High Voltage Battery Recall EXPANDED - ARB6 & ARB7

[W1NGE]

The battery monitoring software was announced to become available during Q1 of 2025 which my service adviser said probably meant the end of March. It would then need to go in to be installed at the dealer but then OTA monitoring would be able to be carried out.
Whether my 12V battery has ther capacity for this I do not know...

To be clear (for folks outside UK) this software is part of the workshop campaign WRS0 - Checking high-voltage battery cell modules and installing battery diagnostic software

Letter for this campaign was sent 19/12/24 (or close to).

ARB6 / 7 appear to be different.

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[f1eng]

To be clear (for folks outside UK) this software is part of the workshop campaign WRS0 - Checking high-voltage battery cell modules and installing battery diagnostic software

Letter for this campaign was sent 19/12/24 (or close to).

ARB6 / 7 appear to be different.

The ARB6/7 is a prelude to monitoring and is a preliminary check. The appropriate one was done on mine during its first service and it was when I picked the car up after Porsche had signed off the check that they told me the letter about monitoring software and leaving the car connected for long spells was premature since the software to do the on line monitoring wasn't ready yet. I had expected them to load it but they said probably end of March.

 

[f1eng]

Well, if it's not available by end of March, then it's not available in Q1 of 2025.

Well of course and I expect the service advisor was just subtly explaining it was unlikely to be early.

 

[f1eng]

Are you concerned this new OTA monitoring will drain/kill the 12V battery?

I have had a flat 12V battery in conditions where the manual implies it would be kept charged, so either I have a fault they didn't find when they checked (I drove straight to the dealer as soon as I got the 12V alive again) or the 12V battery is of marginal capacity for its functions.

 

[whitex]

I have had a flat 12V battery in conditions where the manual implies it would be kept charged, so either I have a fault they didn't find when they checked (I drove straight to the dealer as soon as I got the 12V alive again) or the 12V battery is of marginal capacity for its functions.

Could be just a faulty 12V battery. I had a Toyota Sienna once on which the 12V battery died every week, starting about 3 months old until a month later when Toyota just replaced it under warranty, but only after I insisted that it's not caused by my wife leaving lights on overnight. Apparently they did some sort of load test, which the battery failed, so they just gave me a new one, fixing the problem. I am uncertain with the computer managed 12V battery of the Taycan, whether they have a way to do a simple load test (draw a lot of current from the battery, see the voltage drop, etc).

 

[Tooney]

To be clear (for folks outside UK) this software is part of the workshop campaign WRS0 - Checking high-voltage battery cell modules and installing battery diagnostic software

Letter for this campaign was sent 19/12/24 (or close to).

ARB6 / 7 appear to be different.

WRS0 is a workshop campaign. ARB7 is a recall.
Similar/identical scope: VIN monitored OTA, check HV battery, and diagnostic software will be installed.

For some Taycan battery recall campaigns, Porsche generates related workshop campaigns, which may be for subsets of VINs (battery sizes, # of battery modules to be replaced, etc.) in the recalls.

In some countries, such repairs are entirely designated as workshop campaigns, not "recalls."

Is that confusing enough for everyone?

 

[W1NGE]

WRS0 is a workshop campaign. ARB7 is a recall.
Similar/identical scope: VIN monitored OTA, check HV battery, and diagnostic software will be installed.

For some Taycan battery recall campaigns, Porsche generates related workshop campaigns, which may be for subsets of VINs (battery sizes, # of battery modules to be replaced, etc.) in the recalls.

In some countries, such repairs are entirely designated as workshop campaigns, not "recalls."

Is that confusing enough for everyone?

According to the letter WRS0 will become a recall if the software can't be delivered OTA for a given vehicle.

 

[f1eng]

Could be just a faulty 12V battery. I had a Toyota Sienna once on which the 12V battery died every week, starting about 3 months old until a month later when Toyota just replaced it under warranty, but only after I insisted that it's not caused by my wife leaving lights on overnight. Apparently they did some sort of load test, which the battery failed, so they just gave me a new one, fixing the problem. I am uncertain with the computer managed 12V battery of the Taycan, whether they have a way to do a simple load test (draw a lot of current from the battery, see the voltage drop, etc).

I rather hoped they would do whatever the tests were when I took it in.
They couldn't download data from it and I suppose these days anything that doesn't show up on a laptop remains a mystery.
A load test used to be the first thing to try on a 12V battery back pre-computer!

 

[f1eng]

According to the letter WRS0 will become a recall if the software can't be delivered OTA for a given vehicle.

Ah I had originally understood from the letter I received the software would be delivered OTA but the dealer told me they would load the software and the monitoring would be OTA.

We'll find the truth of the matter in due course I suppose.

 

[Tooney]

A recently posted interim owner notification letter for Audi owners with recalls similar to ARB6/ARB7 states that the diagnostic software remedy is expected by the end of 1st quarter 2025.

