Vauxhall Ampera

n97 mini

slicedpanman wrote: »

@n97 mini - with all the 12V battery chat on the ionic thread, do you know how the ampera handles charging it's 12V battery?

I ask as I'm also in the camp of lots of short trips and only charge 2 or 3 times a week

It charges the 12v battery from the CP when plugged in and charging. When the car is running it charges it from the traction battery. So, I wouldn't worry about it.

There is discharge protection module which turns off virtually everything 10 minutes after you switch off the car, so leaving on a dome light won't run down the 12v battery.

There is also a long term storage mode which can be manually engaged if the car isn't going to be used for a few months. Turn on the car, turn on the hazard lights, and hold the power button in for 15+ seconds. Repeat to disengage. A lot of stuff won't work when in this mode, such as keyless entry.

n97 mini

Here's a typical charging session as registered by my OpenEVSE on emoncms. The charge timer is set to start after 12 midnight and end at 8am.

Left hand side is watts. Bottom is time of day.

21.15 - Car is plugged in and seems to do an initial "feel" for about a minute, drawing 400 watts.
00.30 - Car starts drawing power continuously at about 200 watts. It's not charging the traction battery though. I reckon it is charging the 12v battery, and possibly running the traction battery heater. However I'm only guessing!
04.30 - Car stops doing whatever it was doing.
05.05 - Traction battery charging starts
08.00 - Traction battery charging stops
08.30 - Car preheating starts (2 x 10 minute sessions started manually)
08.50 - Car preheating stops

slicedpanman

n97 mini wrote: »

slicedpanman wrote: »

@n97 mini - with all the 12V battery chat on the ionic thread, do you know how the ampera handles charging it's 12V battery?

I ask as I'm also in the camp of lots of short trips and only charge 2 or 3 times a week

It charges the 12v battery from the CP when plugged in and charging. When the car is running it charges it from the traction battery. So, I wouldn't worry about it.

There is discharge protection module which turns off virtually everything 10 minutes after you switch off the car, so leaving on a dome light won't run down the 12v battery.

There is also a long term storage mode which can be manually engaged if the car isn't going to be used for a few months. Turn on the car, turn on the hazard lights, and hold the power button in for 15+ seconds. Repeat to disengage. A lot of stuff won't work when in this mode, such as keyless entry.

Great stuff... Thanks n97 mini, you are a font of knowledge

zilog_jones

slicedpanman wrote: »

I've been told that any place can service them... Except for the EV specific sections. Also been told that the ice uses standard Opel parts. So not worried about servicing... Certainly not traveling from Limerick to Belfast for a service

Sure maybe they "can", but will they? Has anyone tried asking a local Opel dealer, or successfully got them to service one? They may be reluctant to touch hybrids without sufficient training, due to concerns about all the high voltage stuff. I'm sure many independent mechanics won't touch them either.

But I'm sure the reality is the servicing is just oil, filters, other normal ICE car stuff, inspection and plugging it into a computer.

coolisin

zilog_jones wrote: »

Sure maybe they "can", but will they? Has anyone tried asking a local Opel dealer, or successfully got them to service one? They may be reluctant to touch hybrids without sufficient training, due to concerns about all the high voltage stuff. I'm sure many independent mechanics won't touch them either.

But I'm sure the reality is the servicing is just oil, filters, other normal ICE car stuff, inspection and plugging it into a computer.

Definitely the part that scares me is where do get them serviced!

Kamili

zilog_jones wrote: »

Sure maybe they "can", but will they? Has anyone tried asking a local Opel dealer, or successfully got them to service one? They may be reluctant to touch hybrids without sufficient training, due to concerns about all the high voltage stuff. I'm sure many independent mechanics won't touch them either.

But I'm sure the reality is the servicing is just oil, filters, other normal ICE car stuff, inspection and plugging it into a computer.

I've heard that they won't service them due to the training issue you mention.


https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=101912961&postcount=6

blobert wrote: »

I looked into it before and asked Irish Opel dealers, they said they could not service them so you'd have to go up north.

I was strongly considering one but might be a nightmare to resell also due to above.

slicedpanman

zilog_jones wrote: »

slicedpanman wrote: »

I've been told that any place can service them... Except for the EV specific sections. Also been told that the ice uses standard Opel parts. So not worried about servicing... Certainly not traveling from Limerick to Belfast for a service

Sure maybe they "can", but will they? Has anyone tried asking a local Opel dealer, or successfully got them to service one? They may be reluctant to touch hybrids without sufficient training, due to concerns about all the high voltage stuff. I'm sure many independent mechanics won't touch them either.

But I'm sure the reality is the servicing is just oil, filters, other normal ICE car stuff, inspection and plugging it into a computer.

I got mine from electric autos and the front CV joints were creaking. So Philip sent me down a new set which I took to a local independent garage here in Limerick.

They had no problems fitting them and dealing with Philip to pay for labour.

I also asked about getting a service in a couple of months... Again reply we no problem. Bring it in whenever

n97 mini

Bear in mind no annual service in an Ampera approved Vauxhall garage = no 8 year warranty on electric drive train/battery etc.

Ours has been serviced every December, which ties in nicely with a Christmas shopping trip to Belfast

marklazarcovic

Silver 12 volt charging away in Galway retail park

slicedpanman

n97 mini wrote: »

Bear in mind no annual service in an Ampera approved Vauxhall garage = no 8 year warranty on electric drive train/battery etc.

Ours has been serviced every December, which ties in nicely with a Christmas shopping trip to Belfast

It's too far and too much hassle from Limerick for me, I'll take my chances

coolisin

Found an independent garage down in Wexford who have serviced these

slicedpanman

After enjoying driving the ampera for a few weeks now this weekend I finally got the service & owner's manuals out for a browse...

