[Kitch29]

I purchased my 2019 Pacifica hybrid in July 2019. With less than 5000 miles I started getting a "service charging system" error. This error will not allow me to start the van or put in gear. I have had the car serviced from both Stoneridge DCJ in Dublin and Stevens Creek DCJ in San Jose. These are the only bay area dealerships with technicians trained to work on the Pacifica hybrid. Neither dealership was able to root cause the issue. They both sent me home with No Trouble Found. As soon as I got home, the issue reoccurred the following morning.
I have found a way to successfully reproduce the issue. If I drive the van until the hybrid battery is <1% (fully depleted), then leave the van without charging overnight. The issue will occur when I try to start it in the morning.
To recover from the failure I have to reset the van's computer. If you look under the hood and find where the 12V battery should sit, you will find a red 12V terminal. I disconnected this terminal and then connected again. This reset the van's computer, which then allowed me to start the van from the gas engine, since the hybrid battery was still depleted.
I've found that if the 12V battery terminal drops below ~12.5V then I experience the issue. If the 12V battery is above 12.5V then no issues. This is why you need to wait overnight for the issue to occur. The 12V battery will leak down overnight. If you are driving around with a depleted hybrid battery, the 12V battery will be fully charged and above the threshold for when the issue occurs.
I left the van for a few days and the 12V battery terminal dropped below 12V. I had to jump the van with another truck to get it started.
Once the issue occurs, the plugin charger detection is also broken, so you can't charge the hybrid battery once the service message appears.
Another symptom of the issue is that the engine fan (under the hood) will turn on at a very high rate. The van has not started but the fan turns on and is extremely loud.
I also had to have the van towed for the service appointment. They first sent a flat bed, but since the issue will not allow you to put the van in neutral, they had to send the flat bed away and bring a wrecker with dollies.

 

[ChryslerCares]

I purchased my 2019 Pacifica hybrid in July 2019. With less than 5000 miles I started getting a "service charging system" error. This error will not allow me to start the van or put in gear. I have had the car serviced from both Stoneridge DCJ in Dublin and Stevens Creek DCJ in San Jose. These are the only bay area dealerships with technicians trained to work on the Pacifica hybrid. Neither dealership was able to root cause the issue. They both sent me home with No Trouble Found. As soon as I got home, the issue reoccurred the following morning.
I have found a way to successfully reproduce the issue. If I drive the van until the hybrid battery is <1% (fully depleted), then leave the van without charging overnight. The issue will occur when I try to start it in the morning.
To recover from the failure I have to reset the van's computer. If you look under the hood and find where the 12V battery should sit, you will find a red 12V terminal. I disconnected this terminal and then connected again. This reset the van's computer, which then allowed me to start the van from the gas engine, since the hybrid battery was still depleted.
I've found that if the 12V battery terminal drops below ~12.5V then I experience the issue. If the 12V battery is above 12.5V then no issues. This is why you need to wait overnight for the issue to occur. The 12V battery will leak down overnight. If you are driving around with a depleted hybrid battery, the 12V battery will be fully charged and above the threshold for when the issue occurs.
I left the van for a few days and the 12V battery terminal dropped below 12V. I had to jump the van with another truck to get it started.
Once the issue occurs, the plugin charger detection is also broken, so you can't charge the hybrid battery once the service message appears.
Another symptom of the issue is that the engine fan (under the hood) will turn on at a very high rate. The van has not started but the fan turns on and is extremely loud.
I also had to have the van towed for the service appointment. They first sent a flat bed, but since the issue will not allow you to put the van in neutral, they had to send the flat bed away and bring a wrecker with dollies.

Hi Kitch29, We sincerely regret to hear of all the trouble that has been associated with your Pacifica hybrid battery. If we can be of any additional assistance as you are working with your dealer, feel free to send us a private message. We'd be more than happy to help.
Rob
ChryslerCares

 

[Kitch29]

Hi Kitch29, We sincerely regret to hear of all the trouble that has been associated with your Pacifica hybrid battery. If we can be of any additional assistance as you are working with your dealer, feel free to send us a private message. We'd be more than happy to help.
Rob
ChryslerCares

Rob,
Thanks for reaching out. I delivered the van to the Stevens Creek dealership in San Jose today (12/30/2019). They are supposed to look at it tomorrow morning at 7am. If they leave the car overnight, then they should be able to reproduce the issue in the morning.
I am working with Dan in the service department. I will follow up with any findings from this third trip to the service department for this issue.

thanks,
K29

 

[Dakitez]

any follow up on this? I feel mine just had the same issue. Sat for 3 days but was plugged in. The van acted like a complete dead 12v battery. I hook jumpers to it and it sprung back to life. The service charging system was illuminated till I ran the van and then put it back on the charger. The service engine light was on for a couple days and now went out. We had a similar issue with our kia ev. Its like the system is "asleep" and you have to wake it up with a jolt.

