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Soul thinks it is a Zoe! Software is a joke, totally freezing today.

10K views 24 replies 7 participants last post by  freddym 
#1 ·
Either something has gone wrong with my Soul heating, or the climate control is just really badly programmed. I suspect the latter, based on experience to date.

I usually leave it on 17C and get a gentle warmth through nicely. Today, middling sort of autumnal day at 15C, the thing didn't know what it was trying to do. Cold. I cranked it up to 23C, that usually works. Nope, just went back down to 0kW on the meter. More fan. More temp. More fan, eventually I got to 30C and it went straight back to 0kW again.

I powered off for a few minutes (actually warmer, because at least there was not a breeze of cold air crossing me) and turned it back on at 30C indicated. It went up to 1.9kW, albeit reluctantly, so it could do that if it wanted to, then .... yup ... back down to 0kW after a minute.

Reminds me of the Zoe I tried out once.

TBH, all automatic systems with no manual override are really just a disaster waiting to happen. I want to have the choice to be able to set a power demand for my heating and it just sits there, at that power level. Let ME make the decision, thanks ....

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#4 ·
It doesn't seem to have a problem generating heat when the power reading is over 1kW.

Software that operates the heater at 0kW, that is slightly more problematic for any thermal system to generate heat if it is following the laws of physics!
 
#5 ·
They've definitely buggered it up then. When I had my Soul it would read 4kw or so with the heating turned fully up. I can't remember why I was turning it up to full and seeing how much juice it was using but I did at some point.

I'd still contact a Kia garage and ask whether it's normal. If it's not reaching a comfortable temperature now then it's no good at all. If it's not getting warm and staying warm on Auto on say 22C set point then there's something wrong.
 
#14 ·
It may be a faulty air intake temperature sensor, that a diagnostic scan would likely identify. I had this problem last year on a Skoda Superb. It was a low cost DIY fix, but a bugger to locate and get to under the dash. I suspect temperature sensors are bought in from an outsourced supplier. My point being, that you could have this or similar problem with any modern car. I hope this helps.
 
#15 ·
It is a good thought, actually, but as an intermittent issue I don't suppose they will find anything. The system is not going to report that it got a measurement wrong if it thinks that is right. Needs a more expensive system with redundancy in the measurement sensors.

I hung about the local dealer this week, for longer than I had spare time to do, to let them have a fiddle with it. Of course they found nothing. Intermittent software bugs are, by definition ... intermittent.

I am grateful they tried and took a look, but you kinda know they aren't going to find anything when the hardware is working. If the car had recognised there was a fault then it'd flag that up on the dash, wouldn't it? As far as it is concerned, it did the right thing that day by freezing my butt off!

Let's hope it is a one-off. The thing is, for EVs, a heater failure is a serious safety hazard in winter, unless you have a heated window back-up. Even in an ICE there is usually enough heat that streams out of the engine bay to eventually defrost a window if the heater system completely packs up. If the engine is not generating heat in an ICE it means you aren't going anywhere to worry about it!
 
#16 ·
Good point about the EV not having residual heat. The Zoe seems to be particularly rubbish at the moment too. I've set it to 23C now as even at 22c it was blowing cold air at me a lot.

There's also a sun/light sensor I think. I swear mine has been worse since it's been washed so it could possibly think there is strong sunshine so no need to push out quite so much heat? It does use more AC in warmer weather so it makes sense in sunny but cooler weather it would try and maintain the set temperature with cooler air but it seems to over do it.

This might actually be a bonus of the much more manual heater in the MG. It's too dumb to play games so it does what the user asks!
 
#17 ·
Dumb would be good, like I said before at least the option to do so. I think there are certain sets of conditions which basically 'confuse' an automated HVAC, particularly a poorly programmed one.

I think the combination this time of year of bright sun, then rain, all at 15C indicated but dropping rapidly, confuses the hell out of the car (or at least the programmer that decided on the settings map).

My trivially simple solution should be made into law, given the critical function of heating in EVs in winter; the user can set the heater power level manually if they choose.
 
#18 ·
My Zoe was toasty warm this morning, just leave it on 22 deg C Auto and pre-heat in the morning had melted off all the ice. Of course warmth is a relative thing and maybe the OP is used to a warmer car than the thermostat may suggest. My old Diesel Fiesta was freezing cold as it takes a good 10 miles to get the car up to temperature, so I would wrap up warm with a jacket, hat and gloves. In comparison the Zoe is much warmer with no need for gloves or hat but I kept the jacket on. Even when I had the Fiesta I always found my mate's VW Passat set at 22 deg C was like a sauna and had my stripping down to my T-shirt in comparison to the cold Fiesta :)
 
#19 ·
The pre heat seems to confuse the Zoe as well.

I can take it off auto but I would rather not as without auto it doesn't run the AC every now and then which is essential to make sure the system works properly.

The soul can be put in manual mode. Press any of the direction buttons or the fan button and it pops onto manual mode. That's always worth trying if the Auto just doesn't do what you want. Windscreen setting also wangs it into manual as well I think.
 
#21 ·
If you set it at the highest temperature and fans mid way it should keep pushing out heat. If it stops then I'd argue it's faulty in some way. Mine would burn your face off on the highest heat setting.

It's also worth checking the pollen filter in case that's got clogged up.
 
#24 ·
Think the heating on the Zoe is faulty in the same way. It was utterly useless today. Because it was sunny even on MAX it was still cold around the footwells. I think they both have the same fault in that air from outside isn't pre warmed enough to keep the chills off.
 
#25 ·
Such a lack of enterprise. Find out where the sensors are located. Fool the sensors to get the result you want ( eg cover and insulate the sunlight sensor from any solar gain, pack an icebag around around any temperature sensors etc).

If that doesn't work, you have an ECU, ACTUATOR OR CONTACTOR OR SWITCHING VALVE fault. I think I recently posted that 10 year old BEVs would be scrapped with heat pump faults. Sorry I was wrong, probably change that to 5 years.
 
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