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Completely Dead Volt

38K views 84 replies 32 participants last post by  Steve-o 
#1 ·
This morning I drove to my office as usual. I started off with both a full charge and a full tank of gas. The 9 mile drive to work was uneventful. At the end of the day, I came outside and noticed that the car did not respond when I pushed the remote's door unlock button. I used the key to unlock the door, and found that the car is completely dead. No lights, no dash display, nothing. Of course, it won't start. So now I have a huge "paperweight" in my parking spot. Any ideas on what happened and how to fix it???
 
#4 ·
WAIT ! YOU POSTED HERE before calling for road service ?

which might have been a good idea as you got an answer 5 mins later ;-)

If still waiting for someone with jumper cables the manual is available in PDF format.
 
#5 · (Edited)
Most likely a dead 12v. Should jump and be fine. Note that when you jump you need to use the connectors under the hood. There are two connectors. One is easy to see. The other is under a plastic flap. It's a bit harder to find but the plastic cover flips up very easily.

Could be many things that caused the battery to run down, including an open Bluetooth connection to a smartphone.
 
#6 ·
I killed my 12V battery once - it was caused by a dashcam left plugged in to the cigarette lighter socket. But most of the dead battery stories blame the bluetooth connection. There is one post on this site where a guy notices his radio did not shut off when he turned off the car during a phone call. He takes a bunch of videos of it as he tries to get the car to go back to "normal".
 
#7 ·
The Volt is "supposed" to have run down protection that prevents the battery from ever going dead. So to me, a dashcam plugged into the Volt's cigarette lighter socket shouldn't matter, but a Bluetooth bug could cause it.

Regardless, this is a pretty silly problem that Chevrolet should sort out.
 
#8 ·
If you are concerned this will be a regular thing, carry a 12V lantern battery and some small alligator wires in the car. The jump only needs to boot the controls, not crank an engine.

Automotive battery Battery Technology Auto part Electronic device
 
#10 ·
If you are concerned this will be a regular thing, carry a 12V lantern battery and some small alligator wires in the car. The jump only needs to boot the controls, not crank an engine.
I'm still waiting to see if someone has any luck using the Stanley Battery Booster I bought. I think it puts out 120 watts. This one only has 5 amps.

Why is it that no one who is prepared for the dead 12v ever has one? Very frustrating. LOL
 
#9 ·
Mike,

Were you able to get ahold of Roadside? If not please PM me with your information or call the Volt Advisors 877-486-5846 and we will contact them right away for you.

-Ian Chevrolet Volt Customer Service
 
#12 ·
I made sure I entered OnStar into my cell phone's contact list within hours after buying my GM vehicles.
 
#21 ·
Don't live with problems - fix them

The moment you start the car and remove the jumper, the 12V battery is still dead. The car electronics are powered by the HV battery with a DC-DC converter stepping down the voltage. GM should allow this connection to happen if I press the start button while the 12V battery is dead.

I believe this weakness is one of the original dumb engineering decisions, like the climate button turning on the radio, that no one in 2013 has the guts to reverse because they don't want to tick off their bosses and predecessors.

Yet another silliness is the positive jumping terminal that looks like a machine screw. The picture in the owners manual shows a real jumping terminal, similar to the negative terminal. Someone decided to save a buck and Volt owners keep posting the same question on this board - where's the positive terminal???
 
#22 ·
They're trying to keep you alive here, Mike. Think about it: th only way for the system to work as you described and have the power button start the DC-DC converter would be to have traction battery bus power (~360V!) at the power switch at all times. (and therefore 360V wires running through the cabin...)

The inevitable result of using relay driven isolation contactors to separate the battery for safety is that you need external power to energize those relays. No way around it, and no modern factory made EV does it differently.
 
#46 ·
I could list half a dozen ways for the Power button to supply 12V to the electronics for a couple of seconds without the 360V coming anywhere near the passenger compartment, but so could you. GM just has to decide to fix the problem and I'm sure they'll come up with a safe solution.
 
#26 ·
My Leaf has a 12V. Some Leaf owners, like some Volt owners, have had their 12V battery go dead. You have to be mistaken about the Model S not having a 12V battery because one of Musk's arguments with the NY Times was that only the death of the 12V battery, not the HV battery, was what put the Model S on the flatbed.

You really have to have a 12V battery because all accessories run on 12V. Additionally, without a 12V battery, how would you manage charging the HV battery?
 
#32 ·
"The moment you start the car and remove the jumper, the 12V battery is still dead"

not so -- before you remove the jumper after starting the car : the battery IS being recharged with about 15 Volts. ( amps ??? no idea)

if the battery is keput then it then might be dead but I dislike saying dead when we mean discharged.

LETS hope there is a blocking diode if you jump the car with a primary cell.
 
