[SmjVolt]

I have been on and off GM-Volt for several months now in hopes to somehow just find a solution to my woes. I have a 2011 volt that has been struggling to charge for well way too long now. The weird thing is, it will just work for a couple days in a row here and there and I get so pumped that I think it will just work forever again! That is now the case however. Here goes nothing...

Several months ago I started having this problem where I would plug the car in like usual at ANY ANY plugging unit (Home, parking lot, work, anywhere, plus different units) and the car would blink green and later I would come back to find it with no color at all. Now sometimes the on star app lets me know that "there is a charge interuption" so then I would go out and see what is up. Sometimes just a simple unplug and replug would do the trick, however most of the time not. I would plug back in, get orange then hear some clicking in the engine bay and either stay orange or just go out completely.

So I thought it was definitely my 240 charger from Clipper Creek, so I contacted them (one of the best businesses I have every dealt with btw) and we trouble shot over the phone and I was in warranty so even though it didn't seem to be their unit I got a new one. To no avail same problem. The weirdest thing is that it is so random, like now for several weeks it has been very consistent not to be charging at all ever. When my car texts me through the on star and it says completely changed I draw attention to myself because I'm so pumped, this shouldn't be.

I have taken this to a dealer (in the sticks of MN) and have gotten absolutely no where, once my car was completely dead to the point of towing it to their garage over night. The next day was Saturday and the Volt tech was not in. I went to the car and I fixed it myself trouble shooting from this website. So the next time I brought it there I was worried as usual and then they seemed to have gotten it fixed, they said the plugged in their unit to see the codes and such, reprogrammed some things and $150ish later they plugged in to charge and said it did. That very night I plugged it in and the same thing happened no charging...

So I come to all of you, I have been trying to reach ANYONE for too long and finally got a reply from some folks saying start an new Thread, well I hope that helps, there are a ton on here with charging issues. I tried posting there as this is a charging issue, but here I go with a new thread PLEASE HELP. I love this car and want it to keep working.

The latest trial and ERRRRROOR is the replacement of the 12v battery in the back. I hooked up a new one and tried to let the computer sense it and such and then plugged in the main charging unit...NOPE same thing.

HELP: the codes I'm reading are the same as many P1e00 and Pod17

 

[CCIE]

There aren't a lot of threads referencing the P0D17 code. It looks like it's sometimes an issue with the actual charge port on the car. You can try cleaning the contacts in the charge port with q-tips and electronics contact cleaner. Otherwise, the dealer will probably have to change the port.

The guy in the thread below below also needed the battery junction block changed and had a battery coolant leak. Hopefully that's not the case for you.

http://gm-volt.com/forum/showthread...nt-Problem-Trying-to-Charge-Car-Advice-Sought

 

[Steverino]

inside? outside? 120v? 240v? EVSE light colors on failure? Dash messages?

 

[saghost]

Well, the 12V battery was going to be one of my suggestions - lots of odd things happen when those are failing. Given that you just replaced it, I think the problem has to be either something wrong in the charge port itself or loose wiring between it and the charger module under the front bumper.

 

[CCIE]

I also read in one of the P0D17 threads that someone had a loose manual service disconnect. You could try ensuring it's properly seated (push it down). Just don't pull it out or you'll have other issues.

 

[CCIE]

inside? outside? 120v? 240v? EVSE light colors on failure? Dash messages?

He's posted in some other random threads. From what I can tell he has tried multiple home and public chargers. He comes back to either a yellow or off light. That jives with what other people say about DTC P0D17. It looks like that DTC clears after 4 drive cycles, so that's why he can sometimes start charging and then it fails again. Definetly sounds like a poor/intermittent connection somewhere.

 

[SmjVolt]

Thank you Thank you Thank you all for responding and CCIE for assistance on this Forum. I will try some grease like that but I'm really thinking it has to be loose something. Can I get to that thing under the bumper you speak of? I actually purchased a different charge port to do myself if need be. Right now I have just got into where the charge port sits, I reach in there and unplug the orange connector and plug my different on in...to no avail, so I'm thinking I ruled that out unless there is some procedure I need to do after I plug in the different one. I just can't figure out why it would go green and sit like that for minutes at a time and then just say "nope we're done" and then orange and then no color. If I clear those codes I can "most" of the time get it to go green right away but then goes out, but if I dn't clear those codes then it "most" of the time will just be orange. Thanks again all, I just know with all of your help and other things happening to these cars we can get it.! Go team.

