[Ian]

Got "check engine" light on the weekend, went to dealership first thing on Monday morning.
I couldn't get in because they were super busy that day, the earliest day they can take me in is Wednesday.
The advisor said it should be fine as long as the light is not blinking.

Tuesday morning, I started experiencing charing problem at work with portable cord. Charging stopped couple minutes after plugin, couldn't charge at all. That night, I still plugged it in after I got home, but charging got interrupt couple times. In addition to charging interrupt, there was a buzzing sound while charing like it is transmitting morse code and snow noise shown on backup camera when it is on.
here is the recording: Charing Noise

Wednesday morning, when I was on my way to dealership, it suddenly lost power. It started flashing and showing error on the screen after I tried to restart.
I was able to call onstar to get roadside assist, and rolled down window at the beginning, but it became a brick in couple minutes. Even Hazard light went dead too.

I haven't heard anything from the dealership since I left my car with them, but I guess it must have been taken apart badly.

I did get a phone call from Chevrolet customer relationship following up about the roadside assist.

to be continued....

 

[tlevy]

Nothing to offer here but condolences!


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[rand49er]

Will be interested to hear how this gets resolved.

 

[scoops]

Sorry to hear about this.
What year is your Volt?
Have you checked the 12v connection?

 

[Bacardi]

Sorry to hear, do you get free rentals in Canada? Thanks for sharing and please keep us updated...

 

[DrMiguelitoLoveless]

It helps if you give us specs on the car, like model year and mileage.

 

[ScottinMA]

Agreed! what model and year??!!

 

[Ian]

here is my volts basic info:

2017 Volt LT,
mileage:14000KM EV out of 18000KM in total since 2016 Sep.

Bacardi,

After I described the problem, the advisor picked up the phone and asked for a real car.
He said, he will give me a car if we couldn't fix it by 2 pm. I got a call from a rental company before 12.
not sure if this is a standard procedure for a customer under warranty when the car is towed to shop or it is because the advisor knows something really messed up with my car.

maybe that's why I didn't call everyday to ask for an update since I still have a car to drive although I now have to watch for gas price closely to know when is the best time to refill. lol

 

[Arcanox]

I'm tempted to say that's a 12V-related issue, either a connection issue or a power regulation issue.

That clicking sounds like a relay is having trouble staying connected. If you lost hazards that fast after the car died, it sounds like your 12V battery wasn't even close to being fully charged. Hope the dealer can get you squared away quickly...

 

[accelerus]

Fellow 2017 LT owner who had his die completely on the side of the road at 8000 miles.

Mine never had the weird noises... I took it to the dealer because it said "service charging system", but like yours mine was super busy and didn't have any rentals to give me. Car still moved though, so I was told to come back. 24 hours later, dead on the side of the road, 12V system fuse blew and once the 12V battery ran down couldn't power the onboard computers, coulnd't move the windows, or even pop the rear hatch.

Our cars take a total dump if the 12V battery loses it's punch (inability to start, run, or do anything) Hell my car went 100% dead even during the onStar car to roadside assistance, luckily I had already given them my actual cell number.

Needless to say I now carry a portable jump/power pack just in case I need to limp the car along and not waste a few hours on the side of the road. Yours and mine aren't the first to fall to this issue... needless to say my confidence in the car is far lower than it should be for what amounts to a brand new car.

 

[jupitermoon]

Yes I concur definitely check the 12V battery...it's even more important than the main battery!

 

[Ian]

wow...I am so surprised that the 12V battery plays such important role in Volt!
when I first time paid a visit to a showroom, I thought I wouldn't have seen a 12V battery. it turned out I was wrong. lol

I flash back what happened that day, like accelerus said, before my car broke down on the road, it started showing service charing system, then battery symbol ..then shut dwon.
they all happened in 1 minute..sigh

However, if it is 12V battery stability/fuse blown problem, I would wonder why I haven't heard any thing from the shop after 4 business day.

I am getting used to the rental car..Jeep Cherokee

 

[Arcanox]

wow...I am so surprised that the 12V battery plays such important role in Volt!
when I first time paid a visit to a showroom, I thought I wouldn't have seen a 12V battery. it turned out I was wrong. lol

I flash back what happened that day, like accelerus said, before my car broke down on the road, it started showing service charing system, then battery symbol ..then shut dwon.
they all happened in 1 minute..sigh

However, if it is 12V battery stability/fuse blown problem, I would wonder why I haven't heard any thing from the shop after 4 business day.

