My experiences so far with my local Chevy dealer have been very disappointing. The seem to be a bunch of no-nothings are far as the Volt is concerned

 

My experience was not that great either. I made an appointment a week in advance, and after I took the car in, they realized they needed a wiring harness for the new coolant sensor and had to order it. Why would they not know in advance what parts are needed and have them on hand? They were nice enough to give me a loaner, but it was a Traverse, and I used more gas in 3 days than I would in a month with the Volt (literally).

 

after I took the car in, they realized they needed a wiring harness for the new coolant sensor and had to order it. Why would they not know in advance what parts are needed and have them on hand?

Being a member here, I knew what parts where needed and what needed to be done, so I made sure to ask that they have the wire harness, sensor, bracket, new charge cord, etc. in stock when I requested an appointment online. They said they would order all the parts. When they arrived we made the appointment, and all went smoothly. They likely would have known what parts, and about the three items (battery upgrade, charge cord swap, air bag check) but I did not take any chances.

They did fill the gas tank, made sure the battery was fully charged, and washed the car (something they are supposed to do with the battery upgrade as I understand) as well.

 

I'm pretty disappointed as well. I had to make an appointment just to be told that they needed to order the parts and would have to call me when their Volt tech was available to do the work. It would have been great if they could have just ordered the parts instead of making me come in and waste my time. I'm tempted to just skip the battery enhancement altogether because I feel like they don't know what they're doing. I'm afraid they'll screw up my car.

 

I have been very happy with my servicing dealer, Matick Chevrolet in Redford Michigan. They did not sell me my Volt because of availability when I bought it a year ago, but they have been nothing but professional and friendly on the few occasions I needed service; mostly wheel rotations every 6,000 miles, and a couple of minor things. They provided good service on my 2009 Malibu before that.

They scheduled me for the structure enhancement on April 9; they chose that date so they would have parts and technician availability. They told me to bring my charge cord to get it swapped out, and they will check a connector for the driver's side airbag. They could not get me a Camaro as my first choice of a loaner car, but they said they would try hard to get me another Volt while it's in for a few days.

 

I took my Volt into Matick Chevrolet in Redford Michigan yesterday morning. They had pre-ordered the parts after they made my appointment. I was told it would take 2 days, unless there were any problems, in which case they would call me. They said they plan to get it cleaned up Wednesday morning and call me. I got an Equinox as a loaner - I asked if they had any Volts or more fuel-efficient car, but they already had the Equinox all cleaned up and waiting, so it's fine for a couple of days. It is almost new and very well equipped, so I can't complain, even though I will obviously use some gas.

They will also rotate my tires (I'm at 26,000 miles, so it's about the 4th time) and check out a history code which is apparently for the charge door feedback per the codes OnStar provided and searching forum posts. The check engine light was only on for a short time - I wonder why there has to be a code for something like a charge door - either it works or it doesn't, but it doesn't affect emissions (other than running on gas if the door doesn't open, but an owner with intelligence greater than a pencil eraser will know that). The weatherstrip at the bottom of the driver's door looks worn, either from my foot rubbing (unlikely) or else the fit of the door, so they will take care of that. I have only had 2 "problems" in 26,000 miles - an air conditioning line vibrating against the engine at times (mis-installed clamp) and a loose clamp at the overflow bottle for the power electronics coolant - the coolant was 1/2 inch below the "full cold" mark.

I am completely happy with the service Matick has provided on my Volt and my other vehicles - and I have no connection to them, except as a customer.

 

Well if anyone finds themselves in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, I recommend Lupient Chevrolet for service. I just dropped it off for the battery enhancement. They gave me a Volt loaner. I brought mine there once before and got Cruze loaner so I was surprised to see the Volt. They were surprised that I got a Cruze but surmised that the Volt must have been out. My first experience was good, however. Despite getting a Cruze. Everyone was very friendly and the Volt tech shooed away the other guy that was getting my keys and walking me through the paperwork so he could work with me directly and offered to answer any questions. They made sure my car was charged up and it had rained while it was in for service so they even hand washed it before I picked it up.

I had also told the service consultant that I wanted the battery enhancement done. But that I didn't want to be the first. And he said he'd order the parts but make sure they did a few before they scheduled mine. And that's exactly what happened. I also called him up asking about the charge cord exchange and he said he had already ordered mine and it was on it's way.

So, really, A+ all around. Extremely customer oriented.

 

Unhappy as well here, the local dealer didn't have the lift table for the battery and has now cancelled my upgrade. I did get a call from the dealer I purchased from about 40+ miles away, they have the parts and tools. I am reconsidering them.

