[ClarksonCote]

I have a 2013 Volt, and it has the infamous "pop/click" sound when I accelerate or decelerate. There are two major Volt dealers nearby.

Dealer #1: Convinced them to listen to it briefly without an appointment, they think it's bearings and want to replace those. Either way, they have stated it is not covered under the powertrain warranty, without giving it a second thought or reviewing any documentation on warranty coverage.

Dealer #2: Charges a $119 "diagnosis fee" to tell you what the problem is, and then if it ends up being covered under warranty, you won't have to pay anything.

I feel completely comfortable with my Voltec coverage, that's very clear cut, but for this item that could be covered or could be deemed not covered under the powertrain warranty? The end result (from a customer experience) is that I'm likely out money, for something that many other people seem to have no issue with getting covered under warranty. I could pay to have Dealer 1 fix it without any chance of warranty, or have dealer 2 charge me $119 to tell me I need to buy the axle nuts that they may say aren't covered under warranty.

Why do they make it so difficult?

 

[DonC]

The dealer I used initially and the one I current use both charge a diagnostic fee. In some ways I'm OK with that. Seems similar to when you go to a doctor for an initial consultation. I don't have a huge problem in that I'd rather the technician a bit of time and get the diagnosis right than trying to do it quickly and get it wrong. YMMV.

Not sure what you mean by pop and click. I had a click on acceleration and deceleration which was diagnosed as "drive train lash" aka things are moving around slightly with age. I can't say that I'd be overly impressed with the first dealer. The bearing problem is more of a whine than a click and I'd think it would be covered by something (once a part is identified as defective manufacturers usually fix it).

 

[ClarksonCote]

Thanks Don. I don't necessarily mind the fee either in principle... But to pay $120 for what is potentially a $20 part fix, without the fix even being applied, is frustrating. I guess instead of a flat pricey fee, some other method of recouping their own time investment that is proportional to the problem would be nice.

In terms of my noise, basically whenever I start to accelerate or decelerate there is a click sound. There are other detailed threads on it here. It seems there are several potential fixes, with many people reporting their dealer fixed under the Powertrain warranty (see here): http://gm-volt.com/forum/showthread...arting-and-stopping-at-low-speed-(2012-Volt)/

So I guess I'm just venting a bit. When one dealer says it isn't covered under warranty without any true inspection, and the other dealer says it might be but it'll immediately cost $120 just to find out anything, it's a bit frustrating.

I'll probably end up trying to replace the axle nuts myself and go from there, but I can't get a straight answer on how to properly replace the washer behind the hub. Some suggest the hub can just be removed, others have stated the ball joint needs to be disconnected which is probably much more of a pain.

If I had a dealer that would say "yeah we think that'll be covered, let us look into it more and we'll treat you right" that would be a much better customer service experience than feeling like they're taking an initial going in position that is against my interests.

 

[BAZINGA]

For the hundredth time, that clicking sound could be the brake pad caliper pins. Mine needed to be removed, cleaned, lubed and reinstalled. Problem solved. GOOGLE Clicking Brake Caliper Pins

 

[mpmoore1979]

A dealership can not tell you that something is covered under warranty without checking the problem. If they were to tell you that its covered and then they find out the brakes are causing the noise, then they are out of luck charging you for the repair. Remember the tech looking at your car does not get paid for his time unless the problem is covered under warranty or the customer is paying the bill. Tech's do not get paid by the hour but by the job. I wish we got paid by the hour but that's not how it works. The diagnosis fee is to ensure that the tech gets paid for his time (we have bills to pay like everyone else) and if they find it's a covered item, then you do not get charged. Sorry if it seems that I am complaining but we see this every day at the dealership, people come in and want the car diagnosed for free then want to take there car and fix it some where else.

 

[DonC]

I've had nut problem on the ELR and the drive train lash issue on the Volt. The sounds made in both cases were pretty indistinguishable to my ear. Click at low speeds. Did not sound at all like what bro1999 posted. Since the noise went away when you tightened the nuts I'm thinking it may be that -- the protocol is to replace both not tighten. To me the sounds from the bearing cage are way different and quite distinctive.

I'm not sure how a dealer could tell you the item would be covered under warranty until it knew what the problem was.

Unfortunately, my dealer is saying it isn't covered.

Aren't you beyond the 5/100? That may be why it's not covered.

 

[llninja]

For the hundredth time, that clicking sound could be the brake pad caliper pins. Mine needed to be removed, cleaned, lubed and reinstalled. Problem solved. GOOGLE Clicking Brake Caliper Pins

And for the 101th time I just needed to get my nuts torqued, no washer or bearing replacement, no brake work whatsoever. I ended up paying $116 for Paula to torque my nuts, and am kicking myself for not torquing them myself (and collecting another big Craftsman socket that I don't have).

