Hyundai Forums banner

Check Charging System

172K views 359 replies 58 participants last post by  camaro8889 
#1 ·
Hello I have a new 2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, 6100 miles on it, at about 3000 miles the engine light came on, I called the dealer and they said that they were aware of this and a fix was in the works, could be several weeks. I went in for my first oil change, and they turned off the engine warning light, coming home that day I began experiencing a new problem, "Check Charging System" would blink and alert sounds were happening, if you got below 40 mph the car would die, you would have to stop, push the ignition button and then it would restart, it is now happening about daily...anyone else experiencing problem?

I took my car in last week for the recall on the engine warning light, I thought all was good now...but still getting the "Check Charging System". This has now happened 4 times, twice in the past two days.

Gary in DFW
 
#2 ·
I am also from the DFW area. I drove the first hybrid off the lot off of 820 and 183. I had my first experience going down loop 12. I had every alarm going off CEL, check charging system etc. and loss of power. It happened several times. The dealer at first said that they did not know of any problems but I walked in the dealership with the copy of other people's experiences from the forum from all over the country and Canada who had the same experiences. To make a long story short they flew in an engineer and dropped the electrical system out then put it back securing all of the connections because the car was not talking to their computer. After that the codes were read confirming that there was a connection problem however they did replace some recalled parts. It has gone 350 miles without the problem. One of the members of the forum used their iphone to film the lights and alarms for their dealership. The hot temperatures this week will be a test on the hybrid!!!
 
#3 ·
Hi Gary, I too had the "Check Charging System" light and chime go on last Monday. I held off posting on the forum and was waiting to see if anyone else had this issue besides me. I was going about 40 mph when it went off and didn't notice a loss of power, but then again I just pulled over to the side of the road and shut the car off and re-started it and all has been fine since. I just had the car in about 2 weeks ago to have the recalled sensor and headliner replaced, and the car has driven the same as before the repair was made. What I did notice at the time the warning light went on was that the battery meter was just around half, which is where it normally is most of the time. I was going to call the dealer the next morning, but decided to drive it more and see if it would do it again, but it hasn't and I have been driving it daily. I hooked it up to my diagnostic reader and there is no code in the history to bring to the dealer. If it does illuminate again, I will bring it back to the dealer. In your case, since it has happened 4 times in 2 days, I would definately get it checked out. Hopefully this is not the next phase of issues that we will be dealing with as I expect some bumps in the road since this is the first hybrid that Hyundai has produced. I truly enjoy the handling, mileage, quietness, and feel of the vehicle as a whole, but can't help but wonder if some are wiser to wait for the 2012 models to hit the market which will hopefully have all the quirks dealt with. It's my 4th Hyundai and I have been quite happy with the company thus far, and have faith that they will do what's right by us.
Good luck, Vinny.
 
#4 ·
QUOTE (vinnyg @ Jul 31 2011, 10:45 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=483992
Hi Gary, I too had the "Check Charging System" light and chime go on last Monday. I held off posting on the forum and was waiting to see if anyone else had this issue besides me. I was going about 40 mph when it went off and didn't notice a loss of power, but then again I just pulled over to the side of the road and shut the car off and re-started it and all has been fine since. I just had the car in about 2 weeks ago to have the recalled sensor and headliner replaced, and the car has driven the same as before the repair was made. What I did notice at the time the warning light went on was that the battery meter was just around half, which is where it normally is most of the time. I was going to call the dealer the next morning, but decided to drive it more and see if it would do it again, but it hasn't and I have been driving it daily. I hooked it up to my diagnostic reader and there is no code in the history to bring to the dealer. If it does illuminate again, I will bring it back to the dealer. In your case, since it has happened 4 times in 2 days, I would definately get it checked out. Hopefully this is not the next phase of issues that we will be dealing with as I expect some bumps in the road since this is the first hybrid that Hyundai has produced. I truly enjoy the handling, mileage, quietness, and feel of the vehicle as a whole, but can't help but wonder if some are wiser to wait for the 2012 models to hit the market which will hopefully have all the quirks dealt with. It's my 4th Hyundai and I have been quite happy with the company thus far, and have faith that they will do what's right by us.
Good luck, Vinny.
Well...............I've not had that problem yet!, But have had the MIL/CEL come on twice, one at 1200 and 2350 miles. The first time it was fixed, then 12 days later it came on again. The last time on the 29th of July, an engineer from Hyundai in Dallas flew in and checked out my problem. It took him roughly three hours, and so far so good. I haven't had the problem you have mentioned. But I did come across what I hope won't be a new problem down the line.
When I tired to start the car, the ready light failed to come on. The car was in park, I wasn't low on fuel, so the only thing left was the smart key battery was low or dead. I've been trying to figure out how to charge the battery using the center console, and or over ride the start/stop button. Have any ideas?
 
