Due to so many questions, we're now planning a live stream at 2:15 pm Pacific to answer them! kzread.infoO4Ya44Jl5PI?feature=share

@dr.projectx5142

10 күн бұрын

What was the readings on torque pro of the ac system in your bolt ev?

Most Oregon statement ever: "My wife noticed a problem with the air conditioning when she took one of our dogs to hydrotherapy."

@FloridaNative59

Ай бұрын

And that's why they are ok with dropping 3 Grand for an air conditioner repair on that car lol.

Good choice, the ‘new’ battery is similar to having a rebuilt engine for free, so yes fixing the AC made sense all in consideration of the price of a new EV to replace your Bolt.

@amenhotepavoskin1307

9 ай бұрын

@@Thisoldhiker There's no "either - or" for me. The quality ride in the Bolt is a thousand miles above that of any "modest ICE vehicle".

@bryancurry1898

9 ай бұрын

My battery was replaced at 130,000 miles for the recall. I had been watching prior to that to see if I could detect any battery degradation, and had not seen any, so, a week before I was scheduled for the replacement, I took a long trip, and ran my state of charge down to 5%. I then charged up to 100%, and calculated no more than 2% degradation. When I bought the car, I had anticipated maybe 5% in 100,000 miles, which I thought would be acceptable. The bottom line is that battery degradation doesn’t seem to be a problem, at least with the Bolt. Thanks, Chevy!

@nevco8774

8 ай бұрын

​​@@bryancurry1898I still believe the seats in Bolt should be better.This is the only complaint to Chevrolet, besides of discontinuation of this car, the Ultium new generation to be expected in several years. The EUV Premier has much much better seats vs this first generation. Yet I feel if I do not sit exactly in the middle the edges are too hard. However we went with it due to heated seats in the rear, more leg room in the rear in EUV vs Kia Niro EV, built in the rear view mirror screen for rear camera allowing perfect rear visibility even somebody tall seats in the back, navigation, Apple car play, Android Auto, wireless phone charging, adaptive cruise control, 360 degree camera view, excellent ride, 10.5 kW AC charging ability, easier to park in downtown, decent price vs others.

I had a similar problem, I had the battery pack replaced in Nov 2021, but only had the software update in March 2023.. that shorted out the temp sensor that sent the AC into "overdrive" the system kept running long after the car was turned off. other anomalies were - The car was not heating or cooling properly - temperatures off by 5-10 degrees..I brought the car back to the dealer after 48hours of this (where I refused the Mazda EV loaner car lol!) they noticed reduced pressure in the AC system (possibley due to the pack replacement) and charged everything to GM due to the problem showing up as a result of the software update. replaced the temperature sensor ( a 2 dollar part) and everything has been running perfectly since

Just to be clear, there is not a separate refrigerant cooling loop for the battery and the interior, it’s all the same refrigerant and, in the case of the Bolt, there is no way to isolate the battery cooling from the interior cooling. Most cars have electronic expansion valves for the interior evaporator and the battery chiller, but the Bolt does not. The COOLANT loops are different, the REFRIGERANT loops are not. Repairing AC on EVs isn’t optional. If you don’t repair the AC, the battery will overheat. If the battery overheats, it (at best) disables the vehicle or (at worst) it burns the car to the ground.

@Milhouse77BS

9 ай бұрын

Except on. LEAF, one advantage of not having battery conditioning.

@TKevinBlanc

9 ай бұрын

@@Milhouse77BS Ironic. 🙂

@judebrown4103

9 ай бұрын

Would that not then be covered by the battery warranty?

@scottmcshannon6821

9 ай бұрын

thats not really an advantage, its the leafs biggest drawback, by far.@@Milhouse77BS

@typhoon320i

9 ай бұрын

@@judebrown4103 No..... a leaking A/C compressor would not be covered by shit. Good luck with that. In fact, if you don't get it fixed on your own dime, it could void your existing battery warranty

$3,000US IS a serious chunk of change, but not when you stop to think that it could mean being able to comfortably retain ownership for up to 8 more years of emissions free driving. When amortised over that kind of time frame, and assuming there will be few, if any, more take a deep breath repair bills, that's great value when held up against what it would cost to run and maintain its ICE equivalent. P.S. Your sunflowers are truly rocking their stuff in that lovely sunshine. For some unfathomable reason I struggle to grow them and sweet peas from seed when little kids do so with ease. And yet I'm the tightwad that buys the knock-down priced, nearly dead stuff from the sale section that nobody else would touch with a 10 foot greasy bargepole and manages to get it to thrive; go figure...😅 Have a lovely week.

While that sounds expensive, my old adage is that the car you own is almost always cheaper than the car you don't own. Of course there are some limits in endless maintenance, but usually it pays off all else is still good.

