My 2022 Chevy Bolt EUV 12v battery died while I was on vacation October 9-13. Everything worked well prior to vacation. Left car unplugged and high voltage battery at about 50% charged. It is an automatic with about 15,000 miles.
Tried to start October 15 and could not 12v battery dead. Jumped battery. Drove all day on October 15 and 16. Died again after leaving work on October 16. Checked battery status at Auto Zone. Was told it was a good battery.
Took to dealership as it is under warranty on October 17 and they have not been able to fix. Complained to GM. GM engineer supposed to come look at but has not yet shown.
Dealership has replaced several modules. I unfortunately do not have specifics of modules. Other than that, I do not know why a perfectly functioning vehicle is now inoperable.
Concerned that if sitting 1 week (for vacation) caused problems then sitting 11 weeks (for repair) will cause further problem.
Any help is much appreciated.
Took to dealership as it is under warranty on October 17 and they have not been able to fix. Complained to GM. GM engineer supposed to come look at but has not yet shown.
What laws do apply for warranties where you live? Are they supposed to give you another car if they can't fix it in a determined period of time? Don't rely on dealership's excuses. They avoid free work under warranty.
Thank you for the response. I bought the car in TN and am a TN resident. Under TN lemon law, it's 12 months. The issue occurred at the 15 month mark. I bought in July 2022. Issue happened in October 2023. Also talked to a lawyer about federal lemon law and he said that implied warranty of merchantability would be something to claim within 12 months. He said 15 months is possible but not black and white. The dealership gave me a Chevy Equinox which I drove for 3,000 miles and then swapped out for GMC Terrain. They are reimbursing me for mileage driven and rideshare costs that were incurred prior to loaning me the Equinox. I have contacted the Better Business Bureau to get a refund. I haven't and probably won't hire a lawyer because cost/benefit calculation doesn't make sense. Again appreciate all the help.
You are welcome. Thank you for your reply.
Died again after leaving work on October 16. Checked battery status at Auto Zone. Was told it was a good battery.
The 12 volt battery dying usually happens due to modules not shutting down when they're supposed to.
It's not hard to diagnose and it defiantly should not be happening on a new car - it's GM being GM.
2022 Chevy Bolt
How has the car been overall?
I have a 2023 Geely Geometry C which is also an EUV and I always wondered how's the Bolt.
I wrote about it previously: https://carkiller.com/scottykilmer/qa/geely-geometry-m6/#post-297982
What I don't like about the Bolt personally are the hideous charing curves...
Source: https://lecircuitelectrique.com/en/chevrolet-bolt/
Thank you for the response. Overall the car has been good. Long trips are challenging but I knew that when I got it and it had limited range. I didn't understand at the time that the EPA range is not the minimum range. My car is rated 250 EPA range and it can vary from 200-300 top line number meaning max. I have had 200 miles the max at times which means it's not getting 200 miles.
I talked to the mechanic that has been working on the car on Friday. He said the issue is the ignition relay circuit is stuck on (which sounds like what you guessed above).
I went to look at the car on Friday to see what was going on and to get a list of all the things that have been done to the car:
1) Replace 12v battery
2) Replace hybrid power train control module #2
3) Replace power inverter module (aka hybrid power control module #1)
4) Replace body control module
5) Replace fuse block
6) Have ordered keyless entry control module for engineer to install
Thanks again for your help.
It is an automatic with about 15,000 miles.
does it actually have an automatic transmission? :envy:
Tried to start October 15 and could not 12v battery dead.
I thought the 12V battery is only used for accessories. The traction motor is run by the high voltage battery.
GM engineer supposed to come look at but has not yet shown.
you just have to keep calling and pestering them. It's the only way.
nobody knows how to work on these things, so unfortunately you're at the mercy of Chevrolet.
also check your state lemon laws. They may be required to fix it within a certain time frame, or else they have to buy it back from you.
Thank you for your response. I checked TN state lemon laws. Unfortunately, it is a 12 month period. I bought the car July 2022 and the issue arose October 2023 so 15 months had lapsed. I will keep at it.
As far as the transmission, it seems you might know better than me about that. I'm a rule follower. It said to post whether automatic or manual and I knew not a manual. My last two cars were manual Minis and I miss them (sometimes not all the time). The below link discusses whether what's in the Bolt is a "transmission" or not.
https://www.chevybolt.org/threads/does-the-2022-euv-have-a-transmission.44974/
Again don't know how the high voltage battery is being powered but know the car will not start without 12v battery working. The below is a link I found regarding the function of 12v batteries in Bolts.
https://www.greencarfuture.com/electric/chevy-bolt-12-volt-battery
I'm a rule follower. It said to post whether automatic or manual and I knew not a manual.
gotcha 😆 the attention to detail is appreciated.
So it looks like, technically speaking, it has a 7:1 a single-speed fixed-gear-ratio gearset. According to one poster:
"The Bolt has a fixed reduction gearset which is integrated with the propulsion motor inside a module called the Drive Unit."
the car will not start without 12v battery working. The below is a link I found regarding the function of 12v batteries in Bolts.
https://www.greencarfuture.com/electric/chevy-bolt-12-volt-battery
Thanks for the link. I think the key is in the "Contactor" section ...
"The 12-volt unit acts as a critical secondary power supply to help activate the contactor which then brings the main “big” lithium-ion battery to life powering the rest of the vehicle"
That makes sense from a safety redundancy perspective. It means that even if something malfunctions, the isolated 12V battery is able to shut things down.
I will keep at it.
This is the downside to owning an EV. Nobody knows how to fix them, because it takes an engineer. The grease monkeys at the dealership simply don't have the skills and equipment to do it. Dealerships don't even want to SELL electric cars, as Scotty has been explaining in videos lately, and they're even starting to protest. But the manufacturers keep pushing more EVs on them.
And historically speaking ... electrical problems have always been a sore spot for GM.
I bet the GM engineer you contacted is completely swamped right now, and has about 50 states to visit this week.