[Robert - Ampera 2013]

Hi everybody ,

My name is Robert and i m from Europe ( Belgium => sorry for my poor english :-( ) . I have an Opel Ampera 2013 ( same of Chevy Volt) and i have a problem with it : when i ride with car , i can't change the drive mode . I don't have access in the choice . I presume it s not the button because each time i stop the car and i restart the vehicule i have directly access at the choice .

It takes less of 2 minutes to haven't choice . Nothing appears on the screen (DIC) . I put an interface on OBD and there is no mistake code ...

Someone have the same case ?

Thank you very much.

Robert . . .

 

[llninja]

Hi everybody ,

My name is Robert and i m from Europe ( Belgium => sorry for my poor english :-( ) . I have an Opel Ampera 2013 ( same of Chevy Volt) and i have a problem with it : when i ride with car , i can't change the drive mode . I don't have access in the choice . I presume it s not the button because each time i stop the car and i restart the vehicule i have directly access at the choice .

It takes less of 2 minutes to haven't choice . Nothing appears on the screen (DIC) . I put an interface on OBD and there is no mistake code ...

Someone have already the same case ?

Thank you very much and . . .sorry again for my english !

Robert . . .

I'm going to assume it is very cold, I'm guessing you're not plugged in, and when you first start your car, the internal combustion engine turns on right away. When this happens, you will not be able to choose drive modes and the car will use the engine to generate electricity to power the wheels until the battery sufficiently warms itself using its own resistive heater. This is to prevent battery damage. Some things that help, if you plug the car in overnight and precondition it, then the battery keeps itself warm enough to avoid this.

So if the above conditions are true (it's very cold) the car is operating normally and there is nothing to worry about.

 

[DonC]

Can't do much better than the answer you have. I think he's nailed the question. But by way of explanation, when the temperature drops, the Volt can't clear the windshield fast enough on the battery alone. In these cases the engine comes on to provide the extra heat needed to do the job. We call that "Engine Running Due To Temperature" or ERDTT. IIRC it's a pretty minimal RPM (living in a warmer I have zero experience with this), and if more power is needed to move the car it comes from the battery.

You can configure the temperature at which the engine comes on and have it turn off at a slightly lower temperature.

One practice people have adopted when this happens is to crank up the heat. This will warm the cabin using the engine and you won't need to use the battery later.

 

[jsmay311]

I'm going to assume it is very cold, I'm guessing you're not plugged in, and when you first start your car, the internal combustion engine turns on right away. When this happens, you will not be able to choose drive modes and the car will use the engine to generate electricity to power the wheels until the battery sufficiently warms itself using its own resistive heater. This is to prevent battery damage. Some things that help, if you plug the car in overnight and precondition it, then the battery keeps itself warm enough to avoid this.

So if the above conditions are true (it's very cold) the car is operating normally and there is nothing to worry about.

Given that:

1. It's nowhere near cold enough in Belgium for the "deep cold" ERDTT to kick in, (it's 54F in Brussels right now)
2. He says nothing about the engine running, and
3. He says he can change drive modes, but only in the first 2 minutes after starting the car (if I'm reading that right)...

I'm gonna say that's probably not what's going on.

 

[ampera_jed]

It could still be a bad switch. Just coincidence on the 'timing'.

Press slightly harder with a little 'wiggle'. Press more to the lower right of the button, the contact point behind it is not actually in the middle of the button.

 

[Fyodor]

I'm going to assume it is very cold, I'm guessing you're not plugged in, and when you first start your car, the internal combustion engine turns on right away. .....

So if the above conditions are true (it's very cold) the car is operating normally and there is nothing to worry about.

Google 'Brussels weather' and you will find that it is not very cold, overnight lows do not even get to freezing. What you suggest is plausible but doesn't seem to fit the apparent facts.

Ampera Jed has a similar car and lives in a similar climate. I wonder what his experience is?

 

[llninja]

Google 'Brussels weather' and you will find that it is not very cold, overnight lows do not even get to freezing. What you suggest is plausible but doesn't seem to fit the apparent facts.

Ampera Jed has a similar car and lives in a similar climate. I wonder what his experience is?

