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Volt Battery Fix

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76K views 193 replies 79 participants last post by  WopOnTour 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
Fedex just delivered a letter from GM. They will be enhancing vehicle structure and battery coolant system.

[edit] - scottf added below [/edit]

Details, animation, presentation text, pictures (very bottom) etc at: http://media.gm.com/content/media/u...l/content/Pages/news/us/en/2012/Jan/0105_volt

Here is the animation:
http://brightcove.vo.llnwd.net/pd19...01_1366548732001_Volt-Production-Solution.mp4

Step 1. Shows that there already existed a brace and they are beefing it up (only 2-3 lbs total for all braces)

BIG picture link of above: http://media.gm.com/content/Pages/n...ile.res/ChevroletVoltPartsInstallation115.jpg

Step 2. Notice brace from above is attached now.

BIG picture link of above: http://media.gm.com/content/Pages/n...ile.res/ChevroletVoltPartsInstallation084.jpg
 

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#2 ·
Wow !! They are really quick to address the issue ... that shows GM's commitment overt the Volt success !!
 
#3 ·
Volt update media advisory

There is a conference call from GM president, Mark Reuss accompanied by Mary Barra senior vice president, Global Product Development at 11:00 EST today

The contents is: Chevrolet Volt update. Opening statements followed by moderated Q&A

Reference: http://media.gm.ca/content/media/ca.../Pages/news/ca/en/2012/Jan/0105_MediaAdvisory

I can't attend to it, but for those interested, there certainly will be interesting news about the Volt.
 
#5 ·
Great job GM (as long as it has the NHTSA approval)

I'd imagine there could be implications if you dont, say you have a crash and the insurance company is paying out for repairs. You may have insurance issues or even a shop not willing to fix it unless you had the modifications performed. I suspect that they will either swap out the battery for an exchanged/modified one or bolt some pieces of metal shield to the chassis in certain areas.

I'm confident in their ability to do this right
 
#8 ·
Nervous

I just received my letter, too. I am also not excited about my baby being operated on.

This is my first post. We received our Black Volt on November 28th and are in love. I just wanted to thank all of you. Your information, passion and commitment for the Volt has infected my husband and I.
 
#9 ·
I'm certainly not an engineer and so I don't see how this would solve the problem of the batteries shorting out after an accident. I was expecting something along the lines of a retrofit that would quickly discharge the battery in the event of a serious collision.
 
#22 ·
How can you possibly come to that conclusion in reading this 'general' information letter; it doesn't go into any details about the fix other than to say that it will 'improve battery protection'. I think we all have to wait until we get the specifics on the measures that they are going to take.......how intrusive the fix is.......how much weight might be added to the vehicle?
 
#10 ·
I'm going to take mine in. Just for insurance purposes and resale value. But I'm not going to be the first person to take it in. :) And I'm going to make sure the dealership that I go to has done a few of these already with no problems.
 
#11 ·
Who knows how to set up a vote on the site to see what owners will do?
How about "Will you take your Volt in to have the battery fix"

I too am nervous about having a untrained dealer do this. Will they be "fixing" all Volts in inventory before delivery? Will this really slow down January/February deliveries?
 
#13 ·
Please!, I doubt any untrained mechanic is going to do this. GM has done this right so far and no doubt they will continue to.
 
#12 ·
I think this is the smart move by GM.

It directly answers the question raised by those ringing the fire alarm. Just as the $3k replacement battery makes anyone claiming a $10k replacement look like a fool, the battery fix puts the fire issue to rest. Not that the anti-volt crowd won't try hard to find another issue to rave about.
 
#14 ·
No way I'm bringing in my Volt for such an invasive procedure! If I'm ever in an accident that's bad enough to do the kind of damage necessary to the battery for this to be a real issue, I'm probably already dead and won't give a ****!
 
#15 · (Edited)
http://www.chevroletvoltage.com/ today has a chat at 12 EST on Friday.

Regarding the February battery fix-ups. Probably meant to follow the 11am conference call of today.
 
#17 ·
#16 ·
I would not be too concerned about the dealer doing the upgrade. First, Chevy Volt dealers must have Volt-certified techs (mine has two). Second, I'm pretty sure that GM service engineers will be watching over this process like mother hens. I won't hesitate to have my Volt upgraded, even if it is for what I view as a very minor issue.
 
#19 ·
Agreed, this is a smart move, it's good business. GM is basically saying "We are committed to being the leaders with this technology and will bend over backwards to support our customers when teething-pains crop up with it."

That will pay off in the long term, not just with prospective Volt buyers but also when they introduce other similar cars.

The only sucky part is that no matter what loaner car they give us, it won't measure up.
 
#26 · (Edited)
The only sucky part is that no matter what loaner car they give us, it won't measure up.
They gave me a loaded Chevy Equinox as an overnight loaner when I brought my Volt in for the software update, tire rotation, and LED backup light install. The Equinox is very nice but I was shocked at how much nicer my Volt is, particularly its quietness and how linear the throttle response is. I discovered that I really prefer the LCD display to analog gauges. The biggest surprise to me was that I really miss the center stack touch buttons.
 
#20 ·
Wow. Busy day today. I haven't seen a letter but it's amazing how fast information travels on this site. Thanks for posting.

I'll probably take mine in but I'd rather be down the line than at the front. The whole thing has been completely overblown IMO.
 
