[22HybridMN]

I just got a 2022 Tuscon Hybrid Limited, and the owner's manual lists the 12V battery as either an AGM or a different type of battery. Does anyone know which one is in the hybrid? I'm planning on hooking up a 1 amp "Battery Minder" when I'm gone for a month, and my research says it's needed to know to get the correct Battery Minder.
Any advice will help!

 

[Jay]

It's a lithium ion-polymer battery located in the traction battery case. You can charge it from posts in the under-hood fuse box. It's a small battery--only 15ah capacity. I would use a wall-wart style motorcycle battery charger for just a maintenance charge.

 

[mungo544]

Here is how you hook up a trickle charger.

This is what I use.

Amazon.com

 

[mungo544]

Here is how you hook up a trickle charger.

View attachment 1108

This is what I use.

Amazon.com

Before you leave, drive on the highway for about 10 minutes or so in sport mode until your battery gauge is gets to about 75% charged.

 

[22HybridMN]

Thanks to all of you-
The owners manual shows a battery in the back, and that the vehicle has to be driven at least every two weeks. And thanks for the advice on the maintainers and the Sport Mode drive before leaving.

 

[Jay]

The 12V battery for the US hybrids is under the back seat inside the traction battery case. I read in one of the service manuals that the parasitic draw on the 12v bus, after all the microcontrollers go to sleep (about 10 minutes), is less than 50mA. So your maintainer doesn't have to supply much current.

 

[22HybridMN]

Thanks again! I figure a 1 amp maintainer will do it. Also, with lead-acid and AGM's lasting a few years, I was wondering that come replacement time, is it something I could do myself, or end up at the dealer?

 

[mungo544]

As far as I know it is integrated into the main battery so I don't know if it gets replaced separately. If so, it may be covered under the 8 year battery warranty.

 

[mungo544]

Thanks to all of you-
The owners manual shows a battery in the back, and that the vehicle has to be driven at least every two weeks. And thanks for the advice on the maintainers and the Sport Mode drive before leaving.

That photo is one of many errors in the manual. That is only for the PHEV.

 

[22HybridMN]

That's good news on the battery replacement, and you're right about the picture mistakes.

 

[Turbofan]

The battery is adjacent to the traction battery and costs about $900 to replace and it is unique. Someone mentioned that it is not covered under the hybrid extended warranty.

 

[Jay]

Thanks again! I figure a 1 amp maintainer will do it. Also, with lead-acid and AGM's lasting a few years, I was wondering that come replacement time, is it something I could do myself, or end up at the dealer?

Are you asking if you could replace the Li-ion polymer battery with a pb-acid? If so, I wouldn't try. Your charging system for the 12v bus is designed to charge li-ion polymer chemistry not pb-acid. Could you replace the 12v li-poly battery yourself with another? I'm sure you could but you need to visit the tech-info website and read the related instructions and safety docs. There are dangerous voltages in the traction battery case. Opening the traction battery case voids both battery warranties. The 12-v battery is in it's own case, and physically and electrically separate from the traction battery. Hyundai warranties the traction battery for 10 years but only 3 years for the 12v battery (but it lumps the HEV and PHEV 12v batteries together even though they are completely different batteries.) The Ioniq hybrid has the same li-poly 12v battery as the Tucson HEV yet it gets the 10 yr transferable warranty of the traction battery.

 

[mungo544]

The more I read about these cars the better I feel about my decision to lease.

 

[22HybridMN]

Are you asking if you could replace the Li-ion polymer battery with a pb-acid? If so, I wouldn't try. Your charging system for the 12v bus is designed to charge li-ion polymer chemistry not pb-acid. Could you replace the 12v li-poly battery yourself with another? I'm sure you could but you need to visit the tech-info website and read the related instructions and safety docs. There are dangerous voltages in the traction battery case. Opening the traction battery case voids both battery warranties. The 12-v battery is in it's own case, and physically and electrically separate from the traction battery. Hyundai warranties the traction battery for 10 years but only 3 years for the 12v battery (but it lumps the HEV and PHEV 12v batteries together even though they are completely different batteries.) The Ioniq hybrid has the same li-poly 12v battery as the Tucson HEV yet it gets the 10 yr transferable warranty of the traction battery.

