[tooslowmonroe]

I've been trying to get caught up and have not seen a conclusive solution to my issue.

Background: 2018 Stelvio Ti - 4800 miles currently, owned for 9 mos (since Oct 2018)

First Issue: March of 2019. Stelvio had been sitting for about 10 days in garage. Wife tried to leave and there is nothing...no lights, no electrical of any kind. The master mechanic in me thinks the newfangled machines with all their computers drained the battery in those last 10 days.

Being more handy than hansom luckily, I was able to connect my battery charger and get the Stelvio started the next day.

I verified charge status with my handy-dandy multi-meter and found charging to be indicated by a 13.9 V reading across the jumper-dealy under the hood and the ground pin. So far so go I thought.

Scheduled an appointment with the dealer JUST IN CASE. Few days later, took into dealer and got a clean bill of health. Dealer noted some software updates were required and did so.

Overall...I thought to myself...SELF...it's still a beautify vehicle. You still love driving it. This is just one of those hiccups that happen. NO WORRIES.

...and it's been love at first sight until July 24rd (of '19)...

Second Recurrence of First Issue: 7/23, all was well in Stelvio land. The wife had taken the grandson to the park. Came home, parked the Stelvio in the garage as is usual. Morning of the 24th, DEAD STELVIO. All the same characteristics of the first one. Absolutely zero electrical activity. Again, being handy as ever...10 AMP charge for 90 minutes and the Stelvio was able to start on it's own.

I left it running for 30 minutes to ensure full enough charge.

7/25 - no activity...dealer appointment made for Friday the 26th.

7/26 - Drove to work, Stelvio started up after sitting for 36 or so hours.

Dealer looked it over for two hours, said battery checked out fine. No log of any other issues.

SO...I do not think there is a charging issue...I think it would have indicated as such...and perhaps my lovely wife missed the message it should have been found in the logs.

I don't think it is a battery issue as with a partial charge, it was able to hold charge for 36 hours and not exhibit any issues when verified at dealer (from what I was told, battery was "load tested" with results well within specification.

As I was talking with my service adviser and the shop manager, I was told there are several Stelvio with the same challenges...and no one can find anything wrong. They have said that someone from AR is coming to the dealership next week (last week of July '19) to review these issues and help them resolve.

SO...Thank you for reading so far...

I know there are plenty of stories like this out there...has anyone been able to identify the root cause and solution?

I feel that there must be a few things going on...first, there must be some type of drain occurring? Maybe? ...and second...is there some type of master cutoff that senses the drain and shuts down everything? My HUGE failure was verifying battery voltage PRIOR to charging...I don't know why I did not think of that. FOR SURE if it happens again I will do this.

Upon implementing the charging, all manner of relays and whatnot start activating and whatnot...there is plenty of "activity" occurring once 12V is supplied under the hood.

Thanks in advance for any additional input. I am hoping some here had the same problem and I can point my dealer HERE for the solution.

I know I should not even be considering this, but I feel like this wonderful vehicle is now sitting in the suspect box. The wife is worried about taking it on a weekender trip...what happens if it dies when we are in a hotel?

-TooSlow

 

[Knightofargh]

There are a few possibilities:

1) it is not a recall and technically not software, but there is a campaign to address this which involved a BCM fault which may cause battery discharge but turning on the turn signals while the ignition is off

2) proximity keys are handy. They are also in constant two way communication with the car when within range. If you keep the spare key close enough it can try to ready the car repeatedly because it’s in range and “helping”. That’s enough parasitic draw to give you issues.

3) the stock battery is known to be terrible and not fit for purpose. It’s possible the Varta battery does have an issue which isn’t showing when the dealer hooks it up. It’s possible an AGM battery replacement could fix this.

 

[Tom]

The next time you discover that it is dead, measure the battery voltage before you do anything else.

 

[harvest]

Seeing posts like these, I always think I an reading about, say, a restored '71 GTV, or maybe a '61 Chrysler 300G project, and not a contemporary factory vehicle. I have close to 2000 miles on my Stelvio QV, and the only problem so far is a fender flare popping out of its mount, but given these posts I am holding my breath for something more major, for instance, the vehicle going dead at some remote rest stop, or getting a flat at night in the snow on a deserted parkway, with no spare, no mini-spare, nothing but the stupid, insulting glue pot provided, and Alfa's embarrassing "roadside assistance." There are too few dealerships, and even fewer competent ones, to feel confidence.

