Speed Limited to 20 MPH Warning Message -- on the highway!

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jlmoore3

Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2018
Messages
6
My first post here, as a brand new Spark EV owner. So here's the deal, I purchased last week a 2015 Spark EV with 28k miles on it from Carvana (a national car vendor not unlike CarMax). My closest pick-up location was Philly, about 100 miles from my home here in Coastal Delaware. On the way home, I kept getting the warning message "Propulsion Power is Reduced." It seemed to show up randomly, and sometimes it DID limit the acceleration and sometimes NOT. But then, on two (dramatic) occasions -- while cruising on the highway at 60+ mph -- a warning message popped up saying "Speed Limited to 20 mph." And indeed it was and the car immediately slowed down. Luckily, I was able to get it off on the shoulder without getting get rear-ended.

In both instances, the car returned to more or less normal operation (along with the random Propulsion Power is Reduced business) after 'resting' for 20 minutes or so. I was eventually able to limp home without a tow and have avoided driving the car since. I have a visit to the dealer scheduled.

Has anyone experienced this? I have found precious little about the Speed Limited to 20 mph warning message either online or in the owner's manual. I am a little freaked that the car would just suddenly decide to drop out of warp speed while cruising down the highway. Not very safe, to my way of thinking.

Carvana, from whence the car came, has a one-week, no questioned asked return policy. So I have an out. But my wife and I both really like the car. It's the perfect second vehicle for running errands around town. But not sure we want to keep it if this is a known 'quirk' of the car.

By the way, I suspect the problem might have something to do with the battery thermal management system, which would explain why the car rejoined the living after resting for a while, as in maybe it just needed to cool off for a while.

And while I don't want to get off topic here, another thing I am concerned about is that I have not seen Max Range numbers above the upper 60s, even when fully charged. Where'd the 80+ miles of range go?

Comments?

Jack M
 
Return it.
Sounds dangerous.
Let Carvana get the power train problems sorted out. It should still have a warranty.

Ask them if you have first pick after it's repaired.
Do you even get to test drive a car using this method of car buying?

Don't sweat the low range. You and the battery may be using the heat and that's a biggie for EV range.

Good luck!
 
Hey Jack,

Bought mine from Carvana also. Only ever had propulsion reduced at extreme low battery. Outdoor temperatures being what they are currently, even if you fast charged once or twice, and drove fast, I'd be surprised if the battery temp got high enough (~85-86°F) to warrant cooing.

Just remember, after a week, it's your problem for the foreseeable future. Getting it repaired MAY take a considerable amount of time.... just ask Norton :)
 
Well, got the car into the dealer yesterday in time for them to do their diagnostic thing. They tell me that the battery coolant pump failed. Supposedly a replacement has been ordered and will be in today. So we'll see if that fixes the problem. I must say I am somewhat skeptical. While I don't yet know a lot about EVs in general or the Spark in particular, it does seem unlikely that the battery would overheat in 40 degree temps, despite a couple of Fast Charge stops and 90 miles or so of highway driving.

Indeed, the day after I got the vehicle home I took it for a quick spin around the neighborhood and got that same Propulsion Power Reduced message -- with 50 miles of range showing.

Fortunately, the vehicle is still under its powertrain warranty for about another year and a half. And better still, Carvana has graciously extended its return window so that I can get the car worked on by the local Chevy dealer and reassess.

I agree with both you guys.... I don't need to own this problem. Or put our lives in jeopardy. If I am not convinced that a new coolant pump saves the day, then the car goes back to Carvana.

JM
_________________
2015 Spark EV w/ DCFC 28,XXX miles
Purchased 12/13/18 w/ 28,XXX miles
 
jlmoore3 said:
Well, got the car into the dealer .... They tell me that the battery coolant pump failed. Supposedly a replacement has been ordered and will be in today. ...
.. it does seem unlikely that the battery would overheat in 40 degree temps, despite a couple of Fast Charge stops and 90 miles or so of highway driving.

Indeed, the day after I got the vehicle home I took it for a quick spin around the neighborhood and got that same Propulsion Power Reduced message -- with 50 miles of range showing.

Fortunately, the vehicle is still under its powertrain warranty for about another year and a half. And better still, Carvana has graciously extended its return window so that I can get the car worked on by the local Chevy dealer and reassess.
Who knows,, maybe both those incidences asked for battery coolant pump and it was not responding.
I know most of the time as soon as I plug in at a DCFC and I'm outside the front I always hear a fan and a pump and sometimes the AC compressor ramping up.