I am getting used to the rental car..Jeep Cherokee

The 12V is responsible for holding the main contactor closed (which connects the HV battery to the rest of the electronics while the car is on), so it is definitely very important!

If the dealer hasn't been able to fix it in 4 days, there's a chance it's a more severe issue with some of the car's electronics instead of just a bad battery or cable connection. Hope they can fix it soon!

 

[TSquare]

The 12 volt battery does NOTHING after the car is turned on. The car can continue driving without the 12 volt battery installed in the car as long as it is removed AFTER it is turned on. All 12 volt power, for the car, is supplied by the APM (Auxiliary Power Module) after the car is started. The APM is the equivalent to the alternator in an ICE car. If you are having 12 volt issues while the car is ON, it is usually an APM issue. The ONLY thing the 12 volt battery does is the initial power up to start the car.

 

[Arcanox]

The 12 volt battery does NOTHING after the car is turned on. The car can continue driving without the 12 volt battery installed in the car as long as it is removed AFTER it is turned on. All 12 volt power, for the car, is supplied by the APM (Auxiliary Power Module) after the car is started. The APM is the equivalent to the alternator in an ICE car. If you are having 12 volt issues while the car is ON, it is usually an APM issue. The ONLY thing the 12 volt battery does is the initial power up to start the car.

The 12V acts as a power buffer for the APM. The 12V holds the contactors closed, the APM charges the 12V. If you disconnect the 12V, you lose the contactors and the car shuts off. This is why people with faulty 12V AGMs in their volts have issues with the car shutting off...the battery can't keep the system at 12V even while the APM is trying to charge it. There's no load on the 12V, but it's still required as a buffer to keep the voltage stable.

 

[Shivetya]

Needless to say I now carry a portable jump/power pack just in case I need to limp the car along and not waste a few hours on the side of the road. Yours and mine aren't the first to fall to this issue... needless to say my confidence in the car is far lower than it should be for what amounts to a brand new car.

would love to know brand and model and how you would connect it to serve as you say it will.

 

[somms]

The 12V acts as a power buffer for the APM. The 12V holds the contactors closed, the APM charges the 12V. If you disconnect the 12V, you lose the contactors and the car shuts off. This is why people with faulty 12V AGMs in their volts have issues with the car shutting off...the battery can't keep the system at 12V even while the APM is trying to charge it. There's no load on the 12V, but it's still required as a buffer to keep the voltage stable.

FWIW: On the gen1 once my Volt is turned ON, I can then lift the negative lead off of the 12V AGM removing it from the circuit and drive the Volt around normally without any check engine light or really any indication that the 12V AGM has been disconnected. Of course once turned OFF, my Volt will fail to turn back on until the negative lead of the 12V AGM is reattached...

 

[tlevy]

AGMs are typically excellent batteries, but when they go, a standard power pack may not do the trick...they are finicky batteries. I have an AGM for my generator cranking batt, as they hold power for many months, even absent a trickle charge...however, several times a year, I use a smart charger to top up the AGM...is this what is needed for the Volt AGM...


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[!arry4pyro]

Here's a video on the subject of 12 Volt batteries in EVs.

https://youtu.be/pu30bchGu50

 

[Arcanox]

FWIW: On the gen1 once my Volt is turned ON, I can then lift the negative lead off of the 12V AGM removing it from the circuit and drive the Volt around normally without any check engine light or really any indication that the 12V AGM has been disconnected. Of course once turned OFF, my Volt will fail to turn back on until the negative lead of the 12V AGM is reattached...

I'm surprised you wouldn't get a MIL...the battery prevents voltage spikes or dips from damaging the electronics, and it can fry the onboard computers if you leave the car running without the 12V battery connected.

I suppose the APM is more stable than an alternator, but there's still a chance that a voltage spike could occur. I know that I've heard of people with bad AGMs having issues with their Volts dying, but that could be due to the battery pulling the voltage down due to a short or something I suppose...