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Bolt lost power while driving on the highway

29K views 82 replies 31 participants last post by  p7wang 
#1 ·
While driving at 50mph on the highway, my 2017 Bolt suddenly lost power. I was going uphill at the time in the fast lane but had enough time to pull off the road and stop. It was a hot, humid day and I'd been driving for almost 3 hours (traveling around 100 miles with the first 30 miles stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic.)

Before the incident, it was at about 2/3 full charge. When it lost power, it immediately went to empty and displayed the message "Shift into Park". Now, when I start it, I get the "Initializing... Wait to shift" message. After it finishes rebooting. it shows a fully discharge battery and I can only shift it into neutral. Sometimes there's an error message about the hybrid power train.

Since it's still under warranty, Roadside Assistance towed it to a dealer. Unfortunately, that dealer's "EV guy" had quit recently and they weren't working on any Bolts that they hadn't sold. I paid to tow it to another dealer but their "EV guy" doesn't work on weekends.
Roadside Assistance said it would take 2 to 3 DAYS before they could approve towing it to another dealer. That seems ridiculous to me but I spoke with two supervisors who refused to provide immediate service. I finally paid AAA $120 to tow it to the dealer I bought it from. Their "EV guy" does work on weekends but didn't have time to even look at the car.

The Bolt has been flawless until now. It has around 18,000 miles on it and already had the battery notification recall done. Obviously, that recall didn't do anything to help my situation.

I'll post here when I hear more from the dealer.

Main takeaways so far:
- Your 2017 Bolt can die on the highway without warning even if you're up-to-date with all the software patches and recalls.
- Chevy doesn't have enough trained personnel to properly support the Bolt.
- Roadside assistance doesn't know which dealers can actually fix your Bolt. And when they've screwed up and sent you to the wrong dealer they aren't willing to go out of their way to help you.

My theory on why it failed?
Jealously. That's right -- I spent too much time talking in front of the Bolt about my Telsa Model 3 that's being delivered in two weeks. I think I hurt it's feelings and it just went into a deep, battery-less depression. Maybe I'll eventually hear a better explanation from the dealer.
 
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#4 ·
That's scary... you had the recall service performed.... and you still got stuck.

Doesn'r really inspire much confidence in GM's repair efforts!
 
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#5 ·
- Your 2017 Bolt can die on the highway without warning even if you're up-to-date with all the software patches and recalls.
- Chevy doesn't have enough trained personnel to properly support the Bolt.

Jim, a 50 to zero situation is not pleasant. And you are quite right, ONStar does not have a good idea of which dealer is qualified to perform service for Bolt or Volt.


You may want to review this thread as it nearly happened to me.


During a routine check, my dealer found a potential MSD (Manual Service Disconnect) issue that would cause lack of propulsion.



At issue is we have all been sensitized to immediately think it is the battery pack that causes a propulsion failure. In reality, the Bolt EV DC power circuit is complex, and any circuit resistance that causes the sensed voltage to drop outside of the permitted range will cause a propulsion shut down to protect the battery.


In my case, it was the MSD fuse that may have developed a milliohm resistance. The dealer was able to trigger a fault just by test driving the car with a fully charged battery.


This may not be your exact case, but there is a TSB referenced.



And of course, mine had all of the software updates completed.



https://www.chevybolt.org/forum/178-2017-chevy-bolt-ev-issues-problems/29599-2017-bolt-ev-msd-manual-service-disconnect-loss-power-update.html#post433695
 
#6 ·
Well that just stinks. As far as I can tell, this is the first report of a loss-of-propulsion issue in a Bolt that got the reprogram done, at least based on this forum. Would you happen to remember how low the battery was right before it plummeted to zero?
 
#11 ·
Mine was fully charged, under the dealer's control. And not that the MSD fuse or battery blew, just that the combination of sensor readings signaled a fault and the 'safe mode' is to shut down.
 
#8 ·
Well. dang! My wife finally gave me the go-ahead, yesterday, to sell her 2006 Corolla. It has been sitting in the garage for a year, in case the Bolt would cough up a hairball. We figured a year, and 14K miles was enough to be confident in the car. I guess it will sit there another year. :-(
 
#10 ·
First of all, show me an ICE model where this can't also happen. The Bolt isn't bullet proof, but does have an outstanding service record so far.
The issue of not having service available at the dealer is common, and is serious. I bought the Bolt primarily because of easy access for service, and this is disturbing. Let us know what the problem turns out to be...
 
#17 ·
Recall does NOT fix the battery failure problem

Several people have remarked that the recall was supposed to have fixed the battery failure problem. If you dig into it, you'll see that the recall doesn't actually fix the problem. It's only supposed to give you earlier warning of its impending death. See https://insideevs.com/chevy-bolt-battery-cell-failure/

That said, Chevy has not yet determined the cause of the failure.
 