 

Mind if I ask which dealer cancelled and which said they were ready? I'm not sure if the dealer I bought from in Mesa knows much. They didn't when I bought it last October.

 

What's this about a charge cord swap out? Hadn't heard anything about that yet. Been away from this board for awhile.

 

GM just put out a charge cord with high gauge wire. And is offering free 1 for 1 swaps. I think most everyone is eligable at this point. But you'd have to confirm with your service rep.

 

Just to clarify with respect to some of the comments about dealers not being equipped with the Volt special tools.
To some extent the necessity to remove the Volt battery so soon in the Volt's life-cycle has "caught" GM and it's dealer network somewhat in an unprepared state due to a previously unforeseen/identified tool limitation issue.

All of the authorized Volt dealers have received their special Volt tool shipments, including a "fixture" that attaches to the bottom of the battery assembly in order to support and stabilize it as it is lowered from the car.

HOWEVER, the dealers were only recently advised that in order to use this fixture they would have to locally procure a suitable "lift table" that would facilitate this operation in safety, and specifications were provided.
The use of a basic automotive transmission jack (which was the initial expectation) is currently NOT recommended as it may not provide the necessary balance and stability to support the near 7ft 400+ lb. assembly .
Since these lift tables are quite large, heavy, and expensive it didn’t make sense to dispatch ship them by truck when local tool/equipment suppliers would very likely have them on hand. (and probably more economically feasible as well)

So this "new" tool requirement MAY catch your dealer off-guard when you book your car in for the battery enhancement.

Therefore I strongly urge you to communicate with your dealer and confirm that they do in fact have a suitable "lift table" to complete the job (and parts) BEFORE you bring your car to the dealer.
Otherwise you could find yourself upset with the inconvenience of an unnecessary visit.

HTH
WopOnTour

PS> I am going to temporarily "pin" this thread

 

I may have said this in another post but my dealer has been outstanding throughout the whole process...from contacting me for a test drive when the Volt actually arrived, to getting me a good deal on the car, to scheduling and executing the battery upgrade and actually delivering the upgraded charge cord to my wife at work.

The dealer, Banks Chevrolet in Concord, N.H. and Service Manager Mike Mercer have exceeded all my expectations. And, of course, the car is THE BOMB!!!!

 

I had my 2011 in for the "battery fix" last week. No problems, and they repaced the 110 volt charge cord with the new one. Also had the shorter air dam put on as well as maintenance items (rotate tires and 1st oil change - it was a year old). The dealer had the gas tank filled and the battery fully charged. Couldn't be happier with Wood Chevrolet in Denton, Texas.

 

Thanks WOT for the tools update. I guess the local dealer got caught up in that problem.

I have reconsidered and have made appointments with the dealer 40 miles away for next week on the Red-Rider and the following week on ecosister. He has the chargers in stock and all parts in stock and the tools. They are providing pickup and drop off and rentals from Enterprise. He promised to drive them electric only to keep the stats up, less important to me but way important to the greenie wife.

He did explain they have more than one tech and they had to send them to California for 4 days to get trained. An expense born by the dealer. Mine will not be the first as they are booked solid with the fixes until they start mine.

 

Dave, do you mind mentioning which dealership you are getting it done at? The one you said is 40 miles from you. Im in Tempe, so perhaps it is one that is closer to me? Thanks!

 

Another person having the work done said:

" they were going to fully discharging the high voltage battery" not seen that before. Is this correct ?



update see :
http://gm-volt.com/forum/showthread.php?12834-My-Volt-is-in-for-the-battery-enhancement-etc./page2

for extended answer via the Super Moderator

 

Another person having the work done said:

" they were going to fully discharging the high voltage battery" not seen that before. Is this correct ?

No not correct. All they do is disable the HV system so no battery power leaves the assembly.(ie out the cables)
WOT

 

@ Empire,

I went ahead and checked your Vin in your signature and it looks like you qualify for the charge cord exchange. Give your dealer a call to make sure they either have one in stock or they can have one ordered for you.

 

@ BryCola,

Sorry to hear about the issue with the dealer. If you would like, we can get in touch with your servicing dealer to make sure the issues you have been dealing with in your Volt are addressed and you are set up with a loaner if needed.

 

Hi artsci,

Could you send me a PM with the dealer you have been working with? If you would like, we can help you find another servicing dealer near you.

 

My Volt went under the wrench today for the updates. My dealer (Power Chevrolet in Valencia, CA) impressed me by ordering all of the parts in advance. They even ordered the replacement Voltec charger in advance. They provided me with a rental car from Enterprise. I ended up with a Chevy Aveo. It sure does make me miss my Volt.

