service warning light - A/C computer malfunction

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manofnt

New member
Joined
Jul 30, 2013
Messages
3
I have owned my Spark EV for about a month and love it. Unfortunately I am having trouble with the service warning light (car with exclamation point over it). Dealer service had it for 3 days and think it is a computer clitch concerning the air conditioning. They got it reset, I drove it home and later went out only to find the light on again. Anyone else having this issue?
 
Yes, we had the same issue. The light was on the day my girlfriend picked up the car, but didn't realize until driving it home. We took it back the next day. Chevy had the car for 3 days as well. They said there was a software update needed. No elaboration. Seemed a little strange. This was a month ago and the light hasn't illuminated since.
 
Thanks. I brought it back to the dealer today and told them to keep it until they were sure it was fixed. They were talking about needing to begin looking at the A/C unit based on info from Chevy. I'll post results when I get it back.
 
I've only had my Spark EV for a week. While driving home on the freeway yesterday the service light came on and stayed on for the ten minutes it took me to arrive home. (Had to get out the manual to see what it meant; looks to be similar to a "check engine" light on a gasmobile). Air temp was about 80 degrees and the air conditioner had been running the full time, so it may have something to do with what's mentioned in the posts above. Called the dealer and made an appointment to take the car in this coming Wednesday.

Drove the Spark about ten miles today with the A/C running to see if the light came on again. It didn't. I plan to continue making short trips in the car for the next couple of days unless the light comes on again. If it does I'll park it until the Wednesday appointment. If it doesn't, I'll cancel the appointment. Few things are more frustrating than an intermittent problem that won't show itself to a dealer's service adviser.
 
Bilmat said:
I've only had my Spark EV for a week. While driving home on the freeway yesterday the service light came on and stayed on for the ten minutes it took me to arrive home. (Had to get out the manual to see what it meant; looks to be similar to a "check engine" light on a gasmobile). Air temp was about 80 degrees and the air conditioner had been running the full time, so it may have something to do with what's mentioned in the posts above. Called the dealer and made an appointment to take the car in this coming Wednesday.

Drove the Spark about ten miles today with the A/C running to see if the light came on again. It didn't. I plan to continue making short trips in the car for the next couple of days unless the light comes on again. If it does I'll park it until the Wednesday appointment. If it doesn't, I'll cancel the appointment. Few things are more frustrating than an intermittent problem that won't show itself to a dealer's service adviser.

You should be able to contact OnStar when the CEL (Check Engine Light) is on and ask them for any codes associated with the CEL. Even if it goes out again, the dealer should be able to pull the codes if they were serious enough to be stored. I'd want to get to the bottom of whatever it is, and so should GM. Take it in if you can, unless OnStar says it's nothing to worry about. If the dealer has to keep it, you should insist on a loaner, another Spark EV, or a Volt, would be my choice, since you won't need to put gas in either of those...
 
Sparkler said:
Bilmat said:
I've only had my Spark EV for a week. While driving home on the freeway yesterday the service light came on and stayed on for the ten minutes it took me to arrive home. (Had to get out the manual to see what it meant; looks to be similar to a "check engine" light on a gasmobile). Air temp was about 80 degrees and the air conditioner had been running the full time, so it may have something to do with what's mentioned in the posts above. Called the dealer and made an appointment to take the car in this coming Wednesday.

Drove the Spark about ten miles today with the A/C running to see if the light came on again. It didn't. I plan to continue making short trips in the car for the next couple of days unless the light comes on again. If it does I'll park it until the Wednesday appointment. If it doesn't, I'll cancel the appointment. Few things are more frustrating than an intermittent problem that won't show itself to a dealer's service adviser.

You should be able to contact OnStar when the CEL (Check Engine Light) is on and ask them for any codes associated with the CEL. Even if it goes out again, the dealer should be able to pull the codes if they were serious enough to be stored. I'd want to get to the bottom of whatever it is, and so should GM. Take it in if you can, unless OnStar says it's nothing to worry about. If the dealer has to keep it, you should insist on a loaner, another Spark EV, or a Volt, would be my choice, since you won't need to put gas in either of those...

Never thought to contact OnStar regarding the light and an error code. Good idea. But it's been five days and the light never came on again. Unless the computer did register a code, it seems pointless to take it to the dealer. I've been down that road where an intermittent problem goes away and won't repeat itself in front of a service writer too many times. Nevertheless, if it comes on again I'll take your advice and see what OnStar has to say. I would take it in now, but the odds are the dealer would keep it for a few days, then return it and say they could find nothing wrong. Thanks for the tip.
 
Sparkler said:
You should be able to contact OnStar when the CEL (Check Engine Light) is on and ask them for any codes associated with the CEL. Even if it goes out again, the dealer should be able to pull the codes if they were serious enough to be stored. I'd want to get to the bottom of whatever it is, and so should GM. Take it in if you can, unless OnStar says it's nothing to worry about. If the dealer has to keep it, you should insist on a loaner, another Spark EV, or a Volt, would be my choice, since you won't need to put gas in either of those...

