[Scooter1011]

I was on a 5 hour road trip home, and about an hour into the trip, my car died. 2017 Volt Premier, built August 2016, Purchased March 2017

I received "Reduced Propulsion" plus the Check Engine light. As I made my way to find the nearest dealership, I received an "Engine Unavailable" notice - likely due to the temperature reaching just above 240 degrees F. I then limped to the dealership on the little electric charge I had, with it running out in their parking lot. The car still charges and still can be propelled by the electric motors. Engine still starts after it cooled off. Fuse # 3 blew, explaining many of the codes. Dealership indicated that they "confirmed" an oxygen sensor must be replaced - as the error still comes up after the Fuse # 3 was replaced. They have not yet determined why the fuse blew. Oxygen sensor is not covered under warranty (attached PDF shows they found an exhaust leak at oxygen sensor?!). I'm still under powertrain and emissions warranty. Approximately 56,200 miles.

Dealership - 4 hours away from my home - is unable to determine why the fuse blew and has been unable to reproduce the failure with in-city driving. They have not yet tried highway cruising - as I suggested they try more than once. I was using cruise control going between 60 and 75 miles per hour when the failure occurred.

Help?!
I've seen multiple other threads with the same thing - blown Fuse 3, and bad O2 sensor. But, I've yet to find any TSB's which may help the dealer repair. (I've never had a dealer service department actively research TSB's ... I've always had to provide any to them in order to get the repair). Is there a TSB which covers this fuse blowing? Or that covers the EGR blowing the fuse? The dealer is spending a lot of "Diagnosis" time on my car at an hourly rate - my fear is they will conclude it's not covered under warranty and that I need to pay out of pocket for many hours of diagnosis and test drives. My point in posting here is to gather collective knowledge and TSB's or other official GM information regarding this issue.

Attached are the trip record. We stopped at an Oasis / Rest Area, then continued on ... around Gary Indiana the car failed, and I was able to limp it to the dealership in Burns Harbor, Indiana. Long story short, they couldn't repair it due to lack of Volt Tech & it was towed to a different dealer (dealer in Burns Harbor is not working on the car now).


P0054 – HO2S Heater Resistance Sensor 2
P0AC4 – Hybrid Powertrain Control Module Requested MIL illumination
P0132 – O2S Circuit High Voltage Sensor 1
P0443 –– Evaporative Emission (EVAP) Purge Solenoid Valve Control Circuit
P0458 – Evaporative Emission (EVAP) Purge Solenoid Valve Control Circuit Low Voltage
P0597 – Engine Coolant Thermostat Heater Control Circuit
P0598 – Engine Coolant Thermostat Heater Control Circuit Low Voltage
P0030 – HO2S Heater Control Circuit Sensor 1
P0031 – HO2S Heater Control Circuit Low Voltage Sensor 1
P0403 – Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) Control Circuit
P0405 – Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) Position Sensor Circuit Low Voltage
P0489 – Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) Motor Control Circuit
P06DA – Engine Oil Pressure Control – Solenoid Valve Control Circuit
P06DB – Engine Oil Pressure Control – Solenoid Valve Control Circuit Low Voltage
P0138 – HO2S Circuit High Voltage Sensor 2
P0135 – HO2S Heater Performance Sensor 1


I had to take a $100 uber ride (cheaper than taxi), and a $300 one-way car rental to get from the dealership back home, so I could get to work the next day. We were supposed to be home by 9pm, and didn't get home until 3:30am. I was advised this is likely covered under the GM Trip Interruption coverage, as I was more than 100 miles from home.

Please help - I need my car back, and must immediately drive it 4 hours home when I pick it up from the dealership - after driving 4 hours to get back to the dealership (8 hours of driving). I can't have it break down on my drive home with the same issue because they can't reproduce it - and won't repair it without reproducing it.

Current Odometer reading, since the dealer has been driving it:
Electric: 34,818
Total: 56,248
(Gas Miles: 21,240)

 

[Scooter1011]

Also, I only found 2 complaints on NHTSA... can those of you that also had this issue please file a NHTSA complaint? That's the only way this can become a recall or have a TSB issued.

2017 CHEVROLET VOLT 5 HB FWD | NHTSA

www.nhtsa.gov

2017 CHEVROLET VOLT 5 HB FWD | NHTSA

www.nhtsa.gov

 

[Andy00778]

Sure sounds similar to my issue a few weeks ago. Seems to be a known issue with the EGR valve having an internal short which blows F3. Lots of postings on the forum on this subject. About a year ago you couldn’t get a replacement EGR part. Suspect the faulty part was being redesigned. Mine was covered under the emission warranty.

