EV Servicing At A Traditional Dealership Can Suck! Limited EV Techs Kept My ELR Waiting For Weeks

[@Nebula1701]

I always Service our Families ELR at our local Chevy Dealer, because they service Volts they are much more knowledgeable. They also have more EV certified reps.

[@ronniemullis8717]

The way most businesses work now is if they tell you they will take off the inspection fee if you get it repaired. All they do is jack up the repair cost by adding the inspection fee to it.

[@Nebula1701]

The beep beep beep sound when changing the high beam lights is caused by you pushing the stalk to far... That stalk is also used for the pedestrian warning horn. It's a very fun feature all Gen 1 Volts and ELRs had before the Pedestrian Warning Sound was made law. In the Early Days of Volts we would all greet each other (Volt owners) by pushing the Ped horn.

[@Anthony__420]

That beep beep beep is the pedestrian horn Dave. I had one on my 2013 Volt

[@NicholasTranscends]

I have the lyriq….it spent a whole week in the shop…many weird issues with the software. Time will tell… mine does not have super cruise but as long as you keep your hands on the wheel it still drives itself! Over fifteen thousand miles I am averaging 4.1 miles per kilowatt hour. Thanks Dave love the ELR! Had a first gen 2013 volt for three years in 2013. Loved it. Later!

[@yiyangcheng]

That’s how it is with one of the VW dealers here in Phoenix. Not only they lack the EV tech for ID4s, they were two weeks out for repairs for even the gas cars

[@DouglasMcLaughlin-kq7hk]

In Phoenix, Chevy dealers treat EV folks differently... Some want you and support you with techs, some respond as if you're a leper. Fortunately, I found a great team and have only pleasant experiences. Also have found alternative qualified techs that don't wreck your wallet...

[@moarpwr4414]

Dave, CT will probably have you pull the tint, but you can get a medical exemption allowing the tint. There is a form that you can have a medical professional sign. Usually just a light sensitivity condition, headaches etc.. Other than that, register it at the condo in FL as it already met FL regulations previously.

[@backcountryFLcyclist]

Florida has tint regulations also, but the DMV never checks for the "legal" tint sticker that is suppose to be in the driver side door frame when the tint is installed.

[@Harrythehun]

Should you drive a heavy car if you have medical problems with headaches and light sensitivity?

[@moarpwr4414]

@@HarrythehunThat is why a medical professional has to determine if you are capable, it is a medical exemption. If you are light sensitive or have headaches to the point of being “disabled” it would not be issued. I have a CDL and I am required by law to have a physical exam every 1-2 years to maintain that license. In this specific scenario, I would also hardly consider the ELR a heavy vehicle.

[@freddiecarr7602]

My 2013 CTS was the most fun I ever had---200,000 miles trouble-free ---4 speeding tickets. I have been looking for an ELR to swap my 2018 Clarity---but I have 180,000 and a few dents. Keep the videos coming as It's a work of art!

[@backcountryFLcyclist]

I live in Florida, and I need my 3LR AWD seat heaters. In fact it is 39 degrees this morning near Pensacola.

[@raywhitehead730]

Your pretty tender.

[@Joneoz]

I have a 2014 ELR. The does honk when you pull back on the lever. It’s kind of an alert to let people over when they change lanes. You need to push the lever forward to activate the high beams.

[@chuck020950]

Hi Dave, those prices you were quoted are crazy. Don’t need heated seats in Florida.

[@jdlutz1965]

In this day and era, the fact that we have multiple forms of communication at our fingertips 24/7 makes even businesses reticent to respond. That said, a service industry should have a means to respond to their customers outside of their business hours.

[@jeromeandre4915]

The world definitely need more EV tech. Fortunately there are more and more training programs such as Legacy EV and fellten for instance.

[@Nebula1701]

Kona seats you have are very rare for 16s they were an expensive option for both 14s and 16s.

[@HarveyPina]

Hey, Dave, to avoid the seat getting worse, a good idea is to adjust your entrance and exit settings on your memory seats to the be far back and tilt the seat way back. That way when you get in and out, you don't rub on the seat back. When you turn the car on, the seat will go back to your driving preference.

[@b4804514]

This ELR is a content generator for you. It is a time bomb from GM as are many GM vehicles. This is so much fun watching your pain dealing with this legacy junk. Lipstick on a pig sums up GM

[@browngreen933]

My friend just bought a 2016 ELR. 😅

[@b4804514]

@@browngreen933 I hope he has a trust fund and a back up vehicle

[@browngreen933]

@@b4804514 Yes, he has both. He bought the ELR as a toy -- a $25,000 toy!