Sorry to hear about that massive bill for what is a relatively straight forward part.i'd have guessed that this AC compressor isn't at all involved with battery cooling, as you noted. It's a slippery slope allowing a used feature like AC to go unrepared on a car. We had a relatively new but just outside of warranty, sunroof failure on a 2007 MINI Cooper S. The dealership wanted $3700 to replace it because they suck at actually repairing individual broke parts these days. That fix would have requires extensive interior removal to expose the sunroof cassette along with a hefty cost to replace the whole sunroof unit, instead of just replacing the motor or cable that had failed. Part of designing a good car should be designing them to be affordably maintained, as broken parts that are to expensive to repair end up being the thing that eventually takes them off the road and to the scrapyard. Glad you invested in the fix. Interested to hear what an indy shop with a GM manual for the Bolt, and certification in EVs would charge for the same job. Maybe $1600 with the diagnosis being added into the labor hours instead of jacked up flat fee dealers charge.

Possibly a topic for another video. All of us are aware of the "dealer tax" for repairs. Having found a reputable shop to keep my old ICE on the road was part of the reason why I could afford to keep it running as long as I did. Dealerships cost on average 6x-10x more than my trusted NAPA. I would LOVE to see what a independent EV garage would charge for this work. Maybe reach out to one with your bill and ask what they would charge?

@rp9674

9 ай бұрын

Absolutely agree, going to a dealership seems to be addictive. There's no magic, just a nice lobby and freewater, maybe even coffee, street value, a couple of bucks.

@wily1532

9 ай бұрын

True for me they wanted to charge 3x the price for an air intake boot plus labor found the part on autozone and installed it my self for 130 for the boot

@bjcouche1

9 ай бұрын

Here's the problem with your logic on newer cars, not just EV's. Many electrical parts have software in them, and are tied to the VIN of your car. You could buy a part from your dealer, install it yourself, then have to take the vehicle back to the dealer to have it programmed. The dealer would charge you the same cost as if they installed it themselves. So for many parts no matter if you buy a new part, get one from a junk yard, do the work yourself or have an independent shop do the work, You're still stuck paying the dealer. The OEM is NOT going to release that software to anyone because we don't have the "Right To Repair" the products we purchase and own.

@AaronPaluzzi

9 ай бұрын

@@bjcouche1 Some products and vehicles yes, you are correct. However fixes such as the one here the parts are most likely not. I would be interested in an independent shop's price. I do know independent EV shops are few and far between (cough cough business opportunity cough cough!!!) they do exist.

@iainsear7830

9 ай бұрын

Defo. I used a local repair shop (Deutsch Tech in Milton Keynes) who were typically half the price of a main dealer.

When I bought my Bolt EV, the Air filter was all chewed up. Luckily my AC is fully working, especially with Portland, OR going up to 40C today. I would argue that the AC system should be covered by the Power Train warranty. Since it is essential for the Battery to function. This isn't something one could live without.

@truetech4158

9 ай бұрын

A laptop fan ate it's filter while under warranty, and that caused it to stop the fan from spinning out of warranty. I paid extra for the replacement fan, but the filter wasn't included, so I can either ask for a replacement for 10 dollars, or cut up a bounce dryer sheet and even save on shipping and a month's time. Be nice if they would have paid for their apparently beta testing product design with planned obsolescence in mind.

I may be wrong (or missed you discussing it in your video) but I’ve done a lot of research and it seems that the “Air Compressor Module” is covered in the original 8yr/100K “EV component Warranty”. With enough persistence with both your dealer and going above them straight to GM, you (like others I’ve read about) will get GM to foot the bill for this repair. (As long as you’re not over 100K). Good luck!

@dperreno

6 ай бұрын

Agreed. It would have been helpful to know how many miles are on the Bolt. Anything related to the EV propulsion system (and the cooling system is most definitely related) should be covered under the original 8yr/100K warranty.

@flolou8496

25 күн бұрын

@@dperreno Why would a car's AC system in the NorthWest area of the country be used to the point of failure ? I've always lived in the SouthWest desert area's all my life, and AC is used at least 3X as much I suspect, so to hear of AC in a car going bad from regular use in the NorthWest sounds odd, do you think in that particular year, the AC system was just poorly built in the first place?

@dperreno

25 күн бұрын

@@flolou8496 The A/C system is used both to cool the passenger compartment and also to cool the battery, both during use and when charging the vehicle. I agree that vehicles up here don't use the A/C as much as in the south, but A/C systems can break anywhere, even in Alaska, right?

Thanks for posting. Our 2017 Bolt had the same problem and needed the same repair. We were fortunate that it happened within the warranty period and was therefore paid by GM. Happily, because the compressor cools the battery, it fell under the 5-year power train warranty, not the 3-year bumper-to-bumper warranty, which had expired.

@Fermulator

9 ай бұрын

yes this - why isn’t the compressor covered under battery warranty? it is an integral component of the drivetrain system no? if AC is busted then battery will overheat …

@wingsounds13

9 ай бұрын

@@FermulatorI had a very similar thought. The thermal management system is an integral part of the battery/power train. Failure of the thermal management system will not immediately stop the car but will quickly lead to failure of other components.