 

[22HybridMN]

Thanks for the info. My comparison of the Li-on to a lead acid battery was just for expected battery lifetime. I spend a lot of time in warm climates, and it's been my experience that even the best 5 year batteries can fail any time after 3 years. I would only use the correct battery in my Hybrid Tuscon, and it sounds like it will be a dealer install. I wonder why the difference in the 12V battery warranty between HEV & PHEV?

 

[Jay]

... I wonder why the difference in the 12V battery warranty between HEV & PHEV?

The 12v HEV and PHEV are lumped together under the same warranties, strangely enough, and it makes me wonder if somebody at Hyundai just wasn't paying close attention and thinking they were both pb-acid. The puny warranty for the Tucson li-poly 12v is esp. confusing after the Ioniq example.

 

[stargate125645]

The 12v HEV and PHEV are lumped together under the same warranties, strangely enough, and it makes me wonder if somebody at Hyundai just wasn't paying close attention and thinking they were both pb-acid. The puny warranty for the Tucson li-poly 12v is esp. confusing after the Ioniq example.

Are you saying it is strange because the 12V batteries for the HEV and PHEV have different compositions? Please pardon my ignorance.

 

[Jay]

Yes. Different chemistries entirely. A 3 yr warranty is typical and reasonable, for the 12v pb-acid battery located under the cargo area in the back of the PHEV. This is a battery that an owner can easily change on his own and buy at a walmart or whatever. The 12v lithium-ion poly battery of the HEV is packaged inside the traction battery case. I don't think the left hand was talking to the right at Hyundai when they wrote the warranty book for the HEV, especially since the identical 12v battery of the Ioniq is warrantied 10 years. The short warranty for the HEV invites Magnuson-Moss problems for Hyundai. Let's say the 12v battery in the HEV goes bad after 4 years. Under Magnuson-Moss, the car owner has the right to repair it himself or have a third party (non-dealer) do the repair without voiding any warranties. The traction battery case has to be opened to replace the 12v. Now, according to the warranty manual, the traction battery warranty is void because non-authorized people opened the case...

 

[stargate125645]

Yes. Different chemistries entirely. A 3 yr warranty is typical and reasonable, for the 12v pb-acid battery located under the cargo area in the back of the PHEV. This is a battery that an owner can easily change on his own and buy at a walmart or whatever. The 12v lithium-ion poly battery of the HEV is packaged inside the traction battery case. I don't think the left hand was talking to the right at Hyundai when they wrote the warranty book for the HEV, especially since the identical 12v battery of the Ioniq is warrantied 10 years. The short warranty for the HEV invites Magnuson-Moss problems for Hyundai. Let's say the 12v battery in the HEV goes bad after 4 years. Under Magnuson-Moss, the car owner has the right to repair it himself or have a third party (non-dealer) do the repair without voiding any warranties. The traction battery case has to be opened to replace the 12v. Now, according to the warranty manual, the traction battery warranty is void because non-authorized people opened the case...

Thank you for the clarification! Not making it easily changeable and having a 3-year warranty sounds like crap to me if they included it with the primary battery. My understanding is that the 12V and primary battery operate "independently" even though they are included in the same case, so did it really save space to do it that way? Or was it only to save on weight using Li-ion?

 

[Jay]

The lithium-ion poly saves weight and volume over the pb-acid. Hyundai claims 26lbs weight savings. I'm glad they did it. It makes sense since the 12v doesn't have to do starting duty. It's location in the traction battery case is good since that's a cool spot, it's out of the way, and the case gives some fire protection. If the 12v battery fails beyond the 3-yr warranty but before the 10yr mark, I would contact Hyundai and explain the situation letting them know that I'm going to do the job myself; that I'm going to open the traction battery case; and that I expect the traction battery warranty to still be valid because Magnuson-Moss. Maybe they would offer to cover the 12v.