Dead battery and stuck gate – 12V charging process question

Sussystorm · Dec 10, 2024

I used my car three weeks ago with a 70% charge, but today, it’s completely dead. I think it’s the 12V battery, as I can't open the back gate to get the charging cable. I know the 12V is under the passenger floor carpet, but I want to make sure I charge it the right way. Should I plug in a trickle charger, or is there a specific process to follow to avoid causing any damage?

Smart42Driver24 · Dec 11, 2024

How old is the battery? Is it the original one? Maybe it is time for a replacement.

Sussystorm · Dec 11, 2024

The battery is the original one, and it's about 3 years old. I’m considering replacing it if necessary.

Russbuss7550 · Jan 20, 2025

You could check the voltage, give it a good charge, then run a load test to see how it's really holding up.

abdulzalami · Jan 23, 2025

Just charge it like usual. It shouldn't be any different than when you are charging dead 12V on an ICE car.

Just like jump-starting a dead battery in a gas car, you hook up the charger and let it do its thing.

Of course, you always worry a bit that the high-voltage pack is too far gone. Sometimes those things get so drained you gotta pull the whole shebang out to get 'em charged up again.

impatzu · Feb 6, 2025

@Sussystorm did you manage to swap out your battery okay? How did it go? And did you run into any other snags along the way? We'd love to hear how it turned out!