@Fermulator

9 ай бұрын

@@wingsounds13 if it were me i would press Nissan on this (and any EV mfg) the entire battery and drivetrain should include all necessary components for it to remain healthy

Great video. I like the push to consider keeping aging EVs on the road vs buying new ones. That's a very important message. Honestly it appears cheaper to keep an older EV on the road rather than to pick up a new car payment. For context, what you folks paid is about what the Service 3 cost including recommended parts and repairs for our gas-powered 2019 Subaru Ascent, so EVs aren't even bad in these expensive service scenarios. Gas cars are expensive to keep on the road even when they're not that old at all.

@stefanweilhartner4415

9 ай бұрын

yes, this is the reason why my next car is an EV with battery modules like VW MEB or Stellantis IBIS

@Liefpj

7 ай бұрын

No kidding my dad spent $10,000(7,000 if you minus tires and wax jobs) so far on his 2016 MDX with 190,000 kms.

Considering repair costs against car payments, it is amazing how quickly the repair is cheaper. If that repair gets you just a few more months of use, you are ahead.

Repairing the a/c made good sense in this case due to the new battery pack, but folks do need to be aware that due to specialized components and the lack of a mature aftermarket, repair costs for out-of-warranty EVs can be excessive. It will become less of an issue as EVs eventually dominate the marketplace but for now, it is a significant concern.

WOW that's expensive! I figured that the AC compressor would be expensive, figuring that it's basically a regular AC compressor (that might cost $500) plus a high voltage DC electric motor... but $2000 for installation!? YIKES!! btw, you can now purchase R1234yf stop leak and refrigerant in those little bottles to patch and fill up systems. Probably only a temporary solution, but $100 vs $3k!

@ouch1011

9 ай бұрын

Stop leak basically destroys the AC system because it creates a sludge which plugs the leaks…and the rest of the AC system. Competent AC techs won’t work on systems that have stop leak in the system because it will plug their RRR machine filters and/or ruin the machine. So yeah, don’t *ever* use AC stop leak.

Nikki, thank you. Your videos are always informative, honest, and well put together. I truly appreciate the time and effort you and your team put into sharing with us. Wishing you all the best. 🧡🧡🧡🧡

That cabin filter is super easy to replace! The worst is my ICE Murano that requires insane levels of contortion to reach and replace. My Model 3 is somewhere in between.

I have a ‘19 Bolt with more than 200,000 miles on it, and I live in Phoenix. I just put got my second new AC compressor. I was able to find a highly qualified garage that was able to do the work, saving me the trouble of going to the dealership, but it cost me about the same as you paid. The car is used for work, and I drive all day. The AC issue could be expected, but, other than that, I have had no other issues with this car. I expect that it will outlast me, but I am old! Thank you, GM.

I had a $1500 repair on my 2013 Nissan Leaf and was advised to try asking Nissan to pay for it, or at least pay part of the cost. To my surprised they agreed and paid for the whole repair. Maybe GM will do the same for you?

@maryannrondinella5680

9 ай бұрын

I've only had one major repair on my 2012 LEAF. In 2019, the electronic braking system suffered a major malfunction. The car was out of warranty. Nissan North America and the dealer ended up paying for half the repair because the allegedly certified EV technician misdiagnosed the problem initially.

Thanks for the report. Those of us with early Bolts will be wondering how they will wear economically as they get up in years. $3k is a lot, but I'm still hopeful that the total cost of operation remains good...depends a lot on what else (if anything) needs some money thrown at it.

If/ when that happens to mine, best believe I will be replacing it myself. Can't imagine it being too hard to replace the compressor, and the "special" yf refrigerant is at pretty much all autoparts stores.

One of the things that EV dealers hate about Ev's is their lack of repair profitability. They need to make their money where they can, and that obviously includes a/c servicing. It's hard to escape their money rake....

You have had this car, what, six, maybe seven years. You had it all this time, ramped up its use, and the A/C system ended up having a major problem. I don’t know that this wouldn’t happen in a gas-combustion system. Although I remember my days in the late 1980s with the alternator always broke. Always! My husband guessed $2,000 for the fix. I guessed $3,500. I was designated the winner of it. I know that our car is in the shop. When we down to visit my uncle in Gambrills, Maryland (from northern New Jersey). We were staying with my cousin, who totally forgot we had our 2019 Tesla parked in their two car driveway. She came flying out of their one-car garage (centered behind the driveway) and hit the passenger side of it! That was the Sunday before Memorial Day. It finally went in on 3 August. Now, that is an accident. And our Tesla is young, but we didn’t expect something like this. But we see the changes in the Tesla making huge strides forward. Our technology so quickly becoming obsolete. Quite amazing. I don’t doubt your Chevy Bolt has seen the same changes. At least it is safe! That’s the most important factor. Usually the Pacific Northwest hadn’t much in the way of hot weather. Humid, yes. But seeing you standing in the bright sunshine, with the air hardly moving, yes, it looked hot. What’s the temperature there? That air filter looked very easy to replace, what a great change from what cars were like when I began driving! But it was also obvious how much the humidity affected it. I’m sorry you had to go through having it repaired at such cost, but it does not change my opinion that EVs have a longer, healthier life than most if not any gas-combustion engine…I always confuse which is which (engine vs. motor). My husband always knows - he’s madly in love with his Tesla. I must say, the changes are amazing to me, too. Good luck with your Chevy. It’ll keep up!

