Where to service car in NorCal?

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nicknaz

Member
Joined
Aug 2, 2017
Messages
5
Hi everyone, I got my Spark 2 months ago and it's almost time it's first service. Does anyone have a preferred dealership and tech in NorCal?

I'd love to give my business to a dealer that wants to support the EV community and work with a tech who has EV experience.

Thanks!
 
nicknaz said:
Hi everyone, I got my Spark 2 months ago and it's almost time it's first service....
Service? What's that exactly?
Rotate the tires?
You can skip that because it's only swapping left for right. Lots of cars have directional tires that can't be rotated at all.
No matter what you do, those 185's up front are going to wear out way before the rears. Save your money for better tires, or not....

Are there any other service items due?

That's one of the great things about this car! You don't have to do anything but drive it! :)
I hate popping the hood every month or two, only to add a quart of windshield washer fluid.
I may not pop the hood again until I run out of WW fluid. jk....
 
nicknaz said:
Hi everyone, I got my Spark 2 months ago and it's almost time it's first service. Does anyone have a preferred dealership and tech in NorCal?

I'd love to give my business to a dealer that wants to support the EV community and work with a tech who has EV experience.

Thanks!

What is your location? As a minimum, you may want to take your Spark EV to a "qualified" Chevy dealer and make sure all recalls, software updates and/or applicable technical bulletins have been made current for your vehicle.

I live in Manteca, CA and I use American Chevrolet in Modesto for all of my Spark EV service needs. I have both a 2014 and 2015 Spark EV and American Chevrolet has done a great job keeping my Spark EVs current with all applicable updates.
 
MrDRMorgan said:
nicknaz said:
Hi everyone, I got my Spark 2 months ago and it's almost time it's first service. Does anyone have a preferred dealership and tech in NorCal?

I'd love to give my business to a dealer that wants to support the EV community and work with a tech who has EV experience.

Thanks!

What is your location? As a minimum, you may want to take your Spark EV to a "qualified" Chevy dealer and make sure all recalls, software updates and/or applicable technical bulletins have been made current for your vehicle.

I live in Manteca, CA and I use American Chevrolet in Modesto for all of my Spark EV service needs. I have both a 2014 and 2015 Spark EV and American Chevrolet has done a great job keeping my Spark EVs current with all applicable updates.

Thanks! Do you have a particular service advisor and tech you work with?

Those are the reasons I wanted to bring the car in. I also like using these services as a way to test out the waters and start building up a relationship with a service dept in case of unforeseen future issues.
 
nicknaz said:
MrDRMorgan said:
nicknaz said:
Hi everyone, I got my Spark 2 months ago and it's almost time it's first service. Does anyone have a preferred dealership and tech in NorCal?

I'd love to give my business to a dealer that wants to support the EV community and work with a tech who has EV experience.

Thanks!

What is your location? As a minimum, you may want to take your Spark EV to a "qualified" Chevy dealer and make sure all recalls, software updates and/or applicable technical bulletins have been made current for your vehicle.

I live in Manteca, CA and I use American Chevrolet in Modesto for all of my Spark EV service needs. I have both a 2014 and 2015 Spark EV and American Chevrolet has done a great job keeping my Spark EVs current with all applicable updates.

Thanks! Do you have a particular service advisor and tech you work with?

Those are the reasons I wanted to bring the car in. I also like using these services as a way to test out the waters and start building up a relationship with a service dept in case of unforeseen future issues.

I usually work with a service advisor named Darrell Stockman.
 
ncerna said:
How can I check if my software is up-to-date?

Contact a Chevy dealer and give them the VIN of your Spark EV. Be sure to ask about technical service bulletins too. I had one to correct the brake light delay when driving in L and taking your foot off of the accelerator. Initially, it was a 1.5 second delay. The TSB corrected it to zero seconds delay. Much better for the driver behind me.

Update: Just received notice through the August OnStar diagnostic report for both my 2014 and 2015 Spark EVs that today, Aug 3, a Program Notice was issued to update the software for the hybrid powertrain module 2. GM Program # N162059690 was issued to fix a possible GOM inaccuracy problem. This update applies to all 2014 through 2016 Spark EVs. I have appointments tomorrow morning to take my 2014 and 2015 Spark EVs in for the update. American Chevrolet said they will provide my wife and me a shuttle ride home and will come and pick us up when the Spark EVs are ready. Now, that's service!
 