[@trex2092]

@@browngreen933 So friend is into S&M you say.

[@browngreen933]

@@trex2092 We should know that after a year or two of ownership. 😆

[@jaywho476]

A dealership trying to rip off a customer off warranty. It's unheard of. :-) Fix all those problems at an Independent shop for a fraction of the cost, Dave.

[@shrichaudhary]

Dave, that EMAIL was not intentional or meant to be shouting. All these dealer people use a software called Reynolds or CDK for their work and that requires all caps to be turned on all the time. They forget that when they switch to email they should be turning it off.

[@user-oo3uj5ku9r]

Doesn’t matter. Takes 5 seconds to change it. They should change that process.

[@Seanz93]

That’s a cop out.

[@Fahrenheit53]

I wonder if the damage to the seat could have damaged the heating element in the seat? The good thing would be they have to remove the seat skin to replace the element so they could reinstall with a new seat skin. Theoretically that shouldn't cost much more except the skin but I won't bank on it. We have a 2018 BMW i3 REx, which we love. Our BMW dealer does charge for diagnosing the issues but that's one charge for all issues and they don't charge if you do the repair.

[@chuck020950]

Still hoping on a note from you some day saying I can buy the volt. Have a good day.

[@HarveyPina]

Sorry for so many comments, but regarding your high beam horn things, under a varied MHP if your pull back on your light stock, it will activate the pedestrian warning sound which is that short deep deep deep horn sound. To activate your high beams if you don't have the auto high beams active, you push forward on the stock. I hope this helps.

[@TechProGabe]

I had a ems issue with my 2017 volt and they held it for 4 months. Ditched it for a model 3.

[@billh3860]

The feature of pulling back on the left side left stoc for momentary Actuation of the high beams was there as Flash to Pass on my 1966, Volvo 122S that feature was not approved by the NHTSA and was disconnected at the Port of Entry back then. All I had to do was reach under the steering column and reconnect it , and I had restored Flash to Pass'.

[@Anthony__420]

Maybe you can call around to junk yards and find a drivers seat not torn and heat working. Worth a try or even ebay

[@Blqman989]

You're absolutely correct, I purchased a the ELR last year. Drove it one day and had to put it in service and had a hard time with the Cadillac service department. I just end up returning the car, end up buying a Tesla.

[@georgepelton5645]

Dave, Thanks for the update on your beautiful ELR and the local situation with Lyriq sales. I suggest getting a *second opinion* on the seat repair. Is the hole really in the same area the air bag needs to deploy through? If not, someone should be able to fix it. Maybe they can also replace the seat heater, if this resistance is *really* out of spec. When restoring rare cars, persistence is needed. Good Luck!

[@mikekimura2532]

Dave your 2015 Volt also has "Pedestrian Friendly Alert" which you activate via "Momentarily push the button on the end of the turn signal lever, and a soft-note alert will momentarily sound". On the Volt though it does NOT flash the High-Beams! Flashing High-Beams might make someone angry at you! On your 2016 Cadillac ELR it is called "Pedestrian Safety Signal". " Pull the turn signal lever all the way toward you momentarily. The high-beam headlamps and indicator light will turn on, and a soft-note alert will momentarily sound. When the turn signal lever is released, the high-beam headlamps and indicator light will turn off. I prefer the Volt's implementation which I had on my 2014 Volt!

[@kelviskelvis7140]

Just bought a 2024 Lyriq with Super cruise with the GM $7.5k incentive and I love the vehicle Dave is correct you should only buy the Lyriq with SC. The Lease option on the Lyriq is a no-go if its personal use without the write-off it does not work. The issue I have with the ELR is that this is a 9 year old vehicle and I feel that is the time to give cars up. Dave's genital use case for his ELR is a different story than my use case. (BTW - GM announced 1/31 that the full tax credit is in place for new vehicles built moving forward - the 25,000 vehicles that did not qualify will get the GM incentive to match the tax credit)

[@EricSmith-hx3gp]

You had the EXACT same experience with communication and tech issues I had with my local Ford dealership for my Lightning. I drop it off, they don't call for an update, I call the next day, "oh the tech is out for a week we haven't even looked at it," bring it back, ZERO communication again. I get these dealerships are busy and usually under staffed, but it's not that hard to call you customers!