@kitanyaedward6722

9 ай бұрын

Wouldn't cost 3k to repair on gas car

Nice information to have in the channel for all the Bolt EV owners in the years to come. And Ian!

There has got to be enterprising mechanics out there that can fix an AC compressor for less than the dealership!

@truetech4158

9 ай бұрын

For a tiny bit more cost during production, a most durable AC compressor arrives reinstalled by a unionized line worker not dependent on the reasons why they toss a cheap garbage rubber grommet into the design to begin with, as an oxymoron for a nomadic species with it's very own factory fresh gingerbread monolith.

Same thing just happened to my Model 3 but it was really weird. It was still cooling just fine if I reset it and let it sit a while after cabin overheat protection did its thing. Also cost like 1,500

Sad to hear about the AC and the extremely high cost to repair it. I own a 2019 RAV4 hybrid in Spain and keep looking at changing it for an EV. The issue is I don't travel many miles - got only 19,000 kms in 4.5 years! But Toyota Spain has a wonderful warranty program - service the car on schedule, yearly at least, at a Toyota dealership and add another year of free warranty coverage up to 15 years or 150,000 kms. In my case 15 years so EV's look like a want but difficult to justify. Love your content, keep it up and again sorry for the Bolt AC repair bill.

You didn't mention that the Bolt uses a high voltage compressor. This makes it a pretty specialized piece of equipment for this car. GM has chosen to take advantage of the situation.

@edgreen2692

9 ай бұрын

Patrick, I totally agree, and the use of high voltage AC compressors is common on EVs - they just aren't standardized, so prices are high. When a customer can walk into O'Reilly's and get a remanufactured AC compressor for her/his bolt (after finding a shop to responsibility discharge the system) prices will decrease. Until then GM will continue to take advantage of the situation.@@Thisoldhiker

WOW, thank you for posting. I will find out my 2017 Volt cools the battery pack. Keep your fingers crossed 🤞.

@Transport Evolved This was a really good video. But I think people may not catch the key point, that we should reuse / recycle as much as possible and that includes our vehicles. As highlighted in the conclusion, this is still a valuable vehicle and even though the repair may be a little on the expensive side, it is still a better value to keep it, than constantly upgrading or purchasing something else. We... humans have been trained to consume as much as possible and this is not good for our health or the Earth.

WOW!!! That seems like an INSANE amount for that work. I am not surprised by the cost of the AC compressor... But that means that the labor and recharge cost $2K. that IS insane. R1234YF is the refrigerant.. It IS more expensive.. But not enough to cost that much. Bolt takes 1-1.5 lbs of refrigerant... you can get it at any store $110 for 4- 8oz cans. For warranty reasons.. You may not have had another choice but to let the dealer do it.. I am not sure. Fixing it is absolutely the right move.. Car fits your needs, has a new battery..

Thank you so much. I also on a 2017 Premier Bolt EV. Disappointment they did not give you a break because of the need to cool the battery. 😞

Thanks TE, I too have a 2019 Bolt. Your filter replacement video is 10x better than anything else online and that was only a side effect of your content! Thanks for that! I got the free battery replacement at 36K miles, now at 55K miles I had to replace the DC charging and a week later the AC charging modules. Luckily all covered under warranty. none of those things bricked the car, and the DC charging issue only presented as the yellow dash light. The AC charging issue presented as ... no charging, with 90 mi still on battery. I hope you have good success with yours!

I have a 2017 Bolt as well. To date it has only cost me tires and wiper blades. Such an underappreciated reliable car

Why did it fail and is the repair addressing the root cause? Or is it going to fail again like the previous one? These are the important questions.

Where is GM sourcing its compressor? When I was a regulatory inspector for commercial food factories and restaurants, the refrigeration units that always failed had Chinese compressors. German and American made compressors never failed. Compressors should last a very, very long in all cars. I've never had a car compressor go out. ( knocking on wood) I know that GM has bean counters running their companies, so did they cheap out on the quality and source of the compressor? If so----how awful for consumers. I was going to buy a used bolt euv that had its battery replaced under warranty after the battery issue that GM experience at the release of the car. So now my question is---is this problem going to affect every old GM Bolt? thank you transport evolved for sharing this with us. I'm planning to buy an EV and have been watching your educational channel for some time and it is one of the best sources on KZread!