#18 ·
Chevy doesn't know how to fix the Bolt

Well it's been over 3 days since my Bolt died. I'd gotten no update from Chevy service, so finally at 4pm I called them. I learned that their tech had "looked at it" but still had "some more tests to run" before determining what the problem is. They seem to think it's a battery problem but they aren't sure yet.

They also said that if they need to replace the battery pack, it takes several days to order one and then a 10 hour maintenance to replace it. Wow!

What particularly amazes me is that this is the #1 Bolt dealership in Massachusetts and New England. By far -- almost 4 times more than their closest competitor (according to MOR-EV statistics). So if they can't service it quickly, it pretty much says no one can service these things quickly.

The battery packs (indeed the whole powertrain) is made by LG, which probably slows down the root cause analysis and improvements.

I'll keep y'all posted.

PS: The dealer did give me a free rental. But, ugh, it's a gas car.
 
#21 ·
They also said that if they need to replace the battery pack, it takes several days to order one and then a 10 hour maintenance to replace it. Wow!
I'll keep y'all posted.

PS: The dealer did give me a free rental. But, ugh, it's a gas car.



BTW--this are the dealer instructions for replacing the traction battery: https://gm.oemdtc.com/8079/17297-02-customer-satisfaction-high-voltage-battery-pack-low-cell-2017-2018-chevrolet-bolt



Total warranty time is 3.6 hours, including coolant exchange.
 
#20 · (Edited)
I feel like I know a little bit about how dealership service works based on my IT experience. The problems I know are urgent and I know how to fix I'll pick up first. The problems that will be a big time sink while my other customers pile up tend to get pushed back. Today I finally pulled out an old issue to see what I could figure out, considering my zero training on the product. So far I've talked to 5 people and gotten nowhere.

Service is one area where the squeaky wheel gets the oil. Keep bugging them, once in the morning and once in the evening and you'll get results faster.

George- If you're in the Portland area you can borrow a car any time if that's what's hanging you up from selling the Civic. No sense letting the thing depreciate and go unutilized. It may be a more efficient replacement vehicle for someone else too, so consider that it might even be better for the environment than letting them drive their gas guzzler around.
 
#25 ·
The build date is on a silver sticker located near the base of the frame pillar that runs between the driver's door and the left passenger door, near the tire and loading information sticker. It has a bunch of info on it, including the month the Bolt was built, just above the 2D bar code. Mine says '11/17', which means it was built in November 2017.
 
#26 ·
The real issue -- lack of trained Bolt service people

Several people mentioned that ICE cars die too. Very true and, in fact, they have much more that can go wrong. That said, if I had a Chevy Silverado, I could've taken it to any Chevy dealer around and they would've likely diagnosed the problem the very same day.

The real problem here is that Chevy hasn't sold enough Bolts (or isn't committed enough to the car) to have trained staff at their dealerships. Ask any Bolt owner who's tried to get their Bolt serviced.

Out of the 4 dealers I've been to since this happened, one dealer didn't have anyone trained on staff, two dealers had an "EV tech" who didn't work weekends, and the 4th has been too busy to diagnose the problem even after 2 working days.

When I did the earlier recall, it took 3 weeks to get an appointment at my local dealer because they were so backed up. When we asked them to do our state inspection at the same time, at first they said they didn't know how to because there was no tailpipe. :laugh:

I can accept that new technology breaks. I don't even mind being on the bleeding edge here -- I love the Bolt. But it's frustrating when I feel like my dealer and Chevy aren't quickly addressing such a serious problem. And, being a techie nerd, I get even more frustrated when no one with a clue is willing/able to get on the phone with me to explain what they think is going on.
 
#28 ·
The real problem here is that Chevy hasn't sold enough Bolts (or isn't committed enough to the car) to have trained staff at their dealerships. Ask any Bolt owner who's tried to get their Bolt serviced.

I can attest to this as well. The Chevy dealer where we bought our Bolt is one of the larger ones in the area. Their service department is huge compared to the ones we'd been accustomed to (coming from Subaru, Honda, and Nissan). They have a grand total of one Bolt-certified technician. :eek: But to be fair, he appears to be good at it. When I brought our Bolt in for its first "oil change" (aka tire rotation) plus recall reprogramming, I was in and out under 40 minutes.
 
#29 · (Edited)
The fuse blew

Got some feedback from the Chevy dealer: The fuse blew. The tech is planning to replace the fuse (in ~2 days) and then continue testing.