 

Same exact situation as me, except my Aveo was through Hertz. What a terrible car. I envy these guys who are getting demo Volts as loaners.

 

Well, I was less than impressed with my dealership this morning. I scheduled the battery/airbag/cord service after receiving notification from GM. Had it scheduled today since I had next two days off. Service guy said he would gets parts ordered and asked if I could bring car in at 8:00 am. Soooo I get up and drove 25 miles to dealership. Service manager let's me in garage and then says he discovered yesterday the parts did not come in and he will have to order them. A damn courtesy call to notify me not to come in would have been nice. Clown has me sign a form to order parts and says he will call. Says he discovered parts weren't there when the only other Volt owner came in yesterday for her service as well! ! Done with rant! !

 

I got my Volt back yesterday. Everything went fine. The Dealer did an excellent job. No new squeaks & rattles. No issues whatsoever. I did notice that all my radio presets were all still set. My Clock was correct. All of my Nav destinations were still intact. I did have to reselect my delayed charging preference and disable the charge interrupt alarm setting. Otherwise it all seems consistent with my previous settings. And... They did fill my gas tank. (Hopefully with premium.)

 

Again, almost the same situation here. They did not fill my tank, though. Not that I need it. I have 3/4 of a tank that I'll likely never use except to burn off in maintenance mode.

 

@ blueglide,

Very sorry to hear about your experience with your dealer. Could you please let me know what dealer you are working with in a PM? We will make sure everything is taken care of on your next visit.

 

I was just told by my dealer that they were told by GM not to schedule the service except for Mon/Tue/Wed since they didn't want to pay for a rental car while the car is just sitting. I have tomorrow off so was going to leave it tomorrow but will now have to show up late on Monday since rental car place doesn't open until 8 AM. Was anyone else able to schedule it on a Thursday/Friday?

 

AFAIK there is no such directive.
Your dealer should be making their best effort to have your car repaired on YOUR schedule. With everything on hand the completion of the work should take less than a full day. I would call your Volt Advisor and give them your scheduling requirements and preferred dealer and let them help you make the arrangments that best suit you!

WopOnTour

 

update: Spoke with VA (April) and was told same thing as WOT mentioned (no restrictions on days) so I called dealership back and spoke with supervisor. They made a mistake by scheduling me next week since they are booked up with only one tech (it takes him 2-3 days per battery enhancement so they schedule 1 per week) and they won't be able to get me in until May. But we did work out that I could bring the Volt in in the evening to accommodate my work schedule but they still only schedule them Mon/Tue/Wed per their own direction. Thanks WOT for the quick response.

 

dang, i havent even been contacted by my dealer about battery enhance, new charge cord, or anything.

 

Never been treated better

I just got my battery reinforcement and new charger cord done. They treated me like a king. I got a free loaner car and when I got the car back, it was fully charged and 7 gallons of gas were added to the tank. The dealer in New Jersey is Schumacher Chevrolet. I bought the car from them and they are great. So far I have drivin 11,600 miles on 20 gallons of gas and the dealer has supplied 16 of those gallons.

 

I was down at my dealer getting the cargo mat (looks really sharp back there) and went right next door to the service desk. The service guy looked sort of confused when I started naming the items for him to check on my Volt. Then a light came on above his head and he said "Ohhh the recall". So he asked me for my name and I was not in the system. Even though I was holding the thankyou letter with coupons from the dealer and had their service card with my name and VIN#. So he inputted the VIN# and then it popped up as sold by them but the customer name info fields were blank. The three "recall" items then popped up on my VIN#.

So there appears to be a disconnect between the dealer info and the customer names being associated to VIN#s via Chevy.

I am tenatively scheduled to go in about 2 weeks. All the parts are on order. I did verify that they have the special lift and the rep said the battery bracket is a nine hour task by itself. The rep did verify that I will get a loaner. I did not mention the tank of gas at the time. I may be able to burn 4-5 gallons by then if I work at it.

 

GMs service interface is VIN based, so NO it does not track the owners for privacy reasons. Your information is kept in the dealers database. When you sign your repair order you are essentially giving them permission to do so.
The dealer can technically take as long as they wish to perform the "enhancement" repairs, but they will only get paid exactly 7.7 hrs to complete it and that includes the wash and fill. A skilled tech that has done one before, and has all the necessary tools and parts on-hand, can easily complete ALL of the enhancement repairs in less than the allotted 7.0 hrs.
WOT

 

@Fulgerite,

Glad to hear everything went well!