Engine Flares While Driving (PIC6161C)

ENGINE FLARES WHILE DRIVING

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN

SERVICE INFORMATION

Brand:	Model:	Model Year:		VIN:		Engine:	Transmission:
		from	to	from	to
Chevrolet	Volt	2016-2019		All	All	All	MKV
Chevrolet	Malibu	2016-2019		All	All	All	MKE

Supersession Statement

This PI was superseded to update to model years. Please discard PIC6161B.

The following diagnosis might be helpful if the vehicle exhibits the symptom(s) described in this PI.

CONDITION/CONCERN

Some customers may comment about unwanted engine flares while the vehicle is at steady state speed or while the vehicle is slowing. The vehicle is not equipped with a tachometer, so the complaint may be associated with engine noise.

RECOMMENDATION/INSTRUCTIONS

This behavior is a normal operating characteristic of the 5ET50/MKV drive unit. As the drive unit shifts between its five modes of operation, the engine speed will increase to allow the synchronous shifting to occur between the clutches. The 5ET50/MKV/MKE architecture is different and more efficient than the 4ET50/MKA on the first generation Volt.

The primary reason the drive unit shifts modes is for maximum efficiency. It is worth noting that the vehicle is not wasting fuel or surging during the increase in engine speed, and the direct coupling nature of the 5ET50 power-spilt drive unit is providing energy efficiency for the customer.

WARRANTY INFORMATION

For vehicles repaired under warranty use:

Labor Operation	Description	Labor Time
8469959	Transmission Customer Concern Not Duplicated	Use Published Labor Operation Time

Please follow this diagnostic or repair process thoroughly and complete each step. If the condition exhibited is resolved without completing every step, the remaining steps do not need to be performed.