[bro1999]

I just dropped off my '17 Volt at the dealer this morning to take care of that new recall, plus I was due for a tire rotation and also had an issue of my remotestart function no longer working. Tried both FOBs, the MyChevrolet/Remotelink apps, while it's plugged it, unplugged, after being fully charged in the morning, right after coming home from a drive....remote start simply refused to work. The headlights would light up, then....nothing.

I got in touch with the dealer's Volt tech, and he said he called the TAC trying to figure out what was wrong, since no error codes of any kind were showing. After 20 minutes of trying to figure out what could be wrong, the TAC guy asked him if the "low fuel" indicator was on. The tech said yes. Turns out this remote start issue happened to me right after I returned from a Thanksgiving road trip, where I got home on fumes. I haven't been to the gas station yet to put more gas in.

Tech thinks that the "low fuel" indicator is preventing remote start from working. I authorized the dealer to put $10 of gas in so they can confirm that is the issue.

Imagine that....a Volt problem where the solution is to add gas! Talk about irony! Will follow up if they confirm that was what the issue was.

 

[Arcanox]

I just dropped off my '17 Volt at the dealer this morning to take care of that new recall, plus I was due for a tire rotation and also had an issue of my remotestart function no longer working. Tried both FOBs, the MyChevrolet/Remotelink apps, while it's plugged it, unplugged, after being fully charged in the morning, right after coming home from a drive....remote start simply refused to work. The headlights would light up, then....nothing.

I got in touch with the dealer's Volt tech, and he said he called the TAC trying to figure out what was wrong, since no error codes of any kind were showing. After 20 minutes of trying to figure out what could be wrong, the TAC guy asked him if the "low fuel" indicator was on. The tech said yes. Turns out this remote start issue happened to me right after I returned from a Thanksgiving road trip, where I got home on fumes. I haven't been to the gas station yet to put more gas in.

Tech thinks that the "low fuel" indicator is preventing remote start from working. I authorized the dealer to put $10 of gas in so they can confirm that is the issue.

Imagine that....a Volt problem where the solution is to add gas! Talk about irony! Will follow up if they confirm that was what the issue was.

It's a system protection precaution. It doesn't want to be remote-started to a state where the battery does not have a sufficient charge level but the engine can't start, so they have a hard restriction that requires at least a little fuel to remote start. The car has an ICE; despite it being able to drive without it, you can't pretend like it will never need it.

 

[bro1999]

It's a system protection precaution. It doesn't want to be remote-started to a state where the battery does not have a sufficient charge level but the engine can't start, so they have a hard restriction that requires at least a little fuel to remote start. The car has an ICE; despite it being able to drive without it, you can't pretend like it will never need it.

I have remote started my 2012 Volt with the "low fuel" indicator on many times. GM must have added this "protection" sometime after my '12 was built.

 

[Taser54]

I just dropped off my '17 Volt at the dealer this morning .

If I may ask, what dealer do you go to? Up here in Baltimore and trying to figure out good dealers for service.

 

[jbakerjonathan]

Think of it as a requirement to always be able to generate electricity. It IS an EREV. This is a case of the engineers having thoroughly thought out all of the potential problem areas. The Volt is a gem of a car and a testament to GM engineering.

 

[bro1999]

If I may ask, what dealer do you go to? Up here in Baltimore and trying to figure out good dealers for service.

I go to Win Kelly in Clarksville. I've never had any issues with them. Their Volt techs seem pretty on the ball.

Just confirmed: low fuel indicator was the reason remote start didn't work. They added gas, and now it works just fine.

 

[cjaama]

I was struggling to figure out why mine wasn't working this weekend, but works now after adding gas. I guess this was why.

 

[canehdian]

The manual does say remote start cannot be done a second time if fuel is low.
It should have worked once, though. They may have changed the criteria and not updated the manual, or perhaps there's another level for low fuel.
Was it critically low, like ran until engine shut off?

 

[jeff_h]

The manual does say remote start cannot be done a second time if fuel is low. It should have worked once, though. They may have changed the criteria and not updated the manual, or perhaps there's another level for low fuel.
Was it critically low, like ran until engine shut off?

After mine used everything up during FMM I only put a gallon in there, as I'd seen the above statement in the manual that remote start could not be done a 'second' time -- but after finding that it wasn't working for me on the first time anymore, I figured it was due to the low fuel so I added enough to get above the "low fuel" notice and that did the trick and remote start worked as normal again.

 

[wordptom]

Slight change in Remote Start conditions from Gen 1 to Gen 2. Was a fob still in your Gen 2 Volt? Was it in Park? And, of course, once remote start programming sets a low fuel flag, it may not allow further such starts until gas is added.

From the 2012 Owner’s manual:
Conditions in which a remote start may not occur include:
. An open hood.
. Vehicle propulsion system fault conditions, including an emission control system malfunction.
. High voltage battery fault conditions.

A second remote start or extension will not occur if the fuel level is low.

From the 2017 Owner’s manual:
Conditions in which a remote start may not occur include:
. An open hood.
. The RKE transmitter is in the vehicle.
. The vehicle is not in P (Park).
. Vehicle propulsion system fault conditions, including an emission control system malfunction.
. High voltage battery fault conditions.

A second remote start or extension will not occur if the fuel level is low.

 

[mushymelon]

My 2017 will remote start once if the low fuel message is displayed, but only when it still shows some remaining milage 65km or more. But once it displays LOW instead of remaining milage it won't remote start at all.