Author: Strom Trooper

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Model 3 12V Battery failure – Mistakes owners make!

Model 3 (2017–2023) uses an AGM 12V battery that needs to be replaced every 3–4 years. Recently, the need for replacement has become more frequent, as Tesla vehicles have a built-in system for monitoring the capacity of the 12V battery and will notify the owner in advance when a replacement is required.

However, we are increasingly receiving inquiries—especially during the winter months—from owners who have replaced the battery themselves, but the error message remains on the screen. In most of these cases, two serious and potentially dangerous mistakes are made:

The first critical mistake is replacing the battery without consulting the instructions. Users change the battery while the system is still active and under voltage. In several cases, this has led to a short circuit and damage to the DCDC converter. It’s important to emphasize: just because the vehicle is parked and “turned off” (meaning the electric motor isn’t idling), does not mean the vehicle is actually powered down.
The correct procedure involves first disconnecting the 12V battery, followed by disconnecting the gray connector located under the right-hand side of the passenger seat. Only after this is the vehicle officially “dead” and ready for a safe 12V battery replacement.

The second critical mistake turns a simple issue into a dead end—the use of aftermarket batteries, which appear to be completely incompatible. The battery is replaced, the error disappears, everything works for 2–3 days, and then the same error reappears: “12V battery not functioning properly.” The battery is returned under warranty, a new one is installed, and the cycle repeats. After several attempts, users become frustrated and conclude that the car must have an issue, possibly drawing excessive power while idle.
What starts as a simple task quickly becomes an agonizing, costly, and service-clogging problem.

The real issue lies with the aftermarket battery itself—its chemical composition and voltage levels are not suitable for Tesla’s system, which automatically detects this as a fault. In communication with several Tesla Service Centers, it has been confirmed that this is a well-known and common issue. The only reliable solution is to install the original battery, part number 1129182-00-B, which can be ordered through Tesla’s online parts catalog—even as a private individual—at epc.tesla.com.
The cost of the original battery is €125 + VAT.

Our recommendation is to either visit an authorized service center for the replacement using the original battery or to register on Tesla’s EPC catalog as a private individual, order the correct part (which arrives in 4–5 days), and replace it yourself. After installation, enter Service Mode, select the battery model, and reset the system.
After that, the error will be permanently resolved.

Model 3 (2017–2023) koristi AGM 12V akumulator koji je potrebno mijenjati svakih 3–4 godine. Sada se sve češće javlja potreba za izmjenom, jer Tesla sustav ima ugrađeno praćenje kapaciteta 12V akumulatora te vlasnika na vrijeme upozorava da će uskoro biti potrebna zamjena.

Međutim, sve češće zaprimamo upite – osobito tijekom zimskih mjeseci – od vlasnika koji su samostalno zamijenili akumulator, ali se greška i dalje prikazuje na zaslonu. U tim slučajevima najčešće se događaju dvije ozbiljne i potencijalno opasne pogreške:

Prva fatalna pogreška je izmjena akumulatora bez prethodnog proučavanja uputa – korisnici mijenjaju akumulator dok je sustav još aktivan i pod naponom. U nekoliko slučajeva to je dovelo do kratkog spoja i oštećenja DCDC pretvarača. Važno je naglasiti: to što je vozilo parkirano i “ugašeno” jer elektromotor ne vrti u “leru”, ne znači da je zaista isključeno.
Ispravan postupak uključuje najprije odspajanje 12V akumulatora, a zatim odspajanje sivog konektora ispod desne strane putničkog sjedala. Tek tada je vozilo službeno “mrtvo” i spremno za sigurnu zamjenu 12V akumulatora.

Druga zadnja fatalna pogreška vodi cijeli slučaj u slijepu ulicu – zamjenski akumulatori izgleda uopce nisu kompatibilni. Vlasnici zamijene akumulator, greška nestane, sve funkcionira 2–3 dana, ali se zatim ponovno pojavi ista greška: “12V akumulator nije ispravan”. Nakon toga se akumulator reklamira, zamijeni, ponovno ugradi – i opet ista situacija. Nakon nekoliko pokušaja, korisnici gube strpljenje i zaključuju da je s vozilom nešto neispravno, odnosno da ono “vuče struju” u stanju mirovanja. Pa se sasvim jednotavan zahvat pretvori u agoniju i skupu proceduru te zagusivanje servisa.