 

[Kitch29]

I was able to resolve the issue. After taking the van in to two different dealerships, I finally got a hint. They were never able to reproduce the issue. I was only a lot to reproduce it over night at my house. I think it is because of the infotainment system connection to my phone. I think the phone is keeping the infotainment system up at night and draining the battery.
I disconnected both my wife and my phone, upgrade the phones software, and reconnected one at a time about 2 weeks apart. I ‘ve not seen any issues since.

 

[ChryslerCares]

any follow up on this? I feel mine just had the same issue. Sat for 3 days but was plugged in. The van acted like a complete dead 12v battery. I hook jumpers to it and it sprung back to life. The service charging system was illuminated till I ran the van and then put it back on the charger. The service engine light was on for a couple days and now went out. We had a similar issue with our kia ev. Its like the system is "asleep" and you have to wake it up with a jolt.

Sorry to hear this, Dakitez. Have you made your dealer aware or this concern? We recommend visiting them at your earliest convenience to have this looked into further. We're happy to assist with this process as well. Just send us a private message.

Lydia
ChryslerCares

 

[Caltipper]

we purchased the 2018 hybrid model and we had the same problem after a few months. The car had to be towed to the dealership (Putnam in Burlingame). We left it overnight and picked it up next day. I wasn’t given an explanation only that they had to “reset the computer”. Felt like they down-played the problem as it rendered the entire vehicle inoperable and the car was less than a year old. Nonetheless, we assumed the problem was fixed. Then about 2 weeks ago, it happened again. We had the car running (charge had depleted so running on gas) and my boys and I were waiting for my wife to grab some groceries. The same warning showed up and the car shut down. It freaked me out thinking we had to get it towed again. Luckily, after a few tries to restart, the problem just went away. I don’t know why or how. The “check engine” light stayed on but that also went away the following day.
The common denominator in both instances were a depleted battery.
I wonder if anyone has had this issue fixed by a dealer but then experienced a recurrence. Should I still contact the dealer even when the problem has seemingly resolved itself?

 

[y0ufcuqrgib0]

Same problem here, Service Charging System light came on, won't charge for more than a few minutes before doing a charging fault. Check engine light is on and it's been at the dealer for a week now with no end in sight. Dealer reports they have no idea what's happening.

 

[mkaz311]

Same problem here, Service Charging System light came on, won't charge for more than a few minutes before doing a charging fault. Check engine light is on and it's been at the dealer for a week now with no end in sight. Dealer reports they have no idea what's happening.

Just received service hybrid charging system error at 1000 miles on my 2020. It only charges a few minutes before throwing the charge fault error now. Message appeared randomly yesterday after leaving a chargepoint level2 charger I've used dozen of times in the past with no issue. Lucky the car continues to run like normal (and drain the HV battery) but just won't charge now with either level 1 factory charger or level 2 public chargepoint. Should I just bring it straight to the dealer (get this fault documented in case of lemon) or try to pull the codes first (and potentially try resetting the computer to see if the codes come back since I assume that's what the dealer will attempt)?

 

[fotomoto]

Error messages as the name implies don't necessarily mean something "broke" and are meant to serve as notifications. If I open the driver's door while my juicebox is still plugged in but off, I get a generic "error" charging system message instead of a "you're still plugged in dummy!" message. Chrysler needs to change these to A) be more informative and B) more self-explanatory.

Message appeared randomly yesterday after leaving a chargepoint level2 charger I've used dozen of times in the past with no issue

Reports of this happening at public chargers are frequent on plug-in forums. The errors aren't necessarily caused by the vehicle but the vehicle will protect itself and not allow charging till the issue is rectified or, if possible, cleared from memory.

Should I just bring it straight to the dealer (get this fault documented in case of lemon) or try to pull the codes first (and potentially try resetting the computer to see if the codes come back since I assume that's what the dealer will attempt)?

Sounds like you have a good grasp of the situation. Personally, I would reset/reboot by disconnecting the 12v for a couple of minutes and see if the issue returns using the OEM charge cord first. If there is a physical/mechanical issue, it will return. Also, use a different 120v circuit and no extension cords.

GOOD LUCK!

 

[mkaz311]

Error messages as the name implies don't necessarily mean something "broke" and are meant to serve as notifications. If I open the driver's door while my juicebox is still plugged in but off, I get a generic "error" charging system message instead of a "you're still plugged in dummy!" message. Chrysler needs to change these to A) be more informative and B) more self-explanatory.



Reports of this happening at public chargers are frequent on plug-in forums. The errors aren't necessarily caused by the vehicle but the vehicle will protect itself and not allow charging till the issue is rectified or, if possible, cleared from memory.




Sounds like you have a good grasp of the situation. Personally, I would reset/reboot by disconnecting the 12v for a couple of minutes and see if the issue returns using the OEM charge cord first. If there is a physical/mechanical issue, it will return. Also, use a different 120v circuit and no extension cords.

GOOD LUCK!

