[Niels]

The fuel-engine starts up a few minutes every drive! I don't want that because I can't get a good mpg readout that way! Who has the same problem?

I don't want the fuel-engine running every time I drive the car, it is very irritant. Does anyone know a solution?

 

[Sigurd]

I would take it back to the dealer. I've heard of several reasons why this can happen (such as loose gas cap), but don't let it irritate you, let your dealer deal with it. Tell them to call you when it's fixed.

 

[Niels]

Thank you Sigurd, but the Dutch dealer doesn't know what to do!!

I still hope that anyone has heard of a solution. The problem is unacceptable.

I wonder what the normal running frequency is. Is it ones a week or month or so?
I hope Karma drivers will reply what their experience is with the frequency of the running of the fuel-engine

 

[Sigurd]

You are not the first to report this problem. There are previous posts about this. You'll have to search for them. I'm sure Fisker has a check list for the dealer to follow for cars exhibiting this behavior. My ICE only runs after I fill up, select Sport, or run my battery level down to zero miles.
BTW, does it only smoke when you pass "Coffee shops" in Amsterdam?

 

[Bert Yetman]

How do you know when the ICE starts? Mine is so quiet that I can only detect a start on smooth roads, otherwise tire noise obscures engine noise. I'm not saying the tires are noisy, but just enough to cover the ICE.

I wish the indicator would go to "SPORT" every time the ICE starts.

 

[Fabulist]

You are not the first to report this problem. There are previous posts about this. You'll have to search for them. I'm sure Fisker has a check list for the dealer to follow for cars exhibiting this behavior. My ICE only runs after I fill up, select Sport, or run my battery level down to zero miles.
BTW, does it only smoke when you pass "Coffee shops" in Amsterdam?

I agree. This is a known problem and it generally relates to the HCU thinking that the gas cap has been opened. I had a similar problem and it turned out to be a blocked vent tube. It could also be a bad cable connection, bad sensor, or a defective HCU, or a combination of these. Check with Fisker directly and see if they can give you some guidance.

 

[Niels]

Bert, detecting in my case is not so difficult because it starts immediately after the startbutton turns green.

Detecting is also possible by using the used kw's screen. The meter is centering to zero when the ice is running.

 

[Fabulist]

How do you know when the ICE starts? Mine is so quiet that I can only detect a start on smooth roads, otherwise tire noise obscures engine noise. I'm not saying the tires are noisy, but just enough to cover the ICE.

I wish the indicator would go to "SPORT" every time the ICE starts.

The energy flow screen changes when the ICE is operating, The large silver "shaft" shown running through the car has black vertical stripes when the power is coming from the battery, but turns solid when the engine is running. This happens in both Stealth and Sport modes.

 

[Niels]

You are not the first to report this problem. There are previous posts about this. You'll have to search for them. I'm sure Fisker has a check list for the dealer to follow for cars exhibiting this behavior. My ICE only runs after I fill up, select Sport, or run my battery level down to zero miles.
BTW, does it only smoke when you pass "Coffee shops" in Amsterdam?

I agree. This is a known problem and it generally relates to the HCU thinking that the gas cap has been opened. I had a similar problem and it turned out to be a blocked vent tube. It could also be a bad cable connection, bad sensor, or a defective HCU, or a combination of these. Check with Fisker directly and see if they can give you some guidance.

Fabulist, which cable connector or which sensor do you think is causing the ICE running everytime I drive the car? It stays on for about 5 minutes.
How do you think it's possible that the problem was gone for 3 days after a hard reboot/reset?

Thanks to everyone with answers! I am very desperate about this problem! It's there since I bought the car and it's unacceptible for me!

 

[Fabulist]

You are not the first to report this problem. There are previous posts about this. You'll have to search for them. I'm sure Fisker has a check list for the dealer to follow for cars exhibiting this behavior. My ICE only runs after I fill up, select Sport, or run my battery level down to zero miles.
BTW, does it only smoke when you pass "Coffee shops" in Amsterdam?

