[Puregsr]

How long does the car stay on?

How long does the car stay on with radio and AC running in the following scenarios?
1) key in car
2) key not in car
3) precondition mode
4) plugged in or not in above scenarios

One reason why I bought the car is to have my kids continue their naps in the garage with AC running, but surprised to find the car has shut itself down this one time. That was with key not in the car.
I read the entire manual when I first bought the car and don't remember if this was mentioned.

My guess is:
1) forever
2) 30 minutes
3) 30 minutes
4) doesn't matter

 

[Pete Blair]

How long does the car stay on with radio and AC running in the following scenarios?
1) key in car
2) key not in car
3) precondition mode
4) plugged in or not in above scenarios

One reason why I bought the car is to have my kids continue their naps in the garage with AC running, but surprised to find the car has shut itself down this one time. That was with key not in the car.
I read the entire manual when I first bought the car and don't remember if this was mentioned.

My guess is:
1) forever
2) 30 minutes
3) 30 minutes
4) doesn't matter

1) until the battery is dead I assume

2) I think until the battery is dead. I don't know of any settings that shut the car off if the fob isn't in that car after it has been started. I'm not sure though, I kinda want to test if I can drive away without the key to see if the car will yell at me.

3) 20 minutes x 2. If after 30 seconds and during the first 20 minutes remote start is repeated while the vehicle is running. This provides a total of 40 minutes. You can't do a remote start with the key detected in the car though, so you can't extend the time from in the car.

 

[Pete Blair]

I also really hope the car yells at me if I drive off without my fob. I mean they made the car/fob able to work with each other if the fob battery is dead. So I would hope the car doesn't just let you drive away without the fob.

 

[NY-Rob]

^ if you start the Bolt then exit with the fob in your pocket... the Bolt will sound the horn as soon as you close the driver door.
You can drive away without the fob... but as mentioned above... the Bolt will sound the horn and you'll see a warning on the DIC.

 

[Pete Blair]

^ if you start the Bolt then exit with the fob in your pocket... the Bolt will sound the horn as soon as you close the driver door.
You can drive away without the fob... but as mentioned above... the Bolt will sound the horn and you'll see a warning on the DIC.

Long as it alerts me so I don't actually drive away I am ok with that.

 

[eops]

Having this stuff show up on our phones would be the best thing ever since most people are on their phones. Now high end car makers have smart keys that are as interactive as some smartphone interfaces.

 

[GJETSON]

" if you start the Bolt then exit with the fob in your pocket... the Bolt will sound the horn as soon as you close the driver door.
You can drive away without the fob... but as mentioned above... the Bolt will sound the horn and you'll see a warning on the DIC."

So I tried this after reading your post. Neither fob causes the horn to beep. I can start the car, take the fob back into the house, come out and drive away. I drove to the neighbors, came back and tried to turn off the car. The DIC then shows, No Remote Detected Press Brake to Restart. Doing so restarts the car, and allows ne to drive off. After several attempts, it let me turn it of, seemingly normally. It also let me start it again...with no fob. Basically, if I walk away with the car on, and the doors unlocked, somebody can have a free car. :-(

 

[GJETSON]

So I found this in the manual, on page 47:

Immobilizer Operation

This vehicle has a passive theft-deterrent system. The system does not have to be manually armed or disarmed. The vehicle is automatically immobilized when the transmitter leaves the vehicle. The immobilization system is disarmed when POWER button is pressed and a valid transmitter is found in the vehicle. The security light on the instrument cluster comes on when there is a problem with arming or disarming the theft-deterrent system. The system has one or more transmitters matched to an immobilizer control unit in the vehicle. Only a correctly matched transmitter will start the vehicle.

The orange, car-with-lock warning light lights up, along with all the other warning lights, when the car is started. After a moment, they all go out. So the car thinks the system is working.

 

[Pete Blair]

I think (if the Bolt behaves like other cars with keyless ignition) you are allowed to restart the car without the fob within a short time after you turn it off, basically so you can drive it back to where your fob is. However if you drive somewhere without the fob, turn it off and leave it off more than a minute or two, I don't believe it will allow you to restart the car.

I haven't checked the manual or tested this myself, I just know that other cars that have keyless ignition will behave like that.

So if you are restarting right after you turn the car off I don't think the Immobilizer will do anything. You could retest after leaving he car off for a few minutes.

 

[GJETSON]

The behavior you describe would seem to directly contradict the statement on page 47.

