What a bummer. Out of curiosity, would replacing the 12v a) be possible or b) make sense...?
Joined the Dead C40 Gang
On Friday, April 29, I left my C40 in the garage and headed off for a couple of days of rest and relaxation. When I left, the C40 was at 90% SOC and unlocked. When I returned on Sunday, May 1 the 12V battery was dead. Based on my Forum readings, I thought about attempting to jump start the 12V. The owner’s manual guides you through the process. See link below.
Jump starting using another battery | Starting and switching off vehicle | Starting and driving | C40 Recharge 2022 | Volvo Support (volvocars.com)
After several attempts, it became clear the 12V was dead. At that point I knew the C40 would need to visit a Volvo dealer for them to determine if the 12V was defective or being drained for some reason. That analysis is beyond my pay grade.
In preparation for a tow service, I reviewed a couple documents within the owner’s manual and a couple videos. Come to find out this prework would be valuable in helping to select a correct tow service.
Hoisting the vehicle | Maintenance and service | Maintenance and service | C40 Recharge 2022 | Volvo Support (volvocars.com)
Attaching and removing the towing eyelet | Towing | Starting and driving | C40 Recharge 2022 | Volvo Support (volvocars.com)
For the video below, I advanced it to the section where the narrator shares some of my experiences and lessons learned. Remember, we are not alone!
The dealership which sold me the C40 was of no help. Shocking surprise since they were useless on delivery day! That meant I needed to find a Volvo dealership who I could trust. That goal was accomplished. Next, I needed a competent tow service I could trust. To aid in that process I called the Volvo Roadside Assistance (800-638-6586). Lovely group of people! However, EVs were foreign in many respects to both the lovely people and the tow services. Over two days and 10 hours of work I spoke/text with 5 to 6 of the lovely people and four towing services. What I was seeking were two simple steps to be taken when towing my Volvo C40.
I hope the gentle readers of this thread will see this as a “coaching moment” since we are pioneers in helping the transition to EVs.
Jump starting using another battery | Starting and switching off vehicle | Starting and driving | C40 Recharge 2022 | Volvo Support (volvocars.com)
After several attempts, it became clear the 12V was dead. At that point I knew the C40 would need to visit a Volvo dealer for them to determine if the 12V was defective or being drained for some reason. That analysis is beyond my pay grade.
In preparation for a tow service, I reviewed a couple documents within the owner’s manual and a couple videos. Come to find out this prework would be valuable in helping to select a correct tow service.
Hoisting the vehicle | Maintenance and service | Maintenance and service | C40 Recharge 2022 | Volvo Support (volvocars.com)
Attaching and removing the towing eyelet | Towing | Starting and driving | C40 Recharge 2022 | Volvo Support (volvocars.com)
For the video below, I advanced it to the section where the narrator shares some of my experiences and lessons learned. Remember, we are not alone!
The dealership which sold me the C40 was of no help. Shocking surprise since they were useless on delivery day! That meant I needed to find a Volvo dealership who I could trust. That goal was accomplished. Next, I needed a competent tow service I could trust. To aid in that process I called the Volvo Roadside Assistance (800-638-6586). Lovely group of people! However, EVs were foreign in many respects to both the lovely people and the tow services. Over two days and 10 hours of work I spoke/text with 5 to 6 of the lovely people and four towing services. What I was seeking were two simple steps to be taken when towing my Volvo C40.
- The tow service would need to use a flatbed truck.
- They would need a set of “skates” or “wheeled dollies” to extract the C40 from my garage.
I hope the gentle readers of this thread will see this as a “coaching moment” since we are pioneers in helping the transition to EVs.
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It is my belief Volvo installed several XC40s and C40s with 12Volt batteries which have defective cells. I further believed this issue would surface after several weeks of ownership resulting in a dead EV. Knowing the risk, I deferred my road trips and prepared. I was happy when my hunch seemed to have paid off.What a bummer. Out of curiosity, would replacing the 12v a) be possible or b) make sense...?
This is a fairly common occurrence with EV cars. Dead 12V is a notorious with the Jaguar I-PACE crowd. It starts out innocuously enough with warnings like "break pedal feel reduced" or "traction fault" or some other faults. But what is really happening is the 12V battery is dying and not supplying enough juice to other parts of the system. Eventually, the car will not start or in my case, it stops while driving in the middle of the road or the car just starts shuddering.
Ugh - not another one! Let us know how you go!
What are you doing there?Same happened to my MachE… not looking forward to it also happening to my C40!!
I was able to jump my MachE then throw it on a battery tender and it lead to this great “charging” photo - am I doing this right?!? 😄
View attachment 3523
Trickle Charging my 12V - it had gone flat due to a DC/DC issue where the relay to power the HVB contact was drawing more power than the converter was supplying - basically as I was charging my traction battery it was killing my 12V - Ford fixed it but yeah that’s how I ended up charging my 12V (the trickle charger was in my frunk hooked up to the 12V AGM battery which is next to the frunk)What are you doing there?
Way off topic but I love the colour on your Mach E!Same happened to my MachE… not looking forward to it also happening to my C40!!
I was able to jump my MachE then throw it on a battery tender and it lead to this great “charging” photo - am I doing this right?!? 😄
View attachment 3523
I believe There is a voltage monitor one could install from another thread that would let you know battery is heading south.