Pravi uzrok problema je sam zamjenski akumulator – njegov kemijski sastav i naponski nivo nisu adekvatni za Teslin sustav, koji to automatski detektira kao grešku. U komunikaciji s nekoliko Tesla Service Centara potvrđeno je da je to čest i poznat problem, te da se greška može trajno ukloniti isključivo ugradnjom originalnog akumulatora oznake 1129182-00-B (Clarios ili Atlas), koji je moguće naručiti putem Teslinog online kataloga čak i ako niste tvrtka, putem linka: epc.tesla.com.
Cijena originalnog akumulatora je 125 € + PDV.

Preporuka je da se posjetite ovlasteni servis za izmjenu 12V akumulatora sa originalnim ili da se registrirate na EPC katalog kao privatna osoba, narucite dio koji korz 4-5 dana stigne na adresu i sami ga zamjenite. Nakon toga udjete u service mode i podesite model akumulatora i resetirate sustave. Nakon toga više nema greške.

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Cracking into VAG DQ500 0BH927711F 2022> – SOLVED

The quality of EU automatic transmissions in fossil-fuel vehicles is becoming their owners’ own grave—ranging from weakened materials to poor, unrepairable solutions. Worst of all, manufacturers lock the electronics to prevent reuse from salvaged or crashed vehicles. They modify security software and implement new protections to make even the most expensive aftermarket tools, like Flex and KTag, obsolete, ensuring that the monopoly over both markets remains within the same players.

Over the past 15 years, we have cracked 12 transmissions and pumps with hardware protections on BARDIE platforms to give components a “second life” (7G, 772.8, 6Txx, DQ200, PSG16, etc.). This DQ500 with an “F” after 2022 designation has its bootstrap deactivated on the CAN bus, making cloning the original unit onto a used one impossible with currently available tools—even though this could solve a €2,000 problem that can appear as early as 50,000 km (something what diesel fans say that nothing never fails).

After a few days under the microscope and using internal methods, the DQ500 was pwned for reading and writing on the bench, requiring partial disassembly of the electronics and connections to the main connector. BARDIE electronics have exposed chips on ceramic, encapsulated in silicone, with gold wires bonded to the ceramic PCB traces. The backtrace process and debugging are a nightmare—days of meticulous probing under a 10x microscope, tracking and testing all lines and combinations, often destroying several electronics in the process.

The main issue is that these processors are often custom-made, with no available datasheets—especially for Renesas processors found in BMW 8HP, Mercedes 9G, Aisin transmissions, etc. So far, we have cracked all MPC and Tricore processors without datasheets, becoming pioneers in this field over a decade ago. Even today, we continue to receive requests to save fossil vehicle owners from bankruptcy.

EVC: Full read/write and digital forensic

New DQ500 : 2000€

Part number: 0BH927711F

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Renault Zoe and Twingo (453EQ) Expensive Charging nightmare

If your Renault Zoe R240 (and old Q210) isn’t charging at a AC station – don’t panic, something probably “exploded.” but we can repair it.



Every month, we receive over 10 vehicles with various symptoms and causes of charging failure. The charging system consists of three key components:
rotor windings (electric motor), EMI filter, and BCB module – and the fault can be in one, or even all of them.

If only the BCB is replaced and the new charging issue reappears, warranty does not cover the typical complaint “it’s not charging again,” because the root cause could be something on other components in the rotor or the EMI filter.
If we followed the approach of authorized services and replaced everything blindly, the repair cost for the Zoe’s onboard charger would reach around €8000 + VAT – just for parts.

Our mission is to make Renault Zoe repairs sustainable, so we approach the issue sequentially: we analyze the entire system and only repair what’s actually defective.

Example:
The EMI filter (MAHLE, new unit: €3400 + VAT) had a melted precharge resistor sealed in epoxy – making it irreparable. New units are overpriced, and used ones are rare and still expensive.

Another common issue is the Infineon IGBT module FS200T12A1T4, which is not commercially available.
If we don’t have it in stock, we’re forced to replace the entire BCB and program it manually.

The design flaw of the entire system lies in poor thermal dissipation: the IGBT is cooled directly to an aluminum casing that must dissipate 22 kW of power (converting AC to DC to charge the high-voltage battery) across a surface of just 13 cm x 7 cm – leading to overheating and failure.
Also, if you’re charging with an empty or faulty A/C system, it’s only a matter of time before we meet.