 

[BAZINGA]

And for the 101th time I just needed to get my nuts torqued, no washer or bearing replacement, no brake work whatsoever. I ended up paying $116 for Paula to torque my nuts, and am kicking myself for not torquing them myself (and collecting another big Craftsman socket that I don't have).

Glad I'm not the OP. He has to make a decision. Good luck.

 

[Blackagar_Voltagon]

I just had my 2013 in the shop a week ago for a clicking noise, and the issue was the cv joint, which is covered under the power train warranty.

I have a clear recording of the noise the cv joints make, but I'm not allowed to post links yet. PM me if you want a link to the sound file.

At first the dealership said it wasn't covered, but I pointed them to the powertrain warranty on the Chevrolet site.
It clearly says that "constant velocity joints" are covered. I was not charged a diagnostic fee since it is covered by warranty. I spoke to the mechanic directly and he assured me it was the cv joint, because he tested it up on the lift and could make it click by rocking the shaft.

The problem now is actually getting the half shaft in from Chevy. It will apparently take 6 weeks or more.

 

[Mister Dave]

For the hundredth time, that clicking sound could be the brake pad caliper pins. Mine needed to be removed, cleaned, lubed and reinstalled. Problem solved. GOOGLE Clicking Brake Caliper Pins

I'm pretty sure my front brakes do this too. I don't need to have them fixed. I'm not going to have them inspected/diagnosed. I'm not that anal about machines making noises that don't affect their performance.

 

[llninja]

Glad I'm not the OP. He has to make a decision. Good luck.

And despite the dealership torquing my nuts, tomorrow I'm headed in for an appointment to figure out what the low growling noise is. I might be a bearing, a stator bearing housing, or something else. Is it wrong to wish something really deep into the voltec drivetrain so it's still covered under warranty? Plus, if I torqued my own nuts, they might have me to blame for it. But since they torqued them, it might be on them. My understanding is if it is the wheel bearings, that's a wearable part just like the brake pads and tires. It's not part of the Voltec drivetrain warranty.

So wish me luck too.

Finally, is it wrong to wish that the car falls off the lift and gets destroyed so I can go shopping again?

 

[llninja]

I'm pretty sure my front brakes do this too. I don't need to have them fixed. I'm not going to have them inspected/diagnosed. I'm not that anal about machines making noises that don't affect their performance.

Are you sure it's the brake calipers and not a nut torquing that you need?

 

[Mister Dave]

Are you sure it's the brake calipers and not a nut torquing that you need?

No I'm not sure. There's also an intermittent metallic sound as it rolls into the garage that sounds like something between the brake pad and rotor.

The brakes work just fine.

 

[llninja]

No I'm not sure. There's also an intermittent metallic sound as it rolls into the garage that sounds like something between the brake pad and rotor.

The brakes work just fine.

Sounds like brakes to me. The other noise is a thump as you change torque on the drive wheels - whether you are accelerating or decelerating. But whenever I drive in a parking deck with the windows open, there are bunches of tink and click noises from the brakes. I also sometimes get rear suspension thunks just by sitting in the car.

 

[Keith Myers]

I recently had a very frustrating experience with a local dealer with respect to them honoring the High Voltage Charging System warranty. The car is a 2013 Volt and has 35,000 miles on it so beyond the B2B warranty. I have had CELs after a night of charging on a GE Wattstation L2 EVSE. I used my OBDII reader and the Torque Pro app on my cell phone to see what was up. I had the usual P1E00 and P0D22 DTC codes set from a problem with the charge cycle. Those in the past had always cleared on their own after a full night charge each night over a couple of days. The new one though had me concerned once I investigated the DTC code here on GM-Volt. I had the P0AF8 code set and it wasn't clearing. The code indicates a problem with the high-voltage cabling or problems with the on board charger. I knew I had to see the dealer. I went to the closest dealer to me, NOT the dealer I bought the car from new. That dealer was twice as far away and I didn't want to get on the freeway and take a chance on an hour and half drive.

I told the dealer the codes and they had me sign an estimate for $250 of repair. I questioned why when it was obviously an issue with the High Voltage System and was still covered under the 10 year, 150,000 mile warranty in California.

The dealer found P1E00, P0D22, P0AF8, B0233 and B0408 codes set. The work order said they performed a function test of the High Voltage Charging System and it tested OK. They inspected and tested the 120 volt car charger which I have only used once and it was tested OK. They found a Technical Service Bulletin that said they should reprogram the HPCM2 module. The cleared the codes and test drove the vehicle. They said the TSB said the steps to follow was the reprogram, then replace the car charge port and then replace the EVSE.