I had the CEL light on for two days this weekend before it self-cleared this morning. I did try calling OnStar about the light, but their remote check was unable to find any problems.

My CEL did come on just after I had done a remote start to pre-cool the car, so I'm thinking it's probably related to A/C. Since the light self-cleared, I probably won't take it in just to lose the car for days, but if anyone finds out solid information about software upgrades that might improve this, please post here.
 
AC stopped working after 30-day ownership. On a hot day to boot. No service light. Just no AC. Making things simple, ya kno'. Tried on off, inside outside air, etc. Nope. Nada.

Shop and loaner on Thursday... See what transpires.

Not thrilled, Chevy!
 
iletric said:
AC stopped working after 30-day ownership. On a hot day to boot. No service light. Just no AC. Making things simple, ya kno'. Tried on off, inside outside air, etc. Nope. Nada.

iletric, just curious, when you had typically ran the A/C, what temp/fan level did you usually have it set at? I've been keeping mine at 70 degrees w/ the fan at level 1 or 2 for the most part since the cabin is so small the interior cools pretty quickly. There are times over the really hot days I would set it to 68 degrees and have the fan at 4 or 5 but not too often. So I was just wondering if you had the temp set to 'LOW' and the fan at full blast for long periods of time? But yes, what a bummer to have the A/C go out now in the peak of the CA summer heat. :!:
 
Always set at low (60 degrees, I believe) and fan at #1 (lowest) position - and always on. It's actually very efficient.
 
Well, it's always the Murphy's Law that gets ya.

Took the car to Novato Chevy; called us back in an hour: there ain't nothing wrong with your AC. So I asked them to look into the database that is rapidly emerging with regard to AC Spark EV problems and work on it.

No, they won't do it. Can't fix nutin' when not broken. Sorry.

So, now I'm not happy. In limbo. Told wife if it happens again take it straight back and have them pull the code. Interestingly enough, AC did not work 2 days ago when we showed it to the mechanic. On repair day it frickin' works. Sucks.

Well, electronics have their way of "on off" when broken. So, it's a matter of time this thing rears its head. Will keep you posted...
 
I picked up my Spark today from dealer. They had to go up the chain to Chevy engineering but apparently found that a couple of the coolant hoses to the battery had been reversed at the factory. The battery outlet hose was connected to the water pump and the battery inlet was connected to the radiator. The tech reversed the connection and apparently now everything is okay. Hopefully this was the problem.
 
It wasn't reversed because AC worked fine for 4 weeks. It may have had a bad day or something. Maybe a fluke. At this point I expect it to happen again.

The funny thing is that we took it to Novato Chevy and demonstrated it to a mechanic who fiddled with it and could not get it going either. Then 2 days later on repair day it worked, and the dude working on it said in his paperwork "perhaps not operated properly" by us.

So one guy did not talk to the other guy. Like I don't know how to punch AC button, turn the fan on and turn the dial to low. Very assuming and condescending, and in fact arrogant to put stuff like that on paperwork.

Told my folks, it happens again take it straight back there and have them pull the code. And then we'll know just what the f*** is going on with my AC.

And I'm waiting to see if it happens to other owners.
 
Leave it to Chevy to give this car two big digital displays, but not use them for a problem big enough to require service. WTF?

I mean, instead of a generic yellow light, the seven inch monitor could say, "air conditioner compressor error" or "battery fault". A yellow freaking light?

:shock: The summer interns who designed the crapmobile Spark EV should take up agriculture instead.
 
Just bought a 2014 Spark EV here in Quebec, imported from Cali. We've had it 2 weeks and are happy, but today it would not unlock, then when it did the alarm went off and now we have "car with exclamation point over it" and the airbag light is on. It seems a bit buggy this car.
Any thoughts?
is there a reset, like you can do when your phone gets buggy?
 
97slpss said:
Just bought a 2014 Spark EV here in Quebec, imported from Cali. We've had it 2 weeks and are happy, but today it would not unlock, then when it did the alarm went off and now we have "car with exclamation point over it" and the airbag light is on. It seems a bit buggy this car.
Any thoughts?
is there a reset, like you can do when your phone gets buggy?

Change the 12V battery under the hood. These cars do odd things when the 12V battery gets old.
 
CCIE said:
97slpss said:
Just bought a 2014 Spark EV here in Quebec, imported from Cali. We've had it 2 weeks and are happy, but today it would not unlock, then when it did the alarm went off and now we have "car with exclamation point over it" and the airbag light is on. It seems a bit buggy this car.
Any thoughts?
is there a reset, like you can do when your phone gets buggy?

Change the 12V battery under the hood. These cars do odd things when the 12V battery gets old.


You were exactly right! 12volt dead. Dealer replaced it under warranty.
 
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