[@AutoAuctionRebuilds]

My service advisor had never seen an ELR before. They kept mine for 2 days and updated my battery modules which fixed my charging issues. My advisor also told me to avoid the Lyric at all costs. He said it is one of the worst cars they've ever seen. It must be bad when the dealer is telling you not to buy one lol.

[@mikeintampa250]

Always enjoy your experiences and insight.

[@Nebula1701]

Depends on the Lyriq trim Lux/Sport 2 and 3 have Super Cruise while Tech and Lux/Sport 1 do not. I know several owners of Lyriqs who didn't care for Super Cruise so they purchased Lux 1 units. However, yeah many want all the features so they wait for 2s and 3s to show on the lots. Tech trims have basically no features and are more for fleets. GM will build the trims depending on Supply if they have the modules or not. Also will build specific trims for specific regions of the US.

[@LordStevie]

So how much to replace the Q system?

[@dconner9]

Approx $2,400 I passed Sorry I didn’t put this in the video The system actually works ok except for one dead zone on the touch screen which I can work around with redundant buttons Thanks for watching!

[@normt430]

​@@dconner9just screen is all you need they should be around $100 in the aftermarket. You could do a video of the repair with household hand tools.

[@Geckogold]

Man Dave, it seems like the Volt is the better car to keep since it seems to have less problems than the ELR is. Not to mention the questionable service you got from them.

[@TalismanPHX]

Beautiful ELR, Dave!! Unfortunate service experience at the Cadillac dealership.... not what a Cadillac owner should accept. 😮

[@markmcintosh7095]

A Dodge Jeep dealer I my area was out 3 months for service appointments. They only had one tech.

[@gao57009]

I agree with you on the design of the ELR. It is a real "looker" as you would say.

[@normt430]

Rockauto has aftermarket replacement seat heaters.

[@Glashawk1]

Same problem when I had my 2012 Volt. Only one tech and I had to schedule around him being there. I love the ELR and was thinking about getting one after the Volt. Problem is, they’re so rare I didn’t want to deal with cost / lack of parts. Went with a used Model S instead…which Tesla ain’t exactly known for their service either.

[@mech-E]

What is wrong with the alignment of the drivers side door and the hood?

[@Nebula1701]

It's a Gen 1.5 Volt it has things the Gen 2 will eventually use including the IP.

[@se92692]

Unfortunately, its been my experience that Cadillac dealers are pretty awful, especially compared to the service you get at Lexus, Acura and Infiniti. I'm sure there are exceptions though. I'd hate to tell you how much my Cadillac dealer charged me to replace the 12 volt battery which is located in the trunk. They claimed it was more complex than a front engine battery location. Truly outrageous. People say that Range Rovers are expensive to maintain (and I also have one) but I think Cadillacs are worse. One thing that I've heard from other ELR owners is that for simple maintenance, you might ask your local Chevrolet dealer if they will work on the ELR since a lot of the underpinnings are the same as the Volt and they are certified EV techs. Parts are going to be extremely hard to get for this car and my dilemma is whether to keep mine or sell it. It's absolutely one of the best looking cars i've ever owned.

[@Weezedog]

You don’t buy a used luxury vehicle expecting cheap repair costs. Your best bet is to find good used replacement parts from the junk yard if you can. While the ELR looks amazing, you probably should have gotten a 2nd Gen Volt as it’s a big improvement.

[@browngreen933]

Improved how? Thanks!

[@Weezedog]

@@browngreen933 Gen 2 Voltec drivetrain has more range and more HP, and interior was completely revamped and much improved, got rid of god awful capacitive touch buttons and went back to regular buttons and theres more soft touch materials. Definitely not ELR levels of interior quality, but better than Gen 1.

[@browngreen933]

@@Weezedog OK. Thanks.

[@evtrekker1317]

Your Volt has a pedestrian alert on the turn signal stalk, which I wish all EV's had.

[@pauldavis4287]

I’m sure EV service is greatly improved since they added the Lyric…

[@jeromehebert3184]

Dave, that is just one good looking car.

[@davidgiles9751]

Since GM has stated it plans on including more hybrid/PHEV options going forward, I wonder if they'll update the ELR...

