Faulty battery packs

[Krogan]

Here's my story.

After 2 km driven, I've got a red turtle icon with this error : very limited performance due to cold temperatures. Outside temp was 26c (79f), not so cold to me!! Last winter we had TRUE cold temperatures (near -30c (-22f)) without issues. With this error, the car sped like a motor scooter.

I've been to the dealer. When I've entering the dealership, I've let the car ON to show the error code to the technician (in case of case resolved after a "restart"). Tomorrow I've got a call. They checked both battery temp sensors and my car was ok, it was some error code stored in the computer but nothing related to cold temp error. I have to take my car. By dint of arguing (the tech saw the error, it saved me), they continued the investigation. They had to call Ford. Ford told them it was a faulty battery packs (not the 12v). So after 18 000 km i'll get a brand new battery pack.

I'm i the only one in this case??

 

[WattsUp]

This is the first I've heard of a case like this. Anyone else?

Question: Why do you have to wait until 18,000 km? Seems like they should change your battery pack now under warranty if it is defective.

 

[v_traveller]

I think he's got 18000km on his odo now; looks like the fault occurred after 2km from the start of a recent trip.

Krogan, I'm curious, are you in Canada or ?... Just wondering...

 

[Krogan]

v_traveller, You got it right, it appened 2km after the start of my last trip @ 18k km.

It's not that I'm angry to have a brand new/free battery packs (worth +/- 15 000$) but I had several issues with this car.
Driver side locking sensor on the handle not working in wet weather, yellow wrench icon in dash 2 times, one touch window button on the passenger side not working, sync module busted, they blew the pcm and it was B/O for 1 month in their try to install 3.5 update (they kept the car 1 month), and now the battery pack..

I have the car for less than a year and it's not a rent. It starts to scare me.

v_traveller, yes I'm a french Canadian, why are you wondering?

 

[WattsUp]

yellow wrench icon in dash 2 times

I've had a few of these. They go away by turning the car off/on (as you probably know).

I haven't had one for months. I'm now at around 9k miles on the odometer.

one touch window button on the passenger side not working

The one-touch setting probably just got "reset" on that window. This can occur perhaps a little too easily (depending on who is operating your windows).

To fix/change the one-touch behavior for any window, see this thread:
http://www.myfocuselectric.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=867

See the post from gman1.

 

[v_traveller]

v_traveller, yes I'm a french Canadian, why are you wondering?

Oh, I just figured you weren't in the US since down here we're still stuck with measuring things in English units. Thought it was interesting that you were using metric units, that's all.

 

[jmueller065]

The battery thing happened to my coworker's car but at the plant. He had to wait another month for his car as they had to ship a new one from Korea.

 

[unplugged]

He had to wait another month for his car as they had to ship a new one from Korea.

It is doubtful your friend had to wait for a battery pack from Korea. (Maybe this is the excuse the dealer/Ford used.)

The high voltage battery packs are supplied by Compact Power, Inc. of Troy Michigan, a division of LG Chem Ltd.

It is true that the lithium-ion cells are being provided by LG Chem from Korea, but the packs themselves are produced in a new $300 million plant in Holland, Michigan.

 

[jmueller065]

It is doubtful your friend had to wait for a battery pack from Korea.

...but the packs themselves are produced in a new $300 million plant in Holland, Michigan.

Considering his car was assembled in April and the Holland plant didn't produce any batteries until 8/1/13; I think its reasonable to conclude that his batteries came from Korea (Read the linked to article it states that LG Chem supplied the battery orders for both the Volt & FFE from Korea).

He managed to find a contact inside Ford to find out what was going on with his car--as most of you have observed right here the Ford dealers and Ford corporate give you absolutely no information and are basically clueless. He found out pretty specific detailed information about his car and why it was delayed.

 

[WattsUp]

but the packs themselves are produced in a new $300 million plant in Holland, Michigan.

Considering his car was assembled in April and the Holland plant didn't produce any batteries until 8/1/13; I think its reasonable to conclude that his batteries came from Korea

It doesn't look like any packs are being produced in Holland, MI right now.

That new LG Chem plant is having some issues, according to a report at insideevs.com:

And We’re Down: Chevy Volt’s LG Chem Battery Plant In Michigan Closes Again

Something about using LG Chem(icals) that the EPA doesn't like being used. Oops.

 

[Krogan]

It is doubtful your friend had to wait for a battery pack from Korea.

...but the packs themselves are produced in a new $300 million plant in Holland, Michigan.

As my dealer told me, new batteries should take 1.5 weeks to arrive. Is that true? Only time will tell. I would not be surprised if they told me, because of [insert what you want here], you have to wait 1-2 weeks.

 

[unplugged]

That new LG Chem plant is having some issues, according to a report at insideevs.com:

And We’re Down: Chevy Volt’s LG Chem Battery Plant In Michigan Closes Again

Something about using LG Chem(icals) that the EPA doesn't like being used. Oops.

Weird. Yes, I was just getting my info from an older article.

It is rather strange that LG can't get a plant to operate for the last two years. You would think that LG would have a bit more competence, but I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

 

[jeffand]

Manufacturing was not started at the Michigan plant because of low demand. Demand has increased to the point now that production can now be started at the Michigan plant. GM dropped the price of the Volt, and Ford has introduced two plug in hybrids helped increase demand.