Bricked

[Redline]

To be clear, Rivian calls for a constant 30A within the range of 13V to 16V. I would not be surprised if most jump packs with really high peak current aren't able to sustain 30A for any meaningful amount of time here.

Yeah, I’m not really sure. I bought one big enough for my X5’s engine size. The cold really did a number on it a few times at the cabin and once a tow drivers pack simply didn’t have enough juice.

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[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

Thank you. I was on my phone and w/o access to the manual, and quite frankly wasn’t sure what to look up! The thought that it would be referred to as “jump starting” actually never occurred to me, although it does make sense.

If you have a web browser on your phone and signal, you have access. Google “Rivian tow operator guide”. Go to page 35. This guide also has info on towing and tire changes.

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

I mentioned the main battery charge amount because I was under the impression that we needed to maintain a certain amount there to ensure it was charging the 12v battery. After a good nights sleep I came up with an ingenious plan-to jump start the 12v battery using the leads in the hitch area (technically know as the arse)! I have a lot of wonderful friends and neighbours that can help. I just hope I don't blow up or melt their ice cars.

The only remaining question is-then what? It's Sunday otherwise I'd drive it down to the SC. Do I just jump the 12v and bobs your uncle. Nothing to reset. Don't I need to go to the SC or have a mobile tech connect it to the Death Star to reset things?

Thank you all for helping me with great advice and even better laughs!

You won’t melt their cars. These leads are for providing electricity to the main 12v, not directly connected to the high voltage pack. Read info in tow operator guide I linked. Once successfully jumped, you should at least be able to operate frunk, charge port and work the doors. If still not drivable, you can then wait for adequate charge or gain access to the 12V and hook it up to a regular car battery charger and charge it full (instead of going through the manual hood release process).

And you added that you had the HVAC going to warm cabin. Depending on how hard the system was working, it’s plausible to weaken 12V enough to not be able to flip the relay needed to activate the HV pack. The 12V doesn’t necessarily need to fully fail to create this problem. It just need to be weak enough to not do what’s required of it… just like how a ICE can struggle to crank over with a weak battery.

 

[SPITmadFIRE]

Yeah, I’m not really sure. I bought one big enough for my X5’s engine size. The cold really did a number on it a few times at the cabin and once a tow drivers pack simply didn’t have enough juice.

Most ICE engines require a certain amount of momentary current to crank the engine with the starter motor. 12V car batteries typically provide a CCA rating, or "cold cranking amps" -- essentially the peak momentary power the battery can provide for fractions of a second.

The way Rivian worded the 12V jumping instructions implies that the peak power of the good battery doesn't really matter. From what I understand, you're not really "jumping" the vehicle so much as you're trying to charge the onboard 12V just enough such that the HV can take over and charge/condition it the rest of the way. This means the longer you can provide a constant power source, the better off you'll most likely be.

 

[iansriv]

Update: Friend came over with his Ford F150 & we tried to jump start the car. The Rivian logo came and went on the dash and that was it. Called Rivian after an hour of trying and they tried to run diagnostics but couldn't. They will try to get a mobile tech out to me tomorrow.

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

Update: Friend came over with his Ford F150 & we tried to jump start the car. The Rivian logo came and went on the dash and that was it. Called Rivian after an hour of trying and they tried to run diagnostics but couldn't. They will try to get a mobile tech out to me tomorrow.

Sounds like the 12V does not have enough charge. Curious if it would take/hold charge if connected to a battery charger overnight.

 

[SPITmadFIRE]

Sounds like the 12V does not have enough charge. Curious if it would take/hold charge if connected to a battery charger overnight.

I'm wondering if anyone's done a semi-permanent battery tender install yet, and if they've had success keeping the 12V on the tender whenever parked/stored. If the 12V system is really this weak of a link, we should all be watching those voltages like hawks. There's not a whole lot of juice in a 12V 48Ah battery and it seems like they can go flat incredibly fast.

 

[iansriv]

Sounds like the 12V does not have enough charge. Curious if it would take/hold charge if connected to a battery charger overnight.

Per Rivian it had 8volts as of 2pm yesterday. I hope they get here tomorrow and it's as easy as replacing the battery and I am on my way. Got to think positive mate!

 

[Polar]

Update: Friend came over with his Ford F150 & we tried to jump start the car. The Rivian logo came and went on the dash and that was it. Called Rivian after an hour of trying and they tried to run diagnostics but couldn't. They will try to get a mobile tech out to me tomorrow.

How long did you let it stay on the leads? Just out of curiosity

That does show more definitively that it’s more of a flat 12V - 8V ooooph; i’m shocked it was able to phone home with such low battery voltage

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

I'm wondering if anyone's done a semi-permanent battery tender install yet, and if they've had success keeping the 12V on the tender whenever parked/stored. If the 12V system is really this weak of a link, we should all be watching those voltages like hawks. There's not a whole lot of juice in a 12V 48Ah battery and it seems like they can go flat incredibly fast.

Not a bad idea. Most battery tenders have optional battery harness that one could easily install.

How long did you let it stay on the leads? Just out of curiosity

That does show more definitively that it’s more of a flat 12V - 8V ooooph; i’m shocked it was able to phone home with such low battery voltage

I wondered the same. If left connected long enough, who knows, operating system might have fully booted.

 

[NY_Rob]

Per Rivian it had 8volts as of 2pm yesterday. I hope they get here tomorrow and it's as easy as replacing the battery and I am on my way. Got to think positive mate!

It could be you had a marginal 12V battery and it got pushed over the edge when you had the doors open and the heat on? Rivian has had quite a few bad 12V batts over time... this could just be one of them. At least you only have one 12V battery to replace

 

[SPITmadFIRE]

Per Rivian it had 8volts as of 2pm yesterday. I hope they get here tomorrow and it's as easy as replacing the battery and I am on my way. Got to think positive mate!

8V is gone, gone. They'll be replacing it for sure.

 

[iansriv]

How long did you let it stay on the leads? Just out of curiosity

That does show more definitively that it’s more of a flat 12V - 8V ooooph; i’m shocked it was able to phone home with such low battery voltage

An hour.

 

[Volfan615]

It’s a problem even the big three have screwed up; and I cannot give you a good answer. It takes the 12V to activate the relays to connect the traction battery so there is a catch 22 of the 12V gets too low (which it should never) it cannot connect the traction battery to charge itself….

This was my ‘21 MachE a few months after I bought it, same situation 12V died while I was charging overnight; Ford did release a software update a few months after many experienced it, still did not solve all issues. Had to pop the frunk and charge the 12V - once I did that carried on with my life. Irony of using a 12V charger on a 400V EV ?

Where as my 2012 Leaf - never an issue like that. Sure I replaced the traction battery AND the OBC while I owned it. But the 12v died a natural death at year 8 of ownership.

I've had this same problem with my Etron GT. 12v battery died and had to have to towed it. Why the manufactures don't give us an easy to access mechanical release I'll never understand.

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

Why the manufactures don't give us an easy to access mechanical release I'll never understand.

Security. If it's easier to access your frunk (and whatever is inside it) than it is now, then it's that much easier to steal your stuff. Current methods aren't totally secure either, but at least they take some time and require knowledge beforehand.

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