OK, then maybe the temp sensor is way off and the car is behaving like this as a result. But yet, more info would be helpful. Alas our Belgium friend is probably sleeping, so we're all on pins and needles for their response.

 

[Sunshine]

I had a similar problem with my 2013 Volt. When the problem first started to appear, the drive mode button would work when the car was first powered on - I could switch between the modes no problem - but then 10 or 15 minutes into the trip the Drive mode button would either not respond and would require several pushes in order to initiate a mode change. Took it into the dealer for diagnosis and they couldn't replicate the problem - they said I was pushing the button too quickly and needed to slow down to allow the car time to respond (a bunch of B.S.). The problem became progressively worse over the course of the next several months to the point where the Drive mode button essentially no longer responded - except when car was first powered on. Took it back to the dealer and this time they were able to replicate the problem. They ended up replacing the entire faceplate for the center console (i.e. new buttons, radio controls, climate controls, etc) and this solved the problem. In short, it was the button that went flakey. I've seen threads on this problem where people have bought replacement faceplates on e-bay and switched out faulty buttons to fix this problem. The dealers will not replace just a button however - they will want replace the entire faceplate. In my case it was covered under my extended warranty - otherwise would have been around a $600 - $800 bill.

 

[Robert - Ampera 2013]

Hi , i think i find the problem : today it s raining here and it s the first time that the drive mode running well ! Not exactly because at the end of my journey , the problem come back . I deduced it come from the button : with humidity the current passes better , and less after the heating of the passenger compartment . I decide to clean the button with special spray . It s look like to be good now ?!
I don't explain the fact that , when i have ( had ?) the problem , i just power off/on the car and the problem disappear ?!
Now , i rolled some miles and i don't have the problem : it s the first time sinze i buy the car !

I'll let you know

Ps : i m not sleeping ;-) It s 20h25 here . . .


Thank you very much to all of you !

 

[bentbiker]

Watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnjcsrcHkoM .

 

[Steverino]

The button may be dirty or otherwise not making good contact. It may need cleaning or replacement.

See this thread: http://gm-volt.com/forum/showthread.php?178434-Drive-Mode-Button

http://gm-volt.com/forum/showthread.php?178434-Drive-Mode-Button&p=2493194#post2493194

http://gm-volt.com/forum/showthread.php?178434-Drive-Mode-Button&p=3391242#post3391242

 

[Robert - Ampera 2013]

Thank You Bentbiker . . . i had seen this video and it gave me help to remove the button ;-)

Thank you Steverino , i had seen these thread before writing here . That why I registered here ;-)

I hope the cleaning of the button was the solution . Futur will tell me . . .

Now it s time to go to bed ... for me ( 23h30 here ). . .

Have a nice day . . .

 

[BAZINGA]

Welcome to the family.

Cheers

 

[brock71]

My 2013 Volt with 24K mi had the same drive mode switch failure. Intermittent at first. Then almost never worked.
Experimenting, I discovered it would consistently work if I cycled power to the car. The drive mode switch would work for about 60 seconds then never again until I cycled power again. I figured this ruled out a bad switch. Still think so, but willing to try anything short of a $500 dealer visit.

I just completed the electrical tape shim behind the switch face fix (youtube). I used six layers. That makes the switch pretty sensitive. Probably three layers would be better. Seems to work. I'll continue testing for a while and see if it is ok.

Has anyone tried building up the switch button itself with some UV curing glue ? A drop on top might be a fix.
Might also be able to attack th switch face with something that could be glued or jammed into the little square hole that is part of the switch face that pushes the button. If the tape wears out these might be more permanent.

John

 

[brock71]

Two days and the tape fix is still 100%.
This works.
John

 

[llninja]

So I the car is under the bumper to bumper warranty, I'd get the dealership to replace the switch. If you are beyond the b2b, then buy a switch and replace it yourself. Ow much can a switch cost?

 

[canehdian]

So I the car is under the bumper to bumper warranty, I'd get the dealership to replace the switch. If you are beyond the b2b, then buy a switch and replace it yourself. Ow much can a switch cost?

You'd have to find a wreck - they don't sell the switch separately - have to replace the entire faceplate (which is not cheap)