A dangerous side effect of OBC system failure in the Zoe – one that even charging station operators may not be aware of:
The Zoe can destroy the charger itself, and sometimes even all vehicles plugged in within a 20-meter radius (we’ve witnessed this multiple times).

Prevention?
Other than ensuring the air-conditioning system is properly filled and functioning flawlessly – none.

⸻

OEM component prices:
• BCB: €800 – €1900
• EMI filter: €1800 – €3600
• Electric motor: €4500

EVC repair (total): €1400 – €2800

You can purchase Infineon IGBT stock here: https://evclinic.hr/hr/product/fs200t12a1t4-infineon-hybridpack1-igbt/?v=c4cc1a1ba567

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Mythbusting EV, ICE and Hybrid powertrain price Comparison

ANALYSIS AND MYTHBUSTING – What is cheaper to maintain? What is the price of a new battery? What is the price of a new motor, a new transmission?

Short and clear: incompetent journalists and mainstream media have been misleading you for years, and this should have been their job. In the Excel sheet we are making publicly available, you will find individual prices for all drivetrain components. On the far right, there are catalog numbers, “parts” images from the catalog, and other parameters. Price fluctuations for parts are possible in different countries. Corrections can be sent to us. Some prices are missing because manufacturers conceal them, so U.S. catalogs were used.

TABLE LINK: Google Sheets

We have put in the effort for both ourselves and you, digging deep into every corner of sustainability by researching several authorized service catalogs. After a month of searching, the data we collected is both interesting and alarming. Reflecting on the struggle we went through to gather this information—submitting aftermarket support requests, waiting for activations, paying for each access, dealing with broken links—it has become crystal clear which manufacturers will survive the rise of next-generation specialized workshops and which won’t. It all boils down to three parameters: Simple, Serviceable, and Accessible!

These three parameters also apply to owners of all future ICE, Hybrid, and EV vehicles because, without them, there will be NO WORKFORCE to maintain your vehicle because nobody wants to use complex system to service complex powertrains. Relying on authorized services means replacing entire drivetrain components and incurring high costs.

A critical mistake by manufacturers is the use of pouch cells, which have proven unreliable and, in some cases, dangerous (EQB, Leaf, Kona). One of the parameters you should consider when buying a vehicle is “What type of cells does the vehicle have?” The priority should be cylindrical or prismatic/blade cells.

For those unaware, the most critical EV component is not the battery (though it is for hybrids). The most critical components are:

  1. Electric Motors
  2. On-Board Charger (OBC)
  3. Heat Pump
  4. Battery comes in last place.

Therefore, the prices of these components in this order should concern you most, along with the quality of the Right-to-Repair system.

The most expensive batteries per kWh are found in hybrids, of any type. On average, the total kWh cost for hybrids is 40% higher than that of EV battery systems.
The most expensive complete drivetrain systems, on average, are hybrids, followed by ICE vehicles, while EV systems are the cheapest. (This refers to the average cost!)

The worst parts procurement systems, right-to-repair access, and support (backend/frontend) are from: Xpeng, MG, BYD, Stellantis, Honda, Nissan, Volvo, Rivian, Lucid, Mazda, Hyundai, Kia.

  • MG and BYD have not yet activated their RMI systems.
  • Lucid and Rivian have no RMI systems at all.
  • Hyundai does not issue invoices, leaving accounting departments with nothing to process.
  • Kia has not yet approved RMI accounts and discriminates against Croatian and Slovenian owners by blocking access to Kia Connect.

Warranties you cannot rely on if you purchase vehicles from: Stellantis, Mercedes, Kia, Hyundai.

  • KMAG shortens factory-recommended service intervals and ties the warranty to drivetrain maintenance.
  • Another concerning factor is the price difference for parts between Germany, France, and the Balkans.

All parts sold under Grand Automotive (covering MG, Renault, Dacia, Nissan) are 20–40% more expensive. It’s cheaper to buy a vehicle locally and service it in Italy or Austria.

Dacia Spring is alarming, with a potentially artificial price boost on parts to push new car sales due to uneconomical repairs. Practically every damage leads to a total loss, raising concerns for insurance companies. A comprehensive insurance policy for this car should cost more than one for a Porsche Panamera.