 

[f1eng]

A recently posted interim owner notification letter for Audi owners with recalls similar to ARB6/ARB7 states that the diagnostic software remedy is expected by the end of 1st quarter 2025.

That confirms what the Porsche service adviser told me.

 

[mystermykee]

We’ve always been able to charge as we please under ARB7. The recall letter says nothing about charging limitations.

Oh, I thought I saw somewhere limit charging to 80%.

 

[whitex]

Oh, I thought I saw somewhere limit charging to 80%.

ARB6 has a limit of 80%, ARB7 does not (presumably Porsche is monitoring over the air).

 

[whitex]

A load test used to be the first thing to try on a 12V battery back pre-computer!

Yea, it amazes me sometimes how reliant service, not just automotive, becomes on computer diagnostics. I have however noticed that OEM service tends to be more computer diagnostics oriented, but there are mechanics out there who know how to debug things "old school". There is a thread on the forum here in which someone bought a Porsche Taycan with some weird computer errors, the Porsche dealership charged a diagnostic fee, looked at the number of errors thrown by the computer, then threw their hands up and gave up. The guy managed to figure it out on his own (with help of few members here, as he is not a computer guy at all, so literally starting with learning how to check continuity of cables) - spoiler alert, it ended up being a faulty instrument cluster. Then, once the diagnosis was confirmed, the Porsche dealer even offered to swap the instrument cluster (for a fee of course).

So it seems Porsche trains their techs to read computer output, follow documented steps, and swap parts. However, when the situations is something uncommon, something that the guys writing the diagnostics program did not foresee, it's game over. Perhaps it is cost effective to only train techs for the common issues, uncommon issues are left unresolved, if under warranty maybe they just start swapping one part at a time until they get there, or they buy the car back?

On that topic, I've been having issues with my comfort access on the driver's door handle. Unfortunately it's an intermittent issue and occurs more in a cold (so not in a warm service bay), so hard to reproduce, though to my dealer's credit, they had someone spend a couple of hours trying until they reproduced it The computer reportedly threw some error which led to replacement of all door handles. The problem persisted, so they swapped the driver's door handle out again, but unfortunately the problem still happens. I'm told the only available remedy is to keep swapping door handles. I declined since I sincerely doubt I was unlucky enough to get 3 consecutive new but faulty door handles. But, that's all than PCNA will let the dealer do to remedy this. My guess it's a signal integrity issue, but there is nothing in Porsche procedures to check for such things. I'm hoping it gets worse, i.e. very repeatable, so they can show that new handle doesn't fix the problem, then maybe Porsche mothership will send an engineer from Germany to diagnose it. Or, if I get annoyed enough, or happen to be working near the door handles and associated ECU, maybe I'll just diagnose it myself.

 

[f1eng]

Yea, it amazes me sometimes how reliant service, not just automotive, becomes on computer diagnostics. I have however noticed that OEM service tends to be more computer diagnostics oriented, but there are mechanics out there who know how to debug things "old school". There is a thread on the forum here in which someone bought a Porsche Taycan with some weird computer errors, the Porsche dealership charged a diagnostic fee, looked at the number of errors thrown by the computer, then threw their hands up and gave up. The guy managed to figure it out on his own (with help of few members here, as he is not a computer guy at all, so literally starting with learning how to check continuity of cables) - spoiler alert, it ended up being a faulty instrument cluster. Then, once the diagnosis was confirmed, the Porsche dealer even offered to swap the instrument cluster (for a fee of course).

So it seems Porsche trains their techs to read computer output, follow documented steps, and swap parts. However, when the situations is something uncommon, something that the guys writing the diagnostics program did not foresee, it's game over. Perhaps it is cost effective to only train techs for the common issues, uncommon issues are left unresolved, if under warranty maybe they just start swapping one part at a time until they get there, or they buy the car back?

On that topic, I've been having issues with my comfort access on the driver's door handle. Unfortunately it's an intermittent issue and occurs more in a cold (so not in a warm service bay), so hard to reproduce, though to my dealer's credit, they had someone spend a couple of hours trying until they reproduced it The computer reportedly threw some error which led to replacement of all door handles. The problem persisted, so they swapped the driver's door handle out again, but unfortunately the problem still happens. I'm told the only available remedy is to keep swapping door handles. I declined since I sincerely doubt I was unlucky enough to get 3 consecutive new but faulty door handles. But, that's all than PCNA will let the dealer do to remedy this. My guess it's a signal integrity issue, but there is nothing in Porsche procedures to check for such things. I'm hoping it gets worse, i.e. very repeatable, so they can show that new handle doesn't fix the problem, then maybe Porsche mothership will send an engineer from Germany to diagnose it. Or, if I get annoyed enough, or happen to be working near the door handles and associated ECU, maybe I'll just diagnose it myself.

So true.
For my older cars I work with old school mechanics but when there is a warranty involved you are a bit stuck.
I can usually diagnose faults myself it used to be part of my job.

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