DC Fast Charge fail

[lasparkster]

On one of my trips to the dealer to try to get my text messaging fixed (still not working), I asked them to update the software. When I went to pick up the car they said GM wouldn't let them update the software if there wasn't a problem. I told them that was ridiculous but they said there was nothing the could do about it.

Last night I tried to DC Fast charge for the 3rd time. The first time failed, the second time worked and this time failed again - but this time i really needed it! It was an ABB machine run by nrg-eVGo network and it would connect but the amber light wouldn't turn on. The machine would either test the connection and fail, that my car was still on (which it wasn't) or connect and then say the battery was already charged. I called the nrg tech support and for 1.5 hours tried to get it to work with them. They told me to "jiggle" the connection until the amber light turned on. We got that a couple of times, but it still wouldn't charge.
They said if i take my car into the dealer they can fix it and that this is a known issue. I told them that's great, but if I don't fast charge then I will miss the evening with my family, dinner and wouldn't get home until midnight.
After I hung up with them I thought about the message of the car still being on - and how the stupid bluetooth on the spark picks up my calls after the vehicle is turned off.
So I turned off bluetooth on my phone and tried again.
The car charged right up.

I called the Volt/Spark support team at Chevy and they said I needed to take my car into the dealer so they could update my software. Imagine that?
They also said they didn't think the fast charge would work unless the vehicle was between 20%-80% charged. My car was less than 10% at the time and worked fine.

I write all of this to help someone else get their software updated (just tell the dealer you have the fast charging issue) or to actually fix fast charging when they are late for dinner (bluetooth trick).

 

[bluerobotkid]

Have you tried to set the parking brake before starting the charge. It sounds like when I first stated the fast charging and did not know that the parking brake had to be on. It would work sometimes - but fail other times right after it would start. Now that I set the parking brake before - works every time.

 

[Carney]

Have you tried to set the parking brake before starting the charge. It sounds like when I first stated the fast charging and did not know that the parking brake had to be on. It would work sometimes - but fail other times right after it would start. Now that I set the parking brake before - works every time.

That's a good tip!

 

[lasparkster]

I hadn't tried that, but every time i have DC fast charged the parking break is set automatically when i'm done.

 

[mczajka]

Good to know. My parking brake was on and I thought I was crazy.

 

[Nashco]

Some clarification for this thread, since there's a LOT of "he said, she said" going on here.

1. Make sure your car has had this modification done at the dealer so that the DC fast charger is mechanically connecting to the car properly:

http://www.mychevysparkev.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=4151

Since the amber light is not turning on to show you're plugged in before charging, this mechanical fitment is highly suspect (that's the exact symptom to highlight the interference).

2. Bluetooth, ebrake, and current state of charge have nothing to do with the car charging or not charging. While the DC charge will initiate use of the ebrake (automatically), no driver action is required. There isn't a "Bluetooth trick" or anything like that, please stick to the facts.

3. I'm not aware of any charging issues which have been correlated with software version. There have been some bug fixes and modifications through the years, but nothing regarding charging functioning properly that we've been able to determine here. If you have specific information to highlight software version X preventing a charge, and then software version Y correcting this problem, please clarify the issue exactly so that we can better understand in the future.

Bryce

 

[MrDRMorgan]

Could this be related to the DCFC socket itself? An NRG eVgo DCFC station was mentioned and a number of Spark EV owners have had problems charging at NRG eVgo DCFC stations too. Once they or the dealer modified the socket on the Spark EV, the problem went away. There is a thread on this forum that shows how the modification is to be done.

 

[Chaconzies]

Did you every get this error: http://www.mychevysparkev.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=4106
I have had it happen when I try and charge with less than 20 miles.

 

[lasparkster]

Some clarification for this thread, since there's a LOT of "he said, she said" going on here.

1. Make sure your car has had this modification done at the dealer so that the DC fast charger is mechanically connecting to the car properly:

http://www.mychevysparkev.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=4151

Since the amber light is not turning on to show you're plugged in before charging, this mechanical fitment is highly suspect (that's the exact symptom to highlight the interference).

2. Bluetooth, ebrake, and current state of charge have nothing to do with the car charging or not charging. While the DC charge will initiate use of the ebrake (automatically), no driver action is required. There isn't a "Bluetooth trick" or anything like that, please stick to the facts.

3. I'm not aware of any charging issues which have been correlated with software version. There have been some bug fixes and modifications through the years, but nothing regarding charging functioning properly that we've been able to determine here. If you have specific information to highlight software version X preventing a charge, and then software version Y correcting this problem, please clarify the issue exactly so that we can better understand in the future.

Bryce

1. Yes, this was definitely one of the problems. However, the 10 times I did get the amber light to come on, the vehicle wouldn't charge. I now have had the car modified so it won't have the physical problem.

2. You asked for facts:
Over 1.5 hours I tried 45-50 times to connect the vehicle to a DCFC, many of the failures stated my vehicle needed to be turned off.
As we all know, the Spark has a flaw and its bluetooth remains connected after the vehicle has been powered off.
The very first time I disabled bluetooth and tried to charge - it worked.

3. evGo's tech support were the ones who said that GM had a fix for the problems I was experiencing and they thought it was a software update. In retrospect they could have known there was a fix, assumed it was a software update but it really was the physical modification fix. I have called every department at GM and have gone to 3 dealers. No one can even tell me what the latest version of software the 2015 DCFC Spark is running. I have 16.1, many others have 16.26, 16.31, etc. . . but when I take the vehicle in they tell me I have the latest (even though they don't know what number is the latest). You're asking for specifics of software versions but without GM's help or competence in tracking software revisions, I'm afraid that's going to be very difficult.

You sound more like a GM troll then someone who owns a Spark.

 

[Chocula]

...
Over 1.5 hours I tried 45-50 times to connect the vehicle to a DCFC, many of the failures stated my vehicle needed to be turned off.
As we all know, the Spark has a flaw and its bluetooth remains connected after the vehicle has been powered off.
The very first time I disabled bluetooth and tried to charge - it worked.
...

Having been through a similar experience, repeated on a couple of occasions, I consider the fact that it worked when you disabled Bluetooth to be a coincidence.

The physical modification corrected the problem my car had working with the ABB Model 53 DC chargers used by NRG. I have successfully charged with a couple of non-ABB chargers since, but did not have any available to test prior to having the modification done.

-Chocula