New Member Just Bought a Vtrux

rugz31 · January 5, 2021

It's really frustrating because I was in contact with them late last week, they gave me a few things to check, and the tech assigned to my truck emailed me yesterday morning but I haven't heard from them since. I signed up for the "Via service portal" login back when I bought the truck in late June so I could access the service manuals, but they still haven't approved my sign-up.

I ran the first 40 miles on electric motor then the generator kicked in and I drove the rest of the way on generator. I actually wasn't even aware I could manually switch to the generator until I found this post. That's really good to know.

I saw you mentioned your coupler is loud at low speeds, mine is too. Generally between 5-20 mph when I'm running on generator. Were you ever able to get that fixed? The dealership I bought the truck from said they contacted Via about it and were quoted like $250 for the part, but I don't know how involved it would be to swap it out or if a new coupler would even solve the problem. It seems to work fine, but it is loud.

Slimsalabim · January 5, 2021

It's really frustrating because I was in contact with them late last week, they gave me a few things to check, and the tech assigned to my truck emailed me yesterday morning but I haven't heard from them since. I signed up for the "Via service portal" login back when I bought the truck in late June so I could access the service manuals, but they still haven't approved my sign-up.

I ran the first 40 miles on electric motor then the generator kicked in and I drove the rest of the way on generator. I actually wasn't even aware I could manually switch to the generator until I found this post. That's really good to know.

I saw you mentioned your coupler is loud at low speeds, mine is too. Generally between 5-20 mph when I'm running on generator. Were you ever able to get that fixed? The dealership I bought the truck from said they contacted Via about it and were quoted like $250 for the part, but I don't know how involved it would be to swap it out or if a new coupler would even solve the problem. It seems to work fine, but it is loud.

At least you got some feedback. What did you check so far? Sounds like it could just be a loose wire honestly. I talked with another Vtrux owner who had a coolant pump (for the batteries) that failed. He found that there was a broken wire to the pump and repaired it without issue.

That coupler will always be loud. It's basically a dry clutch and the noise is part of the design. Ducati motorcycles have a dry clutch and their noise is part of the charm I guess (a neighbor noted the similarity to the noise my Vtrux makes).

I never get that kind of mileage running just the engine. Maybe 15mpg. I wonder what the difference is?

Slim

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

rugz31 · January 5, 2021

13 minutes ago, Slimsalabim said:

At least you got some feedback. What did you check so far? Sounds like it could just be a loose wire honestly. I talked with another Vtrux owner who had a coolant pump (for the batteries) that failed. He found that there was a broken wire to the pump and repaired it without issue.

That coupler will always be loud. It's basically a dry clutch and the noise is part of the design. Ducati motorcycles have a dry clutch and their noise is part of the charm I guess (a neighbor noted the similarity to the noise my Vtrux makes).

I never get that kind of mileage running just the engine. Maybe 15mpg. I wonder what the difference is?

Slim

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

All they really had me check were fluid levels, ATF and coolant. They said 90% of the problems that happen with these trucks are from low fluid levels. I was just a bit low on both, so I added fluid but the problems persist. I hooked up my scanner and the only code it's throwing is U0101 Lost Communication with TCM. My Via tech said these trucks don't have a TCM though, so that code pops up randomly because there's no TCM to communicate with. So I'm back to thinking it's an ignition problem. That's the only thing that really makes sense to me, that the ignition is losing contact while driving and shuts everything down and cycling the key helps start it back up again.

As for mileage, I didn't pay too close of attention to it so my numbers might be off. I was thinking it was somewhere between 22-23 mpg. I had to stop 4 times for gas both ways because the tank is so small. I did baby the truck on the highway the whole way, seemed like 70-72 mph was the sweet spot and anything over that went through gas much more noticeably. I was also driving from Texas to Iowa, so weather and temps were pretty nice the whole way and lots of flat road without hills.

duramaxHD · May 13, 2021

Awesome to see some of these trucks out in the real world! Ive been searching for info about them but cant find much....

Would anyone have any Vtrux VIN's they might be willing to share? Im just curious to look up some parts diagrams and stuff on them.

truckguy82 · May 14, 2021

This has regen braking correct?

i’d definitely sell them soon. Truck values are high, and older used no-name electric trucks will be near worthless as major manufacturers start to offer reasonably priced full electric trucks.

