Chevy Volt bad idea for BITOG members!

[kohnen]

Originally Posted By: i_hate_autofraud
You can wait and use the GM interval. Check your oil monthly and you'll see the oil use if any and how the oil darkens with use. That way you'll be confortable.

If you see any water/condensate in the oil, I'd be surprised, late model engines run cleaner then ever.

Q > is the oil filter a spin-on or a cartridge?

I put a pair of FilterMags on all spin-on oil filter applications, I can go 8,000 miles before the oil even darkens, UOA show 60% wear metals then before!


The filter is indeed a spin-on. And, I do happen to have a pair of FilterMags on the filter, and a Motion Pro magnetized washer around the center of the oil filter, and a Gold Plug magnetic drain plug. Overkill, I know, but it's the BITOG way.

 

[kohnen]

Originally Posted By: wymi516
From what I'm reading it appears that the engine doesn't power the car, it just runs a generator that restores the battery.

"When the battery runs low on electric charge, Volt seamlessly engages its gas-powered generator to keep you going for a total range of up to 420 miles1 on a full charge and full tank of gas."


Most of the time, the engine spins a generator to provide power to the battery. However, there is a high-speed mode in which the engine is direct coupled to the drive train.

 

[kohnen]

Originally Posted By: AirgunSavant
What's bad if memory serves me is the Volt takes premium gas and here that costs you a
extra 70-80 cents a gallon.


In So Cal, it's about 20¢ / gallon more. Certainly not a deal breaker given that I've only bought about 60 gallons during the car's lifetime. I can afford the extra ~20¢/week for premium gas.

 

[DeafBrad]

Nice car! I would love to have one... but out of my price range. I could have lots of fun with it.

About the car... I would follow Chevy's recommendation for oil changes. They know people are running long distances without using the engine, and they have advertised this fact.

The flip side of this is sometimes after a car is out a little while, they discover what they publish may not work. In this case I would maybe just confirm somehow with Chevy that this recommendation is still current, and maybe find a Volt forum to ask this question.

Otherwise, follow the owner's manual recommendation.

 

[Doog]

I would change the oil once a year regardless. I mean is "wasting" that amount of oil really going to break the bank?

 

[kohnen]

Originally Posted By: Doog
I would change the oil once a year regardless. I mean is "wasting" that amount of oil really going to break the bank?


The OLM on the Volt works by a combination of mileage, and time. Even if you only drive 5 miles on the engine throughout the entire OCI, the OLM will instruct you to change the oil every 2 years. At the rate I'm going, the oil change interval will be entirely based on the 2-years per oil change maximum time.

 

[kohnen]

Originally Posted By: DeafBrad
Nice car! I would love to have one... but out of my price range. I could have lots of fun with it.

About the car... I would follow Chevy's recommendation for oil changes. They know people are running long distances without using the engine, and they have advertised this fact.

The flip side of this is sometimes after a car is out a little while, they discover what they publish may not work. In this case I would maybe just confirm somehow with Chevy that this recommendation is still current, and maybe find a Volt forum to ask this question.

Otherwise, follow the owner's manual recommendation.


I got a '15 Volt - the last of the first generation Volts, so it's pretty mature. And, the car takes care of itself. The oil life monitor takes both how the car is driven, and the calendar into account. It will never let you have oil in the car for over 2 years. At the rate I'm running the engine, the OLM percentage is entirely based on time (4.166% of the oil life is consumed per month).

The car also will run the engine periodically if you don't in order to keep the oil circulated (I think if you don't use the engine for 6 weeks it does this). And, if your gas sits in the tank too long, it requires you to burn fuel so that you can refill the tank and refresh the age of the gas. And, the gas tank is completely sealed so the gas has less opportunity to go stale.

And, yes, there is a GM-Volt forum on the web. If you can Google, it's easy to find.

 

[DeafBrad]

Originally Posted By: kohnen
Originally Posted By: DeafBrad
Nice car! I would love to have one... but out of my price range. I could have lots of fun with it.

About the car... I would follow Chevy's recommendation for oil changes. They know people are running long distances without using the engine, and they have advertised this fact.

The flip side of this is sometimes after a car is out a little while, they discover what they publish may not work. In this case I would maybe just confirm somehow with Chevy that this recommendation is still current, and maybe find a Volt forum to ask this question.

Otherwise, follow the owner's manual recommendation.


I got a '15 Volt - the last of the first generation Volts, so it's pretty mature. And, the car takes care of itself. The oil life monitor takes both how the car is driven, and the calendar into account. It will never let you have oil in the car for over 2 years. At the rate I'm running the engine, the OLM percentage is entirely based on time (4.166% of the oil life is consumed per month).

The car also will run the engine periodically if you don't in order to keep the oil circulated (I think if you don't use the engine for 6 weeks it does this). And, if your gas sits in the tank too long, it requires you to burn fuel so that you can refill the tank and refresh the age of the gas. And, the gas tank is completely sealed so the gas has less opportunity to go stale.

And, yes, there is a GM-Volt forum on the web. If you can Google, it's easy to find.


Wow, sounds like GM really did their homework with this car. Impressive!

 

[PandaBear]

Originally Posted By: AirgunSavant
What's bad if memory serves me is the Volt takes premium gas and here that costs you a
extra 70-80 cents a gallon.


Where in the world is premium an extra 70-80c / gal?

Last time I check they are usually 20-40c extra per gal in the same station.