 

[ALFAOFFROAD]

The keys could be a good guess since it has been on certain days. Were the keys possibly left closer to the car than normal? If the car is left unlocked I think the draw is more...

Also more than a few stories on here where the battery tested good but replacing it solved a similar problem.

Like Knight said...could still be the battery.

Could be more complex than that though, and your dealer having someone from Alfa come down to look at things and help resolve them without guessing...to me that is a huge plus. Huge.

That is how "traditionally reliable" brands generally stay ahead of big issues...factory involvement at the dealer level..then issue a TSB. Maybe we'll get one for the stupid battery....

 

[tooslowmonroe]

Thank you all

Thanks everyone for the feedback so far.

I'm 9 months into this, and less than half-way to the first recommended maintenance.

Being well into "middle-age" (I just turned 49...) I am from the school of more oil changes the better.

I took it in at 3 mos and asked for an oil change, they said nope, come back at a year or 10K miles...LOL

So, my year is coming soon, and I will discuss the battery, unless I have another issue sooner.

Speaking of the keys. I hate to even say this...but for the most part, they sit on the same counter in the kitchen that they always do. I have left the key in the cup holder a few times, but NOT when I have had a problem...go figure. ...and YES...after reading I know I should be practicing much better key management.

Thanks again. Fingers are crossed that this goes away and the wifey trusts the Stelvio. I love the vehicle.

 

[moparbrian]

When my factory battery went south I charged it also and took it to the dealer. They said the battery was fine. I went home and waited or the battery to die again then had the stelvio towed to the dealer. IT was at that time they said the battery was bad and replaced it with a mopar battery. That happened when my car had 2k miles and 2 years ago. Since that change I have had not one problem with my stelvio.

 

[tom1356]

Bite the bullet.
Replace it with an Interstate AGM.
Your issues will disappear.

 

[SEARCH]

Bite the bullet.
Replace it with an Interstate AGM.
Your issues will disappear.

Following thread - Parked Stelvio last night, no issues. Came out this morning to a completely dead vehicle. Had to use the key to open, no indication of any power. Roadside is coming to try and jump me. We're stuck in a tiny temp apartment and all my tools, etc are in a POD.

Has anyone else with this issue found that it is just the shitty battery?

 

[SEARCH]

Roadside came and jumped me, battery was dead dead. Taking to the dealer tomorrow.

 

[ViscontiVerde 164L*]

Have people at least looked at the Battery? Are these Vartas in both instances? Identical stuff to Lotus website and their lousy Varta batteries!

 

[Zhos]

While I (knocking on wood) have not had the "dead Alfa" problem yet, I do notice the battery feeling a bit weak in the morning on the first start (and I've only had the car for two months). Definitely drains somewhere. To add insult to injury, batteries around here (Phoenix) don't last long in general due to heat (especially in cars with more electrical drain), so I'm pretty sure I'll be at the dealers with the battery issue before the first anniversary. Luckily, so far my dealers in the area weren't fussy about it, and don't even test the battery until the car's been sitting in the shop with lights and radio on for at least 20 minutes

I have a "standing appointment" for the battery check at my local Toyota dealer for the family van - all those power doors....Last time they put in a new battery, the guy said "one month before the warranty run out start coming in once a week for the battery test so that we can catch it and replace under warranty, but it won't make it that long" Guess will have to be doing something similar with the Alfa

 

[NativeAmericanOK]

May not be applicable but. Have never experienced a dead battery but have seen a condition that will drain the battery. Drive up to house, radio muted because you are using Bluetooth to talk on phone thru infotainment system. Park, turn car off, open door to switch the call to iPhone to continue talking. Stelvio doesn’t recognize you left the car. So in ten minutes after the call concluded you can hear the Stelvio radio playing in the driveway. Car thinks you are still inside, didn’t register you leaving. I have duplicated this many times so be aware of Bluetooth connection and parking. Lucky radio volume was very loud or battery would be weak in the morning by playing all night.