I agree. This is a known problem and it generally relates to the HCU thinking that the gas cap has been opened. I had a similar problem and it turned out to be a blocked vent tube. It could also be a bad cable connection, bad sensor, or a defective HCU, or a combination of these. Check with Fisker directly and see if they can give you some guidance.

Fabulist, which cable connector or which sensor do you think is causing the ICE running everytime I drive the car? It stays on for about 5 minutes.
How do you think it's possible that the problem was gone for 3 days after a hard reboot/reset?

Thanks to everyone with answers! I am very desperate about this problem! It's there since I bought the car and it's unacceptible for me!

I need to check my records to give you an exact answer. My best recollection is that the gas tank vent was blocked causing the system to get incorrect pressure readings from the gas tank and incorrectly concluding that the gas filler cap had been opened. This caused the ICE to come on, as it normally does when you fill up the gas tank. In addition to the ICE coming on, I was also getting a "Gas Cap Open" warning light on the dash.

As I understand it (and my understanding is pretty limited), the gas tank in the Karma is pressurized to reduce Hydrocarbon emissions from evaporation. Each time the pressure drops because the gas cap was opened or the car sat around for a long time without being driven, the ICE comes on briefly to re pressurize the gas tank and then shuts off after a few minutes. Anything causing a pressure drop, or a false pressure drop indication to the computers, will trigger the ICE start up, as I understand it. So this is probably the most potentially fruitful line of inquiry.

Again, this is a pretty complex system and my understanding is pretty limited, so the best thing to do is to talk directly to the Fisker customer service and ask them to run this past the engineers to see what all the possible causes may be.

 

[Niels]

Fabulist, in my case the gas cap open sign is not lighting!

Any idea what the cause is than?

 

[Bert Yetman]

Kw flow screen... start button turns green... energy screen...............all indicate when the ICE is running. It seems to me that you have to expect, or suspect, that the ICE is running or you wouldn't observe those things. Why not just have the Stealth/Sport light show the status? Normally I drive with the climate control screen or the radio screen selected.

 

[ct-fiskerbuzz]

...
As I understand it (and my understanding is pretty limited), the gas tank in the Karma is pressurized to reduce Hydrocarbon emissions from evaporation. Each time the pressure drops because the gas cap was opened or the car sat around for a long time without being driven, the ICE comes on briefly to re pressurize the gas tank and then shuts off after a few minutes. Anything causing a pressure drop, or a false pressure drop indication to the computers, will trigger the ICE start up, as I understand it. So this is probably the most potentially fruitful line of inquiry. ...

In fact, all modern cars have a sealed system, as explained here.

 

[Niels]

...
As I understand it (and my understanding is pretty limited), the gas tank in the Karma is pressurized to reduce Hydrocarbon emissions from evaporation. Each time the pressure drops because the gas cap was opened or the car sat around for a long time without being driven, the ICE comes on briefly to re pressurize the gas tank and then shuts off after a few minutes. Anything causing a pressure drop, or a false pressure drop indication to the computers, will trigger the ICE start up, as I understand it. So this is probably the most potentially fruitful line of inquiry. ...

In fact, all modern cars have a sealed system, as explained here.

Is it possible that problems with this system can lead to fire?!!

Was maybe this the cause of the Texas Karma fire?
I am consurned now!

 

[Fabulist]

...
As I understand it (and my understanding is pretty limited), the gas tank in the Karma is pressurized to reduce Hydrocarbon emissions from evaporation. Each time the pressure drops because the gas cap was opened or the car sat around for a long time without being driven, the ICE comes on briefly to re pressurize the gas tank and then shuts off after a few minutes. Anything causing a pressure drop, or a false pressure drop indication to the computers, will trigger the ICE start up, as I understand it. So this is probably the most potentially fruitful line of inquiry. ...

In fact, all modern cars have a sealed system, as explained here.

Is it possible that problems with this system can lead to fire?!!

Was maybe this the cause of the Texas Karma fire?
I am consurned now!

No need to be "consurned" (or concerned). As was pointed out, every car sold in this country since 1996 has had a similar system and since houses all over the country are not burning down by the thousands, we can assume that this is probably not a big fire hazard, even when not working perfectly.