In-house component-level repair:

  • Tesla, despite leading in statistics, unfortunately lacks an internal system for servicing battery modules or components.
  • BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Ford, Mazda, Nissan, VAG, Volvo allow the purchase and replacement of individual components within the service network.

Cheapest components:

  • Tesla has the lowest kWh cost.
  • VW has the cheapest OBC.
  • Tesla has the cheapest electric motors.
  • Tesla also has the best right-to-repair (RMI) system.
  • Tesla and BMW offer the best powertrain value and cheapest powertrain parts.
  • Porsche has the most expensive parts globally.

Best RMI systems (critical for sustainability and cost-effectiveness): Tesla, BMW, Mercedes, VAG, Ford, Toyota.
Worst systems: Stellantis, Kia, Hyundai, Xpeng, MG, BYD.
The most expensive systems (unsustainable for servicing): BMW, Xpeng, BYD—this significantly increases the total cost of vehicle ownership and reduces ROI.
Lucid, Rivian, and others have no support systems, meaning these vehicles should be avoided as they could become unusable and not servicable at any moment.

Tesla offers the cheapest RMI system, EPC accessible even to individuals without needing a business. It’s even free, and the total cost for full access is only €612.

Chinese brands have proven completely unprepared for European expansion and lack scalable systems for corporate and aftermarket needs. Some EU representatives of these brands are already considering withdrawal due to non-functional EPC catalogs and even worse support.

And when all is said and done, it becomes clear why Tesla is the king of the road and the only truly sustainable and financially accessible vehicle manufacturer—unlike legacy automakers who have become mere “assemblers of outsourced parts” produced by 100 different external companies. Other statistical favorites are BMW, Mercedes, Hyundai, Polestar, Volvo, and of course, Toyota.

For those considering a hybrid instead of an EV, there’s no need to look at anything other than Toyota and Lexus. Oherwise, you are looking into bankruptcy.

Source for part prices: OEM Catalogs, Online USA catalogs, OEM Invoices and quotes, partslink24.com

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2015 Volvo V60 PHEV – 3700€ per kWh – Buy a New Hybrid Battery or a Whole Tesla Long Range? Dilema…

For those of you who’ve been waiting, here it is—a hybrid with over 500,000 km on the odometer, arriving on a trailer. Among a sea of errors, from the initial diagnosis of a faulty inverter to a detailed inspection, we finally traced the issue to the traction battery located in the trunk. The owner spent months pleading with us to take the car in.

After a lot of disassembly and detaching, the over 120 kg battery was removed. Upon opening it, the issue was immediately apparent: extreme swelling of the cells. This phenomenon typically occurs in heavily worn battery systems, where increased internal resistance leads to overheating and cell swelling. The swelling damaged the module cage, insulation between cells, and even caused a short to the chassis—resulting in 400V on the door handle.

Despite this shocking condition, the system was designed with LG Chem cells and active cooling (something the Nissan Leaf hasn’t had in 14 years). LG Chem cells deserve a trophy—wherever we’ve encountered them, they’ve proven to be reliable and durable. If someone forced us under threat to use pouch cells (notorious for being the worst choice for any application) in a project, we’d still opt for these. The system strongly resembles the Chevrolet/Opel Ampera battery pack.

The cells now have a resistance exceeding 3MΩ, well beyond acceptable limits, making this an extremely hazardous situation. Finding used cells is quite challenging. Used batteries in unknown conditions cost between €4,000 and €10,000, while a new battery system is priced at a staggering €44,000 plus installation. With this hybrid, Volvo breaks two records: the mileage and the cost of the battery system.

We couldn’t shake the suspicion that the battery might have been replaced before, so we dug deep, verifying the original serial number (313101011) on the battery and through Volvo Cloud. It was confirmed to be the original. However, the cost of a new battery is utterly disappointing. Dividing that cost over 514,000 km, even if you drove exclusively on electric power without ever starting the diesel engine, you’d still need to spend an additional €10 per 100 km just to pay for the battery—plus electricity costs. Once again, the PHEV lifecycle proves unsustainable.

The only viable solution would be a complete rebuild of the battery system with new cells, but the problem is the lack of new cells with the same form factor and dimensions. We are currently searching for a used battery system to bring this vehicle, which has been sitting idle for seven months, back to life.