Fellow 2017 Bolt owner here, that price gives me the willies. I assume you did not take it to the dealer or you would have said so but that is the kind of price tag I'd expect from a dealership repair. I'm hopeful that in the future that there will be enough of a market for EV repairs that a real network of non-dealer repair shops emerges. Nothing in an EV is especially mysterious tech it just requires different skills than repairing even modern ICEVs. FWIW my 2004 Mazda3 which is our "spare" car is still blowing cold with the original refrigerant charge, 19.5 years after I bought it.

Thank you for the update! Appreciate your honest reviews.

We have a model 3 and a 22 Bolt euv. Long distance trips suck in the Bolt. It charges at a little over 50kw per hour, which in turn means you really need to give it a full hour (or more) to get it to 80-85%. I can't imagine trying to deal with your bolts' slower charging and lower range on long trips. We probably would have sold it to a carvana or similar.

@transportevolved

9 ай бұрын

And yet, we've both owned Bolt EVs - and we've owned at least one since 2017. It does just fine. - Nikki.

Did they find where the compressor was leaking from? Did you get any pic of the compressor? Just want to know what seal was leaking or was the compressor not working properly and not able to compress the freon?

That's expensive. But to be fair, ICE vehicles aren't much cheaper to have the A/C fixed when it goes awry.

I just looked online. A 2017 Bolt with about 60K miles was for sale in the Portland area for almost 18k. I get the 3k repair is crazy. It's not what you owe - it's what is it worth or what is the cost to replace. As others have pointed out - there's no independent garages - so the price is what the dealer says. Thats a tough pill to swallow, but hopefully as EV's become a bigger part of the market the alternative service providers will start to appear. This is where right-to-repair laws become critical. Today, literally, we helped my grand niece buy a 2019 Bolt outside Portland. She just got back from the dealer an hour ago. lol

Nowadays, the most efficient and environmentally friendly refrigeration technologies are those that use natural refrigerants such as NH3 (ammonia or R717), CO2 (carbon dioxide or R744) and hydrocarbons. In the case of hydrocarbons, the refrigerant par excellence due to its efficiency is R290, commonly known as propane.

Will the US audience understand "Blue Peter style story telling"??? Love the reference. :)

Ordinarily I would never consider an extended car warranty, but for our 2019 Niro Hybrid, it seems like a great idea. This might have saved you a bit as well, but our MAIN reason was lack of trust in the dealership! Now is Kia abandons its customers, we have backup of sorts.

As an automotive technician, I find it quite hilarious that people have these reactions to things that they actually have no understanding of you could easily get a $3000 bill for just about any cars AC system if the damage is widespread enough.

wow, that's a lot of cash. We are getting ready to drop around 600.00 for another "new" compressor for our old subaru. It's the second car to our Bolt. Glad to see the comments are back on, thanks for sharing Nikki!

yikes. thanks for the update, this is why long term user updates are important. for people with inflexible budgets, this is the kind of repair bill you dread. I hope GM makes it easier to service and repair such an essential system of the car in their newer models. I saw a mechanic review the chrysler t&c hybrid and how complicated their coolant system was and it was another reason I'd never consider that minivan.

I just found this channel. Thank you for being you and what you're doing here. Thank you. Alex from PDX

I wonder how this repair cost compares to EVs with heat pumps, like the Nissan Leaf. My 2019 Leaf SV has a heat pump that works well as both A/C and heater. I haven't heard of many problems with the Leaf heat pump.

Cheers for the AC info. I agree with your decision to keep the car going. Best of luck.

I just had a rock crack the top light lens on our ‘23 EUV. The glass of the lens is not replaceable. The entire top and bottom light assembly on that side has to be replaced. Cost , $1220 dollars. They generously provide for a $120 core discount.

Get a car dealer to fix your A/C system leak, on a gas car and it's north of $2K. No big shockers here

The nice thing about this repair, it's cheaper than a new car. New(ish) battery pack, new A/C - brand new car ( obviously minus upholstery wear and tear, etc ). Electric motors don't make less power as they age, unlike a fuel burner which wears out. On a side note - shouldn't the cooling system for the battery be covered under warranty - as it's required for the battery to live?

People always tell me I'm stupid for getting the Maxcare plan from Carmax when I bought my Bolt EV, but after hearing about issues like this, and other known issues that can cost upwards of $3k to repair like the rear axle grinding, the steering rack failure, etc, I feel vindicated knowing I only paid $2k for a plan that gives me peace of mind to know that all of those specific issues and specific components are covered under maxcare for 150k miles. Sure it doesn't cover the battery or EV components, but that's what the GM warranty is for, and since I also just got a new battery put into my 2020, I feel great about driving it for the next 100k miles worry-free, knowing that any issue that pops up will be taken care of at someone else's expense and I'll even get a free rental car.

@flolou8496

25 күн бұрын

Great comment, now I'm going to look into CarMax inventory as well, the only thing that is strange about your comment is, claiming you got a whole entirely new battery for the 2020 model? that must be a special cirmustance right The re-call for an entirely new battery only applied to model years 2017 2018 and 2019, starting in 2020, the fix was limited to just a software fix, right ???

