How to Avoid This EV Problem - Prevent The 12-Volt Battery Crisis We Had in Our Chevy Bolt EV
bit.ly/osetj-38
When you purchase an item after clicking a link from this post, we may earn an affiliate commission.
You definitely want to avoid the recent problem we had with our Chevy Bolt EV.
After returning from a business trip to Puerto Rico, Devin hopped off the airport shuttle bus on a hot, humid night, reflecting on the story our hair stylist shared of her sister’s EV dying in the airport parking lot because she left the dome light on.
Devin was relieved when the car started right up as usual. Leaving the airport, Devin spotted a Circle K. Craving a soda for the 40-minute drive home, he stopped. When he exited the vehicle, it shut down and locked up in an unusual way.
Before panicking, he went inside for a soda. Returning, he discovered the car was completely dead. The main battery had been more than 75 percent full. The problem was the 12-volt battery that the car uses to run everything except the motors. That little battery is required even to “start” the car.
Devin called Gail for help. She requested an Uber, dressed and grabbed a portable battery designed to help start a car with a dead battery. Some dear friends gave us the device that we use all the time. It has an air compressor for filling tires and cables to start a car, like this one (amzn.to/3KLuulw).
While he waited, Devin requested help from AAA. None ever came.
Gail arrived within an hour. Within a minute, we began charging the 12-volt battery with the one Gail brought. We charged for five minutes and then tried to start the car. We repeated this a few times. No luck.
Then, we tried charging for ten minutes. Repeatedly. No luck.
Finally, we charged for 30 minutes. The car started!
Here’s the weird thing. Apparently, the juice won’t flow from the big battery to the little one until the car is in motion (or perhaps only in gear). We couldn’t put the car in gear with the external battery attached and the hood up. The car’s safety systems won’t allow it.
So, we disconnected the external battery, and the car died immediately. We repeated the process with no better luck.
At this point, we’ve noted that so near the airport, we are almost surrounded by hotels. It was 1:00 AM, so we begged Circle K not to tow the car overnight and proceeded to find a hotel. The nearest one refused us, saying they don’t rent rooms to locals.
Better luck at the second hotel, we crashed into bed.
With a full day planned for the next day, we got up early to get to work solving the problem. As auto parts stores opened, we called to find a battery. At the third one, we got a yes.
Devin hopped in an Uber to pick up the battery. Then he jumped in another to get back to the Circle K to install it. He did so using only a crescent wrench that happened to be in the car. KZread was a big help.
Oddly, the battery was a bit larger than the one it replaced, so he couldn’t reattach the anchoring metal strap.
The auto parts store had promised a small rebate for returning the dead battery, so we headed over to drop it off. While there, we commented on the poor fit. The fellow who sold us the battery assured us it was the correct battery for a Chevy Volt.
We pointed out that we drive a Chevy Bolt. He had no batteries for the Bolt in stock but promised to get one by that afternoon. After our full day, we circled back to get the correct battery. We were grateful that they treated us well and gave us the Bolt battery at the Volt battery price (a difference of $6) and swapped the battery out for us.
Amazon will help you find the right battery for your car. Here’s the one it suggests for the Bolt: amzn.to/3ejhw2d. The one we bought from the local parts store was much more expensive but had a five-year warranty rather than a three-year one.
In total, we spent more than $200 in costs related to the problem on top of the cost of the battery. We also spent close to 16 person-hours dealing with it. It was a pain.
It could have been an absolute disaster. If the battery had died in a more remote place, in bad weather or a dangerous neighborhood, we could have been in real trouble. You don’t want to have this problem.
The key to avoiding this problem is to replace your battery before it dies. There are two ways to estimate when that will be: an easy way and a harder way.
The more complicated way isn’t challenging. Use a voltmeter (amzn.to/3B4KdZE) after a drive of at least 20 minutes that should leave the battery fully charged to test the voltage. Wait an hour and try it again. If the voltage declines, the battery is struggling to hold a charge and may need to be replaced.
Find the easier way at bit.ly/osetj-38.