Evo vi koji ste čekali, dočekali ste. Trenutno jedini hybrid koji je ušao u dvorište na prikolici a da ima preko 500,000km na satu. U moru grešaka od prve dijagnoze da je inverter neispravan do detaljnog ispitivanja dolazimo do traga i kvara pogonske baterije smještene u prtljažniku. Vlasnik je mjesecima molio da primimo vozilo. Hrpa raskopavanja i otpajanja da se izvadi vani, mase preko 120kg. Nakon otvaranja problem je već vidljiv da je došlo do ekstremnog napuhavanja ćelija što je inače pojava kod jako istrošenog baterijskog sustava gdje se povecanjem unutarnjeg otpora povećava i pregrijavanje sustava pa i samo napuhavanje ćelija. Napuhavanje je podrobio kavez modula, oštetilo izolator izmedju celija i probilo izolaciju na šasiju tj imate na kvaki od vrata 400V. Iako nevjerovatno sustav je dizajniran sa LG Chem celijama i aktivnim hladjenjem (ono što Nissan Leaf nema 14 godina). LG Chem ćelije zaslužuju trofej jer gdje god smo ih dosad našli pokazale su se jako kvalitetnim i izdržljivim. Mi osobno da nas neko pod prijetnjom natjera da koristimo POUCH CELIJE (koje su najgore za bilo što) u nekom projektu, izabrali bi upravo ove. Sustav jako podsjeća na Chevrolet tj Opel Ampera battery pack. Celije imaju otpor preko 3Mohm što je izvan dozvoljenih kontura i jako opasno stanje. Rabljene ćelije je malo teže naći. Rabljene baterije u nepoznatom stanju su od 4000-10000€ a dok je nov baterijski sustav 44000€ + ugradnja. Tako da Volvo sa ovim hybridom ruši 2 rekorda, broj kilometara i cijenu baterijskog sustava. Nismo se mogli oduzeti sumnji da je baterija ipak mozda mjenjana, pa smo kroz najdublje kanale provjerili čak i koji je originalni serijski broj baterije (313101011) na samoj bateriji i u Volvo Cloud sustavu gdje je potvrdjeno da je original. Medjutim cijena nove baterije je čisto razočarenje jer kad cijenu podjeliš na 514,000km to znači da kad bi iskljucivo vozio na struju da nikad u 10 godina ne upalis Dizel motor, morao bi trošiti dodatno 10€ na svakih 100km da platiš bateriju + potrošnja struje, gdje se PHEV lifecycle opet pokazuje neodrživim. Jedina opcija bi bila da se baterijski sustav kompletno reparira novim celijama, ali problem je nepostojanje novih istih celija sa istim formfactor dimenzijama. Trenutno tražimo rabljen baterijski sustav da bi riješili vozilo koje stoji nepokretno vec 7 mjeseci.

Fault: Isolation

OEM : 46,000€

EVC: unknown

Part number: 31407014T, 31394702, 3319286, 31453487, 36010491, MMHV1502A312A-L0,

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Warranty Abuse ™: The Industry’s Neglect of Accountability

Warranty Rape: The Industry’s Neglect of Accountability

In recent years, the automotive industry has increasingly faced criticism for its mishandling of warranty claims, leading to what we at EV Clinic call potential “warranty abuse”—a systematic exploitation of customers who trust manufacturers to uphold their commitments. This term encapsulates the severe disregard for consumer rights, particularly in cases involving factory defects, global recalls, and manipulative tactics that leave owners stranded once warranties expire.

Case Studies and Scenarios

Analyzing various incidents, a pattern emerges: manufacturers prioritizing cost-cutting over customer satisfaction and safety. Here are notable examples:

  1. Delay Warranty Tactics
    • Our deep dive into some EOM reveals troubling practices. Customers report their vehicles returning from dealerships with error codes erased instead of repairs being conducted. This tactic delays addressing underlying issues until warranties expire, leaving owners with costly repairs.Despite global recalls for systemic defects, some OEM has frequently avoided proactive repairs, shifting the financial burden to customers. Such behavior undermines the purpose of recalls, which should prioritize safety and transparency.