#5 ·
Sorry Bob, I don't have any ideas on that one except that since you have had numerous documented issues with the MIL/CEL and had an engineer from Dallas fly in to diagnose your issues, you may want to officially document the latest problem just in case it becomes a more wide spread issue down the line.
Good luck, Vinny.
 
#6 ·
Well as I was going into the dealership on Tuesday to have my car looked at, it died three times on the way to the Hyundai dealership, mainly because I was in high traffic in DFW, which didn't make other motorist happy as I had to stop, put in park, shut off engine (which is not running), and then would restart go about a mile and same thing again. Luckily I made it to the dealership, in for repairs for 3 days, got a hold of a specialist and reset some codes in the computer, off and running again. So far so good, but with temperatures around 107 outside, really scared to go too far. But the dealership did make a comment this seems to be a huge problem with all the Sonata Hybrids, so beware.

I do enjoy the car, but can only take so much of taking to dealership for ongoing problem, fingers crossed that finally fixed for good.
 
#7 ·
Hey Gary, hopefully all will be good now that they had your car for 3 days. I'm just curious if you know what they did specifically to repair your vehicle besides reset some codes. Was there any problem with the alternator, battery, or voltage regulator? Just curious because I had that light come on only once but have not had any other problems with it since. I would be pretty upset if it starts to cut off on me while on the highway like yours did. I hope you don't have any further issues with the vehicle and all works out for you. Take care, Vinny.
 
#8 ·
I guess I jinxed myself because I had the "check charging system" light and chime go on for the second time just about 15 minutes ago as I was turning into my community. The vehicle lost engine power even as I tried to press the accelerator and came to a stop. Battery meter was at half. This now is definately a safety issue and could have caused me to be involved in an accident had I been driving on an expressway in traffic. Earlier today I had the car out for a 200 mile run without a problem, but I am getting frustrated. Needless to say the car is going back to dealer ASAP.
 
#10 ·
QUOTE (Thunderstruck666 @ Aug 7 2011, 09:20 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=487325
You really need to consider reporting this to NHTSA. This is a potentially life threatening issue if it dies and you are in the middle of a busy freeway. You'll get no sympathy if it happens here in Chicago.
Yes, I just did report it online to the NHTSA. While on the site, I researched 2011 Sonata complaints (there is no dedicated Hybrid selection) and found over 300 lodged on Sonatas.
I did see at least one other on the Hybrid air flap system, but none on my issue.
Thanks for the advice and my dealer will be getting a visit from me tomorrow.
Take care, Vinny.
 
#11 ·
Can't help but ponder while I'm waiting again for the "check charging system"/engine power loss while driving issue to be taken care of at the dealer how may times my car has been there in the last 2 months of ownership. First was the check engine light, then was the NVLD sensor replacement, then was the headliner replacement which had to be brought back a 2nd time because the one they ordered was the wrong color, now is the charging system issue with loss of engine power along with the active air flap module replacement.
I traded in an '07 Accent with over 110,000 miles on it that ran as good as the day I drove it off the lot. I used Amsoil motor oil in it and changed it every 25,000 miles and it ran flawlessly. Prior to that, I had a '99 Accent with 206,000 miles which was still running flawlessley when I sold it to my friend, who's kid smacked it up after a few months of ownership. Again, I changed the oil every 25,000 miles without a single problem except routine things like brakes, rotors, transaxle flushing, and timing and drive belt and hose replacements. Given all that driving and great reliability I have had with Hyundai vehicles, I was confident that this purchase was going to be a good choice considering all the research and development they supposedly did before putting this vehicle on the market. I must admit that I am having second thoughts after reading all the problems consumers have had with the Hybrid. I still love the quietness, ride, handling, and looks, but all that doesn't matter much if the engine just dies and leaves you suddenly coming to a stop on a busy highway, thus putting me in harm's way. This sort of repair is tricky, because even if they give it back to me saying it's fixed, I still will be worrying in the back of my mind about the next time it might shut down on me, perhaps with my family in the car. It has happened to me twice so far, about a month apart, so you never know. Hopefully they will get all these glitches taken care of quick, as a lot of people (on this board especially) are having some issues with this vehicle.
 
