[rjbailey]

I'm at 8.5K miles and due for a tire rotation, and discovered today to my enormous surprise there's a) no jack in the trunk, b) no tire nut wrench, and c) no discussion for how to jack the vehicle yourself. I have ALWAYS rotated my own tires because it always works out to be more convenient. Now it seems they're making us that much more reliant on service providers. Grrr...

Have any of y'all rotated your own tires? How did it go?

 

[NY-Rob]

I also have always rotated my own tires and will do so on the Bolt. I had the wheels off last week to see if my new winter rims fit- which they did.

You need a floor jack, two jack stands, two wheel chocks, a 19mm 1/2" drive deep socket with a breaker bar and a torque wrench that can go up to 100ft/lbs.
You also need the TPMS Sensor relearn tool- search for "VXDAS EL-50448" on Amazon, it's $29.

Tires stay on the same side of the car.... just rotate front to back.

Do not jack at pinch welds, you will see proper jack pads under the Bolt.

Torque lugs to 100ft/lbs when done.

If you don't want to spend $29 for the TPMS relearn tool- remember the pressure readings on the DIC will be reversed front to rear every other rotation.

 

[drdiesel1]

Buy a Harbor Freight floor jack and 2 jack stands. Cross rotate the non drive tires.

 

[rjbailey]

Thanks to you both. Re the TPMS sensor relearn tool: there are discussion on some Volt boards I found where folks who have rotated their tires have had success just dropping the pressure below 28 psi or so, at which point the sensor triggers and the system relearns on its own.

In any case, as a customer I'm lucky because my local tire shop will rotate my tires for free. I guess if I wanted to work on my car I wouldn't have bought an electric, right? But should I blow a tire on the road, there's zero chance I can do anything other than call AAA. This kinda stinks.

 

[redpoint5]

Is there really no jack or tire iron? My Prius came without a spare tire, which is fine, but it has a jack and tire iron under the driver seat.

Rotating your own tires is way faster than driving to a tire shop, waiting in line to talk to someone, waiting to have work performed, and then driving to somewhere you actually want to be. I can't be bothered to waste so much time for something so easy. Also I want to know it was done correctly, and observe things like brake pad thickness and tire wear.

 

[Wyvern]

I was planning on doing my own . as it does give the opportunity toy check pout other systems (Brakes , shocks ...)

but looking for a definitive answer for correct rotation pattern. Is it front to back (always on the same side) or is it a "rear cross" rotation. ? My understanding was that new tires don't like to change directions so it would always be front to back only.

And has anyone actually tried / been successful in the "under-inflate to force the system to learn" the new tire position?

 

[Wyvern]

I just googled "Chevrolet TPMS reset" .... is the Bolt the same ???

 

[-1-]

I rotate my own tires, normally at 5,000 miles. The less my vehicles are out of my sight, the better.

 

[NY-Rob]

Re the TPMS sensor relearn tool: there are discussion on some Volt boards I found where folks who have rotated their tires have had success just dropping the pressure below 28 psi or so, at which point the sensor triggers and the system relearns on its own.

That worked only on 2012 and some 2013 Volts... they changed the system in 2014 (I had a 2014 Volt) to where you now need the relearn tool for all GM vehicles.

I tested my Volt relearn tool (same as the one I listed above) with the TPMS sensors I removed from my Volt winter tires on the Bolt winter rims last week... happily the tool and TPMS sensors both worked perfectly with the Bolt.

 

[NY-Rob]

Is there really no jack or tire iron?

Correct, no tools for jacking or changing tires included in US models, IIRC a jack may be included in Canada models though?

 

[NY-Rob]

... looking for a definitive answer for correct rotation pattern. Is it front to back (always on the same side) or is it a "rear cross" rotation. ? My understanding was that new tires don't like to change directions so it would always be front to back only.

That's how I've been doing it with our FWD cars for years and my tires usually last 50-60K miles.

Here's an illustration from Tire Rack which indicates a different pattern...

And an "updated" diagram from Tire Rack...

 

[NY-Rob]

I just googled "Chevrolet TPMS reset" .... is the Bolt the same ???

To relearn new TPMS sensor locations after rotating tires....
-Start the Bolt.
-Bring up the tire pressure screen on the DIC... press and hold the check mark button... it will ask if you want to reset.. press the check mark button again to reset.
-The horn will chirp.
-Proceed outside to the driver side front tire... hold the stub antenna of the relearn tool against the sidewall of the tire just under where the valve stem is- press the activation button on the relearn tool... after a few seconds the Bolt's horn will chirp indicating that it has accepted the new sensor.
-Move to the front passenger side tire and repeat the relearn procedure.
-As a guide the Bolt will illuminate the turn signal light at the corner of the car indicating which tire you need to learn next.. it starts at the driver side front then proceeds to the passenger side front, then to the passenger side rear and and ends up at the driver side rear.
-Once complete you get a final chirp from the horn.

Same procedure as all 2014+ GM vehicles.

 

[TheiDude]

Winter rims?

I also have always rotated my own tires and will do so on the Bolt. I had the wheels off last week to see if my new winter rims fit- which they did.