  1. “planned obsolesence”
    • Some OEM, a symbol of luxury, has faced backlash for its handling of high-end EV models. The model serves as a glaring example where inherent defects are either denied under warranty or downplayed, forcing customers to pay exorbitant repair costs out-of-pocket. This premium brand’s failure to take responsibility tarnishes its reputation and compromises trust. Programmed defects triggered by accident by owners and cant be erased with OEM dealership tool and demands for example complete healthy battery pack change but not under warranty.
  2. Critical cell inflation issue
    • Kia’s hybrid models have garnered attention for their innovative designs but also for their dual failures: technical shortcomings and subpar warranty service. Instead of resolving issues, customers often encounter roadblocks when seeking coverage, further exacerbating frustration. Such practices show a lack of commitment to their product’s longevity and customer satisfaction. And what we mosly see is that females are affected with warranty decline.

    https://evclinic.eu/2024/12/12/kia-hybrid-2-in-1-hybrid-trash-and-warranty-rape/

Common Tactics Used Against Customers

Across these cases, automakers employ similar strategies that erode consumer rights:

  • Error Code Erasure: Clearing diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) without addressing the root cause creates an illusion of functionality until warranty periods expire.
  • Warranty Claim Rejections: Claims for factory defects are often denied under vague justifications such as “wear and tear” or improper usage. For example Stellanits has for complete EV fleet one mandatory service intervall at 10,000km called “First service” where they change fill in windshil fluid. If you miss that, you lose warranty on the battery pack.
  • Global Recall Avoidance: Some manufacturers delay or ignore global recalls, exposing drivers to safety risks while avoiding financial liability.
  • Technical Documentation Ambiguity: Customers are often unable to provide sufficient evidence due to opaque documentation and inaccessible technical details. Common practice is that dealerships do not log any major warranty parst change and they do not log it into digital service book.

The Broader Implications

The consequences of these practices extend beyond financial burdens for individual customers:

  • Safety Risks: Neglected recalls and ignored defects pose severe safety hazards on public roads.
  • Environmental Damage: Faulty hybrid and electric vehicle components contribute to waste and environmental degradation.
  • Erosion of Trust: Long-term damage to brand reputation as customers become disillusioned with deceptive practices.

Demanding Accountability

To address these issues, EV Clinic proposes the following steps:

  1. Enforce Regulatory Oversight: Governments and regulatory bodies must hold manufacturers accountable for warranty claims, particularly in cases involving safety.
  2. Increase Transparency: Automakers should provide clear documentation for all repairs, defects, and recall procedures.
  3. Enhance Consumer Protection Laws: Strengthen legal frameworks to ensure warranties are honored and manipulated tactics like error code erasure are penalized.

Conclusion

The automotive industry must confront its systemic failings and prioritize customer welfare over short-term profits. At EV Clinic, we remain committed to exposing and challenging these injustices while advocating for fair treatment for all vehicle owners. The term “warranty abuse” may be provocative, but it reflects the harsh reality faced by countless customers left vulnerable by manufacturers’ exploitative practices. Owners often do not have money and time to fight those issues.

It’s time for automakers to uphold their promises and restore integrity to their warranties.

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Legacy OEMs Fear REEV: The Ultimate Hybrid Solution They Don’t Want You to Know About

The only hybrid that embodies logic, sustainability, redundancy, and long-term reliability is the REEV or REX system, the Range Extender. In this system, the primary drive is electric, with a smaller (or larger) battery, while the ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) serves as a generator to assist under heavy loads, protect the battery from high currents, and reduce the overall number of charging and discharging cycles. It sounds simple and looks simple.

The image shows a masterpiece, an unfulfilled pioneer, the Fisker Karma Plug-in Range-Extender with a 20 kWh battery in the central tunnel. At the rear, it features two axial electric motors on the differential, and at the front, a GM/Opel 2.0 Turbo gasoline engine with side exhaust pipes and no axles or connection to a drivetrain toward the wheels. It functions solely as a generator, charging as needed and acting as a power-assist generator. It operates very quietly and is almost imperceptible during driving.

This particular vehicle, with 200,000 km, is still in perfect working condition without a single screw being touched on either motor. The small battery, which in a typical substandard hybrid would have long since failed, still performs well in the REX system. What’s even more interesting is that the REX system doesn’t rely on the battery being fully functional or how much it has degraded, as high currents are still managed by the generator. Even if the ICE engine is non-functional, you can drive on electricity and charge via a socket, or if the battery is faulty, you can drive using the generator.