Edited May 14, 2021 by truckguy82

BrendanWI · May 25, 2021

Has anyone seen any vtrux for sale lately? I'm interested in getting one.

variables · June 12, 2021

I know I'm a bit late to this conversation, but I would like to get my hands on one of these trucks. I'm a Chevy Volt (on my second right now), and I formerly worked on the the Volt at GM. I've always lamented the fact that GM didn't take the Volt concept further. Anyway, please let me know if you see one of these for sale!

Slimsalabim · June 14, 2021

On 5/13/2021 at 12:29 PM, duramaxHD said:

Awesome to see some of these trucks out in the real world! Ive been searching for info about them but cant find much....

Would anyone have any Vtrux VIN's they might be willing to share? Im just curious to look up some parts diagrams and stuff on them.

The VINs are just Silverado VIN. Not unique to Via Motors at all. I haven't been able to get any schematics, but I've been able to look up the parts based on the pn's on the components themselves.

On 5/14/2021 at 7:17 AM, truckguy82 said:

This has regen braking correct?

i’d definitely sell them soon. Truck values are high, and older used no-name electric trucks will be near worthless as major manufacturers start to offer reasonably priced full electric trucks.

It does have braking regen. I don't know what you count as worthless, but I paid $23k for this last year and it only had 17k miles on it. Reasonably priced is still double that price right now, so I think I'll be just fine.

On 5/25/2021 at 5:13 AM, BrendanWI said:

Has anyone seen any vtrux for sale lately? I'm interested in getting one.

I search AutoTempest.com or Proxybid.com. Use keyword: vtrux

On 6/12/2021 at 10:02 AM, variables said:

I know I'm a bit late to this conversation, but I would like to get my hands on one of these trucks. I'm a Chevy Volt (on my second right now), and I formerly worked on the the Volt at GM. I've always lamented the fact that GM didn't take the Volt concept further. Anyway, please let me know if you see one of these for sale!

If you have a Volt, you'd dig this. It's rough around the edges, but it's been a cool vehicle for me. I just filled it up this week after putting over 1200 miles on just 10.5 gallons. See my reply above to find one for yourself. They're out if you're patient.

madude91 · June 22, 2021

I am so glad I found this thread.

I bought my 2015 V-Trux from Arizona back in Nov 2020 for close to 33k including auction fees etc, since I bought it at an auction.

The truck had 17k miles when I bought it and I now have approximately 22.5k miles on it.t

I am one of the unlucky ones, where one of the cells in the battery died and now that is a 6k repair to replace the module.

I am on the fence of getting it replaced and selling it for peace of mind or

Just parting out the truck for parts if anyone is interested.

I have initially planned to use the components to make my own EV. But currently my life has other priorities and I can't spare any money on that project.

If anyone is interested in purchasing, feel free to reach out to me. I am motivated to sell or trade for a newer 2500 as I need a reliable truck for my work.

I have taken the time to talk to the reps, collect all manuals and made a list of all components on the truck for future diagnosis or projects for anyone interested.

It is a very capable platform for whom it suits better. Unfortunately I overlooked a few factors and got too excited to buy the truck.

Ben490 · July 27, 2021

On 6/22/2021 at 2:32 PM, madude91 said:

I am so glad I found this thread.

I bought my 2015 V-Trux from Arizona back in Nov 2020 for close to 33k including auction fees etc, since I bought it at an auction.

The truck had 17k miles when I bought it and I now have approximately 22.5k miles on it.t

I am one of the unlucky ones, where one of the cells in the battery died and now that is a 6k repair to replace the module.

I am on the fence of getting it replaced and selling it for peace of mind or

Just parting out the truck for parts if anyone is interested.

I have initially planned to use the components to make my own EV. But currently my life has other priorities and I can't spare any money on that project.

If anyone is interested in purchasing, feel free to reach out to me. I am motivated to sell or trade for a newer 2500 as I need a reliable truck for my work.

I have taken the time to talk to the reps, collect all manuals and made a list of all components on the truck for future diagnosis or projects for anyone interested.

