When to proactively replace 12v batteries?

[Zorg]

Shout out to the Reno, NV service center. They called me this morning and slotted me in today. Awesome customer service.

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[MS Seal Beach]

Update:

I kept the R1S plugged in for a week while we were out of town. I still had 5 days until the mobile service arrived, but needed to go a mile to my gym. "Thermocouple Error Warning!" on the dash shows up. I head out anyway. First stop sign and both axles start severe shuddering when reducing speed from 5 mph. What??? Same for each of the following stops. Extremely freaky and scary. They feel like the regen on both axles were cycling from hard stop to release several times per second. The R1S was not safe to drive. I was hoping that the error and shuddering were related to the 12v battery. I didn't want to take a chance on the freeway and had Rivian tow it to El Segundo on Tuesday. They arranged for an Enterprise rental car.

Communication from Rivian was non-existent and I found out that you can't call the specific Service Center; you have to call the Emergency Service number to get a live person. The Emergency Service people couldn't even talk to El Segundo. The Chat Box is a waste of time.

The R1S was ready on Saturday as noted in the App. They replaced the 12v battery. I requested a lithium-ion but they said it wouldn't work in a Gen1 (? not so, per the Ohmm web video). So I guess this lead battery will last 24 months.

The shuddering couldn't be replicated but the Service center did a Rear Drive Unit General Diagnostic, Firmware Update, and RIDE Programming and Calibration for "Goodwill provided in the interest of customer".

No more shuddering, no more errors.

 

[shamoo]

It is my understanding it is not the age of the battery, but rather a specific range of vehicles which may encounter the issue. I heard this at least 2-3 times from a service tech when I asked if I need to have mine replaced. They all checked and stated my VIN was not in the range with the issue.

 

[stormbreaker]

Shout out to the Reno, NV service center. They called me this morning and slotted me in today. Awesome customer service.

Just out of the blue, I see that Rivian was calling on 3/19. They said my 12v needed to be replaced and that it will take aprx 1 hour at the Shelton Ct service center.

I haven't seen anything unusual on the displays saying there was a issue. But I'm good with going in to get the work done.

My truck is maybe 15 months old and hasn't even hit the 7500 service. But stormbreaker has been performing well. Just wonder whether this will be a regular thing with the truck. Every year and half need to swap out those 12v batteries?

 

[emoore]

I'm wondering the same thing. On the original 2 batteries for my 12/22 build with 22k miles. Taking a few long road trips this summer so maybe I'll schedule the 7500 mile appointment and see if they replace them.

 

[Zorg]

I'm wondering the same thing. On the original 2 batteries for my 12/22 build with 22k miles. Taking a few long road trips this summer so maybe I'll schedule the 7500 mile appointment and see if they replace them.

My R1T is 11/22 and has 30k miles. Batteries started to go earlier this month

 

[DaveA]

My R1T is 11/22 and has 30k miles. Batteries started to go earlier this month

All 12v batteries nowadays, whether ICE or Electric, are just over worked with all the computers, etc....even ICE vehicles I changed right at 3 years. They just don't last anymore. Getting 3 years out of these is a miracle if you ask me.

 

[EVTrukHog]

I had a mobile service tech to my vehicle earlier this week for an unrelated warranty issue. While on site, I asked if he could run diagnostics on my 12V batteries since my R1T is a 9/22 build with about 35K miles and I'm getting worried about needing to practively replace the batteries before I risk a failure.

His reply was that he did not have access to the battery diagnostics but that Rivian "had a team of specialists" that constantly monitored 12V battery status and would notify vehicle owners immediately if signs of failure were apparent. He did open up the frunk shroud to visually inspect the batteries to ensure no signs of leakage - which would have enabled him to replace them.

Still not sure whether I'm going to practively replace them rather than trust/wait for a warning.

 

[bfilippo]

It does seem like they're pretty proactive about it. I just bought an early LE R1S 3XX and Rivian sent me the original service records which showed they had replaced both 12v batteries at about 30k miles a year ago without the customer inquiring about them. But, I guess theoretically if you NEVER have an SC or mobile appt it might be hard to get diagnosed before it's a problem...

 

[jerseyff]

12V replaced at 43,986mi; Delivered May 2022.

I received my 12v battery replacement needed notification, opened service ticket, they scheduled me for 30 days out, then called me back next day to tell me mobile service was scheduled for the next week.

Biggest takeaway from service on the phone with the initial call was just don't let the HV battery SoC get below 20% and things will be fine. The 12V battery doesn't hold as much charge or last as long as it used to and the HV battery may be called on more often to recharge the 12V batteries, hence why they recommend always leaving the truck on the L2 charger while parked if possible.

On a sidenote, I just pulled up my service invoice to find that Rivian billed me ($808.43) for the 12v battery replacement!!! Right off the bat, thinking about a 12v battery in a vehicle needing replaced, I expected to pay since I feel like a battery is a consumable. However when I made the initial appointment AND when the mobile tech was doing the work, both advised it was warranty covered due to the batteries being recalled or warranty swapped by the battery manufacturer. Just got off the phone and 800 Service reached out to the SC and they are going to process a refund check. Thank you once again, Rivian service for making it right.

 

[mudito]

I received my 12v battery replacement needed notification, opened service ticket, they scheduled me for 30 days out, then called me back next day to tell me mobile service was scheduled for the next week.

Biggest takeaway from service on the phone with the initial call was just don't let the HV battery SoC get below 20% and things will be fine. The 12V battery doesnt hold as much charge or last as long as it used to and the HV battery may be called on more often to recharge the 12V batteries, hence why they recommend always leaving the truck on the L2 charger while parked if possible.

The most important recommendation is to keep L2 plugged in at all times otherwise the vehicle might shut itself down. I'd set a 70% charge limit and remove any schedule and let the truck charge whenever needed.

If you do that, you should be fine.

 

[mudito]

usually you’d consider replacing your 12v batteries every 3 to 5 years, but it really depends on how they're holding up. If you notice any signs like dimming lights, slow cranking, or other issues, it might be worth looking into sooner. Since your LE is only 2 years old and at 43K miles, they’re likely still in good shape, unless you see any problems.

I don't think cranking will ever be an issue with an LE Rivian... ?

 

[FrankieJ]

My truck was built 12/21 and has 55K miles on it. Still the same 2 original batteries and haven't had any issues with it but I'm thinking about proactively replacing them soon.

Keep in mind that the 12v batteries that came with my R1T only have a 3 year 36K warranty and I’m told would be almost $800 to replace them. Given that Rivian is proactively replacing them perhaps they would do so free of charge.

 

[DeanB1452]

I have a service appointment in a few weeks and I’ll ask them again about the recall. If they tell me again, like they did in October, that my batteries are not affected by this recall, I’ll probably order some Ohmmu’s when they are back in stock and install them myself.

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