service destination" for all of my vehicles. That includes roadside assistance such as tire changes, or getting stuck without access to recharging.
With all of the upgrades, I am driving a much better truck than the one I purchased in July 2022.

 

[Chrissalis]

Update: i jumped my vehicle, was able to unplug and when i entered the vehicle i received Critical Battery Error messages.
Vehicle towed. Sitting in South San Francisco Rivian center waiting to be looked at.

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