Note: swapping out the battery isn’t tough with the right tools, a good socket wrench set (amzn.to/3q548kI), including a long extension (amzn.to/3Q8V2hE).
You may be replacing a battery that could last another year or more, but the pain you avoid is well worth that cost!
Пікірлер: 126
Another tip is to get a deep cycle 12V marine battery rather than the "starting" batteries that all new EVs seem to come with. You don't need the high amperage kick that ICE vehicles need from a 12V starting battery. But what EVs do need is the deep cycle storage that marine batteries have. I replaced the starting battery in my Nissan Leaf with a deep cycle marine battery, and it has been golden.
@oursolartrailer
Жыл бұрын
Wow! That sounds like a great idea!
@chriscraven33
Жыл бұрын
it wouldn't fit
@oursolartrailer
Жыл бұрын
@@chriscraven33 Bummer.
@michaellippmann4474
Жыл бұрын
@@oursolartrailer you may be able ti find one that will fit in your existing space...they come in different configurations. Glad to see it worked out for you and yes make sure you carry a good set of tools! 😁 Mike 🇨🇦
@JonGretarB
Жыл бұрын
Most EVs, such as the bolt, recommend using AGM style batteries because of the different cycle use. The manual specifically mentions reduced life of a standard battery. AGM batteries are also called Start/Stop batteries and are common in the types if cars that automatically stop and start on red lights.
Thank you, again for your excellent videos!!! We're loving our almost 5 years with our Bolt...never put too much thought into the live of the 12 volt battery. Will do the check later today...
@oursolartrailer
Жыл бұрын
We'd never given that 12-volt battery much thought either. We lived to regret that. We love our Bolt. Holy Smokes! What a great car!
Well your experience with your Bolt battery happens to my wife and I pretty much exactly. A week ago our 2017 Bolt EV with 105k miles was having trouble shifting into gear. We had to shut the car down and try again and this time it could shift. Since the car was due for a maintenance checkup at the dealership anyway, we just thought we’d wait. But the appointment three days ago had to be pushed back nearly a week. And that’s when it happened. The day after the original dealership appointment, our car stranded my wife in a church parking lot after a community meeting. I had thought that maybe the battery was toast and we thought we had replaced it about four years earlier and that maybe it was time again. It was getting late in the evening but we found an open Advance Auto Parts right before closing that sold us a battery. And yes, I emphasized this was a Bolt, not a Volt. And this was after an AutoZone closer to our house didn’t have one at all. The next morning I returned to the Bolt with a set of wrenches and got the old battery out…only to discover that the new battery was too big. Yup, they had sold me a Volt battery anyway. So I drove it back to the store…only to discover that the store was completely down due to the Crowdstrike/Microsoft outage. Even worse, they had a battery with the right form factor but. It enough amperage. But another nearby Advance Auto Parks did have the battery and a couple of working point of sale machines. So I went over there…only to find out that they also had the same battery with insufficient amps. Finally, they called around and found a store in the next county who did have the right battery and the right amperage. Meanwhile I called our dealership and they didn’t have the right battery either…nor did any of the dealerships in the area(!!!). So when I got to this store in the next county, they brought out the battery I asked for…and it was the Volt battery. I nearly had a heart attack right there. Fortunately it was just a simple error and they did have the right battery in the back of the store (the only one in stock). While I was doing the exchange with them, I looked at the battery I pulled from the Bolt and noticed to my astonishment that the manufacture date was 5-9-2016….8 YEARS AGO. We had never replaced it at all. So it was amazing it lasted this long. So lesson learned. If you have an old Bolt EV, check the battery! It is impossible to jump the car for the reasons discussed in this video.
I'm looking to buy a 2023 Bolt. My uncle has had similar issues with the 12V battery on his 2017 Bolt. Thanks for the tips!
@oursolartrailer
Жыл бұрын
Great catch!
Rule of thumb for me is 3 years. I don't care what car it is. I live in Texas the heat down here can get unreal. At 3 years I change it out no matter if it says it's good or not.
@oursolartrailer
Жыл бұрын
That sounds smart to me!!!
@Sb129
Жыл бұрын
It is the same in AZ, the heat cooks those batteries no matter how you take car of it.
