[Magic Land]

Hi folks
Second owner of a new to me 2017 Black/Black awesome Volt LT
I purchased through Carvana May 2022, car was low mileage 32k and Ohio based so I was good to go or so I thought.

on the 8th day of owner ship while driving home up grade in Virginia the system went wild, engine light, power loss and slowed way down. I switched to watch the energy flow and the gas motor shut down completely and it looked like the battery reserve kicked in to get me home 7 miles away. I recharged the battery overnight and it let me drive to the dealership down the mountain, thank goodness.

That was on June 6, 2022 and today is June 20 and the Volt is still in the shop, BUT the great news is the one missing part of 3 (Thermostat) has been found and will be here today.

What happened as it turns out was the failure of that Thermostat caused a cascade that took out the oil pump and a purge valve solenoid. According to the Service Manager, Dan at Lindsay Chevrolet in Front Royal, Va, this was not their first encounter with that issue, but he also assured me that it wouldn’t happen again so with a lot of anxiety, Carvana and Silver Rock, their warranty company, I will be on back on the road in a day or two in the car that stole my heart with 211mpg overall in the first week of mixed driving that included three 150 mile commutes for work!

I can also report that the Huffy Volt fitted floor and rear rubber mats are perfect and because I haul tools for my work, the addition of a black cargo liner from “4Knines” covers the entire folded down seats and has a durable flap to protect the hatch base when open. I also installed a 32amp 220 charger that reloads the battery in four hours when home. Last but not least! I live on a mountain top that gives me a free 6 miles of EV every day Taking my range to 60 on a charge 😉
Love this new forum too, proud to join the happy ranks! Plus, Big props to Carvana for making sure I am back in the fast lane in the car most wanted!

 

[TYmrLutz]

Your positive attitude will take you far, as your Volt will. Overcoming this little hiccup may indicate a lucky buy. Let us know the details of the repair and welcome to the Volt Forum!

 

[microVOLT]

Welcome to the forum. I'm glad you weren't stranded on the side of the road. I didn't hit my first snag until 70K miles when my EGR valve and EGR cooler went out. This was repaired in less than 2 weeks in my case. Don't let this incident sour your ownership experience or let any doomsayer ruin your enjoyment of the car. I also have a 2017 Volt and the most expensive things I've had to pay for were tires and wheels.

 

[Danno]

Welcome to the forum. I'm glad you weren't stranded on the side of the road. I didn't hit my first snag until 70K miles when my EGR valve and EGR cooler went out. This was repaired in less than 2 weeks in my case. Don't let this incident sour your ownership experience or let any doomsayer ruin your enjoyment of the car. I also have a 2017 Volt and the most expensive things I've had to pay for were tires and wheels.

It's good that you got your work done under warranty. When I get my EGR code, I'm going to have them replace the EGR valve only and see if that solves the problem. One of the codes that's thrown when the EGR valve fails is P0401 - Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) Flow Insufficient. Obviously, the flow is insufficient because the EGR valve has failed. But some lazy dealers will claim it's a clogged EGR cooler. Here's the thing - you can't actually test the EGR cooler or see if it's clogged without removing it. In other words, the dealer is claiming the EGR cooler has to be changed solely because of the P0401 code, which is likely caused by a failed EGR valve, not a clogged EGR cooler. Another reason I doubt that EGR coolers often clog up is that direct injection engines spew a lot of soot when cold. But the EGR valve is closed when the engine is cold and the EGR cooler is downstream of the EGR valve, so the EGR cooler never sees any of the exhaust during a cold start and only starts getting exhaust when the engine is warm and is no longer producing as much soot.

 

[microVOLT]

It's good that you got your work done under warranty. When I get my EGR code, I'm going to have them replace the EGR valve only and see if that solves the problem. One of the codes that's thrown when the EGR valve fails is P0401 - Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) Flow Insufficient. Obviously, the flow is insufficient because the EGR valve has failed. But some lazy dealers will claim it's a clogged EGR cooler. Here's the thing - you can't actually test the EGR cooler or see if it's clogged without removing it. In other words, the dealer is claiming the EGR cooler has to be changed solely because of the P0401 code, which is likely caused by a failed EGR valve, not a clogged EGR cooler. Another reason I doubt that EGR coolers often clog up is that direct injection engines spew a lot of soot when cold. But the EGR valve is closed when the engine is cold and the EGR cooler is downstream of the EGR valve, so the EGR cooler never sees any of the exhaust during a cold start and only starts getting exhaust when the engine is warm and is no longer producing as much soot.

It wasn't under warranty. I had to pay $1300 for the replacement of both parts but that including taxes and labor. I don't mind spending $200 more for the EGR cooler especially now that the repair of both items are now covered by replacement warranty.

 

[Magic Land]

Your positive attitude will take you far, as your Volt will. Overcoming this little hiccup may indicate a lucky buy. Let us know the details of the repair and welcome to the Volt Forum!

Thanks for the encouragement!

 

[Magic Land]

It's good that you got your work done under warranty. When I get my EGR code, I'm going to have them replace the EGR valve only and see if that solves the problem. One of the codes that's thrown when the EGR valve fails is P0401 - Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) Flow Insufficient. Obviously, the flow is insufficient because the EGR valve has failed. But some lazy dealers will claim it's a clogged EGR cooler. Here's the thing - you can't actually test the EGR cooler or see if it's clogged without removing it. In other words, the dealer is claiming the EGR cooler has to be changed solely because of the P0401 code, which is likely caused by a failed EGR valve, not a clogged EGR cooler. Another reason I doubt that EGR coolers often clog up is that direct injection engines spew a lot of soot when cold. But the EGR valve is closed when the engine is cold and the EGR cooler is downstream of the EGR valve, so the EGR cooler never sees any of the exhaust during a cold start and only starts getting exhaust when the engine is warm and is no longer producing as much soot.

Thanks for the heads up