GM Volt Forum banner

Please read if you are experiencing Charging issues with your Volt/ELR

9.1K views 12 replies 9 participants last post by  supchrgamx  
#1 ·
I have a 2012 Volt and a 2014 ELR. If you have seen my earlier posts, my 2012 had a lot of charging issues that turned out to be a bad BECM. Essentially, the contacts on the board are vastly undersized for the job they need to do. Well, a little over a year later, the 2014 had the same issue. I would recommend that anyone experiencing wonky charging issues with their Volt/ELR DO NOT ACCEPT the dealerships answers when they say it needed a "Software update" or it was a transient issue that cleared. MAKE THEM PROVE TO YOU it's not the board!!!! I can't stress this enough. The dealership techs have no idea how to repair these cars and they just call TAC. I am now in the market for a new battery and have sunk nearly 3k in the ELR and I still can't charge. The dealership model is a relic of the 20th century. No upgrades, no skills, just sell you a new car! Pics attached:
Image
Image
Image

Image

Image

Image
 
#3 ·
Remember, early Volters (and ELRers) were/are pioneers of the automotive EV revolution. Designs will improve as issues arise. The components on the BECM are wear items, such as the high voltage relays and heater module. The problem is access to these parts require dropping the entire pack. Newer designs will hopefully place these parts in more convenient location.
Maybe those relays wear out prematurely because of the incessant horn beeping that forces us to turn the car off and on fifty times a day...
 
#4 ·
I kind of agree with the OP. I like my Volt but it's nowhere near ready for prime time. The BECM in my 2017 failed once already and I fully expect it to fail again (hopefully while the Voltec warranty is still in effect). My EGR hasn't failed yet but I fully expect it to. I should have gotten a Prius Prime but I wanted to buy from an American manufacturer.
 
#5 ·
It is disappointing, but I knew going in that we were early adopters. Hopefully the lessons learned from the Volt and Bolt will result in more robust next generation EVs from GM. Repairs on some of these electric “wear” items will hopefully be more easily accomplished as well as the ability to easily replace a bad battery cell or module of cells. I will do more research into the maintainability of my next EV given what we have learned from the Volt. But all that being said, my 2013 has had no battery or VOLTEC issues yet at 95,000 miles.
 
#12 ·
this pin configuration is a problem when any type of current goes thru it.mercury marine tried those small pins on relays that controlled fuel pumps and ign A voltage to injectors and such,they'd work for a couple of years then whacky things start happening.
fix was back to larger pin connections.I know first hand as my efi boat engines had the small pins.

good info OP,thanks for sharing.
 
  • Like
Reactions: supchrgamx
#9 ·
Wow... through-hole soldering components. Haven't seen those in a while!

That looks like a typical molex connector issue. Sometimes caused by a bad crimp on the pin or socket, sometimes a bad alignment with the pin and socket, sometimes corrosion creates increased resistance at the connection point.

Looks like a day of labor to get to the board, 30 seconds with a solder iron, 30 seconds to put on some dielectric tune-up grease, and a day to get it back together.

Are there issues on the board other than pin R6?
 
#13 ·
so the day after i post this, i read that the bolt production gets shut down
things that make you go hmmmm
someone hit the big reset button in regards to the bolt
lets see
i work at the forum arm of the r&d department of gm :)