[MoranJ2000]

Hello all.

I'm hoping someone here can help me. I’ve owned a 2020 Bolt EV for about two weeks now, and until yesterday, was charging via the L1 charger that came with the car while I waited for a 240v outlet to be installed in my garage for an L2 charger.

Over the weekend that outlet was finally installed, so yesterday I started using the L2 charger (this Electrify America unit, which I plugged into the outlet and mounted on the wall). I plugged the car into the charger and all seemed normal, at least until my Bolt reached full charge, when I began hearing a loud fan noise from under the hood and considerable heat emanating from that area. So I unplugged the charger and all was well again.

Today, I plugged in and once again everything was normal until the car charged fully, and then the underhood noise and heat show started started up until I unplugged the car from the charger.

This doesn’t seem normal, and I would add that this didn’t happen with the L1 charger.

Am I missing something here? I’m new to this stuff, but I would think once the battery was full the charging would stop, but it’s as if the charging continues and the excess power is being dissipated by the fan.

Not sure if this is a car issue, a charger issue, or some combination of the two, but would appreciate any insights someone might have.

Many thanks.

Joe

 

[XJ12]

This doesn’t seem normal, and I would add that this didn’t happen with the L1 charger.

Mine does it with the Bolt's OEM charge cord plugged in to 240V. Best I can guess is the car likes the battery at a particular temperature to do some cell balancing at the end of the charge. Completely normal.

 

[Eriamjh1138]

While I’m not 100% sure, at the end or near the top of the charge, the fan may come on to cool the pack because heat AND 100% charge cause quicker cell capacity degradation and the car is trying to cool down quicker.

So by unplugging it, you are hurting your car! Leave it alone! Stop thinking about it and let it do its job.

Also, don’t charge to 100% if you don’t need it.

 

[Sibilance]

I live somewhere that is usually hot, and during our 'winter' months the fan comes on almost every time after charging.
It's completely normal if you are parking your vehicle somewhere relatively warm.

The fan sound gives me comfort because it means that the intelligent ACTIVE COOLING battery health control systems are doing their job, as opposed to the complete silence of a passively cooled Leaf.

 

[Lo305EV]

My new 2020 Bolt did the same thing for the 1st time tonight and I unplugged it as well a few minutes after the revving sound slowed down. I set the charging to complete at 95%. This was about 15 minutes ago. Not sure if I should plug it back in.

 

[Sibilance]

Honestly, outside of an electrical storm or being out of town for a month or something, there is little reason to unplug your car. There are numerous threads about it, although the best combination of keywords to find them might be tricky, so NO Judgement from me.

 

[ZoomZoom]

Seems pretty normal to me.

 

[MikeyBolt]

Both my 2017 Volt and 2019 Bolt did that: fan comes on after charging is completed. I think some heat is desired during charging but once charging is complete, these cars like to cool down the pack.

Mike

 

[stangbat]

Normal, leave it plugged in. It is cooling the electronics and the battery.

 

[micantony]

Yep, it's normal and is the System cooling down the battery and such after getting hot from charging up the battery. It is better to let it finish it's thing and cool it down for you while plugged in. Keeps the battery healthier long term I assume.

 

[MoranJ2000]

OK, the consensus here seems to be that the fan is normal, so I'm just gonna leave it be.

Thanks to all!

 

[Carmelsteve]

Totally normal. All of my Volts did this and the Bolt also if I top off. Btw, you're not charging to 100% every time, are you? If you don't need the range, that will degrade your battery over time. Differing opinions out there, but most say about 75% is as high as you should charge routinely, unless the extra range is needed.

 

[MoranJ2000]

Totally normal. All of my Volts did this and the Bolt also if I top off. Btw, you're not charging to 100% every time, are you? If you don't need the range, that will degrade your battery over time. Differing opinions out there, but most say about 75% is as high as you should charge routinely, unless the extra range is needed.

I actually have my charge target set to 90% (gotta leave room for regen, right?).

That said, I don't use more than 25% of my capacity on a typical day, so I will probably take that advice and dial it down to 75%.

 

[Carmelsteve]

Yeah, I did the same when I first got it, but have backed down to 75% My biggest worry is that I will get a call that my elderly Mom is having a problem and I have to leave work emergently to go see her. She lives about 250 miles away and not possible on one charge. Otherwise I would be able to just charge to about 60% which would the optimal level for battery longevity. If I did that, though,I would add over an hour to the trip for recharging.

 

[Ronglos]

I've had my 2020 Bolt for less than a week. Just got my 240 installed yesterday. The charge will only set to 80% which is fine but to charge to 100% to head out for a long drive what do I need to do? I'm assuming to do an override and then immediate charge. Is that correct? Don;t want to do a full charge until I'm leaving.

 

[GJETSON]

I've had my 2020 Bolt for less than a week. Just got my 240 installed yesterday. The charge will only set to 80% which is fine but to charge to 100% to head out for a long drive what do I need to do? I'm assuming to do an override and then immediate charge. Is that correct? Don;t want to do a full charge until I'm leaving.

