[evbuyer2020]

As soon as I started my Renault Zoe ZE50 today I got a 'WARNING ELECTRICAL SYSTEM' message on the dash display.

I've tried turning the car on and off. It drives forwards and backwards on the drive ok. All electricals eg. lights, wipers, radio working fine.

The vehicle is driven regularly and currently 75% charged. Drove approx 60 miles yesterday so 12v battery should be fully charged?

Anybody got any advice as to what the problem might be?

 

[evbuyer2020]

As soon as I started my Renault Zoe ZE50 today I got a 'WARNING ELECTRICAL SYSTEM' message on the dash display.

I've tried turning the car on and off. It drives forwards and backwards on the drive ok. All electricals eg. lights, wipers, radio working fine.

The vehicle is driven regularly and currently 75% charged. Drove approx 60 miles yesterday so 12v battery should be fully charged?

Anybody got any advice as to what the problem might be?

Update - I started the car again an hour later and there was no warning messages. Went for a five mile drive to charge up 12v battery, just in case that was the problem and everything now seems to be working fine. So it's a bit of a mystery why I got the 'warning electrical system' message earlier today!

 

[SamuelHolmes6]

Had the car been sitting for a long time unused? I know on my ZE22 I'd get that error if it was very cold and the car had been sitting for a few days and not driven. Plugging in to charge fixed it as it would top off the 12V battery. Perhaps the ZE50 is the same....

 

[evbuyer2020]

No I had driven approx 60 miles yesterday.

I have had the car for 3 months and it had been faultless until today.

I've now read some of the older threads about older model Zoes giving similar warning messages and they mostly seem to be faults relating to the 12v battery. I'm wondering whether for some reason the car didn't shut down properly last night and the 12v battery was discharging all night and was low on charge this morning?

Thats the best explanation I can come up with so far?

 

[SamuelHolmes6]

No I had driven approx 60 miles yesterday.

I have had the car for 3 months and it had been faultless until today.

I've now read some of the older threads about older model Zoes giving similar warning messages and they mostly seem to be faults relating to the 12v battery. I'm wondering whether for some reason the car didn't shut down properly last night and the 12v battery was discharging all night and was low on charge this morning?

Thats the best explanation I can come up with so far?

It's possible. I know that the warning you refer to is usually linked to the 12v battery as you say, so either it has been discharging like you say or there's a faulty battery. But if that were the case I have to wonder why it only started causing problems now.

 

[ThudnBlundr]

I've had this a couple of times (in over 3 years) on an older R240 ZOE. IMHO it's not an issue if it happens and goes away again. If you start getting it repeatedly, it's definitely something more serious.

 

[SamuelHolmes6]

I've had this a couple of times (in over 3 years) on an older R240 ZOE. IMHO it's not an issue if it happens and goes away again. If you start getting it repeatedly, it's definitely something more serious.

I agree.

 

[evbuyer2020]

Thanks. I'm hoping it was just a 'one-off'. Zoe was working fine again today. No warning messages.

 

[Bowleaf]

I've recently had this problem as well with my 70 plate Zoe GT Line. The electrical system fault warning light, STOP warning etc came on during a fast charge. Car has been at the dealers now for nearly 2 weeks and the diagnosis is a faulty DC inverter which will require the motor to be lifted out. Dealer really struggled with diagnosis and had to seek input from Renault UK. Not great for a 6 month old car! I wondered whether something's gone wrong with the fast charger that might have caused this to happen?

 

[Bowleaf]

I've recently had this problem as well with my 70 plate Zoe GT Line. The electrical system fault warning light, STOP warning etc came on during a fast charge. Car has been at the dealers now for nearly 2 weeks and the diagnosis is a faulty DC inverter which will require the motor to be lifted out. Dealer really struggled with diagnosis and had to seek input from Renault UK. Not great for a 6 month old car! I wondered whether something's gone wrong with the fast charger that might have caused this to happen?

Forgot to say that the car drove fine after the fault light came on but the central screen and climate control weren't working.

 

[95199]

Thanks. I'm hoping it was just a 'one-off'. Zoe was working fine again today. No warning messages.

Issues like this are not restricted to EVs. I had an almost new Focus diesel company car where the dashboard lit up with a whole pile of warnings and it went into limp mode and staggered on to a lay-by. I phoned the company recovery service and they said, 'Switch it off, give it 10 minutes and start it up again. It has a computer. They do that sometimes'. I started it up and it ran perfectly for the next two years.

 

[martin.wetterstedt]

I get this on and off when it is colder than -5 oC or so, especially at high humidity. I suspect moist is entering contacts creating small leak currents which the car detects. Any idea what contacts this could be in?How could they be sealed?

 

[95199]

Issues like this are not restricted to EVs. I had an almost new Focus diesel company car where the dashboard lit up with a whole pile of warnings and it went into limp mode and staggered on to a lay-by. I phoned the company recovery service and they said, 'Switch it off, give it 10 minutes and start it up again. It has a computer. They do that sometimes'. I started it up and it ran perfectly for the next two years.

I had.precisely that issue with the same car in 2010. A quick off and on in a layby and it never did it again. The recovery service said that they do that occasionally. Who thought that adding computer isues to car issues was a good idea.