I wasn't particularly speeding or putting strain on the system at the time so it's surprising if that's the only issue. A fuse should never blow normally. According to online sources, it's a 400A 500V fuse. Wow -- that's quite a fuse.

Unfortunately, that part is on GM's "restricted list" which requires the dealer's tech to review the problem with a GM engineer. That's going to delay the shipping of the part. The dealer is not expecting it to arrive before Thursday (6 days and counting since the car died).

BTW, I see there is a recent tech bulletin that may describe the problem: #18-NA-225 No Propulsion - MIL Illuminated with One or More of Following DTCs .... However, I can't read it without a subscription. I'd appreciate it if someone who has access could email me the bulletin.
 
#30 ·
Got some feedback from the Chevy dealer: The fuse blew. The tech is planning to replace the fuse (in ~2 days) and then continue testing.

I wasn't particularly speeding or putting strain on the system at the time so it's surprising if that's the only issue. A fuse should never blow normally. According to online sources, it's a 400A 500V fuse. Wow -- that's quite a fuse.

Unfortunately, that part is on GM's "restricted list" which requires the dealer's tech to review the problem with a GM engineer. That's going to delay the shipping of the part. The dealer is not expecting it to arrive before Thursday (6 days and counting since the car died).

BTW, I see there is a recent tech bulletin that may describe the problem: #18-NA-225 No Propulsion - MIL Illuminated with One or More of Following DTCs .... However, I can't read it without a subscription. I'd appreciate it if someone who has access could email me the bulletin.
It does sound similar to @Pike Bishop 's MSD issue, as he alluded to previously in this thread. https://www.chevybolt.org/forum/178...ual-service-disconnect-loss-power-update.html
 
#38 ·
Bolt is Fixed!

They replaced the fuse today. I haven't picked it up yet but they say it's running fine.
Fortunately, they don't think there is an issue with the battery.

Apparently, the fuse is also known as a "MSD" (manual service disconnect). There are other 2017 Bolt owners who've had a similar problem: https://www.chevybolt.org/forum/178...ual-service-disconnect-loss-power-update.html

I'll share more info when we pick it up tomorrow.
 
#39 ·
Wrapping things up...

We picked up the Bolt yesterday (one week after we lost power). It's back to its normal, peppy self.
It was indeed the Manual Service Disconnect aka the "big fuse" aka the "Lever". The latter term was the one shown on the receipt. It'st cost was $140 but was free for me since the car was still under warranty.

My Bolt's manufacture date is April 2017. Similar to other early 2017 models that had this same problem.

See this thread for details on a similar problem:
https://chevybolt.org/forum/178-201...ual-service-disconnect-loss-power-update.html
 
#40 ·
We picked up the Bolt yesterday (one week after we lost power). It's back to its normal, peppy self.
It was indeed the Manual Service Disconnect aka the "big fuse" aka the "Lever". The latter term was the one shown on the receipt. It'st cost was $140 but was free for me since the car was still under warranty.

My Bolt's manufacture date is April 2017. Similar to other early 2017 models that had this same problem.
ruh-roh...... :eek:

 
#44 · (Edited)
#51 · (Edited)
There is a relay/contactor at the positive battery terminal, and at the negative battery terminal. With the car powered down, and the 12 volt negative cable removed, both would need to have arced stuck/shut for there to be any chance of current across the fuse. That said, I would not put my fingers on the MSD socket contacts.

I personally would want have gloves, and a face shield on to do this job anyway. I mean, how much are your hands and face worth?
 
#57 · (Edited)
^ yup...


Started with a 2012 Plug-In-Prius, upgraded to a 2014 Volt, then purchased the Bolt in April 2017.


I only have to change oil in my wife and kids cars now... but I bought a MityVac so it's very easy and clean (especially the BMW's where the filter is on the top of the engine).


Solar system is going in this month, luckily I have sufficient roof to allow almost 100% of my consumption (including the Bolt) to be covered by PV production.
40 LG 335 Watt NeON2 panels with Enphase LQ7 microinverters.
 
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#60 ·
Just happened to me last night. Running with 150km range at about 60kph speed. Just died in with the same symptoms and indicator as the other post. On a narrow winding rural road but able to get off enough. 2017 Bolt with 27400km. Recall for this issue was done.

We had it towed to the nearest certified dealership last night. Waiting to hear. The challenge is we are 500km from home on a 1000km road trip through Southern BC and staying in a motel 75km from the dealer.
 
#61 ·
Hmm. I have a early model 18' (01/2018) on star says there's no recalls.

I really hope the battery issues have been fixed or not inherent in the design- this car I bought was a courtesy vehicle with 2500 miles, chances are it was a loaner for someone with a battery failure.

Also, not everyone is signed up with this forum, so any % is irrelevant here.
 
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