They returned the vehicle to me and said the $250 service charge was not covered by the warranty since reprogramming is not covered. I challenged them on that and they were adamant that it was not covered.

I then attempted to get in charge with my Volt Advisor only to learn that GM has disbanded all the Volt Advisors and Volt affairs were covered just by normal GM support. I got nowhere talking to GM for an hour because they said they could do nothing on their end because the California GM department had to handle my case. I was told I had to wait for a couple of days before I would be contacted by the department responsible for California GM cases.

I eventually was able to leave the dealership with my vehicle. To make matters worse I had no service paperwork from the dealer because their computers were down. I didn't pay anything at that time because the dealer had no way to bill me. They said they would mail me the copy of the service report later when they could and would tell me whether the service would be covered. I received the service report the next week after 5 days and the service cost was $0 but nowhere on the invoice does it state the repair was covered under the high voltage system warranty. So I don't know whether that was the case or the dealer just placated a very unhappy customer.

So should the reprogramming have been covered under the high voltage system warranty or not? I would like to know in the future since I still believe there are issues with the high voltage cabling. I had a CEL set again after the charge from that dealer visit.

I also very carefully inspected the charge port connector visually and saw nothing amiss. Same for the L2 EVSE connector. I also checked the voltages on the 240v NEMA 14-50R outlet the EVSE is plugged into. The plug on the EVSE looked bright and clean as the day I installed it. I also checked the voltage on the 50A circuit breaker in the service panel and checked all connections for tightness and any discoloring. Everything was tight and no connection showed any sign of overheating. I reset the breaker to scrub the internal contacts for good measure. So I don't think there is anything wrong with the EVSE unless it is glitching during a charge session. I have not had another charge event since the first night after the module programming. If I do, I will charge the cars with the original 120V EVSE in the trunk to see if any difference.

I have zero confidence in the local dealer now. I believe I would be better treated by my original dealer even though it means a long trip and burning gasoline to make it home. I wonder how much difficulty I will have in getting the dealer to follow the next step in the TSB of replacing the charge port. I believe that should be covered under warranty. Is that true?

Comments??

 

[ClarksonCote]

Aren't you beyond the 5/100? That may be why it's not covered.

Nah, this is a 2013 with 44k miles on it. Good for a while longer.

For the hundredth time, that clicking sound could be the brake pad caliper pins. Mine needed to be removed, cleaned, lubed and reinstalled. Problem solved. GOOGLE Clicking Brake Caliper Pins

That may have been your problem, but I don't think it's mine. The clicking noise I hear seems to substantial, though I could be wrong. I will double check again.

I have a clear recording of the noise the cv joints make, but I'm not allowed to post links yet. PM me if you want a link to the sound file.

PM Sent!

 

[DonC]

I told the dealer the codes and they had me sign an estimate for $250 of repair. I questioned why when it was obviously an issue with the High Voltage System and was still covered under the 10 year, 150,000 mile warranty in California.
...
They found a Technical Service Bulletin that said they should reprogram the HPCM2 module. The cleared the codes and test drove the vehicle. They said the TSB said the steps to follow was the reprogram, then replace the car charge port and then replace the EVSE.
...
They returned the vehicle to me and said the $250 service charge was not covered by the warranty since reprogramming is not covered.

My comment is that if the TSB says the reprogramming is part of the service, and the service is covered, then this reprogramming is covered. Honestly sounds like a scam. Maybe not, but it sounds like this dealer does this routinely.

 

[jbakerjonathan]

I recently had a very frustrating experience with a local dealer with respect to them honoring the High Voltage Charging System warranty. The car is a 2013 Volt and has 35,000 miles on it so beyond the B2B warranty. I have had CELs after a night of charging on a GE Wattstation L2 EVSE. I used my OBDII reader and the Torque Pro app on my cell phone to see what was up. I had the usual P1E00 and P0D22 DTC codes set from a problem with the charge cycle. Those in the past had always cleared on their own after a full night charge each night over a couple of days. The new one though had me concerned once I investigated the DTC code here on GM-Volt. I had the P0AF8 code set and it wasn't clearing. The code indicates a problem with the high-voltage cabling or problems with the on board charger. I knew I had to see the dealer. I went to the closest dealer to me, NOT the dealer I bought the car from new. That dealer was twice as far away and I didn't want to get on the freeway and take a chance on an hour and half drive.

I told the dealer the codes and they had me sign an estimate for $250 of repair. I questioned why when it was obviously an issue with the High Voltage System and was still covered under the 10 year, 150,000 mile warranty in California.