Ya sadly the actual error message is a "service hybrid electrical system" (technically a different error message so I started a new thread) error with check engine light. Might be nothing but a glitch, especially considering the car is still running normally as far as I can tell (other then not charging with my level 1 factory charger or a known working level 2 charger)
Still concerning to see a check engine light and losing the primary feature of the PHEV so early on a brand new vehicle none the less though!

 

[mkaz311]

Dealer service technicians say the vehicle is throwing a serious MIL code P1E1B - Hybrid-Ev Battery Side Voltage System Isolation failure. (Seems like similar generic code as seen in TSB 10138922 https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2017/MC-10138922-9999.pdf )
Technician has been directed to create a S.T.A.R. (corporate engineering) case because of low mileage occurrence.
Dealer suspects a possible sensor that's attached internally to the battery pack is causing the MIL code.
They are awaiting corporate authorization to replace the battery pack (since the sensor is embedded into the battery pack itself) but corporate is still requesting further diagnostics to determine if it's something more serious.
I will update this thread as I get more information but it seems like they are inevitably heading towards replacing the entire battery pack.
Anyone know of a way to check if battery packs are available or on backorder at MOPAR without calling the dealer directly? I know they will take at least 3 days since the battery will have to be shipped ground even if they are in stock.

 

[Waldo]

Anyone know of a way to check if battery packs are available or on backorder at MOPAR without calling the dealer directly? I know they will take at least 3 days since the battery will have to be shipped ground even if they are in stock.

Do you have a loaner? They should provide one, as Chrysler is now holding up the process with demands of their own. Push for it.

 

[mkaz311]

Do you have a loaner? They should provide one, as Chrysler is now holding up the process with demands of their own. Push for it.

Yep I've had a rental minivan since I dropped it off, so dealer/Chrysler are footing the bill to Enterprise (up to $35 so that amounts to ~$5 per day of fees/tax which I'm covering for the minivan).
At least the dealer has numerous hybrid certified technicians which have been very upfront and communicating on a daily basis so far with service status (I know I shouldn't expect anything less with a large EV system/battery failure on a $50K vehicle with less than 1200 miles)
Luckily as far as I can tell via online MOPAR part website, the 2020 battery packs/kits should be available for immediate order for around ~$7.5K (probably the single most expensive part you can order on this vehicle).
Once they inevitably tell me the bad news (I expect a call soon) about how much longer this process is going to take to get this fixed, I'll push to get a rental or dealer courtesy minivan (or large 3 row SUV) that I don't have to pay for.

 

[Y0stal]

I purchased my 2019 Pacifica hybrid in July 2019. With less than 5000 miles I started getting a "service charging system" error. This error will not allow me to start the van or put in gear. I have had the car serviced from both Stoneridge DCJ in Dublin and Stevens Creek DCJ in San Jose. These are the only bay area dealerships with technicians trained to work on the Pacifica hybrid. Neither dealership was able to root cause the issue. They both sent me home with No Trouble Found. As soon as I got home, the issue reoccurred the following morning.
I have found a way to successfully reproduce the issue. If I drive the van until the hybrid battery is <1% (fully depleted), then leave the van without charging overnight. The issue will occur when I try to start it in the morning.
To recover from the failure I have to reset the van's computer. If you look under the hood and find where the 12V battery should sit, you will find a red 12V terminal. I disconnected this terminal and then connected again. This reset the van's computer, which then allowed me to start the van from the gas engine, since the hybrid battery was still depleted.
I've found that if the 12V battery terminal drops below ~12.5V then I experience the issue. If the 12V battery is above 12.5V then no issues. This is why you need to wait overnight for the issue to occur. The 12V battery will leak down overnight. If you are driving around with a depleted hybrid battery, the 12V battery will be fully charged and above the threshold for when the issue occurs.
I left the van for a few days and the 12V battery terminal dropped below 12V. I had to jump the van with another truck to get it started.
Once the issue occurs, the plugin charger detection is also broken, so you can't charge the hybrid battery once the service message appears.
Another symptom of the issue is that the engine fan (under the hood) will turn on at a very high rate. The van has not started but the fan turns on and is extremely loud.
I also had to have the van towed for the service appointment. They first sent a flat bed, but since the issue will not allow you to put the van in neutral, they had to send the flat bed away and bring a wrecker with dollies.

Hello,
I’ve been reading this thread and it seems like we are having a unique situation with the “Service Charging System” Message.
Me and my family are currently stuck in the middle of I-80 W with a malfunction. The “Service Charging System” error turned on IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR DRIVE. Luckily my dad pulled over but now we can’t get the car to drive. We tried to troubleshoot by using our plug to trick the system but to no avail.
Reading this thread now, I assume that there is a major glitch in the system. The system has not shut down, I don’t hear an extremely loud fan, but we still cannot shift to drive because the van thinks that we are charging in the middle of a busy freeway.
What an MLK weekend amirite?

 

[fotomoto]

we still cannot shift to drive because the van thinks that we are charging in the middle of a busy freeway

This is a DEFINITE safety issue.