 

[Scooter1011]

Sure sounds similar to my issue a few weeks ago. Seems to be a known issue with the EGR valve having an internal short which blows F3. Lots of postings on the forum on this subject. About a year ago you couldn’t get a replacement EGR part. Suspect the faulty part was being redesigned. Mine was covered under the emission warranty.

Did you report the issue to Transport Canada?

Did they note any Technical service bulletins (TSB)s, or P.IC.s? Or reference anything else?

It does look like the same issue, and a common issue

 

[Danno]

It's almost certainly your EGR valve failing. The crucial clue is the engine overheating. See this thread, for example: 2017 Premier, 25K 'reduced propulsion...

 

[Scooter1011]

It's almost certainly your EGR valve failing. The crucial clue is the engine overheating. See this thread, for example: 2017 Premier, 25K 'reduced propulsion...

Yes, I saw that thread and commented on it. I need a document number or known issue number to give to the dealer so they can replace it, instead of spending hours and hours "diagnosing" the car.

Plus, they've driven about 100 miles to "diagnose " my car so far, without getting the engine to operating temp then taking it on the highway where the problem occurred.

 

[Danno]

Your dealer is an idiot. The EGR valve doesn't even start working until the ICE is up to operating temperature. They need to put the car in HOLD mode and then drive it at least 25 miles on the highway. Dealers often get parts from nearby dealers. Perhaps you could suggest they use your car for such a parts run.
The only other suggestion I would have is to take your cell phone and video yourself taking the car out on the highway and getting the blown fuse. If they refuse to replace the EGR, post the video on YouTube to shame them.

 

[Scooter1011]

Your dealer is an idiot. The EGR valve doesn't even start working until the ICE is up to operating temperature. They need to put the car in HOLD mode and then drive it at least 25 miles on the highway. Dealers often get parts from nearby dealers. Perhaps you could suggest they use your car for such a parts run.
The only other suggestion I would have is to take your cell phone and video yourself taking the car out on the highway and getting the blown fuse. If they refuse to replace the EGR, post the video on YouTube to shame them.

I'd love to drive the car, but it's stranded 4 hours away from home - and I had to get home ASAP to be able to work. I didn't have a choice in dealer - just the closest available volt-tech.

I'll call them again to reinforce driving it on the highway.

 

[jima5150]

Not sure about Canada, but in California the dealership will not charge you for a Diagnosis of the problem, I also believe its the same for any repair shop. The dealership should know more then anyone of use could tell you That being said, I had the same reduction in Propulsion message and for me I lost a coolant line. All the error codes are most likely tired into the same fuse being blown, most likely from a ground shorting out. I would think if you ran over something or hit something and check to see if that area has damage to any electrical wires.
Best of luck, these are nice cars

 

[Scooter1011]

Update:

After a week of the dealership driving over 100 miles to diagnose the car, they finally listened to me and confirmed my diagnosis with GM Engineering. They then also accepted that it was a known issue (not at this dealership, but at GM), and GM agreed to let the dealer charge this to the powertrain warranty. EGR valve was replaced. They would not replace the faulty O2 sensor under any warranty - so I had to pay for that.

The dealer was hesitant to charge anything to warranty without GM approving it first. If you didn't know, if a dealer misdiagnoses or charges something back that is denied - the dealership has to absorb that cost.

Then, because I had a case open with GM, I had to work through my case manager to get my "breakdown expenses" reimbursed - about $475 related to the breakdown being more than 100 miles from home (food, hour-long taxi, and one-way rental car).

I also had to work through the case manager to request a "Reunite" ... which either gets me to the vehicle, or gets the vehicle to me. This is only if 100 miles or more from home, and to me it seemed ONLY if you requested it. No one easily offered this as an option - but as soon as I invoked "Reunite", they got on board quickly. The next week my car was towed to my home 4 hours away from the dealership.

As for the repair - initial startup there was (packaging oil?) Burning/smoking when running the engine, that eventually went away. I haven't driven more than 45 minutes on gas still - 2 months later. I think the repair warranty is good for 6 months to 1 year, and I should have some longer trips in there. But, no issues so far.


Note to self: buy one or two of the fuses for the EGR! Then I won't get stranded next time - which hopefully there is no next time.

 

[Scooter1011]

Not sure about Canada, but in California the dealership will not charge you for a Diagnosis of the problem, I also believe its the same for any repair shop. The dealership should know more then anyone of use could tell you

I don't know about Canada either. However Indiana and Michigan make you pay for diagnosis before determining if it is under warranty. Some make you actually pay first, some just put it on your bill with your agreement until a determination is made.

