[bart_dood]

Hey Folks, after 129k relatively problem free volt miles I had my first issue. Long story short my car wouldn't charge, no CEL's. Just "not able to charge message" it ran ok on gas alone.

I googled and tried changing the charge port socket for a new one but that didn't fix it.

So I took it to the dealer and they said its either the charge port or the charge module behind the bumper. They wanted $300 to pull the bumper and check the charger so I said no thanks.

I found a used 2011 charger near my house for $300, bought it and saturday I swapped it out. So this might help some people with the same problem. I had two complications.

The first one was one of the green bulkhead fittings for the cables had come loose, basically a loose locknut on the inside of the aluminum case (on the new replacement charger). If I had not fixed it moisture would have entered and caused rapid failure.

The other was the CANBUS comms connector was different. It was the last plug I connected and I found one of the plugs on the charger side had little bosses inside that crashed so would not insert into the car harness.

I fixed the two issues by opening up the new charger via the TORX bolts, the green lock nut was easy to access and tighten via a pair of long nosed pliers.

The connector problem I solved by swapping the cables, I used the pliers again to loosen the other green lock nut, remove the 3x CANBUS connectors from the PCB and swap the whole cable assembly for the part in the old broken charger.

This all worked and my car is running and charging as normal now! so yay

My question is on the cooling system, I expected that my coolant level would drop a little and I bought approved dexcool to top it off with. However it hasn't. I didn't lose a lot of coolant when I did the swap but a few cup fulls leaked out.

Now it seems I might have an air plug somewhere? I've been trying to find a coolant schematic for the car but can't seem to locate one. The few I have are for the battery circuit not the charger.

Does anyone have the charger coolant system schematic? where does it go to? it seems to go into the main radiator, but I'm not sure?

P.S. I will upload a pic of the part I think actually failed, the main AC power comes into a DELTA EMI module and exits as a red and black wire, I believe it is DC and is rectified inside this DELTA part. I plan on testing it and trying to repair the old charger module.

 

[bart_dood]

Found the info I was looking for via more searching:

https://gm-volt.com/2010/12/09/the-chevrolet-volt-coolingheating-systems-explained/

Does anyone have tips for burping the electronics coolant circuit easily?

 

[Cord]

All the videos show only the main battery cooling needed the vacuum filler ?

how much extra fluid did you have to add later ?

"leaked out." or just needed more due to bubbles or void filling ?

 

[Steverino]

Thank for posting the pics and details, bart_dood. All I have read is that the dealer uses a vacuum device to help remove air bubbles as Cord said. Perhaps that's just to speed up the process as others have had their coolant level fall apparently as the bubbles worked their way out over time.

 

[bart_dood]

Thanks guys, I should have checked the different levels *before* I put the new charging module in; it may well have dropped due to flushing out the bubbles.
Last night I did a few things to try and make sure my system is flushed, I removed the electronics coolant tank cap and filled it right up to the top, with the cap off I put the car on to charge which runs the electronics pump, it should have had an easier time flushing out bubbles.

After charging I set the level right back to where its supposed to be then put the cap back on. I'll continue to keep an eye on the level.

 

[bart_dood]

All the videos show only the main battery cooling needed the vacuum filler ?

how much extra fluid did you have to add later ?

"leaked out." or just needed more due to bubbles or void filling ?

When I disconnected the old charger some coolant leaks out before you can put plugs in the rubber lines to stop it all leaking out, also the coolant leaks out of the charger itself, probably 1-2 coffee cups worth of liquid in there.

I should have made some effort to prime the new charger by trying to fill it with coolant before connecting the rubber hoses but I mounted it on dry, so it filled up with liquid from the coolant system.

 

[alekss]

Maybe will be useful for repair your charger http://media3.ev-tv.me/ChevyVoltLearChargerOperations.pdf

 

[bart_dood]

Maybe will be useful for repair your charger http://media3.ev-tv.me/ChevyVoltLearChargerOperations.pdf

Thanks! I did some tests on the old charger last night by supplying it with 120v AC and checking if the Delta EMI filter module was outputting voltage and it was. So it wasn't as simple as I thought.

I think I might just ebay the old charge for $100 or something for someone who is good at repairing electronics or wants to use it to get their core charge if they buy a brand new charging unit.

 

[Jim_N_Tonic]

Great write up and thanks for the photos as well. Very informative thread! I'm learning more about this car every day.

 

[bart_dood]

So I changed my mind about selling the old charger, I don't think anyone would buy it. So thought spare parts or a repair would be more useful.

I'll see if I can repair at this point. Last night I dug into the charger some more and removed one of the main boards. I discovered it looks like the AC power after leaving the delta EMI module goes to the PCB where it has a MOV varistor across it (covered in heat shrink in case it pops) and a capacitor to prevent against voltage spikes.
Then it goes through a big choke and it seems to then pass into a 20 amp 250 volt relay. The relay is labeled "Song Chuan" and is a low cost item ($10 or so).

My suspicion is the relay is bad; as its electro-mechanical. So I plan on testing it on the PCB; perhaps opening it up too. If its bad I'll replace it.

Its quite amazing they put a real cheap part like this directly on the PCB. They could have added a socket and a plug in relay instead. Then if it failed it would have been simple to open the box, unplug and plug in a new one. I might be wrong and it might be fine however.

I'll write back when I find out more.

 

[bart_dood]

I've given up trying to figure out what is broken on the old charger. The main power relay is fine and the power goes to a module bridge rectifier which is also fine.

After that I'm not sure where the power goes.

Don't really have the time to diagnose it right now so looks like it will end up in e-waste.

 

[kgvickers]

Nah, don't toss it. If you've got attic space to squirrel it away hold on to it. My volt is relatively high miles (92k) so I might end up wanting it just in case.

I'll be pulling my bumper off again in the spring to replace a cracked turn signal and I'm planning to drain and fill all three cooling systems. While I'm in there is there anything you'd recommend I do to the charger to improve its lifespan?

 

[bart_dood]

Nah, don't toss it. If you've got attic space to squirrel it away hold on to it. My volt is relatively high miles (92k) so I might end up wanting it just in case.

I'll be pulling my bumper off again in the spring to replace a cracked turn signal and I'm planning to drain and fill all three cooling systems. While I'm in there is there anything you'd recommend I do to the charger to improve its lifespan?

Nothing much you can do to the charger to help it live longer I don't think. When you have the bumper off check the two water tight green bulkhead fittings. Make sure they haven't come loose or they will let in moisture. You might have to take the lid off the charger to tighten them up via the internal lock nut. Make sure if you open the box you seal the lid correctly afterwards.

Check for any damage or split/cracked coolant hoses. Look for wire chafing etc.

Other than that, the charger is just a sealed box, no maintenance required.

 

[kgvickers]

Cool, thanks. I'll check the connectors and likely open it anyway to check for moisture intrusion.

I saw another post about the backside of the charging port developing tiny cracks .... might just go ahead and inspect that this weekend. If I find any then it's JB Weld time. I doubt the dealer will just hand me the updated charger without an expensive visit.

I prefer to be very proactive and try to fix any possible issues ahead of time.

Thanks for your help!

Cheers.