I wonder if the system itself has a 12 volt monitor that volvo could explose in the ui?
I wonder if the system itself has a 12 volt monitor that volvo could explose in the ui?
Prior to having the C40 towed away, an attempt was made to use two “battery recharge packs” on the 12V to see if we could restore enough charge to shift into neutral. No luck. It quickly drained both. However, for a brief period there was a display of the 12V condition in the digital cluster. It displayed zero charge. The digital cluster was displaying the top-down view of the Volvo and the battery image was to the left. The image was large.I wonder if the system itself has a 12 volt monitor that volvo could explose in the ui?
Yesterday I spoke with the service manager at the Volvo dealership. He stated they have seen several Volvo EVs with the same issue. He would not speculate as to the cause or solution until their EV trained tech examined my C40. Interesting!
Interesting how quickly it drained the packs.Prior to having the C40 towed away, an attempt was made to use two “battery recharge packs” on the 12V to see if we could restore enough charge to shift into neutral. No luck. It quickly drained both. However, for a brief period there was a display of the 12V condition in the digital cluster. It displayed zero charge. The digital cluster was displaying the top-down view of the Volvo and the battery image was to the left. The image was large.
Yesterday I spoke with the service manager at the Volvo dealership. He stated they have seen several Volvo EVs with the same issue. He would not speculate as to the cause or solution until their EV trained tech examined my C40. Interesting!
A question. As the title a reference to the inbetweeners and the dead hand gang?
The title was just my immediate thought at the time. I was not attempting to make a reference. Nice thought!Interesting how quickly it drained the packs.
A question. As the title a reference to the inbetweeners and the dead hand gang?
Yes, the draining of the two packs was fast and shocked the tow guy! My immediate reaction was the connection to the traction battery which was around 83% SOC two days prior. In my untrained eye, the charge from the packs were going somewhere. Most interesting!
When this happened I also killed a jump pack and finally needed a proper jumper cable kick from my Highlander while it was running to bring my MachE’s battery back to life. Just glad I was able to avoid the tow. Still took it into the dealer for some known TSBs - and no issues since still on the same AGM 12V battery so no worse for wear, well probably but it’s still working.Yes, the draining of the two packs was fast and shocked the tow guy! My immediate reaction was the connection to the traction battery which was around 83% SOC two days prior. In my untrained eye, the charge from the packs were going somewhere. Most interesting!
I agree and am sure the charge/drain of your 12V was likely going to keep the contacts to the traction battery connected (it consumes a fair amount of power to keep that relay/connection it seems, safety wise it’s makes sense) - had you been plugged in when your C40 died?
No, my C40 was not plugged in when I discovered the dead 12V battery.When this happened I also killed a jump pack and finally needed a proper jumper cable kick from my Highlander while it was running to bring my MachE’s battery back to life. Just glad I was able to avoid the tow. Still took it into the dealer for some known TSBs - and no issues since still on the same AGM 12V battery so no worse for wear, well probably but it’s still working.
I agree and am sure the charge/drain of your 12V was likely going to keep the contacts to the traction battery connected (it consumes a fair amount of power to keep that relay/connection it seems, safety wise it’s makes sense) - had you been plugged in when your C40 died?
Quick update!
The EV tech has found the problem. A 175amp fuse was blown. Called Volvo Cars to obtain a replacement. Volvo Cars said, "What?! That is a huge fuse! First time that problem has been seen. Wow! See if you can determine what caused the fuse to blow."
The EV tech is hoping the replacement fuse arrives on Thursday, and then the diagnostics begins to find the cause. Fingers crossed that the replacement fuse does not fail!
Welcome to life in the fast lane!
The EV tech has found the problem. A 175amp fuse was blown. Called Volvo Cars to obtain a replacement. Volvo Cars said, "What?! That is a huge fuse! First time that problem has been seen. Wow! See if you can determine what caused the fuse to blow."
The EV tech is hoping the replacement fuse arrives on Thursday, and then the diagnostics begins to find the cause. Fingers crossed that the replacement fuse does not fail!
Welcome to life in the fast lane!
Wow big fuse - determining what caused it is critical info!!Quick update!
The EV tech has found the problem. A 175amp fuse was blown. Called Volvo Cars to obtain a replacement. Volvo Cars said, "What?! That is a huge fuse! First time that problem has been seen. Wow! See if you can determine what caused the fuse to blow."
The EV tech is hoping the replacement fuse arrives on Thursday, and then the diagnostics begins to find the cause. Fingers crossed that the replacement fuse does not fail!
Welcome to life in the fast lane!
What I have determined on this journey so far is how much I love this C40! I have encountered challenges, but nothing I cannot handle. One positive aspect has been the relationship I worked to establish with Nick the service representative. For all that we may dislike some Volvo dealerships, it is important to find one you trust. A Volvo EV is a complicated vehicle, and it will need competent service at some point. When you trust a service representative, your positive mental attitude is reinforced. Trust me, it works.
The journey continues……
The journey continues……
A great service team is the key 
so glad Margo’s is awesome.
Good luck with finding out what blew it. Hopefully it was a faulty fuse …
so glad Margo’s is awesome. Good luck with finding out what blew it. Hopefully it was a faulty fuse …
Yikes. Did I just go from one unreliable car, Jaguar I-PACE, to another, Volvo C40?
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