12V is dead dead dead. Disconnect for 5 minutes, reconnect and jump start with another vehicle.

 

Thank you Keith! I did disconnect for 5 mins (longer). I cleaned the posts on the 12V and the clamps on the cables. After that, I reconnected my Li-Ion battery jumper, but still no crank. Can you help me understand what would be the difference by using another vehicle instead my trusty gadget? Not trying to be a smartass, but literally want to know since this battery has saved me and my neighbor several times. I've seen other people using similar batteries and they always work. So why would it fail in this new case? Is it hybrid system related? Thank you!

 

You're asking for a lot of speculation with minimal input, but I'll just take shots in the dark on this irrelevant topic for fun:

1. You thought you charged it, but it didn't take a charge.
2. Confessed multiple uses have degraded its performance. They don't last very long or for very many uses.
3. The jump pack battery can no longer deliver the required current.
4. Something else.

Follow my recommendation or don't. My goal is to get your car started. Step one in diagnostics is to ensure the 12V system is healthy. You're not there yet.

Once you've repeated the disconnect, 5 minute wait, reconnect and attempted to jump start with another vehicle, if it doesn't start, attempt HV jump start as follows:

1. Leave vehicles connected
2. FEH completely off, key out of ignition.
3. Press jump start button.
4. Close door and walk away.
5. Wait 10 minutes.
6. Press jump start button.
7. Close door and walk away.
8. Wait 10 minutes
9. Attempt start.
10. If start, disconnect jump between vehicles.
11. If no start, disconnect jump between vehicles. Repeat 12V disconnect, 5 min, reconnect. Connect to jump vehicle and attempt start.
12. Once started, allow the vehicle to idle until the sooner of gas engine shuts off or 20 minutes.
13. Drive to the store and buy a 12V charger.
14. If your battery is older than 6 months, fully charge it and take it to a parts store to have it tested. Flattening a battery damages them.

If all of the above fails to start the vehicle, Forscan.

 

Ok, thanks a lot! I guess I didn't make my questions clear earlier. Sorry. The Li-Ion jumper is in good working order. It's relatively new and according to instructions, can jump start 3-4 times before needing to be recharged. I made sure I charged it fully before attempting each of my failed starts So on to your suggestion for starting with another vehicle. I'll call a neighbor or something and see if they don't mind. These days with the social distancing, I wouldn't want to make anyone feel uncomfortable.

If I just bit the bullet and bought a trickle charger to get my 12V Battery back up to 12 volts, would that be the same thing as following your directions? I just want to be prepared in case my neighbors turn me down Also I'd like to know if there could be any other components that I haven't thought of yet. I only know about the loose ignition switch because I personally experienced it and had to replace before. My basic understanding of how the FEH works is the HV Battery supplies the power to turn the electric motor, and that's how it starts. There's no starter in this vehicle or any other "clap trap" like in a typical ICE car. The 12V Battery (if healthy) is purely used to help boost the HV Battery so there's enough power to turn the electric motor. Is that right? Thanks!

 

Ever heard of an "askhole"? An askhole is someone who asks for advice but then does whatever they want. You're kinda on the line here. Please try to stay focused. I'm not getting paid for this, and every word I type is a moment of my life I'll never get back. I do this because I want to be helpful. Please don't make me regret it.

Per previous message, step 1 is to determine you're working with a healthy 12V system. A "trickle charger" may require as much as 120 hours depending on the current to fully charge the battery. By jump starting with another vehicle, you're bypassing any issues with your 12V system and running off the 12V system of an operational vehicle with a voltage likely well in excess of 12V and an active charging system (presumably).

Let's get a little more granular since you can't help yourself from going on tangents. Step 0 is to determine your 12V battery is healthy. A trickle charger isn't a complete solution. It won't tell you if your battery is good, and it needs 60Ah/(charge current in amps) hours to fully charge the battery. If it's a 2A charger, you need 30 hours to get it fully charged... assuming the battery is actually good. Good chance it's not given a 2 week sit flattened it. If the purchase of a charger is your chosen path, you must take the battery to the auto parts store and have them test it after charging it. This solution also compromises your ability to HV jump start because you're working solely off the 12V.

I know what the Li-Ion jump starters say. They lie about everything. Unless you bought a premium brand and paid 2X over what the typical one goes for on Amazon, you shouldn't trust it. Generally, they can only be used a handful of times before they're shot.

Since you seem to need a little speculation, I'll give you some more:
Your 12 year old HV battery has lost its ability to retain a charge for more than a week or two - this is a common failure mode of the Sanyo cells used. Your HV battery can't start the vehicle in its current low voltage state. It needs to be jump started. You have a **** 12V, and it won't jump start the HV battery. You need 2 good batteries to start the vehicle. You have zero.

A likely immediate solution would be to remove your 12V, go the parts store, buy a replacement, install, HV jump start once. I did NOT recommend this because 1) it will cost you money, 2) 2X HV jumps via a running jump vehicle is WAY more effective than a jump by healthy 12V alone. The HV jump pulls a lot of current. Per the owner's manual, 2X HV jumps may drain the 12V battery, 3) something else may be wrong.

Another tidbit is if you've used this jump box to jump THIS battery before, there's a near 100% chance you need to replace the battery.

 

All name-calling aside Keith, I'm still appreciative of the advice I read in this forum which I've enjoyed since 2008. Every thread. Call me a glutton for too much information . Your posts, along with other enthusiasts, have helped me many times even though you may not have thunk it at the time you were answering. So thank you again for this time (and all the previous times). Keep on dishing it out!

 

Keith is a one man army keeping untold numbers of hippos on the road so they can live out a full life in the swamp of existence.

 

I missed the add-on discussion. FWIW, I had to do the HV jump again a month or so ago after the FEH sat for a pandemic week or two. Replacing the 12V battery had taken care of things up until then (even though car has sat for similar interval previously). Has happened so infrequently that I panic a bit and then find the advice here again on doing the HV warm-up/jump.

One modification that I make is that I put my charger on the 12V battery and, IIRC, set it to its 20A charge setting while the HV jump button is pushed. My thinking is that's keeping the 12V from being drawn down so much during the process.

 

If the battery is in good condition and fully charged, that's not necessary, but it's never a bad idea. 10A is usually sufficient.

 

S Keith- thanks. I had to go look- charger does 12A or 30A when not in jump or trickle modes. Not sure which I used.