[Tim S FL]

I do not think the Volt likes to jump start another car. Maybe 4 or 5 times but after that my Volt shut down and I had to have two cars towed, the Volt and the old Infiniti I was helping.
I was almost positive, all it needed was a retstart and i forgot about removing the cable from the 12V battery to reboot the computor. But it was free to tow it to the dealer (20,000miles) and 100$ to tow back to the house 2 blocks away. So I had then tow it to dealer. They could not find a problem. I do not think they even needed to reset it, it did so itself overnight. But those service reps do not always have the full story.

The last time I jump started a wheel chair battery the car did wierd things. I only got 25 EV miles for 2 or 3 days, then on the 4th day I got the best EV miles I ever got on this 2015 .....55miles.

I did follow the procedures about doing ground neg last. But the volt manaul is very cery specific about the exact order of cable placement. Which I have never seen before. To the point that if you do not hook cables up in the3 exact order you can void your warranty. And the order is different for helping or recieving a jump.

 

[jbakerjonathan]

Thanks for the heads up. It pays to RTFM, especially in this case. Now, where did I put the Manual?

 

[ianjay]

Anyone who drives a car that needs a boost needs to pay the hundred bucks a year for AAA (or in Canada, CAA). I'm all for helping out a fellow motorist in distress, but I would lend them my phone if necessary. The chances of making an electrical mistake when boosting can do very expensive damage to both vehicles. Back in the old days, it might just meant a pooched alternator, now it could be much worse.

 

[Tim S FL]

Anyone who drives a car that needs a boost needs to pay the hundred bucks a year for AAA (or in Canada, CAA). I'm all for helping out a fellow motorist in distress, but I would lend them my phone if necessary. The chances of making an electrical mistake when boosting can do very expensive damage to both vehicles. Back in the old days, it might just meant a pooched alternator, now it could be much worse.

I am learning this the hard way

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

I do not think the Volt likes to jump start another car. Maybe 4 or 5 times but after that my Volt shut down and I had to have two cars towed, the Volt and the old Infiniti I was helping.
I was almost positive, all it needed was a retstart and i forgot about removing the cable from the 12V battery to reboot the computor. But it was free to tow it to the dealer (20,000miles) and 100$ to tow back to the house 2 blocks away. So I had then tow it to dealer. They could not find a problem. I do not think they even needed to reset it, it did so itself overnight. But those service reps do not always have the full story.

The last time I jump started a wheel chair battery the car did wierd things. I only got 25 EV miles for 2 or 3 days, then on the 4th day I got the best EV miles I ever got on this 2015 .....55miles.

I did follow the procedures about doing ground neg last. But the volt manaul is very cery specific about the exact order of cable placement. Which I have never seen before. To the point that if you do not hook cables up in the3 exact order you can void your warranty. And the order is different for helping or recieving a jump.

The order is always different for helping and receiving a jump. They're just careful with the Volt because you have very expensive and high-power components.

 

[firehawk72]

I am learning this the hard way

This is why I keep a Noco Genius in the car. We have discussed this many times before. On Amazon, these run about 100 bucks give or take 30 bucks for how many amps you want.

 

[Jefferios]

This is a scary reminder. I will remember to re-read the manual if/when I need to get a jump or give one.

 

[Steverino]

Also, the way to jump another car is by using the direct battery connection in the cargo area. The under hood connectors are not to be used for that scenario. See our jump starting FAQ: http://gm-volt.com/forum/showthread.php?18986-How-To-Jump-Start-the-Volt

 

[Tim S FL]

Also, the way to jump another car is by using the direct battery connection in the cargo area. The under hood connectors are not to be used for that scenario. See our jump starting FAQ: http://gm-volt.com/forum/showthread.php?18986-How-To-Jump-Start-the-Volt

I should have mentioned that
Tks for clarifying

 

[Carl S]

Now that lithium ion jump starters are so small and cheap, I wouldn't bother even using my Volt to jump another car. Not worth the risk!
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Stanley-Simple-Start-Lithium-Ion-Jump-Starter-amp-Battery-Charger/46007586?action=product_interest&action_type=title&beacon_version=1.0.2&bucket_id=irsbucketdefault&client_guid=1cdc9e2e-c73b-4d95-8aaf-21ecdfba23e3&config_id=1332&customer_id_enc&findingMethod=p13n&guid=1cdc9e2e-c73b-4d95-8aaf-21ecdfba23e3&item_id=46007586&parent_anchor_item_id=46167071&parent_item_id=46167071&placement_id=irs-1332-m3&reporter=recommendations&source=new_site&strategy=PWVAV&visitor_id=d_pyGaWMSoKVwI-zU8Cspc

 

[DonC]

Now that lithium ion jump starters are so small and cheap, I wouldn't bother even using my Volt to jump another car. Not worth the risk!

+1. Was thinking the same thing. Not sure there is much of a risk if done through the connector in the trunk, but it's so much easier to just use a jump starter. Mine has more capacity but I've used it a few times when neighbors have needed a jump. Simple and fast.

