Deactivating former owner UVO and reactivating for me?

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GizmoEV

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 6, 2015
Messages
198
Location
Kelso, WA
I have been unable to find a solution to a UVO activation issue I have with my used 2016 Soul EV+. The dealer couldn't figure it out and Kia phone support's plan doesn't work either. UVO was activated by the first owner. Unfortunately it was never deactivated when the car was turned back in. The EV tech and EV sales man at Kia of Portland were not able to figure it out and the tech said that he doesn't have any thing in his EV tool box to deactivate the UVO in the car. Kia phone support confirmed that as the case.

Kia phone support said I had to create a new online UVO account then download the app and add the car. I created the new account (for some reason my existing account wasn't ok) and downloaded the eUVO app to my iPad and hooked it up to the USB in the car. Upon logging in it said no car was active on the account and I had to activate it from the car. When I add the car to my online account using the VIN it says I have to activate UVO from the car. Supposedly I can download the software update and update the car but I can't get to the link to update the car since the only option I have is to Delete the car from my account. Kia phone support said I couldn't just download the update for my other 2016 Soul EV+ and use that.

I picked up another SD card and re-downloaded the update for my other car. What I found was that the file name of the .exe that downloaded, which is just a launcher/downloader/installer of the software to the SD card was named with the VIN in the form Kxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.exe. I renamed the .exe file with the VIN of my used EV+ and then launched it. I did a scan through the .exe file with a text editor and did not see any partial string of the VIN so maybe the launcher uses the file name to create the software update. It took well over 3 hours to download and create the SD image on the card.

My question is, does any one know if the car will at worst reject the image if it won't work or will it totally disable the system? Ideally it would just work.

It sure is strange that there isn't some way that the user can deactivate the car or at least give the dealers a way to do it. This is going to be a real problem for the used EV market. Right now the former owner could be tracking my car! Not a good thing.
 
I finally have this resolved! :D

It turns out that the Kia person I called didn't actually understand that UVO on the EV is different than on the other Kia vehicles. The customer service rep I talked with today had a UVO specialist specialist reset the UVO on the vehicle. She said that this is only on the EV and that feedback has been received and sent up the line so hopefully something simpler can be implemented in the future. This reset can actually take up to 24 hours but it actually happened while I was still on the phone with her. (She was getting my feedback about the EV vs ICE, etc. :cool: ) A message suddenly popped up on the display about calling Kia to setup UVO. I acknowledged the message then went to activate and everything was normal! I just selected that I already had a UVO account, entered my credentials, and it worked! :D

So, if you buy a used Kia EV and can't activate UVO in your account call the 800 number displayed on the console and tell them you need the UVO reset at their end. No software updates, myUVO account creation, etc. needed.
 
Dear,
I've bought KIA Soul EV+ 2016 from USA dealer online and ship it to Jordan, and called KIA USA customer care to restart the UVO account, but unfortunately due to i'm out of USA they cant restart it through the air.
my current SW Ver: ST.PSEV.E483.151002
can you please advice how to download the latest updates without the UVO account?
 
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