When visiting a car dealership for battery concerns, especially with electric vehicles, it’s crucial to be well-informed about how they assess battery health. Some reports indicate that dealerships might sometimes overlook readings not generated by their official KIA Diagnostic Unit (KDU). There’s also a tendency for some dealers to believe that Battery Management System (BMS) updates can magically improve battery health, or they might apply these updates knowing it resets the BMS to default values. This can lead to misleadingly high initial readings after the update, potentially masking the real state of your battery and resulting in premature dismissal of genuine issues.
To ensure a thorough and accurate assessment of your Kia EV’s battery, it’s advisable to be proactive. Obtain a copy of PS 548 from https://www.tsbsearch.com/Kia/PS548. When you visit Car Scanner Dealers Near Me or your local Kia dealership, explicitly request that they perform the procedure outlined in PS 548 precisely as instructed. Emphasize that you understand that applying BMS updates before accurately reading the BMS data will prevent a correct State of Health (SOH) reading. Highlight the relevant sections of the PS 548 document to draw their attention to this critical point.
If the SOH reading obtained through this proper procedure is below 70%, it should necessitate the dealership to report this to KIA Corporate, potentially leading to a battery replacement under warranty. This is a significant step to ensure you receive the battery service you are entitled to if your battery’s health is indeed compromised.
Beyond relying solely on dealership diagnostics, you can also independently calculate your battery’s SOH to have a comparative measure. Here’s how you can do it:
- Begin by fully charging your battery.
- Reset your car’s m/kWh meter (this should display “–” upon reset).
- Record your current mileage and battery percentage, especially if it’s not at 100%.
- Drive your vehicle until the next charge is needed.
- Before initiating the charge, note down the new mileage, the battery percentage, and the m/kWh reading.
- Calculate the kWh consumed by dividing the difference in mileage by the m/kWh.
- Determine the decimal fraction of battery used: (difference in battery percentages) x 0.01.
- Divide the kWh consumed by this decimal fraction to find the kWh capacity at a 100% charge.
- Finally, to get the SOH percentage, divide this calculated full charge kWh capacity by the nominal battery size of your Kia EV (e.g., 27, 39.2, or 64 kWh depending on your model) and multiply by 100.
This method of SOH calculation has been tested and shows a close agreement with readings from specialized tools like Spy, providing you with a reliable way to assess your EV battery’s health. By being informed and utilizing these methods, you can better navigate battery diagnostics and ensure fair service when looking for car scanner dealers near me or visiting your local dealership.
