New to the Bolt wifi - software questions

[tdiguy]

I just bought a used 2017 bolt lt. So far i am loving this car. Charging takes forever but i only have the level 1 charger right now. I figure i have a lot of down time right now to charge it up anyway.
I have been trying and failing at trying to connect with keypass in the mychevy app, it gets so far as bringing up the qr code on the car but my phone is still on connecting and pairing and wont give me the chance to scan the qr code.

I also have not been able to connect to my wifi, i am certain i know the password and i created a separate wifi network to make sure i knew the password. Are there limitations on what the bolt can connect to? Like can it only use wep?

I love the acceleration in this car! merging on the highway is a lot easier now. I just have to be more mindful of my speed my god its easy to get this thing up there in speed, cruise control i think will be my new best friend to avoid tickets.

 

[tdiguy]

Ok, i got it figured out the keypass thing was not what i would call intuitive, and the wifi range of the bolt is terrible. My cell phone can use wifi all over the yard and almost into the neighbors driveway, the bolt cant pick up my wifi 60 feet from the AP with a wall between it. I set up a spare AP I had in the garage and was able to connect. Kinda surprised there were no updates to be found.
I am pretty sure i will need to get a level 2 charger this level 1 is taking a wicked long time to charge. The car is only at 36% Thankfully there is a DC supercharger not far from me might have to stop there next week when i go back to work to top up the battery until i can get a receptical and charger set up.

 

[cwerdna]

Thankfully there is a DC supercharger not far from me might have to stop there next week

No non-Tesla vehicle is compatible w/Tesla Superchargers.

There are 3 DC (usually fast) charge standards in the US for consumer EVs/PHEVs:
- Tesla Supercharger w/their proprietary North American connector (also used in at least Japan and South Korea)-
- CHAdeMO
- SAE Combo aka Combo1 flavor of CCS aka J1772 CCS aka CCS1 <--- Bolt can be compatible with this.

Please do NOT use "Supercharger" "super charger" or variants of it to refer to non-Tesla DC fast charging. It causes confusion and may lead to disappointment.

Before you bother going, check Plugshare (app and/or web site) for its score and recent check-ins, if any. It might be a waste of time of it's broken or frequently blocked.

 

[Norton]

.. Charging takes forever but i only have the level 1 charger right now. ..../quote]
Just checking,,,
Do you know about the 8 Amp or 12 Amp selection when on L1?

Check the manual and also look for 'Home Location' related to 12 Amp.
Be sure you have an outlet and circuit good for 12 Amps.

 

[tdiguy]

.. Charging takes forever but i only have the level 1 charger right now. ..../quote]
Just checking,,,
Do you know about the 8 Amp or 12 Amp selection when on L1?

Check the manual and also look for 'Home Location' related to 12 Amp.
Be sure you have an outlet and circuit good for 12 Amps.

Yes, i found that setting. I am not really sure what my outlet in the garage is rated for current wise. Its gfci protected and the whole garage was built and wired in the late 90's so i suspect its capable of 12amps but i would rather not test such things and find out i am wrong.
I found some level 2 chargers that use nema 6-20 plugs that are under 200$ and have good reviews, i am going to go with one of those.
It looks like the level 2 i am buying should provide about 3x faster charge than the level 1 8 amp setting.
120v 8amp = 960watts
240v 16amps = 3840watts

I imagine this will be quite a noticeable difference in charging speed.
I am really hoping that this software change is not the be all end all solution from chevy, mostly because i am also a bit greedy and hope they decide to outfit the cars with the new battery in the 2020 cars so i end up with a used bolt i bought at a very nice price and a brand new battery. But i think that is wishful thinking.

 

[Norton]

.... I am not really sure what my outlet in the garage is rated for current wise. Its gfci protected and the whole garage was built and wired in the late 90's so i suspect its capable of 12amps but i would rather not test such things and find out i am wrong.
... hope they decide to outfit the cars with the new battery in the 2020 cars.. But i think that is wishful thinking.

If your Circuit Breaker Box has 20A CB's for all the 120V circuits you should be good.
The reason for 12A is it's 80% of a 15A circuit. 80% constant duty rule.

You can test what is on the garage outlet you use by turning off the CB and see what's all on that circuit.
Don't share the car's EVSE with a Beer Fridge or space heater, for instance.
You will be fine with 12A L1 charging on a newish home.

You got the right idea with a cheap 16A L2. I have two of those even though the Bolt can go 32A, I don't need it.
And you're right about getting a brand new pack on a Bolt recall, wishful thinking!

 

[tdiguy]

If your Circuit Breaker Box has 20A CB's for all the 120V circuits you should be good.
The reason for 12A is it's 80% of a 15A circuit. 80% constant duty rule.

You can test what is on the garage outlet you use by turning off the CB and see what's all on that circuit.
Don't share the car's EVSE with a Beer Fridge or space heater, for instance.
You will be fine with 12A L1 charging on a newish home.

You got the right idea with a cheap 16A L2. I have two of those even though the Bolt can go 32A, I don't need it.
And you're right about getting a brand new pack on a Bolt recall, wishful thinking!

Thank you that is good to know. My garage has a small breaker panel with 3 circuits. I haven't verified them but I suspect 1 is for the garage door one for the lights and one for the outlets. Nothing in the garage is what I would call a high draw device. Heck nothing stays plugged in all the time except the new addition ( my car ). So the 12 amp setting is probably fine. I will probably use the 8 amp setting if we go to great wolf lodge this year, seeing what people post on plug share it seems they don't have a charging station but often are very nice and let people plug in to a wall outlet. So far so good with the car. I do hope at some point to change out the drivers seat with a 2019 seat they are much more comfy.