@oursolartrailer
Жыл бұрын
@@Sb129 Great confirmation of that key principle. Thanks for joining the conversation.
I put the date in my calendar to change out the 12v battery! Thank you both 🌸
@oursolartrailer
Жыл бұрын
Excellent! I hope you can avoid what we went through!
I had a similar mishap about 6 months ago when my Bolt died on me on a store parking lot. All it took to fix the problem was an OnStar phone call - they sent a tow truck and took my Bolt to the dealership. 3 hours and $200 later, I had my Bolt back, with a brand new 12-volt battery installed. Thank you for the advice, though, I will keep an eye on my battery from now on.
I think the 12volt is used for the high voltage relays that connect the actual Lithium Ion battery pack to the rest of the system. I know it also works that way on hybrids, if you turn everything off and you're in a quiet area you'll hear those relays click when you put it in Drive. (And also all the normal car electronics like the radio, lights and other small stuff like that)
@oursolartrailer
Жыл бұрын
Interesting. Thanks for the insight!
Found your video by luck, have a 2018 Bolt with a 5.5 years 12 v battery, just ordered a new one from Amazon, will take three days to get here. Thanks a lot, you save me a lot of inconvenience.
Excellent video! It certainly is well worth it to replace the 12 V battery in your EV before being stranded when it dies. I bought a 12 V car battery tester to get a better reading on my battery’s health than a simple voltmeter. There are two types of testers, AC and DC. Each has advantages and disadvantages. I went with the tried and true older DC type.
@oursolartrailer
Жыл бұрын
Great addition to the conversation! Thank you so much! 🙏
I own a 2020 Chevy Bolt and I have replaced my 12v battery, but only because the radio had an issue and was killing the battery. There is a know issue with some of the radios draining the battery. I still have the old battery and charged it, I think it's okay so I might keep as a spare. One thing I found out is that the car will only check the battery every 8 hours when its off. So if there is something draining the battery, you may not know about it.
@oursolartrailer
Жыл бұрын
Fascinating. I had no idea! Good idea to keep the old one as a spare.
if you just want a volt meter to see what is happening, do this. Buy a USB port Car Charger with LED Light Voltage Monitor.... You always see what going on. See the voltage before it start for a second or 2. Or just put it on ACC before you start it, to see the battery voltage in stand by... Also the dashcam is running after you off the car in parking mode too, to drain your battery. Check settings on it.
Thank God you didn’t have to walk during the rainstorm in the background.
@oursolartrailer
Жыл бұрын
Good point!
I just use the Lithium batteries we use for heavy car audio systems. Far more power than ever needed and will last under almost any condition. Portable battery boosters are available everywhere and the new RYOBI one is great for those who already own some of the tools and batteries. Be wary of smaller ones. If you find yourself in this situation you can plug a BOLT in and leave it on at a charging station which charges 12v as needed. Get an RV deep cycle from Optima. ( Grey and Blue ones )
I spent 450CAD on towing last night and I got home around midnight and my cats were hungry!. Thanks for the video…
@rp9674
7 ай бұрын
I hope the cats have forgiven you
I"ve had my 2020 Bolt through two summers in Phoenix AZ. Around here the other months don't count. Come June batteries start dying. So I sprung for a new $300 battery from the dealer. I'm sure I threw away a good battery but your story makes me feel like $300 bucks isn't much when you're stuck like you folks were. On the motel, if it were me corporate CEO would receive a long letter detailing what I think if their customer service.
@oursolartrailer
Жыл бұрын
That AZ weather can be killer. I think you're smart to replace that 12 volt battery a bit more often that you might otherwise. Being stuck without warning is--as you note--no fun!
Curious, why did AAA fail to show up? in our area they replace batteries on the spot? did they offer you a free year membership because of their failure to show up and help?
@oursolartrailer
Жыл бұрын
Great question. We used the app. No one came. No updates. After three hours, we called. The phone support person was less help than the app. After four hours, we canceled the request via the app.
@dwightsmith5174
10 ай бұрын
AAA is not worth it anymore.
