[Jim in Tucson]

If you live outside of the states where the Spark was originally sold, I’d like some feedback on your ownership experiences.

I presume you had to have the Spark shipped in, correct?

Where did/do/will you take your Spark for service?

Any problems registering the Spark in your state?

Did your insurance agent readily add the Spark to your policy?

Any other related Spark ownership issues that I should consider?

Thanks,
Jim

 

[Steverino]

I saw a Spark or two for sale in Illinois but was holding out for the Bolt. I would have taken it to my dealer who services Volts and Bolts had I bought a Spark.

 

[JuneBug]

I just checked CarMax and they have a 2014 Spark EV with 53K miles for $9998. Looks like a very inexpensive way to drive electric. They also show 2 Bolt EV's--one LT with 10K miles for $28998 and a Premier with 10K miles for $34,998, both 2017's.

 

[nrvous]

For what it's worth...The dealer near me in NJ (they are Chevy/Buick/GMC) says they will service any GM vehicle when I asked them if they service all Chevrolet EVs.

A quick look on Spark EV Stats Owner Map on Voltstats.net shows lots of Sparks in residing in states where it was not originally sold.

I don't know of any Spark EV-related ownership issues that would prevent ownership as far as I can tell.

 

[Norton]

I dollied home a '14 Spark EV 800 miles from Ohio to Kansas City. Long story how it got there...

I had no problem financing or insuring it.
When I was registering it I noticed it had 'Gas' listed as the fuel.
I spoke up and said it was an EV.
They asked, "No gas engine at all?"
I volunteered, "Nope !"
They said "That will be an extra $75 per year and here's your green sticker to put in the upper right corner of the windshield."

I have put almost 56k miles on it and all trouble free,,,, until the last two times I stopped at a DCFC station during an 'Airport Run'.
It had to be towed to the dealer from that station, TWICE.

>1st time a warranty repair, replaced the HPCM2 module.

>2nd time, yesterday, just a month later (car still in the shop), this time they "Want to 'TRY' an $800 airbag module".
And this is paid for by the customer - - if it fixes the problem or not.

Is this really the State of the Art Trouble Shooting for modern EV's?

Who can I call at GM to see if this is how it's supposed to be done?

I'll start a new thread with more details soon....

 

[nrvous]

Green sticker in MO - SMH...

Sounds like you need to find another dealer. Hope everything works out.

 

[Norton]

Green sticker in MO - SMH...

Sounds like you need to find another dealer. Hope everything works out.

The sticker shows road use taxes have been paid. I don't buy gas and pay those taxes. I think it's fair enough.

I am considering having it towed to another dealer, but these dogs probably have a CYA policy.
Would the next dealer just change the HPCM2 and send me out the door. I could then not ever DCFC again, but there is no way I can live with that.

 

[nrvous]

The sticker shows road use taxes have been paid. I don't buy gas and pay those taxes. I think it's fair enough.

I am considering having it towed to another dealer, but these dogs probably have a CYA policy.
Would the next dealer just change the HPCM2 and send me out the door. I could then not ever DCFC again, but there is no way I can live with that.

Seems crazy that they can't diagnose this any better than guessing. If they're gonna guess, can they offer any other guesses that are maybe cheaper or covered under the battery warranty which is still in effect? Did they offer any justification of their logic or diagnostic evidence?

I'm just speculating here but you said it quit right after using a DCFC. I know it could be anything but I'd be thinking the battery or charging system got zapped somehow which would be covered under warranty if the problem was caused by those systems.

 

[Norton]

Seems crazy that they can't diagnose this any better than guessing. If they're gonna guess, can they offer any other guesses that are maybe cheaper or covered under the battery warranty which is still in effect? ...

Just to recap:
Both times car is dead after a very brief DCFC. Tap the CP card to start and stop the charge session. Indication shows it added ~20 miles of range.
Both times car boots up fine but there is no Go Pedal response and there is now a check engine light.

>1st time: dealer installs a new HPCM2 [hybrid power control module 2]. Covered by warranty. I was told it is a common part used on the Volt and the Bolt and they had it in stock. Has a fault code that can't be reset.
Car is fine for a month. I did not do a DCFC until I made another Airport Run, Friday morning, O-dark:thiry...

>2nd time: dealer service manager says they want to "TRY" an $800 Airbag module and it's not covered by the Power Train Warranty even though it takes out the Power Train.
He says "It's the next item in the 'Trouble Tree' we use to trouble shoot".

No mention if it needs another HPCM2 this time, but he blathers on about 'Hard Codes' that can't be reset in these modules and they are then 'Bricked'.

And if this does not fix the problem I am still out $800? I ask, 'Then what?' and he doesn't know. "That's the top of the tree."

In his defense, this is all the info he has to go on. Is it pride that keeps these guys from calling GM EV Tech Support?
Couldn't GM provide some sort of 'Test Only' modules that can have the 'hard codes' reset? Trouble Shooting tools! For modern EV's!

I kind of doubt this is the kind of trouble shooting Nissan and Tesla does. I know this wouldn't fly in Aviation.

Please,
Does anyone have a contact at GM's EV Engineering? GM needs to up their trouble shooting game.

This is not how I want my future Bolt to be worked on.

In Summary: I would pay for this $800 Airbag module if the service manager was not being cagey about what happens when I pick up my car and drive immediately to the same DCFC station and I'm stranded again.

This is not a case of getting bad fuel at a certain gas station. I got the electrons just fine.
So let's say this DCFC station is putting out an 800 VDC spike when I stop the charge.
All of the 12 VDC systems are getting power provided by the APM when powered up and the 12 V battery when not.

If I worked in GM EV Engineering I'd be all over this situation. These things can be tested scientifically.
Hard fixes and answers are what's needed. Not "Let's try this next", at the owner's expense, with no guarantees.