Cowmeat learns to drive the Volt

[Ecky]

Originally Posted by ksa8907

In harsh winter, I would suggest simply using hold mode and running the engine.

I notice very little change in fuel economy between 30F and 50F. The problem is the engine tries to warm things up but doesn't ever actually get warm. So the engine is constantly running much colder than what would be efficient.

I do like the car a lot, but winter comfort is a bit lacking in the gen1 volt.

My current car is a bit lacking in winter comfort.

[ksa8907]

I dont recall the day very well, but in my fuel log for 1-16-18 you will see some pretty horrible mpg numbers. Mostly because roughly 8 to 9 EV miles were actually generated during "engine running due to temperature/erdtt". Which made gas mpg look extra bad and EV miles look extra good.

I think 2013 and up had options to change erdtt from 25F to 15F, would help a little.

Edit: there is a way to defeat erdtt entirely by installing a correct value resistor where the outdoor temp sensor is.

[rmay635703]

Originally Posted by Ecky

How common is this? Is it remotely possible to DIY?

If your volt started life in Cali it has a 10/150k warranty on that defect.


There are only a couple failures common enough to mention on the Gen I Volt

1. Sensor failure - battery too cold, official fix replace the battery section , unofficial fix can be diy if you ask the French volt guy mentioned below
The French Offer a +20% battery capacity tune in Quebec on 2014 Volts

2. Fluid sensor failure - should be a recall item but it bricks the car with it thinking the fluid level is low, there is a diy fake sensor replacement you install pro actively to avoid this (the sensor is unnecessary as another is in the battery)

3. Bearing cage failure, this is most common on 2011’s it’s relatively expensive to fix but it’s also uncommon

4. Wheel/halfshaft bearings - this is a normal GM FWD problem and easy enough to fix.

By the numbers the Gen I Volt is more reliable than a Gen III Prius but like a Prius if there is a problem it can cost more than an ice to fix.


To understand the volts cost in your area you need to develop a chart of how many and how severe are your “degree days” in your area.

Once you understand that, you then need to decide your habits
1. Garage yes/no
2. Heated yes/no
3. Heated seats enough?
4. Winter trip distance
5. Willing to bypass erdtt?

Once you figure out your habits it’s fairly easy to calculate your cost during winter/summer driving

You may find that because your fully EV 10 months a year, the 2 bad ones you can easily make up for or drive a different winter beater in the worst weather.

I can give you some sample info based on your driving habits and speed/temp

[vskid3]

Originally Posted by Ecky

How do you think a Volt would handle our winters? I have no experience with EVs in severe cold, but I understand lithium doesn't play well with it. For 3 months it doesn't get above freezing, and usually for at least 3-4 weeks the highs are sub-zero.

Just went through the first winter with my Volt. Our temps were a little higher than what you get, generally 20s-30s for the high with low only occasionally getting in the single digits. I was planning on driving the Prius more because it has a set of snow tires, but its HV battery decided to kick the bucket the day after I put them on, so it was down for ~6 weeks while I figured that out.

The nice thing about the Volt compared to most other PHEVs is that you can still drive it as an EV in the cold (provided it's not cold enough for ERDTT or you bypass it). My wife likes to be warm, so there was plenty of heater usage. The range estimate dropped to the high 20s due to this, but that was still enough range for day to day driving. The traction control actually works quite well in snow/slush with all season tires (of course snow tires would have been much better). I removed the air dam to keep it from turning into a plow.

[bwilson4web]

Originally Posted by vskid3

[Prius rjw] HV battery decided to kick the bucket the day after I put them on, so it was down for ~6 weeks while I figured that out.

Which approach did you take?

I've seen the replacement pack built around new "D" cell NiMH battery sticks and it looks pretty good. My understanding it is also price competitive.

Bob Wilson

[vskid3]

Originally Posted by bwilson4web

Which approach did you take?

I've seen the replacement pack built around new "D" cell NiMH battery sticks and it looks pretty good. My understanding it is also price competitive.

Bob Wilson

I opened it up and used RC chargers to charge and discharge the modules. One was clearly junk and two others didn't respond well to my rejuvenation attempts, so I replaced those 3 with modules from ebay. Seems to have more battery capacity than in the last year or two, but I think the cold might be limiting the output a bit. I'll do a more complete write-up sometime.

That's something I really like about the Prius vs the Volt, even the technical repairs are fairly doable for the average DIYer. Part of that is probably due to the sheer number of Prii out there and how long they've been around, pretty much every issue and fix has been documented.

[cowmeat]

I caught the Trip-B stats right at 5,000 miles this morning on the way to work. I've used 7.5 gallons of gas in 5,000 miles driven

I had 14 miles of EV range left after the 38.2 mile round trip this morning, and my lifetime mpg is now at 139 (up from 108 mpg when I bought it a year and a half ago). I've charged it at work all year so my energy cost per mile is hovering down around zero

[ocnorb]

Awesome stats CM!

[cowmeat]

A little over halfway through the year:

The lifetime mpg is up to 145, I've driven 6,600 miles and used 8.8 gallons of gas, the oil life still shows 99% and I've charged it for free at work all year

Still on the tank I put in the first of January

[Ecky]

Not bad, not bad at all. PHEVs really are the best of both worlds.