The REX hybrid system is everything that conventional hybrids are not: reliable and redundant. Besides having a generator, you never have to turn it on; you can charge it daily using a home charger and drive 100 km. This particular vehicle arrived with a fault in the OBCM module due to water entering the connector, damaging the module, making socket charging impossible, but it still runs on the front generator. We haven’t been able to repair the OBCM module yet, but another is on its way from eBay.

The company went bankrupt in 2013 due to a series of unfortunate events, as their battery module supplier, A123, went bankrupt, halting their entire production and leading them to bankruptcy. Today, this model is still produced under new management under the name Revero, by Karma Automotive.

In person, this car is a true road renaissance. Its design, crafted by Fisker, who is also the artist behind the Aston Martin DB9, Artega GT, BMW Z8, and had a hand in the Tesla Model S and Model 3, is stunning.

The Fisker Karma is a textbook example of a perfect hybrid, where the EV drive is primary. Even after 12 years, it still drives with original parts and without authorized service or support—something 99% of EU conventional hybrid junk couldn’t endure for six months. Stay away from hybrids that are not REX. This is one I would even buy myself, and we’ve included a complete aftermarket support specialization in our plans.

MHEV (Mild Hybrids) are the teletubbies of hybrids—barely deserving the hybrid label. Some rare models are decent, but many are prone to failure and very expensive to maintain. REX is the only sustainable hybrid, sometimes even better than EVs. The list of true REX systems is very short:

  • Fisker Karma
  • Karma Revero
  • BMW i3 REX
  • Opel Ampera
  • Cadillac ELR
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How to prevent Tesla LDU failure and what owners should do when it fails! Sorry Tesla, but RMN is problematic with frequent failures!

The significant drop in the price of the used Tesla Model S has attracted the attention of many EV enthusiasts. However, some models with the Large Drive Unit (LDU) hide higher costs for owners who expected a 12-year-old vehicle to require no maintenance for a modest purchase price. The Tesla LDU, found in all Tesla Model S and X vehicles with PxxD or RWD configurations (P85, P90, S85, S90, S75, S70, S60), is one of the most demanding and expensive components to repair.

Nearly two years ago, we already discussed the flaws and reasons for the low reliability of these motors. Read the full article below:

Letter to Tesla – Large Drive Unit RMN failure

We followed up with a guide on which Tesla models are the most reliable and recommended for new EV enthusiasts. However, if an LDU failure occurs, the current repair cost at EV Clinic is €2,400 for motor rewinding and €2,800 for a complete motor remanufacturing, bringing the total cost to €5,200 + VAT. In comparison, the price at a Tesla service center is currently around €6,500 + VAT.

Unfortunately, our pricing at EV Clinic reflects our commitment to delivering the best possible quality and maintaining the highest level of trust. This includes a 2-year warranty with no mileage limit. The results of our work speak for themselves, with real-world testing proving the durability of our repairs.

One notable example is Hansjörg von Gemmingen-Hornberg’s Tesla P90, which had accumulated 1,800,000 km. After we repaired his motor using all of our advanced technological expertise, the motor has now covered 450,000 km without a single issue, breaking the streak of 13 previously replaced motors. This achievement underscores the unparalleled reliability of our repairs and he is the man who gave us reason to assemble and name eDrive kit a “Holy Grail”. LINK HERE

After three years and several hundred repaired LDUs, we can confidently say that we have the most durable long-term solution for these electric motors. It’s important to highlight from our findings that RMN stators in LDU motors are of very poor quality, often causing significant damage to the entire motor. Eventually, they lead to insulation failure, resulting in the vehicle coming to a halt and bearing arcing due high rotor discharge.

To address this issue permanently, we have developed an improved solution by rewinding the stator with enhanced industrial-grade materials, ensuring reliability and longevity. LINK HERE . And to openly offer our kit and know-how we assembled “holy grail” kit for all independent workshops LINK HERE

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KIA Hybrid – 2 in 1 – Hybrid problems and potential “Warranty Abuse”