This is if the vehicle is Out of Warranty for Bumper to Bumper, regardless of powertrain or voltec warranties - they first charge to diagnose, then remove the charge if under those other warranties.

If you are in full B2B warranty, there's no diagnosis charge.

 

[Scooter1011]

So, here we are again ... check engine light is on again!

I'm considering if I should sell this car, but my last car payment is March 2022!

1000 miles round trip, completed in 48 hours. Return trip, approximately 380 miles into the drive with 120 miles remaining, check engine light came on. Just over 59,000 miles when it came on.

I don't have any way to read the check engine light - and almost feel helpless because of that! My last device isn't compatible with the Volt (why?! It's OBD2!), and the Volt doesn't tell you the code. The app doesn't tell you the code (unless you pay their expensive minimum monthly plan).

So, I'm off to the dealer for their 7am service department open tomorrow 11/10. I'm still under powertrain warranty.

I noticed no issues while driving. About a mile after stopping at the final rest area, the check engine light came on. I used electric to get up to 75mph, then switched to hold mode. About a mile after that the light came on.

Engine temp stayed at 188 to 198F.
Before my EGR valve issue, temp was consistently 200F to 215F. Almost never below 200F. But this entire trip it has been 188F-198F... except when climbing a long hill this morning (almost 400 miles before CEL), it got up to 219F.

..... not liking check engine lights appearing during long trips 😒, after the close of service departments.

Car made it home, this time...
Solid CEL, no flashing, no messages, no alerts, NOTHING. Just a CEL while driving.

 

[RoboVolt]

I was on a 5 hour road trip home, and about an hour into the trip, my car died. 2017 Volt Premier, built August 2016, Purchased March 2017

I received "Reduced Propulsion" plus the Check Engine light. As I made my way to find the nearest dealership, I received an "Engine Unavailable" notice - likely due to the temperature reaching just above 240 degrees F. I then limped to the dealership on the little electric charge I had, with it running out in their parking lot. The car still charges and still can be propelled by the electric motors. Engine still starts after it cooled off. Fuse # 3 blew, explaining many of the codes. Dealership indicated that they "confirmed" an oxygen sensor must be replaced - as the error still comes up after the Fuse # 3 was replaced. They have not yet determined why the fuse blew. Oxygen sensor is not covered under warranty (attached PDF shows they found an exhaust leak at oxygen sensor?!). I'm still under powertrain and emissions warranty. Approximately 56,200 miles.

Dealership - 4 hours away from my home - is unable to determine why the fuse blew and has been unable to reproduce the failure with in-city driving. They have not yet tried highway cruising - as I suggested they try more than once. I was using cruise control going between 60 and 75 miles per hour when the failure occurred.

Help?!
I've seen multiple other threads with the same thing - blown Fuse 3, and bad O2 sensor. But, I've yet to find any TSB's which may help the dealer repair. (I've never had a dealer service department actively research TSB's ... I've always had to provide any to them in order to get the repair). Is there a TSB which covers this fuse blowing? Or that covers the EGR blowing the fuse? The dealer is spending a lot of "Diagnosis" time on my car at an hourly rate - my fear is they will conclude it's not covered under warranty and that I need to pay out of pocket for many hours of diagnosis and test drives. My point in posting here is to gather collective knowledge and TSB's or other official GM information regarding this issue.

Attached are the trip record. We stopped at an Oasis / Rest Area, then continued on ... around Gary Indiana the car failed, and I was able to limp it to the dealership in Burns Harbor, Indiana. Long story short, they couldn't repair it due to lack of Volt Tech & it was towed to a different dealer (dealer in Burns Harbor is not working on the car now).


P0054 – HO2S Heater Resistance Sensor 2
P0AC4 – Hybrid Powertrain Control Module Requested MIL illumination
P0132 – O2S Circuit High Voltage Sensor 1
P0443 –– Evaporative Emission (EVAP) Purge Solenoid Valve Control Circuit
P0458 – Evaporative Emission (EVAP) Purge Solenoid Valve Control Circuit Low Voltage
P0597 – Engine Coolant Thermostat Heater Control Circuit
P0598 – Engine Coolant Thermostat Heater Control Circuit Low Voltage
P0030 – HO2S Heater Control Circuit Sensor 1
P0031 – HO2S Heater Control Circuit Low Voltage Sensor 1
P0403 – Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) Control Circuit
P0405 – Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) Position Sensor Circuit Low Voltage
P0489 – Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) Motor Control Circuit
P06DA – Engine Oil Pressure Control – Solenoid Valve Control Circuit
P06DB – Engine Oil Pressure Control – Solenoid Valve Control Circuit Low Voltage
P0138 – HO2S Circuit High Voltage Sensor 2
P0135 – HO2S Heater Performance Sensor 1


I had to take a $100 uber ride (cheaper than taxi), and a $300 one-way car rental to get from the dealership back home, so I could get to work the next day. We were supposed to be home by 9pm, and didn't get home until 3:30am. I was advised this is likely covered under the GM Trip Interruption coverage, as I was more than 100 miles from home.

