[phattyduck]

Hi All,

I wanted to let everybody know that the BECM shortage seems to finally be over! (for now...)

Around 1 month ago, a good friend of mine had the BECM go bad on his '17 - Brought to the dealer on a Saturday, he had it back on the following Wednesday - 5 total days including the weekend, 3 working days.

Mine just failed (also a '17) last week. Got the car to the dealer on Friday (3-3-23), they finally looked at it Monday afternoon (3-6-23) to confirm BECM issue. They have the part IN STOCK and it will be repaired in the next day or two.

So, two different dealers (both in SoCal) had repair parts in stock for this. Anecdotal, for sure - but this is very good news overall.

-Charlie

 

[Steverino]

So, two different dealers (both in SoCal) had repair parts in stock for this. Anecdotal, for sure - but this is very good news overall.

Thanks for the update! Been seeing similar reports here for the past month or two.

 

[Computer-codger]

Hi All,

I wanted to let everybody know that the BECM shortage seems to finally be over! (for now...)

Around 1 month ago, a good friend of mine had the BECM go bad on his '17 - Brought to the dealer on a Saturday, he had it back on the following Wednesday - 5 total days including the weekend, 3 working days.

Mine just failed (also a '17) last week. Got the car to the dealer on Friday (3-3-23), they finally looked at it Monday afternoon (3-6-23) to confirm BECM issue. They have the part IN STOCK and it will be repaired in the next day or two.

So, two different dealers (both in SoCal) had repair parts in stock for this. Anecdotal, for sure - but this is very good news overall.

-Charlie

 

[Computer-codger]

I am not sure BECM's are plentiful yet, had my 2018 (<60k) towed to dealer Feb 27, 2023. Diagnosed as bad BECM and they say it may be 2-3 months to get the part. I hope you are right, I just called dealer and they say part not in yet,

 

[phattyduck]

I hope you are right, I just called dealer and they say part not in yet,

I don't know which years get which part number - maybe the '18 part number is different from the '17 so there are still issues for you? I hope you get the part soon!

The dealer reported a leaking engine coolant tank also - we shall see if that's true when I get it back. I don't trust dealers farther than I can throw them. I'm comfortable doing the engine coolant myself - I was planning on doing an oil change and trans fluid change in the next few thousand miles anyway.

-Charlie

 

[dvb]

I don't know which years get which part number - maybe the '18 part number is different from the '17 so there are still issues for you?

No, they all are 24296900 as per the TSB.

 

[Computer-codger]

I am not sure BECM's are plentiful yet, had my 2018 (<60k) towed to dealer Feb 27, 2023. Diagnosed as bad BECM and they say it may be 2-3 months to get the part. I hope you are right, I just called dealer and they say part not in yet,

 

[Computer-codger]

I got a all this morning saying the BECM came in this morning, so this problem does seem to be getting better.

 

[phattyduck]

I got a all this morning saying the BECM came in this morning, so this problem does seem to be getting better.

Glad to hear it!

I picked up my Volt this morning. All seems to be good so far. I'll be draining the battery fully down on the way back from work this afternoon.

Dealer reported other issues:

• Engine coolant tank leaking (looks to be a bit low - but has been since I bought it ~25k miles ago - I'll keep an eye on it and check for wetness with a hot engine)
• Engine air filter dirty (ha! that has less than 5k engine miles on it since I replaced it)
• Cabin air filter dirty (maybe - do you think they really check this!?!)
• Front tires at 1-2/32" - not really, but they do need a rotation (DIY'ing this with an oil change soon)
• Trans fluid needed (they assumed I need the 45k 'severe' service, based on the service note - I'll be DIYing this soon - have noticed a bit of a 'shifting' feeling from the drive unit while changing modes)
• Brake fluid service (actually needed here at 6 years old!)
• "Complete fuel service" - ha!

So, 3/7 actually needed - not bad for a dealer visit... But, they are all easy and I'll be DIY'ing them soon.

-Charlie

 

[snic]

"Complete wallet teardown and lightening service. Are you tired of that heavy wallet weighing down your pants? Bring it in for our premium service and never worry about that heavy feeling of a full wallet every again! We expertly shave every last bit of extraneous bill material to make your wallet feather-light, aerodynamic, and empty as a hot air balloon. Don't wait until small problems become big ones. Bring your wallet in today!"

And no, they don't check the cabin air filter. Once you remove the glove box to get a look at it, you've done all the work and might as well replace the filter before putting it back together.

 

[phattyduck]

Bring your wallet in today!

Oh, they didn't get any of my money... My service writer was quite understanding as soon as he figured out that I knew what I was doing. I spent a total of 15 seconds or so in the dealer. Car was dropped off by a tow truck (I wasn't there) and was out front, repaired and washed when I got there this morning. Walked inside, signed my name, grabbed the keys and drove it home. Only cost/hassle was an Uber ride over there since my wife was busy.

-Charlie

 

[stevon]

phattyduc,

Don't buy the tranny fluid at O'reily or Autozone, you need the specific EV rated "electric drive unit fluid" use Dextron VI made for GM electric EV transaxles.

Stephen

Glad to hear it!

I picked up my Volt this morning. All seems to be good so far. I'll be draining the battery fully down on the way back from work this afternoon.

Dealer reported other issues:

• Engine coolant tank leaking (looks to be a bit low - but has been since I bought it ~25k miles ago - I'll keep an eye on it and check for wetness with a hot engine)
• Engine air filter dirty (ha! that has less than 5k engine miles on it since I replaced it)
• Cabin air filter dirty (maybe - do you think they really check this!?!)
• Front tires at 1-2/32" - not really, but they do need a rotation (DIY'ing this with an oil change soon)
• Trans fluid needed (they assumed I need the 45k 'severe' service, based on the service note - I'll be DIYing this soon - have noticed a bit of a 'shifting' feeling from the drive unit while changing modes)
• Brake fluid service (actually needed here at 6 years old!)
• "Complete fuel service" - ha!

So, 3/7 actually needed - not bad for a dealer visit... But, they are all easy and I'll be DIY'ing them soon.

-Charlie

 

[phattyduck]

Don't buy the tranny fluid at O'reily or Autozone, you need the specific EV rated "electric drive unit fluid" use Dextron VI made for GM electric EV transaxles.

Noted.

-Charlie

 

[SCHighwayGuy]

Has anyone paid for this out of pocket yet, Im outside of any type of warranty and this issue has reared its ugly head. I can get the part wholesale for a little under 400, but I dont know If I want to go through the hassle of doing this job on my own, plus I dont know if it has to be programmed, cant seem to get a straight answer for anyone.

 

[dvb]

The new module definetely needs programming, as its flash memory is empty. The battery needs to be removed and this job is not for everyone.

The module also could be changed by lifting and cutting through the center console floor...

 

[SCHighwayGuy]

Thank you for that info, I had kind of figured it would need some GM influence to get right, what I didn't know was the location of the module and I appreciate that info as well. Im not pulling the batteries down myself, Ill let the dealer handle that, still wondering what out of pocket expense might be for this if anyone has paid for it please chime in.

 

[snic]

I think someone posted a while back that they paid $1700 or something like that to replace the BECM out of warranty. But that is going to be very dependent on location.

 

[stevenwm]

2017 (June 2016 build date) with 85k miles here.. I just joined the BECM club this past week. Had a check engine light that kept coming and going every other drive. Couldn't find a code reader locally that could see any code beyond the generic P1E100. Finally got a reader that could and discovered I had 9 U26xx codes. Thankfully none of the other symptoms had popped up yet. Dropped it off at the dealer Saturday 3/18, said they should be able to take a look Monday.