MrDRMorgan said:
...... Aug 3, a Program Notice was issued to update the software for the hybrid powertrain module 2. GM Program # N162059690 was issued to fix a possible GOM inaccuracy problem. This update applies to all 2014 through 2016 Spark EVs. ....
Great.
So now I have to take my Spark EV to the dealer for the 3rd time in 40k miles... :cry:
1st, was for a state safety inspection when I towed it home with 3500 miles on it.
2nd, was for that 'Brake light in L' SB. I don't drive in L, but I did it.
3rd, now this.... My GOM is officially 'Good Enough'.

My great-great-Grand Daddy used to yell at me "Gaddammitt Bill, why can't you leave well enough alone?" :eek:

I might sit this one out. Or wait for GM to send me a paper letter on this subject....
I hate having them dik with the car. It's just an opportunity for something to go wrong. :x
 
NORTON said:
MrDRMorgan said:
...... Aug 3, a Program Notice was issued to update the software for the hybrid powertrain module 2. GM Program # N162059690 was issued to fix a possible GOM inaccuracy problem. This update applies to all 2014 through 2016 Spark EVs. ....
Great.
So now I have to take my Spark EV to the dealer for the 3rd time in 40k miles... :cry:
1st, was for a state safety inspection when I towed it home with 3500 miles on it.
2nd, was for that 'Brake light in L' SB. I don't drive in L, but I did it.
3rd, now this.... My GOM is officially 'Good Enough'.

My great-great-Grand Daddy used to yell at me "Gaddammitt Bill, why can't you leave well enough alone?" :eek:

I might sit this one out. Or wait for GM to send me a paper letter on this subject....
I hate having them dik with the car. It's just an opportunity for something to go wrong. :x

If it is any consolation, this is a Program Notice and not a Recall. The notice says "Certain 2014-2016 model year Chevrolet Spark EV vehicles, may have a condition in which an artificially high EV range is displayed to the driver due to high voltage battery state estimation [BSE] errors. The driver may notice erratic behavior from the battery gauge, and a significant drop in the gauge range after parking the vehicle for a few hours."

I have never seen this in either of my 2014 or 2015 Spark EVs, But, I currently have both Spark EVs at the dealer for the software update just to keep the vehicles current. I found the notice when I checked the recall section of my OnStar monthly diagnostic report for each vehicle. The dealer was a little surprised I called for an appointment on the same day [3 Aug 2017] the Program Notice was issued.

4 Aug 17 update: Both cars had the software update but I did have a concern. When I dropped my 2014 Spark EV off at the dealer I had ~85 miles of range on the GOM. When I got the car back, the GOM showed 33 miles and it looked like the tech had the AC blasting as my normal settings were all messed up. With the outside temp at 100 deg. F, I would have liked to use my AC going home but I couldn't without running out of power. As it was, I got home with 2 yellow bars left with 15 miles left on the GOM. My 2015 Spark EV suffered a similar fate but the range loss was not as severe. Both vehicles returned to normal after charging at home. This software change may temporarily screw up your GOM range until a full recharge. Be sure the dealer recharges your vehicle before you drive it home.
 
MrDRMorgan said:
..... Be sure the dealer recharges your vehicle before you drive it home.
You would think a good dealership would always do that without asking/begging.....

Did they consume that much power while performing the service? Or was the GOM just new to life?
Did they take them out for a blast around the local lake to use up all that power? Did you monitor the odometers? :lol:
 
NORTON said:
MrDRMorgan said:
..... Be sure the dealer recharges your vehicle before you drive it home.
You would think a good dealership would always do that without asking/begging.....

Did they consume that much power while performing the service? Or was the GOM just new to life?
Did they take them out for a blast around the local lake to use up all that power? Did you monitor the odometers? :lol:

I did check both ODOs - no change. The only thing I can figure out is it was quite hot that day and the tech had the AC blasting by setting the temp to below 70 deg. F. I sent a rating card back to the dealer notifying them of the problem and I am waiting to see if they contact me. Meanwhile, both cars are performing fine.
 
My wife took our car to the dealership where we leased it for its first service, I told her to make sure they don't rotate the tires front to back. So she told the technicians and they didn't believe her and had to check the service manual. The second time I took the car to a different dealership myself and watched it like a hawk. After waiting for over an hour, a technician came to me telling me my car doesn't need an oil change, something I already know. Then I had to stop them when they are about to put the front tire on the back. They also performed no other service, no multi-point inspection, etc. I haven't taken my car to dealership for any service since then. This was 3 years ago, I hope Chevy's training got better.

The only non-trivial service Spark needs is brake fluid change every 30,000 miles, which seems crazy to me since all other cars I've had in the past don't even have it listed in their regular maintenance schedule. So I'm going to get a brake fluid tester and check it myself.
 
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