New happy owner in PA.

[wishman]

Hi all,

Just wanted to introduce myself. I just traded in my 2010 forester xt with 36k miles for a 2012 Crystal Red Volt fully loaded. We weren't initially going to with black with leather and rear cam but wasn't a fan of the lime green interior. The crystal red with light leather interior won my heart. We're really liking it so far and the kids enjoy the new ride. I've been reading for the past month here trying to get as much research done.

I do have few questions.

1. Is there a way to know which dealership has technicians that are more familiar with the Volt? I would like to take it to a local dealership but not sure how they would welcome the fact that I didn't buy it from them after a test drive. I brought it from a NJ because it was the best offer and local dealership never replied to my request to match their offer.

2. Does the rear passenger seat have air vents? How do you cool them (kids complaining about heat from sun).

3. When charging your Volt at work in an open garage, any worries about cable theft? I know there's the alarm on the cord connectoin. I'm just wondering if there were incidents of these.

We're really looking to enjoy the cost savings (I'm looking at $250 a month since my last car takes premium). Now I'm looking for places to go to within 20 miles range one-way

Thanks all!

[Slapshot28]

Congratulations! Put your Volt in Low (at all speeds) and enjoy blissful one-pedal driving!! :-)

Any dealer will be happy to see you. Service is a big profit-center for every dealer. No worries. If you are near Philadelphia, Del Chevrolet in Paoli is fabulous. Ask for Mark, and tell him that Slapshot28 sent you! ;-)

There are few threads here that show clever ways to secure your charge cable. Most involve simple cable locks. Maybe someone here can find the links and post them for you.

PM me if you want to get together sometime!

Chris
Volt #541

P.S. Here's a great thread on cable-locking: http://gm-volt.com/forum/showthread....t-device/page4

[MichaelM]

Unfortunately, there are no A/C vents in the rear seating area.

As a former automotive climate control engineer, I can tell you the absolute best way to get air to the rear passengers is to aim the two outboard front A/C vents high and wide, so the air from them passes over your outboard shoulders. Surprisingly effective for the rear passengers. That leaves the two inner vents for the driver and front seat passenger). As each of the four vents (or as we call them, registers) are individually controllable for air flow and direction, you should be able to keep 4 people more or less comfortable. Don't forget, too, to understand the differences in ECO and COMFORT climate control settings. You can also use the manual climate control air mode selector to route 100% of the air to the A/C registers (rather than floor vents or defroster). In moderate temperatures, the system splits the airflow between various outlets.

[saghost]

Congrats!! Welcome. There are no dedicated rear seat vents. The usual approach is to aim the center console pair straight back between the seats.

[Henry_FL]

Not sure where your located, but here in Florida, the first thing we have do is all the windows tinted. makes a huge difference on keeping cool in direct sun light, also makes the crystal red volts really a stand out with the dark windows

[wishman]

Thanks everyone for the replies.
Slapshot28 - that's a great simply idea. Thanks for finding the link.
I think I will have to get some type of tinting for the car. Dark tint does look nice on the red but I can't do too dark in Pa.

It would be cool if this forum has a subsection for sightings of volts. Just last week I saw two volts driving into Philly one behind another. That was my sign telling me to pull the trigger.

[DonC]

Congrats on the car and welcome to the forum. I have no doubt you'll like it more the longer you have it.

As for seeing Volts, I see a fair number so a thread reporting the sightings would probably get boring in a hurry. Last night coming home from an early dinner I saw two within a minute or so. There was a red one going west on Via de Valle at El Camino Real. I was going east and, when I made a right going south on El Camino Real, I passed a white Volt coming the opposite direction going north.

[bonaire]

Congrats from PA. Also, make sure to send in the forms to Harrisburg to get the $3500 rebate check.

I think the Philly area is great for the Volt because you need to go just about 20-30 miles to get anywhere in the far-out suburbs. I've seen Volts but no Leafs to-date. One major drawback is our PECO costs per kWh of electricit. Get on the phone and nag PECO to get moving with the Time of Use meters (they call them Smart Meters) for overnight re-charging. Electric is about .17/kWh here while up at my mom's house near Niagara Falls, it's .10/kWh. Buffalo is also good for Volt owners due to that and the term "everything is 20 minutes away". There, many commutes are 10-20 miles one-way and that fits the Volt profile well.

[wishman]

Congrats from PA. Also, make sure to send in the forms to Harrisburg to get the $3500 rebate check.

I think the Philly area is great for the Volt because you need to go just about 20-30 miles to get anywhere in the far-out suburbs. I've seen Volts but no Leafs to-date. One major drawback is our PECO costs per kWh of electricit. Get on the phone and nag PECO to get moving with the Time of Use meters (they call them Smart Meters) for overnight re-charging. Electric is about .17/kWh here while up at my mom's house near Niagara Falls, it's .10/kWh. Buffalo is also good for Volt owners due to that and the term "everything is 20 minutes away". There, many commutes are 10-20 miles one-way and that fits the Volt profile well.

.

Thanks that's the first thing on my todo list on Monday. I inquired before the purchase and they quickly replied they had approx. 250 rebates left. I was surprised PECO didn't have any programs except they want to control your home ac unit during peak times for a few dollars off a month.

[BAZINGA]

Nothing I can add to what has already been mentioned, but I will Eco the window tinting. Go with the darkest legal limit for your state, apply RainEx to the windshield and adjust your tires to about 1 pound over the recommended COLD setting.

Then learn how to maximize battery power, timing lights so you never have to stop is one of the best power savers. Extreme temps will eat into your EV miles. Use the "drop all" window feature on hot days to purge as much cabin heat as possible before driving off.

Else good luck and welcome to the growing Volt family.