#24 ·
Other than being the first car to have the fix installed at any dealership, I don't think it will be that much of a problem. The first one is always the one that has the hardest time, as it is all new.

I would like to hear more about the exact details of this upgrade. I hope they will give more info tomorrow at the Voltage site at Noon.

I fully expect to have my car upgraded.

Jeff: Will you also have a link to that here???

:)

C-5277
 
#25 ·
At least it is a confirmation that there will be a 'recall' in the next month or so, however the letter is short on details and repeats a lot of what previous FedEx letter said. Still keeping us guessing about the details......maybe the media show will disclose a lot of details?
 
#27 ·
It would be interesting to know the specs of the upgrade before any speculation about applying it.

Something as simple as a couple of steel reinforcements and a battery coolant drain down triggered by the side air bag sensor might be all that is needed. Perhaps a more ridged battery cover pan would suffice.
 
#29 ·
Looks like a few steel clips for the battery. Also looks like the battery stays in place during the procedure. The details on the fix were shown during the first part of the presentation and more or less flew by. I'm not familiar enough with WebEx to know how to get back to them, if that's possible, and I didn't do a screen capture.
 
#30 ·
Basically it looks like the problem they managed to trace was the side impact strengthening bars impacting the battery, the fix is to add two additional cross pieces either side of the battery and then a brace between them. Also they will replace one plug and add a metal ring/shield to the plastic battery coolant bottle.

The battery was out whilst they did this in the video but it didn't look intrusive. looked like they dropped the battery out, added the three pieces of metal and the plug and then attached the battery..

Unless i missed something. So nothing internal touched just some strengthening.

BTW it was a very impressive video, hope it gets posted soon.
 
#31 ·
Yep, my wife called with "got a FedEx envelope from someone." My first guess was right (the only other FedEx letter I'd received at the house was the previous one from Mr. Reuss).
I know we are hesitant to have anyone touch our vehicles, because for the vast majority of us, we love them exactly as-is. But I do hope (and believe) GM knows how critical it is to get the fixes done carefully, smoothly, and precisely, so that no one is worse-off after the vehicle has been modified. I expect that they will be taking the same care with this fix as they have with the initial design and manufacture of the vehicle.
I think it says a lot about our satisfaction that the manufacturer is telling us "let me improve your vehicle," but there is a feeling out there that "please don't touch it, we don't think it can get any better."
So, is this technically considered a "recall?"
 
#32 ·
WARREN, Mich. – General Motors today announced enhancements to the vehicle structure and battery coolant system in the Chevrolet Volt that would further protect the battery from the possibility of an electrical fire occurring days or weeks after a severe crash.

The enhancements come in response to a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Preliminary Evaluation to examine post-severe crash battery performance.

NHTSA opened its Preliminary Evaluation on Nov. 25 following a severe-impact lab test on a battery pack that resulted in an electrical fire six days later. The test was conducted to reproduce a coolant leak that occurred in a full-scale vehicle crash test last May that resulted in an electrical fire three weeks later.

The Volt is a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and has earned other safety awards from key third-party organizations. Through the first 11 months of 2011, Volt owners accumulated nearly 20 million miles without an incident similar to the results in the NHTSA tests.

“The Volt has always been safe to drive. Now, we will go the extra mile to ensure our customers’ peace of mind in the days and weeks following a severe crash,” said Mary Barra, GM senior vice president of Global Product Development.

GM will conduct a Customer Satisfaction Program to further protect the Volt battery from the possibility of an electrical fire occurring days or weeks after a severe side crash. Modifications will:

■Strengthen an existing portion of the Volt’s vehicle safety structure to further protect the battery pack in a severe side collision.
■Add a sensor in the reservoir of the battery coolant system to monitor coolant levels.
■Add a tamper-resistant bracket to the top of the battery coolant reservoir to help prevent potential coolant overfill.


GM conducted four successful crash tests between Dec. 9 and 21 of Volts with the structural enhancement. The enhancement performed as intended. There was no intrusion into the battery pack and no coolant leakage in any of the tests.

“These enhancements and modifications will address the concerns raised by the severe crash tests,” Barra said. “There are no changes to the Volt battery pack or cell chemistry as a result of these actions. We have tested the Volt’s battery system for more than 285,000 hours, or 25 years, of operation. We’re as confident as ever that the cell design is among the safest on the market.”

Volt customers will be individually notified when the modifications are available for their vehicles. The enhancements are being incorporated into the Volt manufacturing process as production resumes this month.

“We’re focused on one thing right now: doing what’s right by our customers,” said GM North America President Mark Reuss. “We’ll live up to our commitment to make sure our customers are delighted with their purchase.”

Vehicle electrification technologies are important to future of the automotive industry, which is why GM will continue its leadership role in helping the Society of Automotive Engineers develop standards that will help tow truck operators, salvage yards and vehicle recyclers in the proper handling of electric vehicle components. GM will help develop educational materials that can be used by these stakeholders in the future.

General Motors Co. (NYSE:GM, TSX: GMM) and its partners produce vehicles in 30 countries, and the company has leadership positions in the world's largest and fastest-growing automotive markets. GM’s brands include Chevrolet and Cadillac, as well as Baojun, Buick, GMC, Holden, Isuzu, Jiefang, Opel, Vauxhall and Wuling. More information on the company and its subsidiaries, including OnStar, a global leader in vehicle safety, security and information services, can be found at http://www.gm.com.
 
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