[@browngreen933]

My friend just bought a 2016 ELR. A fascinating car! I'm super curious how it works out. 😮

[@Dive-Bar-Casanova]

Right to repair and access to codes/programs laws will have a bolder meaning as more EVs come get on the roads.. Cottage EV repair shops are starting appear with work at 1/3 what the dealers are charging.

[@allendavid4139]

WHAT ABOUT THE SUSPENSION NOISE? apologies if this was in the vid’ and I missed and couldn’t resist Bold caps😅

[@pauldavis4287]

I can’t believe that heated seat module is an ELR exclusive. I’d take it to an auto electric place.

[@meandmyEV]

First off, man is the ELR a great looking car. It looks like a concept car. I had a chance to buy one and passed and bought a Volt instead because I have two teenagers that have to ride in the back from time to time. I love the Volt but I really regret not buying the ELR. They could have squeezed in. It builds character. I used to ride in the back of my mom's pinto.

[@stevecagle8002]

Love the car.. To me it's perfect, I could care less about the back seat. This would be a great car for me. Great Video.

[@scotduckrow8524]

Your daughter is in possession of priceless photographs of Whistler's Father!

[@adamchoi8136]

Dave’s going to buy a cts v for Florida. Next on out of spec Dave!😂

[@mikehildebrand425]

Thanks

[@ArielBatista]

Glad it worked out. But your ELR and Volt are not fully EVs. They are hybrid. I actually like the Volt better than the ELR. But in any case it's not in my budget. Now the Lyriq without the supercruise do they have additive Cruise?

[@hartfischer5509]

OEM tires are esshoe. I replaced my Pirellis Run Flats on my 2014 CTS 3.6, with General Tires :) and the ride is so much better, and the price is so much cheaper : ) I don t pay more than $120 per tire : ) I am cheap. But these tires are really incredible.

[@terrymattingly6843]

Remember what I said? Only one GM tech in all of Nashville could work on the “engine not available” software issue. Try that in rural SE headed to Florida.

[@pauldavis4287]

C’mon Dave! Give us a break. You can’t drive an ELR and complain about the back seat and it’s accessibility. If you wanna take four people around comfortably, go buy a Malibu… But I do love your videos!😃

[@AutoAuctionRebuilds]

My high beams also make my horn honk lol.

[@joeyvinzo4531]

Dave what was the price on the Lyrics?

[@camelonski]

When is the Plaid coming back?

[@chrisbuczeksmith8289]

Believe the Lyriq lost the $7,500 federal rebate due to foreign sourced batteries for sales - for leasing they still qualify (oddly enough - all EV's do regardless of sourcing for batteries).

[@brbeyer]

It sounds like all new car buyers of an electric vehicle that is manufactured by a company that sells both ICE and EV cars is - How many technicians do you have that are certified to work on my vehicle? Then the consumer can decide if the answer meets their needs.

[@SimeonToko]

Dave, the secret is going to a Chevy dealer. They have experience and parts and no sleaze that you find at Cadillac dealerships.

[@evtrekker1317]

Leasing is how they made money on the ELR. Most were leased, and salesmen were pushing leases.

[@edwsal59]

Cadillac to help the customer should have one sales person and one repair tech drive an EV as a loaner as long as they keep their EV cert status.

[@jm100368]

Why its not Gm taking the $7500 hit its because a lease qualifies for the $7500 credit.

[@johnfritz2944]

Dave, there is a reason they are called Stealerships. These days you can youtube a lot of the solutions for these cars yourself.

[@joshuarosen465]

GM can't find their ass with both hands. Why would they build any Cadillac without Supercruise? Its supposed ro be a premium brand. If someone is price sensitive send them to the other side of the building where the Chevy's are. Is GM aware that Tesla exists? Every Tesla comes with autopilot which you can upgrade to FSD later with a simple OTA and a boatload of money.

[@guru2899]

Is it any wonder that Tesla ditched the dealership model?

[@Trk09dr]

$215 for ev tech $150 for ice car tech . Now you know why you need ev tech to check out your horn and heated seat

[@fortniteharambe]

Ouch, that's gotta be rough for a guy who doesn't keep a car more than few weeks! He's probably got the shakes.

[@michaelarcy]

Here is a video on heated seats.

[@Anthony__420]

Let’s not talk about service Dave😂 we’re Tesla owners. They never answer the phone

[@daviidfm923]

^^^^ they also don’t answer app messages for days as well.