Sorry about your misadventure. When I brought my 2017 Bolt in for the battery recall replacement, as usual with service departments, they "identified " other potential issues with the car. Out of pity, I let them change my cabin filter and brake fluid. I declined the new 12V battery since it is an AGM battery and I've read they can last up to 7 years and my car only had 28k miles and has never been subjected to below freezing temperatures. But after your video and because in 3 weeks I plan on taking my Bolt on it's 1st long range road trip from the Space Coast to Cincinnati and then return on a longer, slower, more scenic route over to Virginia and taking the Skyline and Blue Ridge parkways down to the Smokies before returning to Florida. So i checked my battery voltage and it was in the 75 to 100% voltage range. So I think I'm good there. I'm thinking your battery may have been exposed to more severe cold for longer durations and that it has been driven more than mine. Is that so? Thanks for sharing your adventures and misadventures. That's funny about the 1st hotel not letting locals book a room. Makes me wonder what they thought you two were up to!😆
@oursolartrailer
Жыл бұрын
What a journey you have planned! You are right about our car having more miles and more cold exposure. You are smart to check your battery. Sounds like you are in good shape!
@markstipulkoski1389
Жыл бұрын
@@oursolartrailer Hopefully chargers will be working and the ABRP route will be accurate. I plan on staying at hotels with lvl 2 destination chargers, but just in case, I will bring bring my Juicebox and a tent and air mattress in case a campground works out better. Probably not too much color being just the last week in September, but I will enjoy rhe cooler temps.
@oursolartrailer
Жыл бұрын
@@markstipulkoski1389 That's going to be great! Hvae all kinds of fun and let us know how it goes!
Great tip! Thanks
@oursolartrailer
Жыл бұрын
Thanks and thanks for watching!
What a nice & positive couple. Thanks!
How would the bolt do with one of those lifepo4 car batteries? They seem like a reasonable idea
@oursolartrailer
Жыл бұрын
Great question. The specified battery for the car is an AGM battery, a big upgrade from the standard car battery. It would seem that a lifepo4 car battery would work well, but we didn't explore that.
@rp9674
7 ай бұрын
Some have reported great results with lifePo, I would worry about cold weather performance the charger is designed for lead acid
@pootispiker2866
7 ай бұрын
@@rp9674 Thinking about it again, lifepo is a bad choice for a cheap replacement as the cells get permanently damaged if they're charged at all while it's below freezing.
Lovely rain behind you.
@oursolartrailer
Жыл бұрын
You are so right! It has been so hot that doing this episode during a rain storm was delightful for us!
Rough night! I'm sorry you ran into all of that. Side note- I'd never heard of a hotel not renting to a local resident. Am I just out of the loop on that, or is that rare?
@oursolartrailer
Жыл бұрын
I'd never heard of that either. It may have something to do with avoiding people who rent a room to party. They didn't explain.
How old was the car at this point and how many miles?
@oursolartrailer
Жыл бұрын
The car was about five years old with about 85,000 miles.
How come you couldn’t get someone to help you jump it with their car? I would assume that should only take less than a min to charge up the Bolt’s battery
Shame on GM for all the confusion on volt /bolt names! Off to change my 5.5 yr old 2017 Bolt battery. Great video which will save a LOT of grief for people!
@oursolartrailer
Жыл бұрын
We couldn't agree more about the names! Thank you for your kind note.
Supposedly the Bolt charges the 12v every 2-4 hours while plugged in,and every couple of weeks from the traction battery when parked and not plugged in. Maybe only newer Bolts.
@oursolartrailer
Жыл бұрын
I think ours works like that. When plugged in, the little battery gets some juice. That is great, except that it sort of hid the problem that our battery was dying. Hence, the need to be more proactive.
@edsmale
Жыл бұрын
@@oursolartrailer yeah…I guess regular testing is the only way to find that out? Trickle charging or any of those external solutions may just cover up a bad battery. I have jumpers in my trunk!
@DevinThorpe
Жыл бұрын
@@edsmale (We did too.) We concluded that testing the battery to avoid this problem is critical. Others agree with our alternative plan: just replace the battery based on the calendar and its expected life.