Please help - I need my car back, and must immediately drive it 4 hours home when I pick it up from the dealership - after driving 4 hours to get back to the dealership (8 hours of driving). I can't have it break down on my drive home with the same issue because they can't reproduce it - and won't repair it without reproducing it.

Current Odometer reading, since the dealer has been driving it:
Electric: 34,818
Total: 56,248
(Gas Miles: 21,240)

I am having the same problem with a 2017 Volt. First there was the 'Reduced Propulsion' error which allowed the car to run, then along the interstate the car quit and there was an 'Engine Not Detected' message and I was stranded for hours and had to have it towed to a dealership who had a Volt technician 40 miles away. The dealership replaced the Engine Control Module fuse (F08 under the hood) for ~ $300 and that fixed it for 15 miles and then the 'Reduced Propulsion' message appeared again but I got it home. It is now at the dealership where I bought it. The original dealership said something must be shorting causing the fuse to blow.

 

[RoboVolt]

So, here we are again ... check engine light is on again!

I'm considering if I should sell this car, but my last car payment is March 2022!

1000 miles round trip, completed in 48 hours. Return trip, approximately 380 miles into the drive with 120 miles remaining, check engine light came on. Just over 59,000 miles when it came on.

I don't have any way to read the check engine light - and almost feel helpless because of that! My last device isn't compatible with the Volt (why?! It's OBD2!), and the Volt doesn't tell you the code. The app doesn't tell you the code (unless you pay their expensive minimum monthly plan).

So, I'm off to the dealer for their 7am service department open tomorrow 11/10. I'm still under powertrain warranty.

I noticed no issues while driving. About a mile after stopping at the final rest area, the check engine light came on. I used electric to get up to 75mph, then switched to hold mode. About a mile after that the light came on.

Engine temp stayed at 188 to 198F.
Before my EGR valve issue, temp was consistently 200F to 215F. Almost never below 200F. But this entire trip it has been 188F-198F... except when climbing a long hill this morning (almost 400 miles before CEL), it got up to 219F.

..... not liking check engine lights appearing during long trips 😒, after the close of service departments.

Car made it home, this time...
Solid CEL, no flashing, no messages, no alerts, NOTHING. Just a CEL while driving.

I am going to sell mine just as soon as I can get it fixed. ICE cars only until there are plenty of technicians who can work on them.

 

[Scooter1011]

I am having the same problem with a 2017 Volt. First there was the 'Reduced Propulsion' error which allowed the car to run, then along the interstate the car quit and there was an 'Engine Not Detected' message and I was stranded for hours and had to have it towed to a dealership who had a Volt technician 40 miles away. The dealership replaced the Engine Control Module fuse (F08 under the hood) for ~ $300 and that fixed it for 15 miles and then the 'Reduced Propulsion' message appeared again but I got it home. It is now at the dealership where I bought it. The original dealership said something must be shorting causing the fuse to blow.

Have your dealer check the EGR valve.

I had to PUSH HARD for the dealer to replace the valve. They had it for a week. They called GM and confirmed they would get reimbursed to repair it (powertrain warranty) even though they couldn't reproduce the issue.

You can still drive the car on electric... but watch your engine temp if you turn on Gas mode. The engine overheats when the fuse blows, and that is why the computer shuts it down, to protect it.

 

[Scooter1011]

Update on the 2nd check engine light: the dealer fixed this with a reprogram of the ECM.
There was a TSB for the repair for 2016 and 2017 Volts (no vin limits identified).

The dealer performed the repair, but was unable to bill warranty - even though the TSB says the repair is covered under the 8yr emissions warranty.

Opened a case with GM. Going on 3 months now of the case being open.

GM can't find that this TSB exists in their system at all, and the last one expired in 2020. Coincidentally, this TSB was UPDATED in October 2020 and was still valid according to its publication on NHTSA's website. GM credited me chevrolet rewards points equivalent to the repair (useless for me), but will not refund the cash for the repair. I've asked for further escallation as their NHTSA (government regulatory body) publications show the TSB is active and valid for my vehicle, and covered under 8yr emissions warranty.

