Cell Phone Charging

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RCTurner

Member
Joined
Mar 19, 2018
Messages
17
When I got my Bolt I was told by On Star that I needed a new high performance phone if I wanted to use the apps. I bought a new Samsung S9 at their recommendation (I refuse to own an IPhone) There is still a problem getting the phone to sync up with the car. On Star is still working on that issue. However, the real problem surfaced when I tried to charge the new phone wirelessly. It doesn't work. When I went to the dealer, I was told that the wireless charger was not compatable with this phone. It would cost about $100 in parts plus installation. I find this extremely irratating and would suggest that this is a Chevrolet problem and the cost should be covered by Chevrolet. Please advise your thoughts.
 
I have a 2017 Bolt Premier with the Infotainment option that includes the "(K4C) Wireless Charging for devices". I have a recently purchased Samsung Galaxy S7 phone that has been previously bluetooth paired to the car. The manual says to place the phone in the charger slot with the phone screen facing the driver. If the green lightning bolt/phone icon does not show up at the top of the infotainment display, try inserting the phone upside down with the screen still facing the driver. On page 110-111, the Bolt Owner’s manual says it will work with a “PMA or Qi compatible mobile device”. And, “To check for mobile phone or other device compatibility, go to “my.chevrolet.com/learn” where I was unable to find information on compatible phones. But when I google "Samsung Galaxy S7 wireless charging", it mentions “Qi” charging. Same for the Galaxy S9.

When I put my naked S7 phone into the slot with the USB connector facing down, and the screen toward the driver, the green lightning bolt/phone icon appears at the top of the infotainment display, and the red charging light on the phone turns on. If I turn the phone over so I can plug in the USB cable, it doesn’t work. If the (very slim) case is on the phone, it doesn’t work. If the display is facing the passenger, it doesn’t work. And, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay require a cable connection to the phone to work. So unless you are looking to charge the phone without using AA/AC, wireless charging is not very helpful.
 
keijidosha said:
When I put my naked S7 phone into the slot with the USB connector facing down, and the screen toward the driver, the green lightning bolt/phone icon appears at the top of the infotainment display, and the red charging light on the phone turns on. If I turn the phone over so I can plug in the USB cable, it doesn’t work. If the (very slim) case is on the phone, it doesn’t work. If the display is facing the passenger, it doesn’t work. And, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay require a cable connection to the phone to work. So unless you are looking to charge the phone without using AA/AC, wireless charging is not very helpful.
My Samsung S7 is in a Beaver case, and it charges wirelessly when I put it into the slot upside down, USB slot up, and screen facing the driver. But since I always connect the USB cable to use Android Auto, it's a bit of a moot point - since the phone will run off USB power even if it didn't wirelessly charge.
 
But since I always connect the USB cable to use Android Auto, it's a bit of a moot point - since the phone will run off USB power even if it didn't wirelessly charge.

Sean:
Thanks, checking this was on my list of things to do. You just confirmed my suspicion that it charges while plugged in.

I don't put many miles on car each day so it's hard to notice charging unless I actually make a point to check it. Plus I don't use CarPlay very often so I'm rarely plugged in. Yesterday I had my phone plugged in for a few hours hoping it would kick the clock out of DST (it did not). Later in the evening when I went to charge my iPhone I was wondering why I had more charge than usual.
 
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