Excellent
@oursolartrailer
Жыл бұрын
Thank you so much 😀
Why would the hotel GaS that you were locals?
I no longer have range anxiety.... I found a twin turbo V6 fixes all of that.
@ClickToPreview
Жыл бұрын
I hear you. I deliver pizza for a living and this cold snap we're having in Texas (~30F) is sapping my range from a normal 220-240 miles down to about 130-140 miles. I might have to pull the Porsche out of the garage for the last half of my shift just so I'm not deeply discharging my Chevy Bolt. It's pretty damn funny seeing a Porsche Boxster with a Domino's car topper on it, but that's half the fun lol!
@oursolartrailer
Жыл бұрын
We don't have range anxiety. We have range relaxation. :)
@OneWhoKnowz
9 ай бұрын
@@oursolartrailerI’m wondering why my chevy bolt discharges quickly and it’s a new car 🚗
@DevinThorpe
9 ай бұрын
@@OneWhoKnowz we have had a few periods when our car seemed to be doing that, but it didn't persist. If yours does, take it to the dealership to get checked out!
@OneWhoKnowz
9 ай бұрын
@@oursolartrailer I want range relaxation
Ev’s use the 12v battery for their logic and the larger battery for motion. Also , you should get a load tester; it will test current which is a better test.
@DevinThorpe
Жыл бұрын
Simple summary.
@oursolartrailer
Жыл бұрын
Yep.
@Fraiyia
Жыл бұрын
@@DevinThorpe I find it’s best not to go into a long electronics Eng discussion . Though if I wanted to I could get deep in the weeds as they say .
@oursolartrailer
Жыл бұрын
@@Fraiyia ok
@Fraiyia
Жыл бұрын
@@oursolartrailer no seriously - I’m an electronics engineer pilot and flight instructor . Didn’t mean to offend but I actually like to get deep in the technicals of circuitry just I keep my answers simple because apparently the vast majority of mankind hate math and science and need the fast answer. IMHO there may be a way to adapt these Ev’s to a hydrogen fuel cell technology . See, thing is the fuel cell will give you the range and power and it makes sense to me that all these existing EV’s could be equipped with a bolt -on fuel cell . Right now in California there are many hydrogen refueling stations and there are 3 hydrogen cars . ( Toyota , Hyundai and Honda -very affordable too) Hydrogen is just starting out so we might be looking at another 65 years before we see clean hydrogen - right now we. are using blue hydrogen and it’s not perfect - yes the cars are great they emit water so good there but the way we make the hydrogen is not so green . Tonight as a fun experiment drop a 9 volt battery in a glass of water watch for the oxygen and hydrogen bubbles- One day ( prob when I’m long dead ) we will have hydrogen from renewables . Imagine your older leaf adapted for hydrogen . My 2018 leaf could be around long after I’m gone. Hydrogen is the answer but just like how we transitioned from steam to oil , coal and nuclear , time and infrastructure development are what is needed and fuel cells are a proven technology going back to the start of the space program . Right now nuclear is one of our biggest threats , I could go on about 3 mile island , Fukushima and Chernobyl but there is too much to say . Fossil fuels are destroying the planet slowly . Right now there are 400 res nuclear reactors all over the planet . If society ever broke down , comet hit , zombie virus then without personnel and infrastructure our nuclear reactors would meltdown - there is an interesting documentary on 3 mile island on Netflix btw. I live in Texas in DFW and people here hate EVers - they will block or sabotage charging stations or put the charging cord in their truck so they can park in a spot for EV charging , one of my things for me is to educate people on the benefits of Ev’s . Videos like yours are very helpful and I may do one about charging pretty soon . Hope that wasn’t too long a reply lol.
Most garages will test the battery for you including Walmart. They test the battery under load which is a much more accurate way to determine if the battery is any good. Also a fully charged battery in good condition will be 12.6 to 12.8 volts after it has been sitting for a few hours. It only reads 13 or more volts when the charging system has been running. It is totally normal after you turn the car off for the voltage in a perfectly good battery to drop from 13 plus volts down to 12.8 or so volts.