Congrats on getting the extended 'window'. Hope it all works out great.
"Graciously"?? :lol: It's either that or they come and pick up the car. :(
What if the car is not repaired and returned to you by the end of this 'window'?
Can you still pull the return cord? ;)
 
Yeah, it is in Carvana's interest for me to keep the car, that's for sure. So not sure how much altruism factors into their decision to extend the window! But still, they appreciate my awkward situation and I appreciate their flexibility here. They also understand that a satisfactory resolution may not magically appear with the first dealer visit ... parts might get delayed, the issue might be mis-diagnosed and require another go, whatever. So they said to check back with them tomorrow (Friday, the last day of the window) and we could all figure out next steps.

With any luck, I'll have confidence the new pump did the trick and will agree to keep the car. Or, if needed, they could give me another day or two for the dealer to sort things out. Or I could just throw in the towel and have 'em take the car back.

Fingers crossed that we have some closure by the end of the day today. Because repair woes aside, I must say the little Spark is quite the pocket rocket and fun to drive. I don't guess it'd win any awards for a hushed cabin or lux ride, but it's a darn good bargain for an EV and a great vehicle for dipping one's toes into EV waters.

JM
_________________
2015 Spark EV w/ DCFC 28,XXX miles
Purchased 12/13/18 w/ 28,XXX miles
 
jlmoore3 said:
....Fingers crossed that we have some closure by the end of the day today.
JM
Don't forget to demand they take it to their DCFC station and test it.
Supposedly Bolt authorized dealers have to own one for testing, even if it's only a 24kW unit.

They tested mine and it broke again and got towed a 3rd time,,, making for another week in the shop waiting for parts and that repair.
The final part that finally fixed it was the one that handles DCFC functions,,, DUH... :roll:
 
I should add, even if the battery didn't require cooling, if the system sensed it wasn't working properly, it may do something like this to protect the battery perhaps.

I just hope they get it worked out for you. It is indeed a good and fun car to have.
 
Well, Hell's Bells! Taking Norton's advice, I ran the car up to a Fast DC Charger after the 'fixed' car was returned to me. And dang if it didn't do the same thing... first a warning that Propulsion Power is Reduced, then shortly thereafter Speed is Limited to 20 MPH. I limped along the shoulder until I could get to a local store parking lot to let it rest. After a few minutes, it seemed happy to get me the short distance home.

The car ran just fine after the 'fix' and before I hit the DC charger, but failed after the DC fast charge. So maybe the on-board charger system is the culprit?

Norton... you reading this post? What issues did you have before they finally concluded that DC charging was messing you up? And what was your ultimate fix?

The local Chevy dealer is expecting me back tomorrow to have another go at it, but maybe I should just avail myself of Carvana's return policy and let 'em have the car back.

I sure like this little car, but don't want to be chasing this fatal flaw ad infinitum.

Woe is me!....JM

_________________
2015 Spark EV w/ DCFC 28,XXX miles
Purchased 12/13/18 w/ 28,XXX miles
 
It is NOT the onboard charging system. When at a DCFC it is getting DC directly from the station.

Did you read my long thread?

They are going to give you a spiel about the next thing in their official trouble tree is to replace the $800 SDM.
Evidently GM can not do scientific troubleshooting and simply follows an old fashioned Trouble Tree.

Beg them not to do that nonsense. It is not the problem. It is HPCM 2 (I think, read my thread) that handles the DCFC functions.

I can give you an email address at GM if your dealer won't play nice.

However, my car never gave me 'Reduced Propulsion' msgs. So yours may have other problems also.

Time to bale out?
I would and let Carvana get it fixed and then you buy it later.
 
No, I did not see (what I presume to be) your long original thread about YOUR tale of woe. I should find that and absorb.

I am at a crossroads... the path of least resistance is to simply have Carvana take the car back and be done with it. Or, since we have grown quite fond of the little fellow, keep it and do what it takes to get Chevy to fix the dang thing once and for all.

I don't believe Carvana offers the option of offering 'rights of first refusal' once they sort things out. If they take it back and DO fix it, it will show up in their inventory again and I am free to go for it. But it's worth checking IF it IS an option to re-purchase it after it's been fixed.

