[ZoomVroom]

Hi,

I am the owner of a recently purchased 2015 Chevy Volt with relatively low mileage. I am really excited about being a first-time electric car owner and and have started delving into the car's features. I've read through much of the manual and talked to another Chevy Volt owner and would appreciate a few clarifications.

1) How important is the radiator screen? The other owner says that it is very highly recommended to get one. I mostly plan to drive local roads and some highway, and don't really plan to go off road or on gravel roads. How likely is it that I would run into an issue with damaging the radiator? Seems that the screen itself is really cheap, so it's not a matter of cost. However, another forum states that radiator damage is "really rare" so I am just wondering from a practical standpoint whether this is worth it?

2) Thermal sensor - does the 2015 have the same thermal sensor attached to the battery as the other earlier version 1 Chevy Volt models? I heard that this is the "faultiest" component associated with the battery. If that goes, the whole battery needs to be replaced. I realize I've got a bit of time before I would need to worry about that due to the warranty, but I am curious if that is something I need to keep in the back of my mind. Is a 2015 thermal sensor on the battery the same type of thermal sensor as on the the 2012?

3) Proximity sensor - how do I turn the damned thing off?! It just keeps beeping and beeping when I pull into my garage or park at a public parking area next t a pylon, and I find it extremely annoying. I know in principle, it is supposed to help, but in my case, it just stresses me out. Is there a way to turn it off or at least silence/quiet the beeping?

4) Efficiency - tips and tricks for increasing driving efficiency. Right now, I most drive on 'D' - very gently break, mostly flat city roads at 30-40 mph and somehow I still can't get better than 79% efficiency. What can I do to improve this? I usually have the climate settings on 'fan only' or totally turned off with only the occasional warming of the seat. And again, my climate efficiency shows that it is in the 60s% even when I am not using ANY climate control features, so EVERYTHING is off including the seat heat. Someone suggested, perhaps the defogger is on auto, and that eats up some of teh efficiency, but I do not believe that is the case because I usually have to turn the defogger manually. How do I check if the auto defogger is on?

Answers to any or all questions will be much appreciated!

 

[Barry]

1) I think it is well worth the minimal cost considering how expensive that repair is.
2) I believe it is the same, but I would not recommend worrying about it. You have an 8/100 warranty on that.
3) There is a button overhead on the ceiling that will turn it off temporarily (or on if it is off). You may even be able to pull a fuse on that feature, but not sure if it has a dedicated circuit.
4) Tire pressure to at least 40. Keep the ball centered (no full pedal acceleration). Watch your speed especially on the freeway. How is your actual electric range? If you are getting 40+ in ideal/warm weather, I think you are doing great. In cool weather it naturally drops regardless of HVAC usage.

The auto defog setting is in the menu. Press the "config" button and "vehicle settings" and navigate through the menu.

 

[JuneBug]

1) I highly recommend the VoltScreen. I don't know about you, but I have had plenty of vehicles sling rocks and pebbles from their tires to damage my hood, windshield, and headlights (when they were glass) over the years. The VoltScreen is cheap insurance which will protect the vulnerable radiator from damage, and it's easy to install.

3) You can turn it down. Under Vehicle Settings, Audio Cues, there are only 2 settings, but you can set it to low volume.

 

[Tommy_D]

1. I have been driving for 22 years and have never had any rocks kick up and hit my radiator to cause damage. The screen is a waste of money, IMO.
2. I have no clue.
3. You can turn it on or off from the overhead button as described above.
4. Many things can effect your efficiency. Since the temps have dropped (low 40's) I'm struggling to hit 90% efficiency on my 6.5 mile trip to work. In normal summer temps I could hit 100% in about 5 miles. As others have said, keep your speeds to below 40, easy on the gas, use lots of regen (drive in L mode to help this), keep your tire pressure up at 42-45 psi, and don't use HVAC if you can handle the ambient temp. I'm still able to get a bit above 4 miles /kWh in these low 40/high 30's temps, which isn't bad. I fully expect the car to get about 2.5 miles/kWh when actual cold temperatures hit and I have to turn on the heat, but for now I'm still trying to use no HVAC and minimal seat heater energy to maximize efficiency.

 

[Jim_N_Tonic]

I too am a fairly new Volt owner. I purchased my 2015 Premium with 19K on it last month. Welcome to the club!

The only thing worth adding is that I primarily drive in Low. The car doesn't know the difference and it doesn't drive any differently until you take your foot off the pedal. You utilize regenerative braking much more efficiently while in Low. Almost to the point where in normal driving, you don't need the brakes. I still keep my foot over the brake pedal, while slowing down, but if all is normal, you can get down to 5-6 MPH before you have to use the brake pedal. I like that. The car does coast much easier in Drive, but you don't get the benefit of recouping that momentum during coasting.

Hope that makes sense..

In regards to Q1, I need to look into a Voltscreen, as I spend much of my 155 mile commute on the freeway..

 

[MisterBill]

We bought a 2015 Volt about 3 weeks ago; welcome to the club! I'd never heard of the radiator screen before; I live on a gravel road, so I should probably look into it. Thanks for mentioning it!

Isn't that "Parking Assist" frantic high-pitched beeping fun every time you shift into reverse...? I think it's more likely to startle me and make me run into something than to prevent it. The only way I've found to stop it is to push the "P )))" button on the overhead console. Every. Darned. Time. I. Back. Up. <.<

I've typically gotten 85-95% on driving efficiency; I've tried "D" and "L", and while "L" is nice, as others have said it can take people behind you by surprise when your car slows abruptly without the brake lights coming on. I leave climate on "Auto" and "Eco" (as opposed to "Comfort" mode) and set the temperature to around 72; it seems result in fairly high efficiency ratings as well, but I can't recall exact numbers. I know "Comfort" definitely sucks up more power, but hey - sometimes you need to pamper yourself, right?

 

[ANZAC]

No screen for me. Drive in D and in Sport mode. 2015 was a good year and last of the gen 1.