@JosephWall117

25 күн бұрын

@@flolou8496 Mine was replaced back before the change to just installing the software update on 2020s. I got lucky. You can still get the same deal if you find a 2019 though, those all got new batteries for sure.

@flolou8496

25 күн бұрын

@@JosephWall117 Damn talk about great luck, I'm holding out for a bargain on a 2022 model, I really think the faster level 2 charging with the 11KW on board upgrade, (in 2022 models ) can work for me, by the way, can you confirm that the front seats are still a little too stiff or uncomfortable even for people who weigh less than 180 lbs,

@JosephWall117

25 күн бұрын

@@flolou8496 The seats on my 2020 are definitely less comfortable than the seats in my Toyota IQ, but that's all I really have to compare it to.

The better way to detach the glovebox damper is push it off the top peg - no pliers needed.

Heat pumps integral to home refrigerators have _A-mazing_ reliability; seems like the ones made in the '50s were still chillin' it in the '80 and '90s, and that was with pretty much *continuous* use. I think a lot of that reliability is due to their being sealed units, so the refrigerant simply _can't_ escape. That's made easily possible by having the container also include the electric motor; automotive air conditioners have (up 'till now) usually required a mechanical shaft passing through a seal into the pressurized parts of the compressor, and those seals inevitably leak. But I don't understand what's to stop the compressor of an EV's heat pump from being similarly sealed along with its electric motor. The only connections that need to pass through the pressure barrier are the conductors that feed electrical power to the motor; since those don't need to spin around, it should be dead easy to seal _them._ So what excuse is there for an EV's heat pump machinery to *ever* fail?

@jamesvandamme7786

9 ай бұрын

Knowing GM, they buy the crappiest A/C they can find, low bidder.

All things considered, $3000 is a bargain. Not even just talking about EVs here, ICEs can be expensive to repair the AC. When my moms old Chevy Venture (which is supposed to be damn-near indestructible) had its AC go out, the only independent shop that we could trust quoted 11,700 because they would literally have to pull the engine completely out to replace the compressor. And that type of thing is getting more and more common these days; with both gas and EVs.

@kitanyaedward6722

9 ай бұрын

Are you slow

@jacobcarlson4010

9 ай бұрын

@@kitanyaedward6722: Well, I certainly don’t rush things if that’s what you’re meaning; the only real time I get in a hurry is if there’s something on fire.

I was shocked by the cost to repair the AC in my 2007 Toyota Prius when it went out many years back. I assume it had a similar high cost due to the same kind of issues. I never got it repaired as the car was getting quite long in the tooth by that point. About 6 years ago I found a used Fiat 500e at an amazing price to replace it and so far it’s AC has been great. I hope the cost of AC repairs normalizes in modern vehicles soon, I think those types of bills might slow adoption, especially amongst people with modest incomes.

AC compressors used to be under the hood. But now they’re almost universally between the forward bulkhead and the dash. So instead of an hour or so, it’s now 7hrs.+ just to get at the compressor, another 8hrs.+ to refit the dash & steering column, plus swapped the compressor. It’s a two day job, few hundred for the parts and a thousand+ for labour. AC compressors & evaporators failure, are a known Chevy problem on the Silverado. The whole dash & console removal, (20hrs. work time & $2,000+ for labour).

Wouldn't surprise me if the dealer f'd up the repair. Good luck.

$3,000 vs ≈$20,000 for a new one. You made the right choice!

Nikki, do you have any idea what might have caused the compressor to quit?

I had AC Compressor problems with my MG ZS EV although this was covered by Warranty it was a £2700 repair bill.

This extremely high price for service is why YOU TUBE became the go to for auto repairs. I realize it takes special training to service EV equipment but all good mechanics deserve a fair wage and all good mechanics deserve to own A brand new expensive speed boat, but the don't deserve to purchase the boat with your repair job.

Yes, that bill is definitely a William, but I agree with your reasoning. Given the cost of buying a new car, it generally makes more sense to fix a car that is in reasonably good shape than it does to get a new car. My general rule is that when the yearly cost of repairs divided by 12 approaches the monthly payment for a new car, then it generally makes sense to replace the car. I replaced my last car early (I had owned it for 16 years and 120,000 miles) because I wanted to get one last car with a manual transmission.

You are still well under what a comparable ICE car with similar mileage would be at for cost of ownership, with more miles to go.👍

I just bought a 2022 Bolt 2LT with 7400 miles and a new battery was installed on the buyback program. The car has a 12/12000 bumper to bumper warranty on it and I’m being offered a 5/60K or 7/100K extension that includes the warranty already in place for $2384 and $3196 respectively. There is a $100 deductible on all repairs. I think I’ll get the 7 year plan for peace of mind even though I might never need a repair in the plans coverage period, what do you all think? Edit: I got the 7 year plan thanks to this video.

