What the heck is wrong with my 2019 Bolt?

Some background info:

  • It’s a 2019 with 190k miles

  • Battery was swapped last year during the recall

  • Just put in a new 12V battery about a month ago (thought it would fix the issues)

  • These problems have been going on and off for a couple of months. Dealer’s looked at it twice, but couldn’t find anything because it didn’t act up when they had it. They test drove it for about 40 miles, so they did try. Not sure I fully trust their EV knowledge.

The Problems:

  • Service light on (the orange car with an exclamation point)

  • Service Tire Sensor warning

  • Regen braking stops working sometimes, which can cause the car to surge like it’s accelerating on its own. The driving feels different when this happens. I end up braking more like a gas car.

  • When stopped in L, the car will drift unless I use the brake

  • Got an ‘Unable to Shift’ warning before. It hasn’t come back since the dealer visit, but if it does, I’m worried about driving it. Had trouble getting it out of park a few times and had to turn it off and on again.

  • The trunk won’t open when the car’s on. My kid needs to get his bag from the back, so I have to turn off the car every time.

  • The backup camera glitches out sometimes. It shows the last image I saw in reverse. I have to turn the infotainment off and on to fix it.

Any ideas on what’s going on? It sounds like a 12V battery issue, but we already replaced it and it didn’t help. How do I get the service center to diagnose these problems if they aren’t happening when they have the car? They were all happening when I took it in, but I think they must’ve gone away by the time they looked at it. I’m driving it now, but the regen issue makes it feel weird, and if the ‘Unable to Shift’ comes back, I really don’t want to drive it. Any advice would be appreciated.

Just a guess here, but it sounds like there might be a sensor issue or a wiring problem somewhere. It could even be related to the trunk issue you mentioned. Maybe the car isn’t getting the right signals on movement? Does it stay outside? Could rodents have chewed some wires?

@Jalen
Yeah, it’s parked outside, so rodents could be possible. The motion thing does seem to be a common thread. Thanks for the idea!

Asa said:
@Jalen
Yeah, it’s parked outside, so rodents could be possible. The motion thing does seem to be a common thread. Thanks for the idea!

Rodents love the soy-based wiring in modern cars. Definitely worth checking for that.

Sounds like your wheel speed ABS sensor might be the problem. Maybe the Anti-Click washer shredded it?

Quincy said:
Sounds like your wheel speed ABS sensor might be the problem. Maybe the Anti-Click washer shredded it?

I’ll check that out, thanks for the tip!

Could be your tire sensor, like one of the TPMS units needing replacement. They usually need it after 5-10 years. As for the drift, my son complains about that too, but he’s figured out how to handle it now by being more aware of when it happens.

@Hollis
The paddle isn’t helping since regen’s not working right.

Asa said:
@Hollis
The paddle isn’t helping since regen’s not working right.

If regen isn’t working, the dealer should look into that. But if it drifts forward, hold the paddle to stop it from creeping. My son got used to it after a while.

I’d double-check that new 12V battery. Sometimes they’re faulty, even when new. Make sure the terminals are properly connected too. If these problems started right after the battery swap, it’s worth taking another look.

When you charge over 90%, regen stops working until the battery can accept more charge. It’s meant to do that. It’s in the manual somewhere.

Morgan said:
When you charge over 90%, regen stops working until the battery can accept more charge. It’s meant to do that. It’s in the manual somewhere.

That’s not it. I only charge to 80%, and it happens at any charge level. Regen cuts out while I’m driving, like I suddenly lose it and the car surges forward. I’ve had this car for five years, so I know how regen usually works.

@Asa
I’ve heard of shifters going bad, which might cause the car to jump from L to D. Wiring issues could also be at play here. Maybe something spilled on the shifter? The creep problem could be related to that too. On the older Bolts, you have to hold the brake to stop the car fully when in L, so keep that in mind.