@oursolartrailer
Жыл бұрын
Great feedback. Thank you so much! 🙏
my 2022 bolt euv battery lasted only 1.5 years. 🤥
6/01/24
"Buy a new battery before the old battery dies." Seriously?? That's your solution?? No kidding. I thought you were going to tell me which pin(s) on the BCM controls output to the most power-hungry module(s) to which I could wire a switch to toggle before parking long term. Nope. You dumbed it down to a useless level...not to mention most cars have a voltage readout which eliminates the need for a multimeter.
@oursolartrailer
Жыл бұрын
Thanks for the feedback.
a big-ol' story to tell us they just ran out of battery and changed it. boring to me.
@oursolartrailer
Жыл бұрын
At least we don't troll people trying to do good in the world.
Still seems crazy to me that a 12v battery is needed. Has to be an engineering solution to this
@oursolartrailer
Жыл бұрын
Great point! With massive amounts of storage in the big one, why is the little one needed?
@Chops00
Жыл бұрын
@@oursolartrailer Yes, and they already have a DC to DC step down converter to charge the 12v battery from the big battery. Don’t understand why they can’t just run the 12v accessories directly off of the step down converter.
@oursolartrailer
Жыл бұрын
@@Chops00 Exactly!
@pootispiker2866
Жыл бұрын
"I don't understand why we need these safety features! Get rid of them!" "Why is everything suddenly going wrong?"
@Chops00
Жыл бұрын
@@pootispiker2866 Who said that?
the 12 volt battery should be charging when the car is plugged in and/or "running"....There's no reason the 12 battery shouldn't last for years without losing its charge...something seems wrong with the EV design.
@oursolartrailer
Жыл бұрын
You are right. It works exactly as you say it should for as long as you say it should. Then it doesn't anymore.
These are the folks you meet at all electric car shows. Very nice people, but unfortunately most are clueless about where the electricity comes from to charge their car.
@oursolartrailer
Жыл бұрын
Actually, we've studied that extensively. The grid is 29% greener in 2020 than in 2000 and the trend is accelerating as the cost of wind and solar falls below natural gas. Coal is quickly being phased out because it can't compete. And we're not that nice. We don't tolerate trolls so be on your best behavior in our community.
@byrnc927
Жыл бұрын
@@oursolartrailer There is still those windless days and darkness every night. Where is the power coming from during those periods? And don't tell me batteries. If you coupled all the batteries in the United States together into one big circuit, you could power the national electrical grid for about 30 seconds.
@oursolartrailer
Жыл бұрын
@@byrnc927 When there are two EVs in every garage, there will be 6 to 20 days of power for every home right there. We don't have to be finished today, just on the way. Remember, an EV uses about 1/4 as much energy per mile as a VICE (vehicle with an internal combustion engine.). There are also a host of other energy storage solutions, including green hydrogen, which can be produced from solar power and water and can be reconverted from hydrogen into electricity using fuel cells.
@michaellippmann4474
Жыл бұрын
@@oursolartrailer great answer to another naysayer! In Ontario we phased out all coal fired power plants about 8 years ago. It is all about balance, there is no one solution but a combination of solutions that will power our future. And yes large battery storage will be part of it as well to help balance the grids, also tidal power, water batteries, etc. I find people fear change so much it just amazes me, rather than embrace change and work to find solutions they would rather just continue on the same old path. Change does not scare me at all, people who cling to old ideas scare me the most! You guys have a great day and keep the videos coming! Mike 🇨🇦 👍
triple A comes after 6-9 hours , u hv more chance get robbed than AAA come to rescue
@oursolartrailer
Жыл бұрын
That was our experience, too!
@rp9674
7 ай бұрын
I called AAA in burbank, of Fairly large city near La, they didn't have Battery Service in that area, could only provide a tow
Why no room at the inn 🏨, some sort of morality police at the front desk thinking you are going to spend the night with the neighbour's wife?
@oursolartrailer
Жыл бұрын
We never did figure out what motivated that policy. Your guess is certainly a possibility. I was thinking they might have had a bad experience with people partying in the rooms. I guess we'll never know!