[nrutledge]

Driving home Friday in Stealth mode I exhausted my battery while driving up a long approximately 6 degree sloped hill at 35 MPH.

Previously (driving on level ground) my car (v 6.13) has automatically switched to Sport mode when the battery is exhausted, but in this instance, my car abruptly stalled - blocking the evening commute. (My apologies Austin and to the guy who had to panic stop behind me.)

Attempts to restart in Stealth mode after powering down and waiting two minute intervals failed twice. I was able to clear the roadway by putting the car in neutral and backing onto the shoulder.

After more than another five minutes completely powered down, I was able to restart the car in Sport mode and proceed home uneventfully with the check engine light on.

After recharging the next morning everything operated normally. The check engine light is off.

As the stall is very abrupt, I would recommend anyone in hilly terrain to manually switch to Sport mode when battery reserves are low.

 

[Nimisys]

Actually, this may be your software level, 613.5 and 614 both included updated calibrations for the inverters (control modules for the motors and generator) to allow smoother operation. while this is felt less in the traction motors, the ICE ECM is extremely sensitive to variance in crankshaft speed caused by the AC generater it is bolted to, and if the variance becomes to great, the ECM will shut down the ICE thinking it has a misfire. Prior to 613.5, vehicles would need anywhere from 20-2000 miles for the ECM to learn the GEN and stop shutting down with false misfire detection, and even then they could be finicky. If your's is running 613, then you would not have this update, and this may be what happened. you will not feel an engine misfire in this car the same as you would in a convential vehicle.

 

[brian]

I seem to have run into a similar problem also here in Austin today:

My CEL was already on from some other PRND malfunctions over the weekend, and I was at a gas station filling up the tank. As always, the ICE turned on to do whatever it does every time you pop open the gas flap. But then... the engine started to vibrate... BADLY! Kinda like it was only firing on 3 cylinders or something. It seemed to be getting worse when suddenly it shut down an the CEL went from solid to flashing. I couldn't get the engine to turn on after that.

Now here's the funny part: I get it home on what remained of the battery and tried to call Fisker's 24-hour VIP hotline. Well, I tried multiple times, but got the "the number you dialed is not in service..." message. For a moment there I thought maybe Fisker went under over the weekend. So, I called the main HQ line and got someone that way.

Waiting for a tow truck now...

-Brian

 

[Michael]

Sad to hear, hope you get your karma back soon

 

[brian]

You know you're a Karma owner when...

 

[doug]

...I was at a gas station filling up the tank. As always, the ICE turned on to do whatever it does every time you pop open the gas flap.

Do they recommend that you fill the tank while the engine is running? Seems a basic rule of gassing up is to make sure the engine can't turn on. Did the fuel lines stay pressurized?

 

[brian]

The fuel take depressurizes when you press the open-flap button. That's why the flap doesn't open immediately. When you're done fueling and close the flap and start the car it fires up the engine presumably to repressurize it and whatnot.

-Brian

 

[Dutch]

Sorry to see this happen. But how can the ICE start running when you have turned off the car to fill up the car? Or did you leave it on?

 

[Fabulist]

Sorry to see this happen. But how can the ICE start running when you have turned off the car to fill up the car? Or did you leave it on?

@Dutch: It does not. I even refueled my car once with the car in Stealth Ready mode and the engine stayed off until I put the car in D and drove off. As someone pointed out, this was not the safest thing to do, but at the time I was experiencing the Parking System Error fault and did not want to risk getting stranded in a gas station on Sunday evening by turning my car off. It turned out to be right decision because when I turned my car on on Monday morning, the Parking System Error returned and could not be cleared, and my car had to be flat-bedded to the dealer.

 

[brian]

The ICE doesn't start running when you fill the car. It starts running as soon as you start it up after putting the fuel in it. It runs the ICE for like 5 minutes.

 

[tyler]

I seem to have run into a similar problem also here in Austin today:

My CEL was already on from some other PRND malfunctions over the weekend, and I was at a gas station filling up the tank. As always, the ICE turned on to do whatever it does every time you pop open the gas flap. But then... the engine started to vibrate... BADLY! Kinda like it was only firing on 3 cylinders or something. It seemed to be getting worse when suddenly it shut down an the CEL went from solid to flashing. I couldn't get the engine to turn on after that.

Now here's the funny part: I get it home on what remained of the battery and tried to call Fisker's 24-hour VIP hotline. Well, I tried multiple times, but got the "the number you dialed is not in service..." message. For a moment there I thought maybe Fisker went under over the weekend. So, I called the main HQ line and got someone that way.

Waiting for a tow truck now...

-Brian

I had a very similar problem the other day. this did not happen immediately after refueling but after taking it on a little like 180 mile road trip, stopping briefly at home then running out to do more things I was finally on my way home when I felt the vibration and heard a nasty coming from the engine and my CEL that was already on began to flash and my engine shutdown. thankfully I had saved 7 miles of electric and was only about 3 miles from home so I made it home fine and the next morning the engine and everything worked fine. But this is definitely a problem that needs to be looked into