 

[Upper5Percent]

Sure, it's the silver box with the orange cables plugged into it.

Wasn't there an easier way to show him the unit without wrecking a Volt...

 

[tofelec]

I had to wreck several before I got it right.

 

[CCIE]

Thank you Thank you Thank you all for responding and CCIE for assistance on this Forum. I will try some grease like that but I'm really thinking it has to be loose something. Can I get to that thing under the bumper you speak of? I actually purchased a different charge port to do myself if need be. Right now I have just got into where the charge port sits, I reach in there and unplug the orange connector and plug my different on in...to no avail, so I'm thinking I ruled that out unless there is some procedure I need to do after I plug in the different one. I just can't figure out why it would go green and sit like that for minutes at a time and then just say "nope we're done" and then orange and then no color. If I clear those codes I can "most" of the time get it to go green right away but then goes out, but if I dn't clear those codes then it "most" of the time will just be orange. Thanks again all, I just know with all of your help and other things happening to these cars we can get it.! Go team.

I would also check the service disconnect in the bottom of the armrest. The thread linked below says that someone was able to fix this issue by just pushing it down a little to fully seat it. Again, do not pull it out.


http://gm-volt.com/forum/showthread.php?285825-P0D17-Fault-Code&p=4029921#post4029921


Also, how many miles do you have on the car? The 8/100 Voltec warranty may cover this if you're under 100k miles. If that's the case, I'd find a good dealer, even if it's far away, and have them fix it.

 

[freshcut]

Just to be on the safe side, I would highly recommend disconnecting the 12V before messing with the HV disconnect. It might also save you a trip to the dealer since I believe I read on here that with the 12V battery disconnected, you can remove the HV quick disconnect without it setting any codes that require a dealership to clear. I'm sure someone here can confirm that to be the case.

 

[SmjVolt]

THank you again all, I will definitely check under the armrest...and what you wrecked a Volt for my question, I take back all the sadness I had against this website for folks not getting back to me, it was only a silver one anyway. Sorry I digress, to those that have silver Volts, they are fine I know you just couldn't find one in the color you wanted at the time, no worries soon you will have a car with color. Okay off topic.

I see that box and not quite sure why something would have happened with that but a good spot to keep in mind. I feel I am to the point of playing with the fluid levels or looking to that sensor. Before a quick update on what the car did yestday last night and now I want to share my phone call. I called Luther Brookdale in the cities (to those not knowledgable about what I mean Minn/St. Paul) and talked with a great volt tech there. I explained where I"m located and please help without telling me to just come there imediately. He was saying that most likely it is not the charge port or the 12v but the coolant fluid level. I am sort of to that now with my diagnoses from all your help and now his. He was just explaining that if something is a little funny with that (as many of you have said) it could tell the computer to not let the battery charge as it might get too hot. So I'm thinking I will have to fill the passenger side container a little more to see if that does anything, if that doesn't change things I might need to take it in. If I do I will walk the guy to the exact spot, tell him where it is, point to the sensor and the jug, and then tell him to look up the damn bulletin I read about on here about this sort of issue. Yikes it should be so simple.

So update on what happened, nothing really same same. I plugged in last night and it went green, walked away got the onstar text saying car not charging, went out replugged nothing. This morning I tried to get a little charge going and I thought I had it, no text as I was eating bfast, then went out to no lights on at all, and no text, errr frustrating. I did manage to clear the codes and they actually stayed cleared for a time last night so I thought I had some charge going then, nope. So yeah onward, we'll figure this out...thanks again everyone. Could someone cut the car in 2 for me, I just want to see the halves apart!

 

[saghost]

Low coolant levels will cause a charge failure, and set the "Service High Voltage" DIC message. That does not fit with the symptoms you've described.

The only way you can get the silent failures you've been describing is if the car doesn't think there's anything wrong; it just thinks it's been unplugged. That means charge port or wiring since you've ruled out the EVSE.

 

[CCIE]

Low coolant levels will cause a charge failure, and set the "Service High Voltage" DIC message. That does not fit with the symptoms you've described.

The only way you can get the silent failures you've been describing is if the car doesn't think there's anything wrong; it just thinks it's been unplugged. That means charge port or wiring since you've ruled out the EVSE.

Agreed that it's not the battery coolant level or level sensor. If it was the coolant or sensor, it sets different DTCs, triggers the Service High Voltage Charging System message, and prevents all charging until the dealer fixes it.