 

[OhioF1]

May not be applicable but. Have never experienced a dead battery but have seen a condition that will drain the battery. Drive up to house, radio muted because you are using Bluetooth to talk on phone thru infotainment system. Park, turn car off, open door to switch the call to iPhone to continue talking. Stelvio doesn’t recognize you left the car. So in ten minutes after the call concluded you can hear the Stelvio radio playing in the driveway. Car thinks you are still inside, didn’t register you leaving. I have duplicated this many times so be aware of Bluetooth connection and parking. Lucky radio volume was very loud or battery would be weak in the morning by playing all night.

Some say that this delay is one contributor to the battery problem. You can change the "Switch off delay" in the System menu. You only get 2 choices, 0 minutes or 20. I changed mine to 0 just to protect the battery.



I really think the standard battery is not up to the task. Per posts here, looks like changing the battery to an AGM type solves most of these issues. I plan to change mine out before winter gets here.

 

[marcoc]

what about removing/reducing all the unnecessary battery drainage. I've done the following:
- headlights off delay, I used to have 30 and I disabled it.
- greeting lights - disabled
- I disabled the lights when you lock the car with the fob, 99% of times I lock car, I hear it and the rearview mirrors move so I don't need a "third" confirmation with the lights.
- power liftgate - always conscious that it's better to have engine on. so If I need to open it after I parked, I do it from the driver door with engine on, and then close it from the back, but at least it saves one trip under battery power.
- seat adjustments - with the engine on.
- disable the auto on/off after switching engine on (until they make it possible to disable it constantly via software). I think this one is a biggie especially if you drive in traffic or you do many stops (traffic lights etc).

 

[algava]

I am on my third battery, I've owned the Stelvio for 11 months.
Both battery types have been used and the dealer said not to worry, that the battery were defective.
I have the feeling there is something that clicks in and drains the battery when the car is sitting for more than 48 hrs, which is rare in my house, but it did happened in those two circumstances when it completely drain and had to replace them.
I wanted to recharge but the battery were only 2-3 volts and no way I would trust that battery again.
Something is up

 

[AlexZ]

MY 2018 Stelvio Ti hit 20k miles about 2 weeks ago. Fourth battery (3 were the "better" AGM batteries). We've tried disabling every electronic everything (interior lights, headlights, infotainment, etc etc). Funny thing, at one point they thought it was the infotainment system so I didn't use it for 2 weeks and that battery lasted less than a month (it died during that 2 week period). There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to the issue as one battery lasted almost 7 months but the others far less.

 

[ALFAOFFROAD]

Those are both crazy issues! Not even close to normal.

The dealers haven't done any testing? If so what have they done?

Those both definitely sound like a drain from something(s) not shutting off....a lot of things it could be though.

 

[asapjun]

MY 2018 Stelvio Ti hit 20k miles about 2 weeks ago. Fourth battery (3 were the "better" AGM batteries). We've tried disabling every electronic everything (interior lights, headlights, infotainment, etc etc). Funny thing, at one point they thought it was the infotainment system so I didn't use it for 2 weeks and that battery lasted less than a month (it died during that 2 week period). There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to the issue as one battery lasted almost 7 months but the others far less.

==============
I have had zero problems with my Alfie but we also have a 500L... and that one drives me nuts... we can go 6 months and then next time we jump in Battery is dead... have checked everything... Is not the battery but something draining and no one knows... its been about 9 months now.. but if we decide to take it to the airport we back in just in case lol .. it has left us high and dry twice at the airport .. . Alfie so far zero problems..

 

[tooslowmonroe]

Thanks for all the input

Thanks to all those that have chimed in here. I guess it makes me feel a little better knowing it is not just me or something I am doing. I will continue to provide updates as anything changes. If/When it happens again, perhaps I will have it towed to the dealer to let them feel some of my pain.

I think, after reading some of the others, it must be a combination of items...something must be causing an additional drain, and perhaps the battery is not up to the task.

Whatever it happens to be, Alfa needs to get their act together...there is no way an entry-level luxury vehicle, nor any other "new" vehicle for that matter, can it be considered acceptable to leave your owners stranded.

-TooSlow