The dealer found P1E00, P0D22, P0AF8, B0233 and B0408 codes set. The work order said they performed a function test of the High Voltage Charging System and it tested OK. They inspected and tested the 120 volt car charger which I have only used once and it was tested OK. They found a Technical Service Bulletin that said they should reprogram the HPCM2 module. The cleared the codes and test drove the vehicle. They said the TSB said the steps to follow was the reprogram, then replace the car charge port and then replace the EVSE.

They returned the vehicle to me and said the $250 service charge was not covered by the warranty since reprogramming is not covered. I challenged them on that and they were adamant that it was not covered.

I then attempted to get in charge with my Volt Advisor only to learn that GM has disbanded all the Volt Advisors and Volt affairs were covered just by normal GM support. I got nowhere talking to GM for an hour because they said they could do nothing on their end because the California GM department had to handle my case. I was told I had to wait for a couple of days before I would be contacted by the department responsible for California GM cases.

I eventually was able to leave the dealership with my vehicle. To make matters worse I had no service paperwork from the dealer because their computers were down. I didn't pay anything at that time because the dealer had no way to bill me. They said they would mail me the copy of the service report later when they could and would tell me whether the service would be covered. I received the service report the next week after 5 days and the service cost was $0 but nowhere on the invoice does it state the repair was covered under the high voltage system warranty. So I don't know whether that was the case or the dealer just placated a very unhappy customer.

So should the reprogramming have been covered under the high voltage system warranty or not? I would like to know in the future since I still believe there are issues with the high voltage cabling. I had a CEL set again after the charge from that dealer visit.

I also very carefully inspected the charge port connector visually and saw nothing amiss. Same for the L2 EVSE connector. I also checked the voltages on the 240v NEMA 14-50R outlet the EVSE is plugged into. The plug on the EVSE looked bright and clean as the day I installed it. I also checked the voltage on the 50A circuit breaker in the service panel and checked all connections for tightness and any discoloring. Everything was tight and no connection showed any sign of overheating. I reset the breaker to scrub the internal contacts for good measure. So I don't think there is anything wrong with the EVSE unless it is glitching during a charge session. I have not had another charge event since the first night after the module programming. If I do, I will charge the cars with the original 120V EVSE in the trunk to see if any difference.

I have zero confidence in the local dealer now. I believe I would be better treated by my original dealer even though it means a long trip and burning gasoline to make it home. I wonder how much difficulty I will have in getting the dealer to follow the next step in the TSB of replacing the charge port. I believe that should be covered under warranty. Is that true?

Comments??

How convenient that their computers were down after you vigorously complained about paying the $250, and they let you leave without paying, and then you received a statement with a zero balance and a description of the repair that did not state that it was covered by warranty... see what I mean? I would not use them again. The little bit of gas that you would burn by going to your original dealer can be looked at as an insurance premium paid for honest treatment.

 

[supchrgamx]

if the noise comes on when you apply the brakes
old school was to use the emergency brake to apply back brakes only and see what sounds it makes or doesnt

 

[Keith Myers]

How convenient that their computers were down after you vigorously complained about paying the $250, and they let you leave without paying, and then you received a statement with a zero balance and a description of the repair that did not state that it was covered by warranty... see what I mean? I would not use them again. The little bit of gas that you would burn by going to your original dealer can be looked at as an insurance premium paid for honest treatment.

Yes, this local dealer wasn't certified to sell or service Volts until 2014. I think the case is 3 strikes you're out. My first experience with this dealer was in 2014 when I picked up a screw in the right front at work. Used the emergency inflator to make it to that dealer who informed me the screw was too close to the sidewall and the tire had to be replaced. OK, replaced the tire and drove home. It was only the next day when I used the right passenger door to put my lunch into the car for work that I noticed a very noticeable scratch in the rocker panel behind the right front wheel. It wasn't there before they replaced that tire.

The next time I went to that dealer was the first time I had a choice of driving the 140 miles round trip to my original dealer or the 60 miles round trip to this closer dealer. I wanted them to try and diagnose a Navigation system that wasn't working correctly with the location arrow on the map just spinning in circles or wandering off the travelled road and then abruptly snapping back to the road. They had the car the entire day and said they couldn't find anything wrong with it even though I told them exactly to how to get the system to misbehave. They then said there wasn't anything they could do. They didn't charge me since they couldn't fix the problem. Strike Two. This last incident is Strike Three. I won't be going back to them. I will burn the couple of gallons of gas to take it back to the original dealer who has always treated me well and I have great faith in their Volt techs.