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Propulsion Power Reduced - dealer fixed?

14890 Views 22 Replies 14 Participants Last post by  julialetual1
Hi all, just throwing this out there to share my recent scare with the dreaded "Propulsion power is reduced" message on 2017 Bolt. 28000 FLAWLESS miles, then one hot summer day (parked in garage, plugged into L2), I hit the remote start to pre-cool. 5mins later, turn ON to drive away and get the message (and service car symbol). Like I said, it had been PERFECT until then, so I was pretty startled. As I drove through my neighborhood it didn't seem weak, so I thought "maybe it was just a little hot from sitting in the garage, it'll probably go away once it cools off a little". But no, eventually I realized that power really was very much reduced and it wasn't really safe to drive. Parked it, then later that night (cooler temps), powered on and drove around just like normal - but the service car light still illuminated.

I used my OBD code reader and got a few codes, but little/no info anywhere. A few sounded like scary dead battery or main fuse problems. Anyway, the dealer took it in, "reprogrammed" something, and gave it back. It's been totally fine ever since (weeks of driving, all conditions and charge levels). I'll copy the service verbiage below, hopefully this helps someone in the future:

"Corrected by drive motor power inverter module reprogramming with SPS. Found DTC S P0AC4, P0AEE, P0BD2, P0BDC. Inspected and reprogrammed HPCM per TSB 18-NA-064 to correct. SPS code 17YN24133339."

Also wondering if anyone here can get their hands on that TSB, curious what it says...
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I have a 2017 Bolt and yesterday I experienced this "propulsion power reduced" issue. In my case the car would not allow me to place it into drive or reverse. I left it in the business location until the next morning and then tried to power on and drive again and it worked. Later that day though it happened again, so I had the 12V battery tested and it was fine.

This seems like a known issue with Chevy Bolts. My Bolt is now sitting in front of a client's house about 25 miles from the nearest dealer. I think GM should be responsible for the towing and fix of this issue since it is a known issue. I will call the dealer in the morning and have them come get the car.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

LP
Have you had the battery replaced, or is it still on the original battery? If the battery has been replaced, check the coolant levels in the coolant reservoirs under the hood. See item 7 in the stickied summary and timeline post in the recall section:

When you had the 12V battery tested, was it tested under load, or did they just check the voltage?

When did you buy the Bolt, and how many miles are on it? If it's within 5 years and 60,000 miles, you would still be under the powertrain warranty, and would still have Chevrolet Roadside Assistance for towing to the nearest dealership:

Good luck and let us know what it turns out to be.
Hello and thank you for the quick response!
The car is still on the original battery. The dealer called us in January to say that we would be getting a new battery and they would notify us when it came in. After waiting over 3 months I called to find out what the delay was about and they said they never ordered the battery and that it would be another 6 weeks before the battery would arrive! So we are waiting...

Its a 2017 with about 37k miles that we bought from a dealer in Florida. It has a CPO warranty but it has been 2 years since we bought it.

The 12V battery was tested under load and found to be in good condition and was then fully charged. I will call roadside assistance to have it towed to the dealer today if it doesn't shift into gear this morning.

Thanks again!

LP
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