100,000 Mile MaintenanceItems?
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Coolant changes wouldn't be a bad idea, all three. Not technically due by miles, but time doesn't help it. Plugs and wires are at leas worth inspecting, because corrosion on those can lead to being stuck. Might want to think about doing AC flush early too, if you think disturbing it might trigger problems. That's your battery chiller as well. That's about that I can think of.
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Link to the manual in my signature or here https://my.chevrolet.com/learn/2011/Volt
or
http://gm-volt.com/forum/showthread.php?152273-RTFM-Here-are-your-online-manuals
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A drive unit fluid drain and fill (trans fluid) and you are due for coolant drain and fill by time (5 years/150k miles), do not use flush chemicals on the cooling systems, you will damage parts. Do nothing with the a/c system, freon does not wear, may be low but you would have a check engine light if that was the case. At most with the a/c, recover and recharge to make sure the system is full. No tune up needed unless you drive on gas only at this mileage.
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I would have been a bit harsher with RTFM. One thing to check is turn off the radio, accelerate hard in L, lift, repeat, and listen for any popping noises (sounds like a relay, but it's really something physical in the drivetrain). If you hear these noises, step 1 is to torque your nuts, step 2 might be an axle nut and washer replacement, and step 3 is a wheel bearing.
The coolant systems don't need to be touched until 120k miles according to the FM.
When you reach higher miles, check the suspension (shocks, struts, springs, tie rods, etc) and wheel alignment. Check the brakes rotors, calipers, and pads, though I highly doubt anyone has worn through a set yet.
If you haven't replaced your 12V battery yet, you're living on borrowed time. They usually only last 5 years or so. (I should probably get a new battery soon, I'm coming up on year 4)
Finally, if you don't regularly wash, wax, and detail the interior and exterior of the car it might be worth it to get a good detailing job done. It would be a small price to pay for car that looks "like new" for far less than the price of a new car.
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There are no spark plug wires, coil pack sits directly above the spark plugs. Since I'm averaging about 55% electric, my plugs should last till about 200k on the odometer! You will probably need an engine air filter at 100k. Takes about 10 minutes to install. Very easy. Also, if you have a cabin air filter installed, they should be changed at 2 year intervals.
I would add a transmission fluid change to the list. I just had my '13 in for coolant, brake and transmission fluid services. I realize the brake isn't until 150K/10yr and I'm only at 110K, but I figured I might as well have it done now since it was going in for service rather than waiting another year or two. As for the plugs, I actually did those a couple months after I bought it last year and according to myvolt, mine was at about 71% gas/29% EV. Estimating about 70K on gas I decided to check the plugs and noticed they weren't too bad and showed moderate wear and probably would have lasted until 100K gas miles, but I still swapped them out. Being that the Volt has an aluminum head, I figured the risk of the plugs seizing into the head might be greater if one went by recommended time and they're not expensive if you do it yourself. Cheap insurance against possible future problems, or at least it sounds good to me. heh
Aside from that, the maintenance schedule is pretty liberal since many of us tend to drive primarily in EV. It's difficult to recommend an oil change every 15K when 13K of those miles never see the engine turn on. I do however go primarily off my oil life indicator which is still at 60% after changing my oil last november (12K miles ago) and likely won't again until late next year sometime.
Aside from that, the maintenance schedule is pretty liberal since many of us tend to drive primarily in EV. It's difficult to recommend an oil change every 15K when 13K of those miles never see the engine turn on. I do however go primarily off my oil life indicator which is still at 60% after changing my oil last november (12K miles ago) and likely won't again until late next year sometime.
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It really depends on how long you want to keep the car. If you want another 6-7 years/100.000 miles out of it, then do what is called for in the Owner's Manual, at a minimum. Just for giggles, I would have the brake calipers cleaned and re-lubed, in addition to what others have mentioned. Also, I would be prepared to experience a wheel bearing failure and CV joint failure during the second 100,000 mile interval. Those are not major failures and their cost is minimal compared to the cost of a new car. ...And they might not occur. 8^)
Judging from Sparkie's experience with his 2012 with over 400,000 miles on the odometer, I think that the GM engineers designed to ensure the longevity of the car and its battery. And that is value for us owners.
Judging from Sparkie's experience with his 2012 with over 400,000 miles on the odometer, I think that the GM engineers designed to ensure the longevity of the car and its battery. And that is value for us owners.
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Not in that interval, maybe. They will EVENTUALLY. It's not a ruinously expensive repair either, so it's not unreasonable to just do the instant you get to the "hmm, that's funny...." stage of failure after the 100k miles marker's flown past. ALL of that shouldn't be more than $1000 even with GM parts.
Thank you. What do you mean by lift? Lift your foot off the pedal?
What I do notice is sometimes at low speeds, I hear what sounds like a "thunk" in the trunk. It's usually when I am pulling out of my neighborhood in the morning, and literally sounds like someone is throwing a rock at my trunk area.
Yes, I took mine to my local dealership. Unfortunately they're the only game in town for the Volt and they know it. Service tends to be poor unless you have a high end truck it seems. I tried calling to arrange an appointment on a couple occasions without any return call and finally ended up going down early one morning and just showing up as a walk-in. Total cost for all 3 services ran right around $450 and required leaving the car in the morning and returning before their service department closed at 6. I believe each service was about $125. If I had the option, I honestly would have rather went to LA. I had a good experience at one of the dealerships in Van Nuys. Unfortunately that wasn't doable at the time.
Thank you. What do you mean by "lift" though? Lift your foot off the gas pedal?
One thing I noticed that may be similar is when I am at low speeds, usually in the morning when pulling out of my neighborhood, I hear a big thunk sound coming from the trunk. It sounds like someone is throwing a rock at my trunk from the outside. It doesn't happen daily, but it happens often.
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The pop noise from the rear hatch is very common on the Gen 1, there is a fix thats covered under your bumper to bumper warranty but not covered if you are out.
PI1243B: Rattle or Popping Noise Heard in Rear Hatch Area - (Sep 29, 2015)
PI1243B: Rattle or Popping Noise Heard in Rear Hatch Area - (Sep 29, 2015)
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Exactly. Considering how little has been spent on maintenance in the first 100,000 miles, $1,000 or less(probably only $500) is still a drop in the bucket by comparison to a normal ICE with oil changes and brake jobs with rotor turning/replacements.... or not. Each ICE car is going to have its own costs, What the OP has to decide is whether or not spending $500 for maintenance that will last another 100,000 miles is worth it - is he going to keep it that long.
With over 53,000 miles on my Volt, I see no reason to even begin to think about a replacement. If I feel that way in another 47,000 miles which will be in about two more years, I plan to do the maintenance and keep the car. I love my Volt!
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