Why is our Kia Niro Hybrid failing to start?
Dear Alex,
Our Kia Niro Hybrid was bought new in 2017, and has done 32,000 miles. Over the past four years it has failed to start on several occasions as a result of the battery suddenly discharging. The discharge is so sudden that the system comes up with several spurious messages. The only constant is that the discharge occurs after the doors and hatch have been open together for a little longer than normal, for example when vacuuming the car. The main dealer has checked the car several times but can’t find a fault, and says the battery is in good order. We are starting to lose faith in the car – do you have any suggestions?
– AJ
Dear AJ,
I think the problem you’re having stems from the fact that hybrid cars tend to have a smaller 12-volt battery (i.e. the one that starts the car and powers the accessories, as opposed to the one that provides a boost to the engine and can also power the motor that drives the wheels).
It’s for this reason that many hybrid owners have taken to using a solar or trickle charger to keep their batteries topped up if they don’t use their cars for long periods, or only use them for short journeys – because when this happens, the 12V battery isn’t able to charge up properly, and discharges more quickly than it does in a regular petrol or diesel car, simply by dint of its size.
But I don’t think your battery is discharging suddenly; I think it’s being drained by the interior lights, which stay on while you’ve got the doors and boot open when you’re cleaning the car. This probably wouldn’t have been an issue in your previous petrol or diesel cars, but given the battery is that much smaller in a hybrid, it might be more of an issue now.
It would explain why, when you go to start the car, you’re getting odd messages and lights on the dashboard – they’re a result of the battery’s low voltage. So in the first instance, try turning the interior lights off when you’re leaving the doors open for longer periods in future.
If the problem still occurs, it may be that your regular journeys aren’t long enough to keep the battery in a good state of charge, so get yourself a solar or trickle charger, to help keep the battery topped up.
If that doesn’t solve the problem, consider changing the battery. I know the garage says it’s charging OK, but at seven years old its capacity will be even lower than it was when it was new, and it’ll be due for replacement soon anyway.
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