Saw new recall on mychevrolet today

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I have this on my dashboard as well. Cars that where reported to have a voltage cell had the battery replaced. Is this no longer the case? Or is this a software update just to detect it and not let the car die on the side of the road? Not clear from the description but it implies it will give a warning/detect it.

Certain 2017 model year Bolt EV vehicles may have a condition where the calibration will not detect the difference in the state of charge between the cell groups of the battery. This condition may not provide sufficient warning prior to a battery cell low voltage condition, which may result in a loss of propulsion. Only certain vehicles will experience the battery low voltage cell condition.
 
I got the recall on my dashboard as well. I suspect this software update will work
around the problem so that they won't have to replace any more battery packs.
The system will sense that just the bad cell is low and if anything
is replaced at all, it will be the bad cell, not the entire pack.
 
This software update is for all 2017 Bolt EVs.

It does not avoid the need to replace battery packs if any bad battery cells ever occur in your car but it gives better advanced warning that the car is about to shutdown so you can safely pull to the side of the road.

You can read more details about the underlying bad cell problem at the “See also:” link at the bottom of the article.

See more details at:

https://electricrevs.com/2018/04/05/gm-issues-software-update-for-bolt-ev-battery-problem/
 
So the really good question is:

If you already had your whole battery replaced, can you ignore this software update?
 
gpsman said:
If you already had your whole battery replaced, can you ignore this software update?
I would get the update done anyway. Since even some newer vehicles have been affected by the problem it appears that any battery could fall prey to the issue and the software update should at least give you some warning so that you're not caught by surprise if that happens.
 
dumb question though - is there any way for the service dept to diagnose this problem in advance? meaning that when they do the software update do you think they are also directed to test the pack for weak cells?

seems like too much to ask of chevy...
 
astroboy said:
dumb question though - is there any way for the service dept to diagnose this problem in advance? meaning that when they do the software update do you think they are also directed to test the pack for weak cells?
The diagnosis happens when you use the car. If the software detects a problem, it will notify GM via OnStar and you'll end up being told to bring the vehicle in to have it fixed.
 
SeanNelson said:
astroboy said:
dumb question though - is there any way for the service dept to diagnose this problem in advance? meaning that when they do the software update do you think they are also directed to test the pack for weak cells?
The diagnosis happens when you use the car. If the software detects a problem, it will notify GM via OnStar and you'll end up being told to bring the vehicle in to have it fixed.

thanks, that makes sense - if it all really works :)
 
astroboy said:
SeanNelson said:
astroboy said:
dumb question though - is there any way for the service dept to diagnose this problem in advance? meaning that when they do the software update do you think they are also directed to test the pack for weak cells?
The diagnosis happens when you use the car. If the software detects a problem, it will notify GM via OnStar and you'll end up being told to bring the vehicle in to have it fixed.

thanks, that makes sense - if it all really works :)
Seems to be working for at least some people...
 
I just saw the recall notice too but I have no plans of upgrading the software the car unless I have to take the car into a dealer for service in the next 2 years, which (if all goes well) hopefully will not be necessary. Haven't taken the car in to the dealer yet and don't want to start now.

I have had some intermittent problems w/the screen going black and/or the backup cam freezing in the on mode while driving but these problems have not been significant and prolonged enough to motivate be to suffer a dealership visit.

Just turning off the car and allowing the computer to reset will fix these problems for me. However, if the problems become more persistent, I'd obviously have to bring the car in to the dealer to address them. I just I hope that will never be necessary.

Never had a problem w/Andoid Auto but I never use it anymore (after learning what it did) anyway. So, that's also not an issue for me.
 
The recall seems to have been cancelled. had an appointment a week ago to get it done, and through some screw-up at the dealer, Bolt Guy wasn't there, so I re-scheduled. Now, Recall #N172127150 shows up in their system, but is not accessible and can not be done.
Something go screwy with the recall maybe? Dunno'. Anyway, it's no longer available at my dealership or the other one in town.
 
astroboy said:
N172127150 is still in my view of my.chevrolet.com... in fact it still says incomplete even though it was (supposedly) done yesterday. i guess there's no way to know.
Interesting. It's still showing on my my.chevrolet.com too, but they claimed yesterday that they couldn't do it.
A couple of guys over on the other Bolt forum reported similar situations and are speculating that the recall
needed to be cancelled because of unintended consequences of the upgrade. Time will tell.
 
In spite of the fact that I was told last week that it was no longer available,
the dealership did the loss-of-propulsion recall this morning.
They did the radio software update as well, so I went from 14.4.2 to 14.5.
Total time in the shop was less than an hour, and as reported elsewhere, my
G.O.M. was a little out of whack for 10 miles or so. (went from 3.7m/kWh, which up as
high as 4.6, then slowly back down to 3.8)
 
JimFallstonMd said:
Just had them both done today less than 90 minutes door to car. All looks good except the loss of kw as others have stated that should pass.

That loss of kw threw me for a loop. When I got the car back it showed it was fully charged so I figured they must have plunged it in while doing the service. I drove off the lot and in 16 miles home had used 14 KW according to the main screen :shock: :shock: . I turned around and went back, they said the gauges will act wonky for a brief period but the car did not actually use that much energy. They were right as by the time I got back home I was averaging 4.2 miles/kw. They did not actually charge it so I think it confused the calculation. Wish they warned me.
 
chevy is tripping again... despite having done N172127150 in on 4/25 we got a letter in the mail yesterday saying the car needs a software patch related to battery management and sudden shutdown, which i assume is the same thing.

on mychevrolet the recalls have been cleared out though. so some part of their database/tracking system works.
 
astroboy said:
chevy is tripping again... despite having done N172127150 in on 4/25 we got a letter in the mail yesterday saying the car needs a software patch related to battery management and sudden shutdown, which i assume is the same thing.

on mychevrolet the recalls have been cleared out though. so some part of their database/tracking system works.
There is a new additional battery propulsion shutdown update that has to be dealer-installed. It applies to both 2017 and 2018 Bolts and you need it even if you already had the earlier update applied to a 2017 Bolt EV recently.

For details see:
https://electricrevs.com/2018/05/10/gm-releases-new-round-of-updates-for-all-bolt-evs/
 
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