In our view, current hybrid designs with small, overworked batteries and a primary ICE engine are not truly sustainable. We have 7 severe cases: a Mercedes w205 with a burnt and cooked battery, a boiled VW GTE, 2 Kias with burnt and cooked batteries, a Porsche Panamera with a burnt and cooked battery, and 3 Toyota Priuses with burnt and cooked batteries. Choosing to drive a new diesel or a hybrid carries significant risks and costs, Besides being unreliable with very expensive failures, the savings are placebo and maintenance costs at 150k km can cost up to €20,000. A 2017 Kia Optima Plugin with only 160k km came in with a battery failure, hoping it was just a few cells, we called the owner in for diagnostics and repair. After disassembly and measurement, we found all cells to be inflated, cooked, and totally degraded. The system is air-cooled. According to the owner, the issue may have been simply reset during previous warranty service visits, giving a false impression that ‘everything is fine’ without actually fixing the problem. However, it is not fine, and on the third vehicle, by deceiving the owner, they erase the error via OBD to turn off the malfunction light and temporarily “solve the problem”. Potential KMAG warranty abuse according the owner on a battery that should be subject to an automatic global recall as the swelling of cells is a “safety risk” and could potentially cause a fire if a cell breaches the battery case. A new battery costs about €17,000 to replace for a 9kWh battery. The cells are LG Chem, non-standard dimensions 17x24x0.6 with a capacity of 27Ah. The internal resistance of the cells is about 4mOhm (2 is actually for recycling). Since it’s not just a couple of defective cells but the entire battery pack, repair is not possible. It’s not possible in that quantity because there are no new cells to replace it. At ~160,000 km, the vehicle in this case was beyond economical repair (effectively a total loss). Now you might wonder why? because much of the mainstream media coverage has portrayed EVs negatively while painting hybrids and diesels in a better light. Every day social media is full of the same propaganda and demonizing headlines against EVs. In practice, it’s quite different, only the Nissan Leaf has an irreparable battery, while every hybrid is a pile of expensive problem at 200k. The only hybrid that would theoretically be sustainable is with at least a 40-50kWh battery, primary electric drive, and a generator that recharges, like the BMW REX system, everything else is just costing you more, not saving you money.

OEM Price Kia: €17,000. 150k km
Mercedes: €15,000 160k km
Porsche: €18,000 180k km
VW GTE: €12,000 180k km
EVC: not repairable, needs new battery design and production – €8,000-€16,000

Part number: 37503-A8510, 37506-E6610

Error: P0A7F, P1B96

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BMW X5 F15 40e – Another dead Hybrid with 150,000 km


The battery system is worn out, with 1-2 cells completely damaged. The only reliable solution in such cases is to replace all modules, ensuring the next 100,000 km before a new cell replacement is required. However, this is only possible if the BMW dealer does not permanently deactivate the battery system using the EOS tool.

Patching with used modules has proven ineffective, as replacing only one module leads to the rapid failure of the next weakest module. Such an approach would result in quarterly module replacements, which would be a burden on the service and is not something we attempt. Replacing all modules at an authorized dealer costs around €11,000 for 9 kWh, including parts and labor.

We have access to almost new modules with 95% SOH, but even after replacement, we encountered the issue of a deactivated SME system, leaving the vehicle non-operational. This was our first encounter with such a problem. We were unaware that the owner had previously gone to BMW Graz “for diagnostics,” where, after diagnosing a faulty battery, they permanently deactivated the SME system to indirectly “force” a full battery replacement if he declines service. Once the system is deactivated, the only option is reactivation using the EOS or IMIB tools at an authorized service, just toolcosting €15,000.

After three months, we managed to reactivate the SME system, but this process, essentially pressing “ENTER” on the keyboard, cost an additional €1,000 to end user as EVC service. If you see the error code 21F1F6, it means the SME system is locked and prepare your “fuel saving”

It’s unbelievable how many requests we receive for hybrids. We can’t resolve all of them, nor is it our priority, but it’s disheartening how many customers have been misled by the automotive industry’s propaganda. While EVs are demonized, PHEVs are promoted as the perfect transition, yet when the maintenance costs arise, disappointment follows. The worst part is that, due to import incentives for hybrids, based on lower CO2 emissions, this worn-out PHEV junk from Germany with over 150,000 km is being imported into poorer countries in the hope of “fuel saving money.”

And Europe wonders why it’s losing customer trust in its vehicles and its global dominance in the automotive industry…

Faults: 21F1F6, 21F126, 21F137, 21F234

Partnumbers: 61278686085, 61258676830, 861216902

OEM: 11000€
EVC 4500€