#12 ·
Just got a call from the dealer who said I have a loose/defective battery post (12V in trunk) which is causing my problem and he had to order me a new one and that ought to fix the problem. I am no specialist on hybrids, but I hope this is what is really causing the underlying problem.
Crossing my fingers for now.
 
#13 ·
I have approximately 4,000 miles on my Sonata Hybrid. I had the "check charging system" event occur at around 3,000 miles, and again today. The warning lights came on, the Ready light was blinking, and a bell was dinging. The air stopped working, and it was difficult to get the car to accelerate. I had to pull over, turn the car off and restart. The first time this happened, I was on the highway. Today I was on a 45 mph street. Last time, the dealer drove the car 100 with diagnostic equipment hooked up to the car....of course nothing happened. I too, I am concerned that this is a serious safety issue.
 
#14 ·
QUOTE (Tink21 @ Aug 8 2011, 09:11 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=487837
I have approximately 4,000 miles on my Sonata Hybrid. I had the "check charging system" event occur at around 3,000 miles, and again today. The warning lights came on, the Ready light was blinking, and a bell was dinging. The air stopped working, and it was difficult to get the car to accelerate. I had to pull over, turn the car off and restart. The first time this happened, I was on the highway. Today I was on a 45 mph street. Last time, the dealer drove the car 100 with diagnostic equipment hooked up to the car....of course nothing happened. I too, I am concerned that this is a serious safety issue.
I would report it to the NHTSA. The more people that report the problem, the better it is. Maybe Hyundai will be forced to look deeper into these issues, and not just pass it off as "could not duplicate customer's concern".
They told me my problem is due to a defective battery post, but I don't think that would shut me down the way it did. I am not a Hybrid specialist, so I have to trust that they know the answer, but then again the technology is new to most Hyundai technicians as well.
Good luck and stay safe.
 
#15 ·
QUOTE (vinnyg @ Aug 8 2011, 08:18 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=487841
They told me my problem is due to a defective battery post, but I don't think that would shut me down the way it did. I am not a Hybrid specialist, so I have to trust that they know the answer, but then again the technology is new to most Hyundai technicians as well.
Good luck and stay safe.
I could see how the 12v battery connection could trigger an error. The car stops and restarts the ICE many times while driving. If it detects that is has a bad connection to the 12v it would know it may not be able to start the ICE when needed. That could trigger the warning and cause the computer to put the car in a "safe" mode.
 
#17 ·
I also just got this problem, recorded it on my phone. Have an appointment to get the headliner fixed in two weeks... the guy didn't see it although it pulled about 1" away from the light.
Hopefully they get this fixed, bought 5 hyundais new in the last 4 years and never had issues....

Mine happened when accelerating from ~40mph, had to pull over to the side and restart. about 82 outside and AC at 73... not too hot.

See a short video here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nQ9DVBAFoQ

Please post any resolutions... I wanna get this fixed, I drive very long distance.
 
#18 ·
QUOTE (reglee51 @ Aug 12 2011, 09:23 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=490054
I also just got this problem, recorded it on my phone. Have an appointment to get the headliner fixed in two weeks... the guy didn't see it although it pulled about 1" away from the light.
Hopefully they get this fixed, bought 5 hyundais new in the last 4 years and never had issues....

Mine happened when accelerating from ~40mph, had to pull over to the side and restart. about 82 outside and AC at 73... not too hot.