Any time you touch the plug release button, and reinsert it, the Bolt starts charging again for about 15 minutes, as I recall. This only gets you a few percent.

Our 2017 only has two charge options 100%, and "hilltop" 88-90%. We normally charge to "hilltop". If I want to continue charging to 100%, I go into the settings and change it to 100%.

https://my.chevrolet.com/content/dam/gmownercenter/gmna/dynamic/manuals/2020/chevrolet/boltev/2020-chevrolet-bolt-owners-manual.pdf

page 108

Programmable Charging Modes

To view the current charge mode status in the infotainment display, touch Energy and then touch Charging. The charge Start and Complete time estimations are also displayed. These estimates are most accurate when the vehicle is plugged in and in moderate temperature conditions. Also, to get an accurate time estimate, the vehicle uses an internal clock for Programmable Charging, not the clock in the center stack. Charge Mode Selection Immediate : The vehicle starts charging as soon as it is connected to an electrical outlet. This is the only mode available at DC charging stations. See Plug-In Charging page 214.

page 214

Driving and Operating Plug-In Charging

This section explains the process for charging the high voltage battery. Do not allow the vehicle to remain in temperature extremes for long periods without being driven or plugged in. It is recommended that the vehicle be plugged in when temperatures are below 0 °C (32 °F) and above 32 °C (90 °F) to maximize high voltage battery life. When using a 120-volt AC electrical outlet, it will take approximately 55 hours to charge the vehicle from a fully depleted battery with the 12 amp AC current setting, allowing approximately 6 km (4 mi) for every hour of charging. When using a 240-volt charging station, it will take approximately 10 hours to charge the vehicle with the 32 amp setting, allowing approximately 40 km (25 mi) for every hour of charging. Charge times will vary based on battery condition, charge level, and outside temperature. See Programmable Charging 0 107 for charge mode selection. If equipped, the vehicle can be charged using DC charging equipment typically found at service stations and other public locations. When using a DC charging station with at least 80 kW of available power, it will take approximately 30 minutes to recharge from a depleted battery to an estimated 145 km (90 mi) of driving range. This time estimate is applicable to nominal temperature ranges. In extreme hot or cold conditions, this time may be lengthened. A full charge will take additional time. The charging system may run fans and pumps that result in sounds from the vehicle while it is turned off. Additionally, clicking sounds may be caused by the electrical devices used while charging. The vehicle does not require indoor charging area ventilation before, during, or after charging. The vehicle cannot be driven while the charge cord is plugged into the vehicle. Charging Override A CHARGING OVERRIDE/ INTERRUPTION OCCURRED message may display to indicate that a charging override or interruption has occurred due to one or more of the following events: . Override of the charge settings by the owner. . Unintended interruption of AC power at the vehicle's charge port. . Interruption of charging by the utility company. There are several screens that will display depending on the current charging status. See Programmable Charging 0 107. A loss of AC power alert may sound for a short time if AC power is lost for over one minute. This sound alert can be turned off.
See Vehicle Personalization page 121.

page 121

Vehicle Personalization

Use the audio system controls to access the personalization menus for customizing vehicle features. The following are all possible personalization features. Depending on the vehicle, some may not be available. { : Press to access the Home Page. T : Touch to access the Icon view. Y : Drag the scroll bar to navigate the list. 0 : Touch to exit or return to the previous screen or menu. To access the menu: 1. Touch T. 2. Touch Settings. 3. Touch the menu item to select it. Each of the menus is detailed in the following information

 

[Ronglos]

Thanks GJETSON for the info. I'll give the replug a try when I need the extra miles. I just have the bar to scroll but no matter what I do it won't let me scroll higher than 80%.

 

[GJETSON]

Thanks GJETSON for the info. I'll give the replug a try when I need the extra miles. I just have the bar to scroll but no matter what I do it won't let me scroll higher than 80%.

Replugging is a bug, not a feature. Fifteen minutes at 7.2 kW will only add one bar. Something is not right, either with your procedure, or your car.

https://my.chevrolet.com/content/dam/gmownercenter/gmna/dynamic/manuals/2019/Chevrolet/bolt/GTK_2019_Chevrolet_Bolt_EV_84214432_A.pdf

Maximizing Chevy Bolt EV Charge Limit Software | Torque News

GM has made a number of improvements to the Chevy Bolt EV's software, including features that control the battery charge level. Let's look at how these systems work and how they should be used.

www.torquenews.com

 

[Sean Nelson]

Our 2017 only has two charge options 100%, and "hilltop" 88-90%. We normally charge to "hilltop". If I want to continue charging to 100%, I go into the settings and change it to 100%.

One of my pet peeves about my 2017 Bolt is that I can put an option onto the home screen to choose 8A or 12A charging at 120V (which I never need to set) but I can't put a "hilltop reserve on/off" option there. It's such a pain to have to dive into the menus to change it...

 

[ARob]

One of my pet peeves about my 2017 Bolt is that I can put an option onto the home screen to choose 8A or 12A charging at 120V (which I never need to set) but I can't put a "hilltop reserve on/off" option there. It's such a pain to have to dive into the menus to change it...

Or at least in the MyChevy app!