 

[G-PA]

This is why I keep a Noco Genius in the car. We have discussed this many times before. On Amazon, these run about 100 bucks give or take 30 bucks for how many amps you want.

I bought the Noco, also paid about $100 bucks after reading the jump starting problems on this forum. Used it twice to start my riding mower. You may also charge your cell phone and other hand helds with it.

 

[Kraven]

Thanks for the heads up. It pays to RTFM, especially in this case. Now, where did I put the Manual?

In the cloud is where to put the manual. We all carry around smart phones, so add an app (Google Docs, Evernote) and put the PDF of the manual in the cloud so you can access it anytime, anywhere.

 

[volt3939]

Also, the way to jump another car is by using the direct battery connection in the cargo area. The under hood connectors are not to be used for that scenario. See our jump starting FAQ: http://gm-volt.com/forum/showthread.php?18986-How-To-Jump-Start-the-Volt

You could probably get away with jumping another Volt or an EV or even a hybrid with the front posts, as that should only take a few amps, unless the dead 12V battery is shorted.

Last time my son left the headlights on in his Civic hybrid, I used the Spark to start it, and it took about 10 seconds to power the 12V enough for the HV battery to crank the engine up.

 

[Barry]

Thanks for the reminder about this. I have jump started many cars in my lifetime, but only one with my Volt. No problems that time, but realizing the risk, I am much more careful now. Plus having to empty my cargo area, including spare tire, to get to my battery, it is a real hassle in addition to the risk.

The portable booster is a good idea, but I have not gotten one. Mostly because I hate to buy yet another battery powered device to maintain and watch slowly die, maybe before I even use it for the first time.

 

[flyingsherpa]

Now that lithium ion jump starters are so small and cheap, I wouldn't bother even using my Volt to jump another car. Not worth the risk!
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Stanley-Simple-Start-Lithium-Ion-Jump-Starter-amp-Battery-Charger/46007586?action=product_interest&action_type=title&beacon_version=1.0.2&bucket_id=irsbucketdefault&client_guid=1cdc9e2e-c73b-4d95-8aaf-21ecdfba23e3&config_id=1332&customer_id_enc&findingMethod=p13n&guid=1cdc9e2e-c73b-4d95-8aaf-21ecdfba23e3&item_id=46007586&parent_anchor_item_id=46167071&parent_item_id=46167071&placement_id=irs-1332-m3&reporter=recommendations&source=new_site&strategy=PWVAV&visitor_id=d_pyGaWMSoKVwI-zU8Cspc

Probably not a problem for you in Texas, but these booster packs have been tested by Consumer Reports to NOT be able to jump a car during the winter (which is why all EVs still use lead acid starter batteries). And personally, I'd be worried about a cheap-ish lithium battery cooking in my car in the summer time (yes, ironic, since there is a 450 lb one in the car already, but it's insulated and has a thermal management system). I like the idea of these booster packs, but they only seem ideal if you live in a temperate climate.

OP, you said you jumped 4 or 5 cars, is that right? Keep in mind the Volt has quite a small battery compared to average ICE car... did you have the Volt turned on during this? Was there a lot of cranking needed? You may have simply drained the 12V with repeated jumps, and an overnight rest allowed the 12V to recover enough to start on its own. FWIW, I've jumped 3 times (not all at once) and never had an issue.

 

[EvertonP]

I hadn't jump started any cars with my Volt until last week, both V8 trucks. Had no issues with either one. I had my car ON and allowed the dead battery to charge for about 30 seconds before telling the other car to start it and they were both impressed.



One thing that I did that I believe is very important was turn my headlights on, as the Volt only charges the 12V battery under certain conditions, with headlights ON is one of them (I know wipers trigger it too). I could see from my Torque app that after I turned the car on, my 12V battery was around 12.7V, and when I turned my headlights on it went up to 14.1, then I knew that just by connecting it to the other battery it would begin to charge some and not rely solely on my 12V battery and DC-DC inverter to start the dead V8.

I also remember that boost plugs under the hood are fused at 100 or 200 amps, so I knew not to boost from there.

Like it has been said "realizing the risk, I am much more careful now".

 

[jbakerjonathan]

In the cloud is where to put the manual. We all carry around smart phones, so add an app (Google Docs, Evernote) and put the PDF of the manual in the cloud so you can access it anytime, anywhere.

What a good suggestion!

I must confess to keeping my manual in the glove compartment and have it handy whenever I need it. For those who don't, your suggestion is a really good one.

 

[Marc401]

After killing 2 ICE over the years I never hook my vehicle to another. You are just transferring their troubles to your car.

In the winter I carry a booster battery pack for those occasions. It's handy for blackouts too.

 

[hellsop]

In the cloud is where to put the manual. We all carry around smart phones, so add an app (Google Docs, Evernote) and put the PDF of the manual in the cloud so you can access it anytime, anywhere.

And the stupid My Chevrolet app will actually pull down a phone-ready copy of the manual for you. It's the one part of that app that works correctly every time.