See a short video here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nQ9DVBAFoQ

Please post any resolutions... I wanna get this fixed, I drive very long distance.
What you posted is exactly what happened to my Hybrid. Glad you were able to record it. Just got mine back from the dealer this morning and so far it has been good for the 20 minute ride home. The dealer said it was a defective battery terminal and installed a new battery. I truly want to believe that will solve my problem, but now a few people on this board have had the same issue with the "check charging system", and I find it hard to believe they all have defective batteries that are causing this problem. As another poster said, this is the most serious of all the issues listed as this involves my safety when the power cuts off at highway speeds.
I otherwise love the vehicle, but can't help to be anxious when driving with the wife and kids on the expressway now. (I don't think anyone else with a family in tow would blame me or any other individual experiencing the sudden loss of power for feeling this way).
Also, when they went to update the active air flap, he said the update wouldn't take on my car, so I have to bring it in on a later date.
I hope this takes care of the problem once and for all.
Take care and good luck. Vinny.
 
#19 ·
Dropped mine off at the dealership this morning about an hour after I posted. They said they haven't seen this before but took surprisingly little conversation for them to accept the problem and give me a loaner for 5 days. They weren't even interested in seeing the video or the picture. Hope they don't come back with a 'can't recreate problem' thing... that would really annoy me. I'll report back when I get mine back...
 
#20 ·
Not sure if this is related, but maybe it will help. You can try looking at the 11-GI-004 TSB that is available on the HMAService.com. It specifically calls out the following:
ACTIONS REQUIRED IF A SONATA (YF) HEV EXPERIENCES ABNORMAL HIGH-VOLTAGE BATTERY DISCHARGE

It also labels some of the symptoms that woudl be experienced by the driver when the battery drops to certian levels.

GDS indicated
HEV Battery SOC Vehicle Condition Experienced
Above 30% Drives normal
30% ~ 25%
Motor Torque Restricted (Driveable but at reduced power).
Speed is limited to the following approximate values when in EV
Mode only as will occur for example after a vehicle runs out of fuel:
- 30% SOC to 40KPH
- 28% SOC to 10KPH
- 26.5% SOC to 2KPH
- 25% SOC – Vehicle stops
Below 25% Not Driveable on Battery Power Alone (EV Mode)
Air Conditioner Not Operable
Below 24% LDC (Low Voltage DC-DC Converter) Not Operable
(so 12V battery charging is not occurring)
20% ~ 15% Impossible to Start Engine using Engine Start Button
(Possible to Start Engine using GDS)
Below 15% Impossible to Start Engine using either Engine Start Button or GDS

ACTIONS REQUIRED IN CASE OF AN ABNORMAL HEV BATTERY DISCHARGE
1) Customer
Indicators / Fuel Level Vehicle’s Condition Actions
MIL ON or Service Indicator ON
Driveable
Driving Normal - Drive vehicle to a Hyundai dealer as soon as possible.
Driving Irregular - Drive vehicle to a safe location as soon as possible, then have it towed to a Hyundai dealer.
Low Fuel Level Warning Light ON and READY Light Blinking (Empty Fuel Tank) - Add gasoline to the vehicle.
MIL ON or Service Indicator ON - Not Driveable - Have the vehicle towed to a Hyundai dealer.
Low Fuel Level Warning Light ON and READY Light Blinking (Empty Fuel Tank) - Add gasoline to see if the vehicle will drive normal? If not then have the vehicle towed to a
Hyundai dealer.
 
#22 ·
By sheer coincidence, I had just written on a different thread that my check engine light had not come on with 4800 miles on the car... It came on yesterday with the 'check charging system' bells and whistles. Dealer said the code related to a loose connection. They cleared the code and 1 day later it's off. I guess now the fun begins...
 
#23 ·
QUOTE (deliguy @ Aug 17 2011, 09:41 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=492028
By sheer coincidence, I had just written on a different thread that my check engine light had not come on with 4800 miles on the car... It came on yesterday with the 'check charging system' bells and whistles. Dealer said the code related to a loose connection. They cleared the code and 1 day later it's off. I guess now the fun begins...
Hey Deliguy, do you know where specifically the connection was loose? Only asking because I had the same issue but my dealer told my Interstate battery post was loose/spinning and that was why I had the charging system issue. I am now wondering if there is a bad batch of batteries that have been put in the Hybrids which is causing all these problems.
Vinny.
 
#26 ·
Not too surprisingly, about 200 mi after leaving the dealership going 75mph up a steep incline in North Jersey the lights beeping charging system problem came back. Loss of power while on a highway in North Jersey going high speed is quite an experience. Dropped my car off again at the local dealership and got a loaner. That's 2/3 for lemon law... although I'm still hoping it'll get fixed....
 
Top