2011 Curious if it might be some temp sensor somewhere instead of the high power battery degrading?

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voltowner

Things here have started to warm up a little here. Yesterday it was 50 degrees outside and the car started in battery mode and never shifted to using the engine to make poser.

Like in the past as the weather warms up my Volt goes back to battery most of the time. I realize that when things get cold the electric mileage goes down because of heating, lights and wipers using power and understand that. But the last couple years even with a full battery it runs the engine most of the time when it gets cold outside. I have thought it was just my high power battery getting older (11+ years now).

But having a full battery and the car starting the engine running right away would not be because of a used up battery. This usually happens when the outside temp is colder that 50. It would appear to me that that there is something that is colder and needs to heat up like the main battery because after running with the engine for a while she can shift from the engine running to using the battery even when it is a little below 50 outside. Could this be some sort of temperature sensor not working correctly or something like the heater for the battery not working correctly?

Just wondering what those of you that know about these things can teach me.

Roy 2011 volt #1019

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voltowner

Discussion Starter · #4 · 4 mo ago (Edited)

Ryan, I have the dongle and MyGreenVolt app ( I do not see the My Volt Control app in the app store is it the same?). Can not find where to see if battery heater is active or working in what I have? Waiting for a chance to run down the battery & test again when empty as I was told to do here on the forum.

first test when battery is full

Colorfulness Rectangle Font Parallel Screenshot

Thank you, Roy

2011 Volt #1019

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voltowner

Discussion Starter · #6 · 4 mo ago

Thank you, I will search again for the My Volt Control app in the android Play Store.

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voltowner

Discussion Starter · #8 · 4 mo ago

Hellsop

Thank you for this post I am learning from it. I appreciate how you explained things for my non mechanic or tech's ears.

For what you say it looks like the battery heater is working since the yellow section is 3/4 of the pie when I started her up this morning. The garage was 48 degrees and the battery temp green line showed 55.

But when I started her up the dash showed engine power right away even though the battery was full & I could see in the small not active icon above it she had 21 miles available there. Driving around yesterday it did the usual switch back and forth between gas and electric as she has been doing lately.

I will hope it warms up later today and see if it starts in electric mode when the temp is higher. Seems like she has done this in the past.

Do you thing all this just indicates I have an aging battery since she is a 2011?

Thank you, Roy 2011 volt #1019

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voltowner

Discussion Starter · #9 · 4 mo ago

Here is what is most likely my dumb questionof the day but have to ask.

Again getting into the car and starting up it had a full battery but went directly to running the engine. Been doing it daily that way so not engine maintenance mode as I figure. And it was 48 degrees outside so not so cold that that would be the excuse. Maybe old unbalanced battery. It did finally go to electric after a half hour or so and stay that way until got home.

So the dumb question is there a way to tell the car to not use the engine and use the battery some how? Like the opposite of a hold button.

Roy 20100 Volt #1019

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voltowner

Discussion Starter · #11 · 4 mo ago

I just got home from another trip out. The temp here was 60 degrees here so I though that should not have and effect. Started with a full battery showing 21 miles but he engine came right on. Drove 7 miles with 2 different stops all with engine running. Third time I started her abck up the battery was running things. Drove a couple miles and the engine came on again. It switched once more before ending with battery drive as I hit home.

Wonder if I am the only one that would buy a real new battery not rebuilt with old parts if it was available and less than $10,000 installed. I understand that batteries have a life span. I would pay it if that would get me back to an electric car with gas range extender since I got 11 good years before the problem started.

Still find it curious it started happening a few years ago when they did the last system update that was suppose to fix the balancing thing.

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voltowner

Discussion Starter · #14 · 4 mo ago

ElectricCow15 said:
No you're not, and for that reason I cant see why GM wont release some of the source code to let third parties build NEW batteries.

Since GM dropped the volt line after we spent top dollar to help them get into the electric car business that would be the least they could do. Many like me paid over MSRP to get our Volts and felt it worth it thinking GM was creating an amazing car they wanted to capture the market with. I never thought they would drop us like a hot potato and put the money into a different idea before the parts in the cars wore out and they had no stock to keep them running.

Did GM actually make the Volt Batteries themselves or contract that out to a battery making company?

Allowing and suppporting someone else to make replacement parts would go a long way to gaining trust in GM for me again. Until then I see them as a company the did an amazing job creating and amazing product that I can not trust anymore.

Roy 2011 Volt #1019

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voltowner

Discussion Starter · #16 · 4 mo ago

Steverino said:
In October 2008, GM chose CPI (LG Chemical) to provide the battery systems for the first production version of the Volt.

Steverino, thanks for that information.

So could CPI (LG Chemical) make new ones for replacments in our Volts if they wanted to or is GM stopping them because of the Intellectual Properties rights? I realize there might be other reasons for CPI not wanting to like demand and profit margins. But do wonder if GM let them if those other things could be handled?

Even at a high cost for a replacement battery, that would be a lot less than buying a new car. And besides I think the Volt is a beautiful, amazing car I really enjoy and keep in great shape. Want to drive it as long as possible,

Roy 2011 Volt #1019

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voltowner

Discussion Starter · #19 · 4 mo ago (Edited)

ElectricCow15 said:
I doubt the battery chem really has much to do about replacements, that can be changed with a software update or hack. The hardware of a battery is DUMB, all it knows is electron transfer. There is no reasonable reason to not let the consumer have full control over thier 10+ year old car. We could have Volts traveling 100 miles or more by now on electric.

I would think that GM would be embarrassed by the fact that they made a car that wears out after just ten years and you can not get important replacement parts from them or others. For me it has ruined their reputation as a top quality car company.

So if in the next ten years someone invents a better battery technology (and as with most tech someone most likely will) will GM just drop their new Ultium system and all of the people who trusted them will be left high with dying cars just like us.

Do you think others companies will be treating their electric cars the same way?

Roy 2011 Volt #1019

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voltowner

Discussion Starter · #21 · 4 mo ago

The weather here has been warming up to the 50' and 60's. So thinking it is not just the cold weather. She is still starting up in with engine power and full battery. Yesterday after driving a while it went to battery for a few miles but back to engine. Is this anything that a dealer could actually analyze? NO error codes etc on my dash. IF it is the main battery ( I did have the dealer change the 12 volt just in case ) is there a way to really know?

Last I spoke with my service rep he said they lost the guy that did their Volt work and could not do warranty work but had Volt technicians that knew the car to work on it. Funny since they have sold a lot of Volts here.

Roy 2011 volt #1019

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