MIL, error codes P1E00, P1EE6

[Ron C]

Volt C8794 is in the shop today

Last night when I got home I plugged the car in - 2 chirps for the delayed charging as usual - and I went into the house and watched the end of the football game. Went to bed, all was well.

When I woke up this morning to leave, no chargy-chargy, and the charging lamp was off. My car didn't charge overnight and the MIL was lit when I started going today. According to OnStar, the two codes they see are P1E00 and P1EE6. These are related to the charging system, and according to [post id=6183]this post[/post], it's related to the on-board charger interface with the EVSE. Maybe I got hit by a power transient during charging.

So we're in the shop and I'm getting a rental/loaner from the dealer via Hertz at no charge. They have one certified Volt technician, and that person is already booked. I'm hopeful they at least get a chance to look at it today. If it's as simple as it sounds and they can get to it today, they can reset the MIL codes and I should be taking my car home tonight.

(Late news - the rental/loaner is a Cruze. The Cruze and the Volt are definitely not the same car - Cruze is an econo-box, at least this one...)

[DonC]

Sorry to hear this. Complete bummer. The charging system does seem a little touchy. Hope you get out of your Cruze soon!

[Ron C]

Just got a call from the dealer. He says the charging port has failed and needs to be replaced. They should have it tomorrow and I'll be done with the gas guzzler then.

What should I be watching out for in this replacement?

[RevnRev]

I think you could go pick up your car now and be fine. I've had these exact two codes before.

As WOP as mentioned previously, code P1E00 is a generic "there was a problem with the propulsion system"— it's like a flag that says "Hey, there was a problem" but it doesn't denote a specific issue. It will be accompanied by another code.

That code, for you, was P1EE6. As I understand it, that code indicates that the vehicle began to charge expecting AC voltage, but was not getting it, and so set off the MIL. For me, it has always happened during delayed charging, when the 240V charging interface has an issue and stops working. This has happened for me 2-3 times in the 14 months I've owned the Volt and has always resolved on its own after a 2-3 "normal" charges. It has never necessitated "replacement" of anything.

I have never brought my car in for these two codes. It has been to the dealer a few times, and they have never indicated the vehicle had any unresolved or lingering issues.

If your dealer is replacing anything, I think it must be out of an abundance of caution.

If you get these same two codes again, though, I might give it a few days and see if it goes away on its own before sticking yourself with a Cruze (possibly) unnecessarily.

See posts 37 and 38 in this thread:
http://gm-volt.com/forum/showthread....ighlight=P1EE6

[EZ Volt]

Kind-of-related Question:
Should we unplug the car during severe electrical storms?
Not the type of question I had to consider driving a standard ICE-only vehicle. But we got some heavy lightning here in North TX last night, and I was laying in bed wondering if I should unplug it. My fatigue and (possibly misguided?) belief in grounding caused me to roll over and go back to sleep.
It's been a long time since my last EE class, and my understanding of a home elec system setup is not what I'd call "expert." Any opinions from the good group of experts we do have here?
It's mostly lightning strike/surge I'm concerned with. I assume loss of power is a non-issue.

[saghost]

The charger is on its own low amperage fused connection into the battery, and batteries act as large capacitors to damp surges, so I doubt a surge coming down the line can damage the motive systems of the car. That still leaves the opportunity to fry the EVSE, the charger under the bumper, and assorted wiring. I'm not sure if the EVSE can trip fast enough to block a surge, or what would happen (I assume your surge is fast enough the circuit breakers won't stop it.)

[Ron C]

Quite frankly, I think this is this dealer's attempt to make a buck or two off of GM for a warranty repair that isn't needed. They aren't the one I purchased from, just one close to my office. I thought the dealer I bought from was a little iffy, but these guys seem quite a bit worse.

One thing I noticed driving th Cruze home tonight is that it has a very similar steering wheel to the one in the Volt - no problem locating the cruise and volume controls.

[Mybatcar]

Kind-of-related Question:
Should we unplug the car during severe electrical storms?

It's mostly lightning strike/surge I'm concerned with. I assume loss of power is a non-issue.

As a resident of South Florida, I make it a point to disconnect the charger from the car, and unplug it from the wall to eliminate any possibility of damage to the car OR to the charger during our summer thunderstorms. I plug back in when all is clear.

[Ron C]

Quite frankly, I think this is this dealer's attempt to make a buck or two off of GM for a warranty repair that isn't needed. They aren't the one I purchased from, just one close to my office. I thought the dealer I bought from was a little iffy, but these guys seem quite a bit worse.

Update: Apparently it's more involved than we believed. Both Sara, my Volt Advisor (Hi Sara!) and the dealer called me today to let me know what's going on. The part was replaced and that didn't fix the issue, so now the technician is in contact with GM engineering more directly to determine the next action.

I'm sad without my Volt, and someone was smoking like a Frenchman in the Cruze I've got, so I'm working on getting that changed out if I have to hold it for a few days.

Still not quite ready to declare the dealer harmless, but I may have jumped the gun on the comment above. We'll see...

[Ron C]

I'm sad without my Volt, and someone was smoking like a Frenchman in the Cruze I've got, so I'm working on getting that changed out if I have to hold it for a few days.

Success, of a sort. I exchanged the very smoky Cruze for a less smoky Cruze. The Volt is still in hospital, unfortunately.