Dispassionate, well reasoned videos. Brilliant. I'm thinking about getting a used Bolt, so we shall see.. thanks again

Did the service folks give you any idea how the compressor was damaged or was it wear? Additionally would you mind posting the bill (or the breakdown) to allow us BOLT EV owners to seethe part#’s required and their cost as well as labor costs. Thx

@transportevolved

9 ай бұрын

Hi! The compressor was leaking from its body seal, so the replacement guide was to replace the entire compressor, and refill the system. The part is: A/C Compressor Part Number: 42502600 - (There are a couple of alternatives, apparently that came before), and the refrigerant needed to be refilled (which is an A1234-based coolant). The rest was labor, diagnostics fee, and environmental charges, IIRC - Nikki.

@cwilsonpa

9 ай бұрын

​@@transportevolved Thx, I too have a 2017 Bolt EV Premier (that I love) , that's the same color as yours with only ~50K miles. I hope that's not a repair that I will need in the future. Good information thx again.

I've thought about getting a Bolt, but then I remember it's made by GM which isn't really known for producing quality vehicles that last anymore.

My local Ford dealer offered to sell me a replacement power steering pump for my 2000 Ford Ranger EV for just $5,300. When they dumped their stock a few years later I got one in a group buy for $500.

Some of these comments are absolutely HILARIOUS! You praise an EV because of the advantages it has over an ICE vehicle, but yet get miffed when you realize it still needs maintenance. I think some people are forgetting that the only difference between an EV and an ICE car is the powertrain. Yes, the motor generates more torque, is more efficient and is simplified by the fact that it has only one moving part. Yes, using a battery to power it is more efficient - I will not dispute that in the slightest. No one here it. But some of you seem to ignore the fact that the REST of the car is still a car. Tires, brakes, A/C components, wiring looms, switchgear, seats, carpeting...it's the same damned thing. As for the charges Nikki had to pay? Well, that comes with the territory. Newer implementations of old technology have a cost component to them, whether you like it or not. No one buys a Ferrari and then complains that the servicing costs more than a Ford. Considering the amortized cost savings on 'fuel' and the fact that the rest of the car will have a pretty decent service life, why is this even an issue? If you're expecting a material object that NEVER has any issues, I have some beachfront property in Siberia I'd LOVE to sell you...

Extended my Honda warranty to 8 years. Ok have to keep it serviced but main reason was to cover potential a/c replacement cost having had to do this previously in an AUDI and MINI- both failed at less than 5 years, both still going strong at 8 and 17 years. Ouch but your cars good to go .

My ac also went out this year on my 17. Evaporator correded and leaked. 1400 to fix. That along with chewed wires last year really took a hit in my savings!

Thank you 😊

2001 Honda Accord, 300,000 miles, original A/C system blowing cold, original engine, transmission, paid off 20 years ago. A car not in the landfill is what green actually is.

@hermancm

2 ай бұрын

I’d be in the same boat with my old Toyota’s I drive here in the Northwoods if it weren’t for the deer constantly crossing the highways and taking them out often. I just hit another one and I had no chance whatsoever to brake, she was just there and even though I was a few mph under the 55 speed limit, the impact really messed up my 2002 Echo. I was just coming home from getting a scrapyard hood from the previous deer hit so at least I have that part if I decide to go through with repairing the car once again. It will need the hood, intake, radiator, windshield, headlights, and a few other parts this time ugh.

You seem to take it in stride. Any dealer explanation for the compressor leaking? Any comparative data for similar aged ev with years and distance? Yes we are experiencing more extreme summer weather. This will put alot of load on the ac systems for battery management and cabin cooling. Makes sense to do after recent battery replacement, your upgrades, lower premature shutdown/failure/range/fire.

@transportevolved

9 ай бұрын

It was leaking around the body of the AC compressor (which usually means an internal leak)

@rolandtb3

9 ай бұрын

Normal wear and tear,mthis internal compressor leak vs premature failure for a 7 yr old vehicle?

Makes kinda want to buy a bolt to see what I can do DIY to fix it when things go wrong. Been working on cars for decades and am interested in translating my skill set and upgrading my tools.

@78Terp

8 ай бұрын

I've had my Bolt for 71 months. Not a single problem to report on it. Not one. 71,500 miles.

@olebloom1641

8 ай бұрын

Great to hear. @@78Terp

Just wanted to say, those are impressive sunflowers 🌻🌻🌻

I saw your video. My ac isn't running right now since this 19th of may. Cold blow in the mid noon warm weather and then in the evening I turn on the ac and it was hot air coming out. I checked torque pro to see the high side and low side of the ac pressure and looked fine. I looked at the other readings and looks like inside the cabin isn't showing the correct temperature, it displays -24 °F and no ac rpm showing in the app while diagnosing my bolt ev 2017. So thats what going on currently. Going to hopefully just be that sensor that's preventing it from powering on and do the reset of the ac once I replaced the temp reader on the chip and doing the ac reset. Hopefully all works out for me. Plus I avoid hopefully a $3000 bill. Cheers everyone.

