12v Lead Acid Battery Replacement

[PatientIsopod]

I got the "Replace 12V Battery" message yesterday, luckily for now my truck is still able to drive. I sent Rivian a mobile appointment request (I live almost 2 hours away from the nearest service center) and unfortunately the next window they'll be out in my neck of the woods is in December, more than a month away. They told me I could drive it during this time as long as I kept it plugged in as much as possible. Should I trust that? The threads I've read here make me think that I'm going to get stuck somewhere.

In the mean time, I saw videos and threads describing how to replace these, which definitely seems like something I could DIY. The trouble is that I don't want Lithium batteries as I live in a cold area, and unfortunately that's the only non-OEM battery I've seen people use. Is there a lead-acid replacement for these that has the posts in the right spots?

Thanks for your help.

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[mudito]

If it's under warranty I would let Rivian replace it. Yes it plugged in or otherwise you WILL wake up to a dead Rivian.

A few hours without energy and the 12v will suddenly fail and leave you stranded. I would insist with Rivian and ask for a mobile service as soon as available.

 

[PatientIsopod]

If it's under warranty I would let Rivian replace it. Yes it plugged in or otherwise you WILL wake up to a dead Rivian.

A few hours without energy and the 12v will suddenly fail and leave you stranded. I would insist with Rivian and ask for a mobile service as soon as available.

I've had my R1T for more than three years now, so the 12V are no longer covered by warranty, sadly.

I'll absolutely keep it plugged in at home, unfortunately it's my only vehicle so I do at least need to do grocery trips with it, which is where my concern lies.

I tried talking to Rivian again about it just now, and they said that I still have the earliest available appointment (apparently they rotate the regions that they're servicing?). They did say that they'd have the service team check it out remotely to make sure it's okay to drive, so we'll see what they have to say. I'm definitely going to have to cancel some upcoming trips, that's for sure. Sure glad I'm staying home for thanksgiving.

 

[foxerson]

I would lean on Rivian for options to get the battery replaced much sooner.

If you are willing to embrace the Rivian adventure spirit with a DIY attempt, I would be really curious to find out if this would work as a replacement:
https://fullriverbattery.com/batteries/part-ft230d/
It looks like the dimensions and specs are equivalent and it appears to be available from several sites online for about $100.

Note that the suitability of this battery is pure conjecture on my part, not an endorsement or professional opinion. To be safe, see my first point about leaning on Rivian service for a quicker resolution.

 

[mudito]

I wouldn't be concerned for short trips. Just when parked for extended periods of time is when it might shutdown. Also, I wouldn't be surprised if you get a free replacement due to many of the batteries are failing....


Best of luck and keep us posted!

 

[PatientIsopod]

I would lean on Rivian for options to get the battery replaced much sooner.

If you are willing to embrace the Rivian adventure spirit with a DIY attempt, I would be really curious to find out if this would work as a replacement:
https://fullriverbattery.com/batteries/part-ft230d/
It looks like the dimensions and specs are equivalent and it appears to be available from several sites online for about $100.

Note that the suitability of this battery is pure conjecture on my part, not an endorsement or professional opinion. To be safe, see my first point about leaning on Rivian service for a quicker resolution.

Interesting, that really does seem like a drop in replacement, looking at the size and specs. Definitely something to think about.. seems like the OEM batteries are over $350 on ebay, so that would be a huge savings if I did end up doing DIY.

I wouldn't be concerned for short trips. Just when parked for extended periods of time is when it might shutdown. Also, I wouldn't be surprised if you get a free replacement due to many of the batteries are failing....


Best of luck and keep us posted!

That eases my concern a bit, thanks. It would be great to "luck out" and get a free replacement. I'll definitely keep the thread updated!

 

[dradam]

For the same concern that you’re having, I asked Rivian if I could buy a 12 V. They said no. Very frustrating. I’m not comfortable with what I’m hearing about the Ohmmu.
I would keep one In my garage and one in my frunk. If anyone tries this drop in please let me know.

 

[mudito]

For the same concern that you’re having, I asked Rivian if I could buy a 12 V. They said no. Very frustrating. I’m not comfortable with what I’m hearing about the Ohmmu.
I would keep one In my garage and one in my frunk. If anyone tries this drop in please let me know.

There are (at least) a couple of members who have it installed, but I haven't heard of a long-term review yet.

Also, people seem to be concerned of the cold weather performance of these types of batteries.

 

[JackRussellRacing]

My 12v was replaced today. 100000% plug it in now. Do not pass GO. Do not collect $100.

I am lucky; my mobile tech arrived within 2 days for the replacement. I am 250 miles from the closest SC.

 

[JackRussellRacing]

For the same concern that you’re having, I asked Rivian if I could buy a 12 V. They said no. Very frustrating. I’m not comfortable with what I’m hearing about the Ohmmu.
I would keep one In my garage and one in my frunk. If anyone tries this drop in please let me know.

When I saw all the diagnostic screens on my mobile-tech's laptop after installing new 12v batteries (dual), I think I understand why they want to discourage owner-installed batteries.

 

[mudito]

When I saw all the diagnostic screens on my mobile-tech's laptop after installing new 12v batteries (dual), I think I understand why they want to discourage owner-installed batteries.

In all fairness, there IS an option in the service menu exclusively for 12V batt replacement. I would probably suspect that it shouldn't be a big deal to DIY BUT, also understand the many more things a tech can check with the proper software


EDIT: Here's the image that I saw and took a picture.

 

[Nixapatfan]

If it's not covered under warranty I would diy it with aftermarket. Rivian charges about $700 for it and we all know these don't last long.

 

[Singletracker]

If the vehicle is pugged in, but not actively charging, does plugging it in really do anything? Or, does the vehicle take advantage of the onshore power to maintain systems in the background, without charging? Always wondered about this. I don’t typically plug in, unless I plan on charging. Maybe I should rethink that.

 

[ndmiller]

It's a deep cycle lead acid just like most EV's. These batteries run all the 12V stuff probably including the HVAC (not sure).

Get the right group and type of battery, watch the video on the aftermarket site and you should be good.

I'd put the new battery on an optima charger overnight before I started to make sure it's 100%

if you wanted you can put a pigtail on your Rivian 12V and plug it into an Optima charger as well. It would tell you battery health, desuficate and all the electrical wizardry of a proper battery charger.

We all forget cars before the modern age. How long did a 12V last starting a 455 V8 with an 60-70's automotive electrical tech (distributor and points). You had to add water to batteries back then and electrical grounds were less than ideal.

 

[JackRussellRacing]

If the vehicle is pugged in, but not actively charging, does plugging it in really do anything? Or, does the vehicle take advantage of the onshore power to maintain systems in the background, without charging? Always wondered about this. I don’t typically plug in, unless I plan on charging. Maybe I should rethink that.

Not sure if this answers your question, or just provides a data-point. When my 12v dual batteries were critical, I was told to keep it plugged into L1 (or L2, I suppose).

During the 48 hour wait for mobile service, I noticed the HV battery would drop 2-3%, then the L1 charger would kick in and bring the truck back to my preset threshold. It did this probably 5-6 times over the few days while waiting for mobile service. I assume the HV drop in capacity was because the big battery was always trying to recharge the quickly dying 12v batts. Then, as the HV dropped a bit, the charger would kick in and bring everything back to my % threshold.

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