#34 ·
Got it running by jumping it with a portable battery pack. No idea what caused the 12v to run down (I don't use the Bluetooth connection) and I'm reasonably sure that I didn't leave anything turned on. I do like the lantern battery idea and think I will get one "just in case". Hopefully I won't need to use it, but seems to be a simple and cheap precaution. Thanks to all who replied!
 
#35 ·
DEAD VOLT :-((

I also experienced the 12 Volt battery discharge issue over the week-end with my 2012 Volt with 17,000 miles on it. This was overnight while the car was plugged in to the charger in my garage. First noticed something wrong when saw that the normally flashing GREEN light on the top of the instrument panel was DARK. No displays and BLUE start button was dark.

Measured the 12 volt battery with an external DVM and found 5.9 volts, should have been approx. 12.6. Charged the 12 volt battery for 2 hours with an external battery charger and battery now at 12.6 volts. Disconnected charger and car started normally, but CHECK ENGINE (MIL) light on. MIL went off after 3 driving cycles. While MIL still on, checked with ON STAR and they said the DTC was P0AC4. Took car to dealership this morning for further diagnosis and repair?

Other than the Bluetooth issue mentioned here, are there any other items needing power when the car is not running. Come to think of it, why is Bluetooth even needed when nobody is in the car? Does the RKE system run off of Bluetooth?

Carrying an auxiliary battery would be a major pain. Even carrying jumper cables wouldn't help in a remote area where there are no other vehicles. Chevy REALLY NEEDS TO FIX THIS PROBLEM!

Any other words of wisdom out there?
 
#38 ·
Sorry about your car. What is happening is something is not turning off like its supposed to, probably from a software bug that manifests itself from a certain combination of events. I don't think anyone knows exactly what those events are. Watch my videos when I experienced the bug and my center display would not turn off and it was draining the 12v battery.

Ok, I have links to 5 YouTube videos. I will also share my detailed observations of the malfunction.

Video 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29p2UhqAKUc&sns=em

Video 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kURF3oHXm8&sns=em

Video 3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIZwkQUDdE0&sns=em

Video 4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OR6G6w2g00k&sns=em

Video 5
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zk2lpLW-Yto&sns=em



I also experienced the 12 Volt battery discharge issue over the week-end with my 2012 Volt with 17,000 miles on it. This was overnight while the car was plugged in to the charger in my garage. First noticed something wrong when saw that the normally flashing GREEN light on the top of the instrument panel was DARK. No displays and BLUE start button was dark.

Measured the 12 volt battery with an external DVM and found 5.9 volts, should have been approx. 12.6. Charged the 12 volt battery for 2 hours with an external battery charger and battery now at 12.6 volts. Disconnected charger and car started normally, but CHECK ENGINE (MIL) light on. MIL went off after 3 driving cycles. While MIL still on, checked with ON STAR and they said the DTC was P0AC4. Took car to dealership this morning for further diagnosis and repair?

Other than the Bluetooth issue mentioned here, are there any other items needing power when the car is not running. Come to think of it, why is Bluetooth even needed when nobody is in the car? Does the RKE system run off of Bluetooth?

Carrying an auxiliary battery would be a major pain. Even carrying jumper cables wouldn't help in a remote area where there are no other vehicles. Chevy REALLY NEEDS TO FIX THIS PROBLEM!

Any other words of wisdom out there?
 
#36 ·
The 12v battery delivered with most cars is not the most robust and generally need to be replaced sooner rather than later. Without any secondary issues, e.g., bluetooth, what is people's experience with normal life span of the original battery? do people find they need replacing at 2 years? 2.5? etc.? thanks Saul
 
#37 ·
Traditionally it's five to seven years. The oldest Volts in consumer hands are less than two and a half years - we haven't seen 12V batteries dying of age/wear yet, just a small number from some combination of production defects and full discharge cycles.
 
#45 ·
Is this bluetooth issue an officially acknowledged problem by GM? I am making regular phone calls via an iPhone connected to the car through bluetooth. We have been playing music off the phone also through the bluetooth connection. Should I be disconnecting the bluetooth connection and the phone first before powering down the car?

also is this a Volt-only issue or something that's happening with Cruze, Malibu etc?
 
#55 ·
"Could WOT or someone else with current GM access confirm this"
he and others have in several older post.

Sure would be nice if more would at least monitor the 12 volt battery - those who are having this problem -then we just might catch it in the act.

If the Volt can send me a text message if the charge cord is removed how about it sends me a message if the voltage get to 11.5 Volt ?
 
#63 ·
Current Requirements for Jump Starting a Dead 12 Volt Battery?

I have seen several posts speculating that a Dead Volt 12V Battery can be jump started by a lantern battery or other small battery pack. However, I have not seen any definitive answer as to how much current is REALLY required.