[@ALRinaldi]

They do if you tell the system you’re picking up a new car! 🤣 That got me through a couple times

[@daviidfm923]

@@ALRinaldi if you message them a bagillion times and eventually say hello are you gonna answer that works too 😂😂😂

[@bobbybishop5662]

Tesla service is an absolute joke.

[@MD-video-home]

Is the message that we don’t work on EVs?

[@BK-tx2vw]

Screen installed $180.00

[@Bmeri3]

I’m not a Tesla owner but I don’t understand the issue where people complain about not being able to call Tesla for service and only using email. If a legacy auto service center doesn’t answer the phone 24/7, isn’t that the same issue?

[@browngreen933]

Just get a matching piece of leather and glue it on with Shoe Goo. Problem solved. 😊

[@outofspecdave1554]

Great idea!!

[@browngreen933]

@@outofspecdave1554 I've glued on lots of patches with Shoe Goo -- work pants, gloves, etc. It holds very well.

ya the weak link in the car manufacturers business plan is certainly the dealer network. one would think the Mfg's could use that as a reason to discontinue the dealer network and go factory direct link,e Tesla..I say screw the lawyers protecting the dealers

[@wilse25871]

Cadillac of Greenwich 😅

[@jockosboy17]

You called them after the posted close time, they don't answer and you were upset?...

[@johnpoldo8817]

As mentioned in a previous ELR vid, this EV will be a money-pit unless you can find discount service people. Don’t stop at one leather seat repair shop, go to 5 more. Someone will fix it at a fair price. Research the display as there may be an aftermarket replacement. It’s a lot of work and only worth your while if you love the vehicle. For me, life is too short so I wouldn’t do it.

[@godofdun]

I'm sure GM would love to have more of those techs be able to work on the evs, but the dealerships are all pushing back and dragging their feet on evs. Dealership groups are so politically powerful in most states that their hands are kinda tied in the short term unfortunately.

[@JWH4444-x1l]

Cadillac service totally sucks…I had a CTS and every time I went for routine service they tried to upsell me on services that were not needed….one time it was a cabin air filter and engine air filter…they said they were very dirty…curious since I had just changed them…they pulled this scam on my friend also in his caddy… in the waiting room I overheard them telling folks they “ found” things wrong…yea right…my friend was told his transmission needed to be rebuilt for 2800$ when he said ok good it’s under warranty go ahead…suddenly it didn’t need that done….thieves

[@ChicagoBob123]

And that's why GM cant sell EVs

[@toddmcgowan9449]

I'm a third-generation GM family member, and for most of my life, I thought they were terrific. Until I bought my Telsa and was overwhelmed with how great the fit and finish were with my model 3! To date (1 year later), I've only had one issue with a bad headlight, and they came out to the company I work for and fixed it without me having to go out and meet with them! Their service philosophy is terrific!!

[@dobermanguy9437]

Well I'll tell you what Tesla doesn't have the greatest service department either cuz when I drove for Uber and picked up people they were highly pissed off because waiting for parts and not getting a loaner so Tesla also sucks in the service department

[@terrya6486]

Most Chevy electric car mechanics are shared between dealerships.

[@niacal4nia]

it's called a 9 to 5 job.

[@ArnoldWinters]

Dave, face reality, Cadillac died years ago. Dealerships, especially in CT, are stuck in a time warp and maintenance departments are like separate profit centers and the “tricks” you stated are feeble and stuck in the past. I hope you have no additional problems. The ELR is not as prized and valuable as you believe it is. Dave you had some great cars, why delude yourself over this piece of junk.

[@browngreen933]

Ouch!

[@henrycruz45cal]

You're right, it isn't Kia, Kia would answer

[@henrycruz45cal]

Why do you guys write to him, he doesn't bother replying

[@tonyn3227]

It's a nice car, but it will have constant issues, it's a money pit. But if you have money to burn, why not.

[@ZIGZAGBureauofInvestigation]

EV's = FLAT Earth Technology

[@guru2899]

Any used car out of Florida is a flood car....trust me.

[@RealElectech]

Dave, you bought probably the least reliable Cadillac ever made. No surprise you're in the dealer's service department already.

[@etdweasel]

Least reliable Caddy? Evidently you don’t remember the V8-6-4…😱

[@SimeonToko]

You don't know the history of Cadillac if you think this is the least reliable model ever made.

[@trex2092]

Drop off the car and walk away............. end of problem.