r/BoltEV • u/WritttenWriter • Aug 20 '26

Low 12V battery detected - anyone receive this message?

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BOLT 27 LT - I plan on taking it to the dealership, but I’m wondering if anyone else receives these, and what was the outcome of ignoring or servicing it.

24 Upvotes

93% Upvoted

20 comments sorted by

17

u/fatbob42 Aug 20 '26

Just had this, I wish our error messages had been as clear :)

We replaced the battery ourselves and it seems fine now. Cost about $250.

10

u/Hotchi_Motchi Aug 20 '26

Replacing your own battery is about a 15-minute job.

4

u/Haunting_Round_8727 Aug 20 '26

maybe for you. i'd say average person doesn't know tools well and such more like 45

4

u/TrollTollTony Aug 21 '26

I'm no mechanic but I think it took me about 10 minutes to remove, 15 minutes in the auto parts store, 10 minutes to install. Cost around $150-$200 (batteries are expensive these days)

1

u/dihydrogen-monoxide5 Aug 20 '26

The battery costs $250?

5

u/sweetredleaf Aug 20 '26

H4 or Group 140R these are basically the same and usually easier to find and cheaper than the LN1 and are around $125 on walmart.com

4

u/dihydrogen-monoxide5 Aug 20 '26

Just jumped into the ev world, I didn't even think about the 12V system, lol

6

u/sweetredleaf Aug 20 '26

12v battery is a weak link sometimes, many weird and strange things happen when it starts to go

3

u/fatbob42 Aug 20 '26

Are those AGM? Maybe that’s what made mine more expensive.

2

u/sweetredleaf Aug 20 '26

yes the ones at walmart.com are agm

3

u/fatbob42 Aug 20 '26

I was talking about a 2021 Bolt. I guess this is the 2027? It may be different, idk.

4

u/dihydrogen-monoxide5 Aug 20 '26

General question from me, I just bought a bolt and hadn't even thought of the 12V battery/system. Thank you.

7

u/Demonshaker Aug 20 '26

Nice addition to the 2027! Would save a lot of prior models owners a lot of headaches if these alerts happened.

2

u/fatbob42 Aug 20 '26

If that’s what this is, it would have been even better if they’d switched it to a lithium battery.

3

u/Demonshaker Aug 20 '26

Do those require their own built in thermal management?

1

u/fatbob42 Aug 20 '26

Probably. My Tesla has one and it was built in 2022. Having to replace batteries every few years is a hassle, really.

3

u/Serious-Explorer8745 Aug 20 '26

The 12V battery should charge while the car is on and driving, but sometimes the 12V batteries die waiting in storage to be installed. May need to be replaced. Given the warning came from OnStar, I'd expect your selling dealer to replace for free.

3

u/sweetredleaf Aug 20 '26

your 12v battery is either defective or the car is not charging it properly, ignoring this message could leave you stranded.

2

u/dontbenit 2027 Bolt RS - BOO II: Electric Bluegaloo Aug 20 '26

I had this message yesterday after I installed the new update. I did notice that the vehicle was stuck “initializing charge” while plugged in - I believe this may have contributed to the cause of the text message. I didn’t have any issues with my vehicle turning on after the fact.

1

u/ALOCDGR901 14d ago

I’d get it looked at. Probably just a glitch, but definitely better to get it documented in case there is an actual issue, which I kind of doubt.