They will happily allow me to swap this car for another in their inventory (and take a credit or pay a bit more, depending on the sale price), but the Spark EVs have been selling like hot cakes! Of the 24 they have in inventory now, only a few are NOT spoken for (and therefore available to the likes of me). And none of the ones available hit that sweet spot for me in terms of price ($10k or thereabouts), mileage (under 30k), color (blue first choice, white second), and being a 1LT (which I prefer over the 2LT... I prefer the blue cloth seats to the black leatherette).

Of course, one does not need to buy from Carvana. But, here in Coastal Delaware, there are not a lot of options. As you know, most of the Spark EVs were sold in CA and OR. Later, some in nearby by MD. But there are probably only 3 or 4 Spark EVs for sale within a 150 range of home here -- and none of them quite fit the bill (too high mileage, no DCFC, etc.). So, If I want what I want, I gotta get it from Carvana and have 'em transport it cross country.

Well, we'll sleep on it overnight and see what the morning brings.

Thanks for chiming in!

JM
_________________
2015 Spark EV w/ DCFC 28,XXX miles
Purchased 12/13/18 w/ 28,XXX miles
 
My Tale of Woe: http://www.mychevysparkev.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=5165&hilit=first+failure

Be advised: IF the dealership follows the Official Trouble Tree the next step is to Ding you with an $800 bill,, "Because the SDM is not covered by the Powertrain Warranty."

Maybe GM Engineering has seen the light since I raised such a stink about their old fashioned method of troubleshooting a modern BEV.
Maybe the Trouble Tree has been updated. Maybe. :roll:

I tried to warn you about not accepting the car after the repair until THEY tested it at a DCFC session.
I'm warning you about getting stuck with this same situation that I had,,,, only yours may be worse because of the other warnings the car is giving.
Mine just died after two DCFC sessions.

If you don't have anything in writing from Carvana......... :?

Good Luck,,,
 
I got one from Carvana that had a strong odor that would not go away, so I returned it. Hassle free, got my deposit back and found a 2015 with less miles and tinted windows for less money.
Get rid of this one NOW! Others will come available. Be patient. If this is a car you want Carvana will have others. They may cost more but without the grief. Maybe the current one was that price for a reason.
"...know when to walk away...know when to run..."
 
Yup, that is exactly what I am going to do. The car is going back to Carvana today, and because it is not really safe to drive they are dispatching Roadside Assistance to pick it up and take it to their closest Carvana hub (even though I am outside the normal delivery/pickup range, so kudos to Carvana for that).

The fact that this happens after a fast DC charge may be another clue as to what is going on, but I don't have the patience or time to chase this mystery to a successful resolution -- if indeed that is even possible.

I may take another crack at a Spark EV from Carvana down the road, as they are really the only place one can get a Spark EV here in Coastal Delaware (aside from the occasional one that shows up in surrounding states, especially Maryland, where they were briefly sold.) But right now Carvana doesn't have anything in inventory that I would be happy with in place of the car that is going back. Sadly, I bought the car over the Cyber Monday weekend and got $1000 off the regular price. They would honor that discount if I picked an alternative vehicle now, but not if I return the car and find a replacement a few weeks or months down the road.

Oh well, sometimes you get the bear and sometimes the bear gets you.

As an aside, and I'd be curious to see what people have to say about this somewhat off-topic observation... we noted that car insurance on the Spark EV is quite pricey and is a good bit more than for our newer and way more expensive 2017 Highlander, or the 2009 Outback we got rid of recently. The added insurance cost would use up a good bit of what we'd save on gas with the EV. Maybe a different insurance company would offer better pricing. (We were quoted a little under a grand for pretty thorough coverage.)

JM
_________________
2015 Spark EV w/ DCFC 28,XXX miles
Purchased 12/13/18 w/ 28,XXX miles
Returned to Carvana 12/21/18
 
Returned the i3 last month and rates went down $20 or so IIRC. But, plate fees here in AZ went from over $400 on the i3 to $26.93 for the Spark!!
Veh Lic Tax...$6.68
Registration...$8.25
Title.............$4.00
Special Plate..$8.00

Will be reimbursed $222 from the state as the i3 plate expires in May 2019.
So, it looks like the plate fee next year will be $8 American. Not bad.
After hearing these stories I'm not sure I'll be fast charging anytime soon.
 
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