...the TSB did fix my second check engine light, it has not come back with multiple hour-plus drives, even 9 hour drives are fine.

So, here we are again ... check engine light is on again!

I'm considering if I should sell this car, but my last car payment is March 2022!

1000 miles round trip, completed in 48 hours. Return trip, approximately 380 miles into the drive with 120 miles remaining, check engine light came on. Just over 59,000 miles when it came on.

I don't have any way to read the check engine light - and almost feel helpless because of that! My last device isn't compatible with the Volt (why?! It's OBD2!), and the Volt doesn't tell you the code. The app doesn't tell you the code (unless you pay their expensive minimum monthly plan).

So, I'm off to the dealer for their 7am service department open tomorrow 11/10. I'm still under powertrain warranty.

I noticed no issues while driving. About a mile after stopping at the final rest area, the check engine light came on. I used electric to get up to 75mph, then switched to hold mode. About a mile after that the light came on.

Engine temp stayed at 188 to 198F.
Before my EGR valve issue, temp was consistently 200F to 215F. Almost never below 200F. But this entire trip it has been 188F-198F... except when climbing a long hill this morning (almost 400 miles before CEL), it got up to 219F.

..... not liking check engine lights appearing during long trips 😒, after the close of service departments.

Car made it home, this time...
Solid CEL, no flashing, no messages, no alerts, NOTHING. Just a CEL while driving.

 

[pinballmachine101]

Update on the 2nd check engine light: the dealer fixed this with a reprogram of the ECM.
There was a TSB for the repair for 2016 and 2017 Volts (no vin limits identified).

The dealer performed the repair, but was unable to bill warranty - even though the TSB says the repair is covered under the 8yr emissions warranty.

Opened a case with GM. Going on 3 months now of the case being open.

GM can't find that this TSB exists in their system at all, and the last one expired in 2020. Coincidentally, this TSB was UPDATED in October 2020 and was still valid according to its publication on NHTSA's website. GM credited me chevrolet rewards points equivalent to the repair (useless for me), but will not refund the cash for the repair. I've asked for further escallation as their NHTSA (government regulatory body) publications show the TSB is active and valid for my vehicle, and covered under 8yr emissions warranty.

...the TSB did fix my second check engine light, it has not come back with multiple hour-plus drives, even 9 hour drives are fine.

Hey Scooter, whats the TSB number for the repair? I'm having the same issue with CEL, then propulsion reduce, then eventually engine offline. (Although I was able to restart the car and drove home with propulsion reduce message only)

I no longer have power train warranty, so now I'm hoping to see how you can get it repair under emission warranty which I still got for 9 years. Mine is volt 2016 and I'm the single owner drivin it, so far the mileage is only 30k.

 

[Scooter1011]

Hey Scooter, whats the TSB number for the repair? I'm having the same issue with CEL, then propulsion reduce, then eventually engine offline. (Although I was able to restart the car and drove home with propulsion reduce message only)

I no longer have power train warranty, so now I'm hoping to see how you can get it repair under emission warranty which I still got for 9 years. Mine is volt 2016 and I'm the single owner drivin it, so far the mileage is only 30k.

These are two separate failures - but when originally posted, I thought it was related to the first which happened only a few weeks before.

The TSB is for only the CEL and no other running issues.

I could not find a TSB for the EGR valve. However there are NHTSA complaints.

Cost out an EGR valve replacement is my suggestion. Or try to remove and Clean the valve and reinstall. From what I read, the valve gets stuck and causes the Actuator to short ... which blows the fuse.

 

[Gray17LT]

My Volt with 30k and regular (50%) ICE usage has done this. A hundred of the same codes. Engine gave reduced propulsion error, then low fuel, then engine unavailable. Limp mode on electric only (about 50hp) is really nice when you're on the interstate at 75mph and have 15 miles to go. I got the codes scanned at Autozone before roadside trucked it to the dealer where they have no loaners and wanted to charge me $700 for a new Sirius antenna last year. I have a dozen old cars and the Volt does not have a penny in the budget for repairs. I printed the codes out and left them in the car.

What should I do in which order? Direct them to the EGR first? The fuse first? The TSB? The OnStar email that says problem with your "emissions" system? B2B is out, but clearly I have nearly 4 years and a bazillion miles left on Voltec.

PLEASE ADVISE! I don't want to get bent over.

 

[Gray17LT]

Echo........echo......

Self-update: EGR and said fuse ordered, covered under powertrain. NO ETA!