It is a very capable platform for whom it suits better. Unfortunately I overlooked a few factors and got too excited to buy the truck.

Sorry to hear about your circumstances. I think I may have been an unlucky person as well as far as the battery goes. I'm hoping not but honestly I just can't find any information online about them and can't figure out what's wrong with mine. I literally bought it 2 days ago for $21k with 14k mi on it but when I woke this morning after charging it, I can't get it to work. I'm making another post on this to see if anyone else has any ideas. I bought it "as is" and haven't contacted the dealership about it but I don't think I can cancel the deal at this point. Also not sure how I would get it to them (75mi away).

I would very much be interested in the manuals and schematics. I can't find them anywhere! You would be willing to share?

Ben490 · July 27, 2021

Please help!

Okay so I just (like 2 days ago) purchased a 2014 4x4 silverado Vtrux for $21k with 14k mi on it. I didn't do a lot of research on it and thought it was one of the standard chevy hybrids. Only apparent problem when I checked it out was the tire pressure indicator being on despite adequate tire pressure. It ran fine that day going home (about 75miles). The day after I purchased it, it drove like it did the first day for a short 4-5 mi drive. I plugged it in and charged it half that day and overnight (when i bought it, it was on the yellow bar, about 33%). In the morning I unplugged it to go to work but the electric motor or power steering/braking don't seem to work. When I turn it over, it does the turn on and "checking" sequence then gives me a "service 4WD" and "service braking assist" errors on the driver display. The engine also isn't turning on (which I assume is b/c the battery is charged). The controls inside the car seem to work (AC, lights, radio, controls for the menu) but the electric motor, power steering and braking aren't working.

I'm able to shift it into neutral just fine but when I shift into drive the D flashes off and on.

Does anyone know what this might be caused by or advise for diagnostics? I'd like to test the batteries but I'm not sure how to access them. I'm trying to get the service manuals off their service website (same as rugz31 above) but also haven't been given access yet. (Again Madude91 if you have the manuals to share I would be extremely grateful!)

Ugh, I feel like I bought a 20K paperweight

Edited July 27, 2021 by Ben490
forgot something

Ben490 · August 2, 2021

If you get back on here never mind on the assist. After running through some diagnostics with the VIA technician it looks like the dealer didn't put any coolant in the battery coolant system for a while and some air got sucked into the line. I didn't work through the all the diagnostics with as I worked out a deal with the dealer for a switch with a different truck on the same lot so that's where I left the conversation off. If someone is looking for a Vtrux you could talk to down east auto in wilson NC.

Cheers

Edited August 2, 2021 by Ben490

Slimsalabim · August 18, 2021

On 6/22/2021 at 1:32 PM, madude91 said:

I am so glad I found this thread.

I bought my 2015 V-Trux from Arizona back in Nov 2020 for close to 33k including auction fees etc, since I bought it at an auction.

The truck had 17k miles when I bought it and I now have approximately 22.5k miles on it.t

I am one of the unlucky ones, where one of the cells in the battery died and now that is a 6k repair to replace the module.

I am on the fence of getting it replaced and selling it for peace of mind or

Just parting out the truck for parts if anyone is interested.

I have initially planned to use the components to make my own EV. But currently my life has other priorities and I can't spare any money on that project.

If anyone is interested in purchasing, feel free to reach out to me. I am motivated to sell or trade for a newer 2500 as I need a reliable truck for my work.

I have taken the time to talk to the reps, collect all manuals and made a list of all components on the truck for future diagnosis or projects for anyone interested.

It is a very capable platform for whom it suits better. Unfortunately I overlooked a few factors and got too excited to buy the truck.

Sorry that I'm seeing this so late. Hope you were to find a resolution. I would assume you can find some used batteries since these are the same A123 batteries used in the Chevy Volt.

madude91 · September 21, 2021

ben490, I am so sorry for checking this late.

Let's talk thru and work this out. Via Motors have not been the best company to work with. They offer expensive repairs without any warranty. I had to have the battery module for 6k to get it working. I had the same issue where the truck wouldn't start up even if battery is reading fine. It's a crappy system where you can't use the gas engine as a backup.

Feel free to PM me.

I am ready to get rid of the vehicle too.