Today, I asked my Volt Advisor via e-mail about this and she answered that they did not have that information available and directed me to my dealership's Service Department. Still waiting for a response from the dealer, but in the meantime I thought I'd ask this group.

As a recent member of the Volt DEAD 12V BATTERY CLUB, I now have a 7 Amp-Hour 12V SLA (gel-cell) battery and clip leads in the car for future (hopefully never) use. This battery is readily available at Radio Shack and other sources. Its main use is as a backup battery in alarm systems. Based upon what I've seen in these posts, it would seem that it should be sufficient, but I'd rather be sure BEFORE I really need to use it.

Thanks in advance for any info you can provide.
 
#64 ·
I have seen several posts speculating that a Dead Volt 12V Battery can be jump started by a lantern battery or other small battery pack. However, I have not seen any definitive answer as to how much current is REALLY required.
I don't think we have that answer. The basic point is that what you need is enough power for a half dozen small computers, rather than fuel pumps, coil/spark plugs, and a big starter motor.

The other detail I can throw in is that with HVAC off but lights on, the Volt "idles" at about 400W - 2/3 of it on the 12V bus. So with full power on the systems, the car is using around 25 amps of 12V power - and I think half of that is the lights.

The implication is that you only really *need* a battery than can deliver 12 amps at 12 volts for five or ten seconds to get the car started. But I haven't tried it, so I can't say for certain that this is correct.
 
#71 ·
Leaving Key in Car Depletes 12 V Battery?



Lederman,

I can say with total confidence that I have NEVER left the key in my VOLT when I am not in the car. I can't say what the dealer does when my car is in for service, but the most recent service event for my DEAD 12V BATTERY was two (2) days.

Although I don't know for sure, my feeling is that the RFID technology used in the RKE (Remote Keyless Entry) system of the VOLT has very small drain and wouldn't be affected one way or the other by whether the key fob was in or out of the car. Maybe someone more knowledgeable than I can comment.
 
#72 · (Edited)
Our 2013 model joined the dead 12v battery club today. The wife went out to show a colleague the car and it was stone dead. Called Volt roadside assistance. The first towing company they tried to send called the wife to make sure the car was mobile so it could be flat bedded to the dealer. Turns out they don't jump start Volts. The guy from the second towing company didn't have much of a clue, but followed the owner's manual and got it jumped so she could bring the car home. No blue tooth or anything else we know of. My Mazda is very good about either screaming at me if something is left on or just going ahead on its own and shutting things off. Couldn't GM beef up the "watch dog" program on the Volt to make sure it does the same thing?

A few years ago there was a battery advertised that had a separate isolated reserve that you could switch in when battery was otherwise dead. Sounds like it might be just the ticket for the Volt
 
#73 ·
I had a strange thing happening to me twice in the last two weeks: My 2012 Volt was - as described above - suddenly stone dead.

First time I called road side assistance. It took them three hours to come, and when they entered the ca, everything was back to normal.

Second time - yesterday - the Volt went dead on me again, right when I parked after a 160 mile drive with mixed normal/hold mode usage. So no chance the battery was dead. This time I just waited and after like five hours everything was back to normal again.

Everyone experienced such a behavior?

Any clue what the cause might be?`

Thanks,
Bodo
 
#74 ·
I had a strange thing happening to me twice in the last two weeks: My 2012 Volt was - as described above - suddenly stone dead.

Second time - yesterday - the Volt went dead on me again, right when I parked after a 160 mile drive with mixed normal/hold mode usage. So no chance the battery was dead. This time I just waited and after like five hours everything was back to normal again.
You have a 2012 with Hold Mode? I want one!

The only issue I know of is with Bluetooth devices and the 12V battery. Otherwise, the battery is not going to be the issue there. I wonder if you have a faulty FOB or the battery in the FOB is dying. Next time, use the mechanical key and see if the Volt starts.
 
#75 ·
I'm waiting on delivery of my 2012 Volt but after reading this 8 page thread, may want to suggest a couple of options.
Reading current battery voltage...

Maintaining battery voltage with a batteryMinder - perhaps on a monthly regimen? Love these things! With the quick connect option, one could easily plug this in as they do plugging in their cars.
 
#76 ·
I'm not sure what purpose those will serve. Maintaining battery voltage and monitoring battery voltage are two different things. If a battery is dead, it's dead. Not much you can do about it at the time other than recharge it or buy a new one. If you recharge it, your charger will already have a built in volt meter, so having an external one seems gratuitous.
 
#83 ·
Of course they are two different things and they server two purposes. The voltage indicator is something that could be used on a daily basis to check battery voltage in the morning and say after work. This gives you information to the condition of your battery. The maintainer is something you might want to connect say on the weekends to fully charge and condition your battery.

These are preventative measures, not for a dead battery.
 
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