You need a floor jack, two jack stands, two wheel chocks, a 19mm 1/2" drive deep socket with a breaker bar and a torque wrench that can go up to 100ft/lbs.
You also need the TPMS Sensor relearn tool- search for "VXDAS EL-50448" on Amazon, it's $29.

Tires stay on the same side of the car.... just rotate front to back.

Do not jack at pinch welds, you will see proper jack pads under the Bolt.

Torque lugs to 100ft/lbs when done.

If you don't want to spend $29 for the TPMS relearn tool- remember the pressure readings on the DIC will be reversed front to rear every other rotation.

What winter rims and tires are you going to use? Also does anyone know how much a Bolt EV wheel cost?

 

[NY-Rob]

What winter rims and tires are you going to use?

I have Yokohama iceGUARD tires.... got them from Tire Rack.

The rims I got on ebay....

Rim specs:
Rim Brand: Raceline
Rim Structure: One Piece
Model: 198B Vector
Manufacturer Part Number: 198B-77085
Rim Material: Alloy
Number of Bolts: 5
Rim Width: 7"
Rim Diameter: 17"
Offset: 40mm
Bolt Pattern: 5x114.3, 5x115, 5x105,
Hub Bore: 72.62mm
Warranty: 1 Year
Color: gloss Black & machine
Country/Region of Manufacture: China

Test fitted one w/the 72.6mm OD to 56.6mm hub adapter rings (from Amazon)... fit perfectly on the Bolt and perfect fit bolt pattern too.

Unmounted my Volt winter tires from the Volt wheels on Sat... the good news is the Volt TPMS Sensors do work with the Bolt... so I now have four to install on the new wheels.

If anyone's wondering the inexpensive 315Mhz TPMS Sensors that work on the bolt can be found brand new on Ebay for under $15 each... part numbers below:
Original TPMS part no (from the 2014 Volt) : 22854866
Interchange Part Number : 13581558

Either will work- the 13581558 is more common on ebay.

Remember you need the relearn tool for GM sensors to re-learn the new sensors to the Bolt.

 

[Wyvern]

To relearn new TPMS sensor locations after rotating tires....
-Start the Bolt.
-Bring up the tire pressure screen on the DIC... press and hold the check mark button... it will ask if you want to reset.. press the check mark button again to reset.
-The horn will chirp.
-Proceed outside to the driver side front tire... hold the stub antenna of the relearn tool against the sidewall of the tire just under where the valve stem is- press the activation button on the relearn tool... after a few seconds the Bolt's horn will chirp indicating that it has accepted the new sensor.
-Move to the front passenger side tire and repeat the relearn procedure.
-As a guide the Bolt will illuminate the turn signal light at the corner of the car indicating which tire you need to learn next.. it starts at the driver side front then proceeds to the passenger side front, then to the passenger side rear and and ends up at the driver side rear.
-Once complete you get a final chirp from the horn.

Same procedure as all 2014+ GM vehicles.

Thanks "NY-Rob ... so , got to have the tool ? Just for kicks I am going to try it by letting pressure out .

 

[NY-Rob]

^ Give it a shot... but I don't think it's going to work- especially since I tried with the relearn tool and that worked.

In areas where people have a winter and summer set of wheels, it's worth laying out $29 for the tool... if you're just rotating one set of tires front to rear maybe?
Back in 2014 the tool was $79....

 

[rjbailey]

I'm old enough to remember detailed instructions for filing flat the distributor points as part of routine maintenance on my Datsun pickup. There's no doubt that cars have vastly improved since those days and I would never turn back the clock. An electric car? I'd never have dreamed it. And I'd venture that most drivers have never used a jack or wheel wrench in their entire lives. But now I really miss it. I probably need to get over this. We're much closer to the days of driverless cars than the bad old days of car maintenance ****. In the future no one will care. Maybe that's a good thing.

 

[redpoint5]

I'd venture that most drivers have never used a jack or wheel wrench in their entire lives. But now I really miss it.

Really? You think people aren't getting flats these days?

I'm all for the progress of technology, which allows us to lose pointless skills, but I bet most people have changed a tire in their life. I don't know anyone around my age (30s) who hasn't.

I'd bet almost half of people don't know how to drive stick, but surely most have changed a tire.

 

[TDI-Guy]

Ok so I will need one of these:
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/OEC-T5-EL-50448-TPMS-Auto-Tire-Pressure-Monitor-Sensor-Activation-Tool-For-GM/291988993041?_trkparms=aid=222007&algo=SIM.MBE&ao=1&asc=20150313114020&meid=32e4fb5f7e3d4ef08f47a650f99c2966&pid=100338&rk=2&rkt=30&sd=172680699877&_trksid=p2141725.c100338.m3726

and four of these when I get winter tires!!! $58 each!!!
[ame]https://www.amazon.ca/Dorman-974-009-Pressure-Monitor-System/dp/B001UCB1C8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1504014688&sr=8-1&keywords=22854866[/ame]

And are the Bolt's tires unidirectional?

 

[Sean Nelson]

That's how I've been doing it with our FWD cars for years and my tires usually last 50-60K miles.

I never rotate my tires. For half the year I have two snow tires on just the front wheels of my FWD cars, and I find that the result is that the summer tires wear pretty evenly.