I guess I been lucky with my 2017 Bolt I bought it new I'm the first Owner,my mileage is well over 161,000 miles I'm way past warranty also I got a brand new Battery when the recall happened a while back,anyway thanks for sharing I know what to expect when my Ac brakes down.

Over $2000 in labor? That sounds like a design issue. Even the most expensive refrigerant would only be a few hundred dollars.

15 to 20 years ago, my wife's Toyota, needed a new AC compressor and it was $1200. But I still think $3000 is a little much. How much was the labor?

Car AC should be as reliable as a refrigerator (lifetime) so GM is looking very bad quality in this situation. EV AC removes the most unreliable part of car AC, the belt driven compressor, and replaces it with something that is less leakage prone because the electric motor that powers the compressor can be sealed inside, so only the electric wires is a possible leakage path which is easy to prevent with the right sealant and still a much easier way to prevent leakage stand a rotating shaft.

@glike2

9 ай бұрын

I'm glad I chose the Hyundai Kona instead of the Bolt which would have been cheaper but seems to be inferior quality

I paid that much just to get my intake & ignition parts changed on my German sports car (won't say which brand) recently, so your choice was a good investment to continue driving on electrons for many years to come.

Yes! I bought my 2020 bolt, used with 38k miles and plan on using it for at least a decade. I’m hoping I can get 300k out of it.

Appreciate the detail.

R1234yf (the refrigerant) is barely more environmentally friendly than the previous R134a - it's really a shame :/ It's just now starting to come down in price - but still not nice to have to pay so much for a new compressor and recharge.

I am glad I drive in the UK. Cost of a repaired compressor £200 (replacement from Japan £800) labour, re gas and tax complete cost £564 Condenser packed up 6 months later. Replacement condenser, re gas, labour and tax £451 The car is a 15 year old Daihatsu Copen for which you can only get main replacement parts from Japan Seems like I got a bargain Looking at Solar costs in the US seem 2/3 times more expensive than the UK, perhaps car repairs are the same

Thank you for sharing this. Would you be able to direct me to a video that explains how to precondition a Bolt EV's battery? Be well.

Thanks. I dont think EVs are ready for me yet. $3000 is too much. When the AC stops working on a gas car, you shrug and deal with it. But on an EV? Its an integral part of the system. 10:10 its like you say. Id rather keep my gas car running as long as possible and id say im doing my part.

its one reason I avoid using the AC on my '13 Volt :D ... I know it operates anyway to cool the batteries, so I just use the residual cooling by running "Fan Only" mode. Probably will only extend the existing compressors life a little bit, but the longer I can go without spending unnecessary $$$$ - the better.

Since functional cooling is required for the HV battery to operate properly shouldn't there be some warrantee consideration?

I would have expected around $2200. $850 for the compressor, $200 for refrigerant, oil, seals, misc. $40 for the drier. Around 6 hours of labor, maybe 8. It looks like to have pull the condenser to replace the drier. The hard part to tell is how quickly is the seal leaking? If it was losing a 1/2 ounce a year charging it might have been enough for years. The refrigerant loop is tiny less than a month supply a hairspray in the 70's

@vernonhampton6973

9 ай бұрын

...$2200 on an ICE car, perhaps. I mean, an EV compressor is a specialized piece of equipment which runs at a certain voltage. An ICE compressor has an entire engine to turn it.

Dirty cabin air filter can strain the blower motor causing early failure, resulting in no AC. If you're not going to change the cabin air filter regularly, better to remove it. This applies to home HVAC, don't use highly restrictive HEPA filters. This highlights that new battery doesn't equal new EV, used bolts should be priced accordingly.

@rp9674

9 ай бұрын

I replaced my house HVAC blower motor, a pain, but probably easier and cheaper than vehicle blower. The motor cost under $200.

It is quite stupefying that automakers still can't make a reliable and long lived air conditioner. I have had car air conditioning problems with almost every car I have owned. My favorite car AC repair story is not about a car I owned myself, but rather my parent's 1972 Chevrolet Kingswood Estate station wagon. In today's world I would name it the Rolling Poop Emoji as the massvie car was shit brown in color with fake vinyl wood on the sides. That's right, even in 1972 Chevy couldn't make a long lasting AC. In this case, the system stopped cooling somewhat gradually and finally quit. The car was a few years old by now and not under warranty so Dad took it to a local shop. The guy explained after diagnosis that the evaporator (the cold part inside the car) had a leak and had to be replaced. It was expensive as a large portion of the car had to be dismantled. My dad wasn't happy and asked the guy if he had ever seen this before in this car. The man said "Come back here." and walked us around to the area behind his shop. He pointed and there were about 20 Chevrolet AC evaporators sitting on the ground. AC tech is not complicated and seems to have the same problems over and over. Same is true for household air conditioning - except maybe Mitsubishi and Daikin which have very long warrantys. I think it might be a racket.

cooling battery should be part of ev system year warranty, if not let's fight for that!

Litle Miss Ow Much! wouldn't be from Yorkshire by any chance? 😉👍. Informative vid 👍