Hilltop Reserve/Regen change after software update

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Tttait

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 21, 2017
Messages
79
It's been a couple weeks now since I took the car n to the dealer for the recent updates for battery software and entertainment, and something seems to have changed.

While my house is on a modest hill, I use Hilltop Reserve mode primarily due to keep the state of charge down a bit on the battery and in theory be a bit kinder to it. I also drive almost exclusively in low gear, making ample use of regen whenever possible. Most days I don't touch the brakes except in reverse.

I've noticed that since the software update however that there is a subtle difference in the car. When I start out in the morning within a few hundred yards of home I head downhill on a multilane road. I'll accelerate at the intersection and head downhill at 55-60mph, as always, and at the bottom of the hill I usually have to stop for a red light.

Before the update, I could count on being in low and coming to a stop at the intersection with little or no use of the regen paddle. Now, after the update I generally have to actually use the brake pedal - Low gear lone is not enough nor is Low gear plus the regen paddle, I have to physically use the brake.

It looks as though when decelerating down from about 60, even with Low gear and the paddle the car will only regen at about 25kwh maximum. Previous to the update I had full regen available - much higher. This only happens when I start out with a "full" charge - full meaning at the max of battery reserve mode.

If I head out on the same route on a morning when I did not recharge, or at any time the battery isn't at full, the car still has regen in that same spot to full effect. It seems that when in Hilltop Reserve mode it does not want to do what Hilltop Reserve mode is named for, allowing you to top of the battery. Rather it seams now that its more of a battery conservation mode where it simply doesn't want to charge the battery up much beyond the Hilltop reserve preset level.

I'm not sure if this is intentional on Chevy's part, but its repeatable.

As I write this I realize my next step is to charge the car overnight in Hilltop Reserve mode, turn off hilltop reserve in the morning, and drive down the same hill and see if turning off hilltop reserve allows the car to apply full regen . More data is always good.

I suspect there may be other demonstrable changes to the way regen or the battery are working now after the update. Anyone else see any differences? Does anyone else here want to try to replicate what I'm seeing? I think it would apply on level ground as well by speeding up to about 70 in Low and noting the maximum regen you can get while the battery is fully charged, fully charged under regen, and only partially charged to see if there is a difference.

Curious to see what others are finding.

Tom
 
The battery monitoring update will often reset a lot of the settings on the Bolt. Did you check to see if hilltop reserve was reset (turned off)?
 
It remained on, I almost always have it on unless I'm planning a 280 mile day. Its just that now it seems like the Hilltop Reserve max level is an absolute max level, not something you can regen up higher by, say, going down a hill.
 
Tttait said:
Its just that now it seems like the Hilltop Reserve max level is an absolute max level, not something you can regen up higher by, say, going down a hill.
The symptoms you're describing exactly match what others have experienced after the BCM module software update when their Hilltop Reserve setting was reset without them realizing it. They plugged in as normal, the battery charged to 100% full instead of the normal ~88% that you get with Hilltop Reserve, and as a result there was no space in the battery to store the extra energy produced by regenerative braking. So they didn't get any regen braking until they had driven long enough for the battery to empty a bit.

Those folks found that when they went into their charge settings screen they had to re-enable Hilltop Reserve mode.
 
I had hilltop reserve active all week. I charge every day while I'm at work. Several times, last week, I noted I wasn't getting full regen when I was stopping at the lights between here and the freeway. I would still get some regen... but not full WHOA. It doesn't feel as consistent as it used to be.

I just cancelled HR (because it's Friday and I may need the miles over the weekend). I'll pay more attention to the level of regen I get at the typical off ramps and lights.

Great observation btw.
 
SmokingRubber said:
I had hilltop reserve active all week. I charge every day while I'm at work. Several times, last week, I noted I wasn't getting full regen when I was stopping at the lights between here and the freeway. I would still get some regen... but not full WHOA. It doesn't feel as consistent as it used to be.
Did the white line appear below the power readout on the Driver Information screen to indicate that regen was limited?
 
I have definitely been in Hlltop reserve mode the entire time.

I have never noticed white lines on the display - can look through the manual, but is it possible someone could post a photo?
 
Tttait said:
I have definitely been in Hlltop reserve mode the entire time.

I have never noticed white lines on the display - can look through the manual, but is it possible someone could post a photo?
You can see the line in this image from https://insideevs.com/17000-miles-chevy-bolt-predicts-272-mile-range-video/

chevy-bolt-range.jpg


It overlaps the bottom border of the power display, which reads "1 kW".

When you fully charge the car, the line is further up, much closer to the "neutral" point of the power graph (the point at which the car is neither using nor regenerating power). As you consume energy from the battery, it gradually moves down until it reaches the bottom of the power meter's darker gray background and then disappears, signalling that full regen capability is available.
 
Well that's good to know, thanks!

I'm convinced the updated has changed the parameters for how this works. I'm assuming it will perhaps hurt my overall range a bt, but it will save my battery. Since I've never felt short on range (I used to drive a Volt and averaged over 2000 mpg - so I know how to stretch a charge if I have to) and I purchased the car and plan to keep it for a LONG time, this seems like a good thing.
 
SeanNelson said:
Tttait said:
I have definitely been in Hlltop reserve mode the entire time.

I have never noticed white lines on the display - can look through the manual, but is it possible someone could post a photo?
You can see the line in this image from https://insideevs.com/17000-miles-chevy-bolt-predicts-272-mile-range-video/

chevy-bolt-range.jpg


It overlaps the bottom border of the power display, which reads "1 kW".

When you fully charge the car, the line is further up, much closer to the "neutral" point of the power graph (the point at which the car is neither using nor regenerating power). As you consume energy from the battery, it gradually moves down until it reaches the bottom of the power meter's darker gray background and then disappears, signalling that full regen capability is available.



how is your MAX @ 320 ? , I have seen mine @ 270 and I am in texas with 80f over night
 
ibedonc said:
how is your MAX @ 320 ? , I have seen mine @ 270 and I am in texas with 80f over night
That's not an image of my car - it came from the link I provided in my post.

I live in Vancouver BC, Canada, so my ranges are shown in kilometres. I think the max "max" that I've seen is 480km.
 
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