I see the 8 year warranty is 8 years or 100k miles - whichever comes first. Ours was high mileage when we got it so I'm even more convinced it's pointless trekking to Belfast for a service.

On the reversing camera - the manual notes that in the menu, under config and display options, there should be an item to show guidelines - I don't have this menu item. Any other owners have the option?

Perhaps I don't have the latest firmware - anyone know how to check that?

Last observation - AFAIK dab is still being transmitted here in Limerick from wookcock hill, however I always get service unavailable when I try dab. Anyone else pick up a dab signal? Or has it been switched off by RTE?

n97 mini

The lines in the reversing camera are only if you have satnav, i.e. the Electron trim.

DAB works fine around Dublin, but aside from RTE Gold there isn't anything worthwhile on it.

slicedpanman

n97 mini wrote: »

The lines in the reversing camera are only if you have satnav, i.e. the Electron trim.

DAB works fine around Dublin, but aside from RTE Gold there isn't anything worthwhile on it.

Cheers...
Finally figured out the dab tuning - listening to lyric on it earlier

n97 mini

First time for me driving from a full charge to near zero today. Mostly in and out the N4, M50 and on the N81. Pretty typical use case scenario for us. Pre-heating helped as I didn't need to use the heater much.

Would have gotten a few more km before the ICE kicked it, but this is what it was at when I rolled into the driveway.

Averages 16.6kw/100km, which isn't great. I'd certainly do better in the Leaf. I'm putting some of this down to the Yokohama tyres which are rated E for efficiency, and the extra weight of the ICE.

Lifetime 206 mpg for those who still use old money. Was 265 mpg when I bought it but the 400-odd mile drive home on petrol, a lot at 80 mph+, put a big dent in that.

ELM327

62.5km EV only is very impressive.

slicedpanman

To counter n97 mini and his efficiency... I only managed to get 35km out of mine over the last 2 days

I do a lot of short trips, have heating on max auto 23C, preheated for a total of 20 mins (not plugged in), wireless phone charger plugged in and obviously not as light a foot as n97 mini

Conversely for the first week or two, when it was warmer, I didn't need a preheat, had heating on min 20C, still lots of short trips, but was getting 50km

It really doesn't like the cold and all the stop starting of short trips. Starting cold seems to knock one or two km off the range each time as does blasting the heat

Mine is a my12 which has a slightly smaller (EPA rated at 57km) vs the my13 of n97.

Still managing, just, to get 2 days commute out of a charge. Nearly stretched to 4 days on the first week.

Soarer

ELM327 wrote: »

62.5km EV only is very impressive.

I'm not getting much more than that in my L24, and have no ICE backup.

unkel

Soarer wrote: »

I'm not getting much more than that in my L24, and have no ICE backup.

OP would get twice that if he drove your car

n97 mini

Heater is a killer. Can be as bad as Leaf 1.0. Preheating on mains makes a massive difference.

slicedpanman

Well after my 35km during the week, I just did a long trip with the missus and the kids (Limerick to Kilkenny)

So, same car same driver and driving style - this time I got 58.8km from full to zero

Weather was still cold but not freezing (started at 10C was 12C when we arrived in Kilkenny), little wind and some drizzle.

So the differences were, preheated on mains and 1 single drive in fairly free flowing N road traffic, cabin heating kept at a minimum. Vs lots of short trips in stop/start traffic on my commute with heating on max

On my normal commute I'm lucky if I get to 50% on the driving style graph in the efficiency page

marklazarcovic

These cars have shot up in value .. even Zoe's have gone up..not enough to go around it seems.

slicedpanman

Hi marklazarcovic... You got an ampera too iirc, how long have you had yours? And what's your best/worst range on battery?

unkel

marklazarcovic wrote: »

These cars have shot up in value ..

GBP 7,995

Looks like a bargain

Linky

n97 mini

unkel wrote: »

GBP 7,995

Looks like a bargain

Linky

Once they get close to, or over, 100k miles the asking price drops. Most cars are the same. I'm sure the drive train is still fine...

marklazarcovic

slicedpanman wrote: »

Hi marklazarcovic... You got an ampera too iirc, how long have you had yours? And what's your best/worst range on battery?

Not yet

ELM327

n97 mini wrote: »

Once they get close to, or over, 100k miles the asking price drops. Most cars are the same. I'm sure the drive train is still fine...

The sister car for this, the Chevrolet Volt first gen, have many examples over 300k miles in the US with no battery loss. I'd have no concerns at all.

unkel

With just 10kWh usable out of a 16kWh, a decent BMS and no fast charging, it would take decades and hundreds of thousands of miles before you have any noticeable degradation

You can have that Ampera / Volt landed here on Irish plates for less than €9.5k - a pretty good deal. I'd take it any day over a Leaf if it were to be my only family car with the hopeless state of our public charging network

zilog_jones

slicedpanman wrote: »

It really doesn't like the cold and all the stop starting of short trips. Starting cold seems to knock one or two km off the range each time as does blasting the heat

I find I lose about 1-1.5 miles on the range estimation in winter with my Prius Plug-in (get about 11 miles in summer), though it's hard to tell what my effective range is because using the heater = running the ICE.

n97 mini

ELM327 wrote: »

The sister car for this, the Chevrolet Volt first gen, have many examples over 300k miles in the US with no battery loss. I'd have no concerns at all.

I'm merely pointing out the 100k mile psychological barrier that some people have, hence there is less demand and therefore lower prices.

Having said that, there are many parts that wear out with time and mileage. Bushings, ball joints, brake components etc.