[hyperlexis]

Hi -- I have a 2014 Volt and the L1 EVSE just shorted out yesterday. It tripped the gfci outlet it was plugged into and when I reset it and tried again, the EVSE made a severe buzzing noise and the red light is now blinking. It did the same thing on other outlets too.

I took the car to the dealer today and made an appointment. However after I spoke with the service manager, he said he checked in his warranty "codes" the charger isn't covered under the Voltec warranty or the powertrain warranty.

The car is still covered by both the Voltec, and a whopping one month left on the powertrain coverage.

I cannot believe this part is not covered under the Voltec coverage. Is there some magic phrase I should use with the manager about parts or service codes or is there something in the warranty booklet that states this? The warranty book is extremely vague -- it states it will cover ANY part of the Voltec system unless expressly excluded in the exclusions sections. The EVSE is not in the excluded items. This is exasperating because I know other people have had this covered before.

I called GM and they are emailing the dealer tomorrow. Although I think the girl on the phone may have been confused because she said the "onboard charger" is covered under Voltec. But I don't think that's the same part.

Any help is greatly appreciated!

 

[Sly Bob]

From my understanding the dealer is correct. Some have been fortunate enough to have their dealer cover it but I don't believe the EVSE is covered under the 8 year Voltec warranty.

 

[freshcut]

Agreed, The EVSE was only covered by the 3 yr. b2b warranty. Some members were lucky to have their units replaced with the Voltec coverage, but that was rare and I believe on a case by case basis where a misunderstanding on the coverage terms was at play. Finding a replacement EVSE is quite easy and not terribly expensive if you go with an aftermarket unit such as the popular Duosida unit (https://www.amazon.com/DUOSIDA-Level-Electric-Vehicle-Charger/dp/B018A6QK7C). I have used this particular unit for over 3 years on a daily basis without issue for L2 charging, but it's also capable of L1 with the proper 5-15 plug if you don't have access to a 220V source.

 

[jcanoe]

At least today we can purchase replacement EVSE for under $200 US. When the Volt was first introduced the selection of aftermarket EVSE was very limited. Typical cost back then was ~$1000 US.

 

[hyperlexis]

Thanks for the info. Hopefully they will cover the part. It's marked Voltec on it even. If they refuse I don't know if I will ever buy another GM Voltec charger. They all seem to be complete ****. My 2012 had one fail and even then GM helped cover half of the replacement cost, even with the car out of warranty. That was the old cord with the orange cable (which was so much better, because you could see it). Now this new Volt has the newer design charger, and it too shorted out. I don't know how they have managed to design or build these so poorly. If I do replace it I will try to get a US made L1 EVSE. Clipper Creek is the only one I know of.

 

[jcanoe]

There are some decent value Level 1/2 EVSE that can be used with either 120V or 240V power (come with plug adapters.) Check on eBay or Amazon for the likes of AmazingE, Duosida and Zencar. AmazingE uses a circuit board made by ClipperCreek (the AmazingE EVSE can be found on Amazon and also on the ClipperCreek website. AmazingE is ClipperCreek's answer to the less expensive off-shore assembled competition in the EVSE market.)

 

[Sly Bob]

Agreed, don't get hung up on the Voltec name, there are good brands out there for a replacement.

 

[supchrgamx]

looks like the gm one is a clipper creek
got a flashing red lite and a green lite on mine couple days ago
second one to fail , first on warrenty , this one not so much
used the AmazingE for 5 pulse trouble code , that say internal fault
open it up and the only thing wrong was the cord strands were touching some resistors on the board
move them from touching and code clears

used the

 

[freakdog]

It's not - it used to be covered by mistake - Had the same issue. Bought a Duosida for $180 and never looked back...

 

[Premeau]

After a few "misunderstandings" with my dealership, I got in the habit of asking my dealer to show me the screen of the part or procedure that they were looking and at the warranty code. This was triggered by a "programming is never covered" which was not true... but served me well when the EVSE for my 2012 Volt died.

I can seem to put my hands on the paper work, but ultimately, they replaced my EVSE because when they looked up the part number on the unit, they ended with the current EVSE part being labeled "Battery Charging Cable" and that had the Voltec warranty code on it.

It looks like your looking for GM Part 24291478 ... if that's not what your dealer was offering, I would ask them to look again. If the warranty changed and they show you its not covered for MY2014, I agree with the other posters about not replacing the GM charger without a specific reason.

 

[WoodCreative]

Before you replace it, try checking and cleaning the plug and pins and handle locking mechanism. I had this issue for a while and realized something like this was causing the fault, and after cleaning it it started charging again. I don't remember the details that much to be honest, but I believe there was a post here somewhere that turned me onto checking this.

 

[turboguy327]

Yep. B2B warranty coverage on the EVSE.

 

[SteveInCo]

Hi I lost my treasured 2013 Volt lately and I still have the charger that came with it. You can have it for shipping, message me if interested.

 

[Sly Bob]

Hi I lost my treasured 2013 Volt lately and I still have the charger that came with it. You can have it for shipping, message me if interested.

That's a nice gesture!