The failures he's getting aren't really silent. He has the MIL (check engine light) illuminated and is seeing DTC P0D17. It's a rare code, but others have seen it as shown in the links I previously posted.


Hopefully his Voltec warranty is still active and he can get it to a dealer with a good Volt Technician.

 

[llninja]

I could. It's been a while since I was in that business though.

BTW, you have a private message.

While you have the Volt cut into two, you might as well stretch it into a 30-40 foot limo. Even just 1 section to add a row of seats would solve the seating and cargo space issue. It would clobber your EV range though.

My vote goes to the charge port or a connector problem near the charge port. Though the time I had trouble charging, a moth kamikaze'd himself towards the light on the end of the J1772 just as I was plugging in. I had to scrape bug guts out of the plug and the port before it would charge. Don't worry, the power won't flow until the EVSE and car successfully negotiate the rate through the pilot wires. Go from easiest to hardest. Clean the pins in the plug and port first, then replace the port, then look deeper into the car.

 

[hellsop]

While you have the Volt cut into two, you might as well stretch it into a 30-40 foot limo. Even just 1 section to add a row of seats would solve the seating and cargo space issue. It would clobber your EV range though.

I'd settle for adding four inches for a bit of legroom in the rear...

 

[SmjVolt]

Okay a so update. I was playing with options all afternoon. I did pour dis water, just a little to bring level up. Right away things changed. Granted I got in the car turned it on clear the codes shut off the car then plugged it in! But then it seemed to charge for quite a while meaning 5 minutes 10 minutes. Which has been the longest for a couple weeks for sure. So then the text came again that there was a transfer interruption or something like that. So then I poured a little bit more in and similar thing it worked for a while again. Now it's parked and charged an again and it's been that way for 7 minutes ish and still charging! So any other thoughts? It Is by no means fixed yet but maybe closer! So does this have to do with the level possibly?
So now I'm wondering about what's happening maybe good things! But to answer the other question I have a salvage title on this car which again doesn't help at the dealer... So so as for the warranty I only have about 70 K on the car so maybe they would help but I had a doubt it.
Yes I saw the moth Kamikaze thread a while back in so I blew it out a little bit and really looked with flashlight and such and did not see anything. But thanks for that I was hoping that was my easy fix.
I will keep updating you all but please be thinking why it's so random and if the coolant level has something to do with this.
Thank you thank you again for all the responses I'm feeling a bit better about my problem.

 

[somms]

But to answer the other question I have a salvage title on this car which again doesn't help at the dealer... So so as for the warranty I only have about 70 K on the car so maybe they would help but I had a doubt it.

Was your Volt previously totaled and repaired? I would be surprised if GM would honor any warranty on a salvaged vehicle...

 

[Upper5Percent]

 

[CCIE]

Okay a so update. I was playing with options all afternoon. I did pour dis water, just a little to bring level up. Right away things changed. Granted I got in the car turned it on clear the codes shut off the car then plugged it in! But then it seemed to charge for quite a while meaning 5 minutes 10 minutes. Which has been the longest for a couple weeks for sure. So then the text came again that there was a transfer interruption or something like that. So then I poured a little bit more in and similar thing it worked for a while again. Now it's parked and charged an again and it's been that way for 7 minutes ish and still charging! So any other thoughts? It Is by no means fixed yet but maybe closer! So does this have to do with the level possibly?
So now I'm wondering about what's happening maybe good things! But to answer the other question I have a salvage title on this car which again doesn't help at the dealer... So so as for the warranty I only have about 70 K on the car so maybe they would help but I had a doubt it.
Yes I saw the moth Kamikaze thread a while back in so I blew it out a little bit and really looked with flashlight and such and did not see anything. But thanks for that I was hoping that was my easy fix.
I will keep updating you all but please be thinking why it's so random and if the coolant level has something to do with this.
Thank you thank you again for all the responses I'm feeling a bit better about my problem.

You would get different DTCs if the issue was low battery coolant. Also, you should use deionized water and dexcool if you're adding to any of the three reservoirs.

If you've tried changing the charge port and you've verified the MSD is properly seated, then it's time to start checking wiring. It'll be hard since the issue only happens after the car has been charging a few minutes. That seems to indicate that something heats up and causes the low voltage condition which sets DTC P0D17.

Maybe someone has the service manual procedures to troubleshoot that DTC?

What happened to your car to total it? What was done to repair it?