"The vehicle is automatically immobilized when the transmitter leaves the vehicle."

im·mo·bi·lize
i(m)ˈmōbəˌlīz/Submit
verb
prevent (something or someone) from moving or operating as normal.
"I want you to immobilize their vehicle"
synonyms: put out of action, disable, make inoperative, inactivate, deactivate, paralyze, freeze, cripple;

 

[Pete Blair]

The behavior you describe would seem to directly contradict the statement on page 47.

"The vehicle is automatically immobilized when the transmitter leaves the vehicle."

im·mo·bi·lize
i(m)ˈmōbəˌlīz/Submit
verb
prevent (something or someone) from moving or operating as normal.
"I want you to immobilize their vehicle"
synonyms: put out of action, disable, make inoperative, inactivate, deactivate, paralyze, freeze, cripple;

First, you will notice I specifically said I think and that I haven't checked the manual about it. I was only commenting on behavior I have seen on many other cars with keyless ignition.

Second, a passive/aggressive response like yours is rather uncalled for if you actually want people to respond to you.

 

[NY-Rob]

" if you start the Bolt then exit with the fob in your pocket... the Bolt will sound the horn as soon as you close the driver door.
You can drive away without the fob... but as mentioned above... the Bolt will sound the horn and you'll see a warning on the DIC."

So I tried this after reading your post. Neither fob causes the horn to beep. I can start the car, take the fob back into the house, come out and drive away. I drove to the neighbors, came back and tried to turn off the car. The DIC then shows, No Remote Detected Press Brake to Restart. Doing so restarts the car, and allows ne to drive off. After several attempts, it let me turn it of, seemingly normally. It also let me start it again...with no fob. Basically, if I walk away with the car on, and the doors unlocked, somebody can have a free car. :-(

You probably have the option disabled... see page 145 in the manual to enable it.
I know it sounds the horn if you exit with the fob in your pocket and close the doors with the Bolt running because mine does it every Sat when I bring my mother to church. When I get out and walk around the front of the car to help her out the passenger door... I get the horn!

 

[EldRick]

Read your owner's manual - it's free and very informative.
- Preconditioning lasts for 20 minutes, and locks the doors. You can restart it for a second 20 minutes.
- The warning when you leave with the car "running" is an on/off setting in the entertainment display, IIRC.

 

[GJETSON]

Guys,

As to the immobilizer, I quoted the manual. The manual says the immobilizer goes on and off automatically. There is no where to turn it off or on. It simply does not work as described. Has anybody actually tried what I described?

As to the horn chirps. I have spent hours reading the manual, and turning every function on, and off, trying every combination of power on/power off, horn function on/horn function off. The horn chirps if I leave the fob in the car when the car is off. It does not chirp if I leave it in the car with the car on. It does not chirp if I leave the car, with the car on, and with the fob in my pocket.

Another interesting finding. With the car off, if I lock the doors, and throw the fob in the back hatch (which can be opened when you have the fob) the horn will chirp, and the drivers door will unlock when I close the hatch...as it is supposed to. Same thing happens if I lock the doors with the rear passenger door open, and toss the fob in the back seat, and close the door. However, if I do either of those, with the car powered on, the fob is locked in the car. No horn chirp, no unlocking!

I was totally baffled, and ready to give up. Then I wondered if the car could be picking up the other fob in the house. I tried locking and unlocking the doors with either fob from as far as I could get away from the car in our lawn...95 yards away. The transmitters work at that distance so perhaps the car is sensing the other fob? I will try taking one of them a mile up the road to a neighbors tomorrow, and see if that changes any of the bizarre behavior.

Sorry if I sound a bit frustrated. But I don't want power anything on any car. It really p_sses me off that it all comes standard on every car today. Give me a metal key, crank windows, actual buttons.

 

[surgeonFWW]

... mine does it every Sat when I bring my mother to church. When I get out and walk around the front of the car to help her out the passenger door... I get the horn!

Now, NY-Rob, you know you should be turning the vehicle off and going to church with your mother. 0

 

[GJETSON]

My last car was a two door, 1993 Nissan Sentra E with two metal keys. The wife's Corolla is 11 years old, and has two keys and a fob. The fob will lock and unlock the doors, but won't start the engine. I believe you when you say newer cars can be driven away without the fob. But I have to say I find no logic in that at all. If the fob is now supposed to function as the on/off key then why on earth would you want to be able to drive the car without it? To function as a key, it should at least lock the car in park, if not shut it off, when the fob leaves the car. The immobilizer, as described on page 47 of the manual, sounds like it does just that. Although, they are unconscionably vague as to how. Clearly, it would be meant to immobilize the car when it is turned on. If it was turned off when you left with the fob, logically nobody should be able to start it anyway.

 

[jf64k]

...Then I wondered if the car could be picking up the other fob in the house. I tried locking and unlocking the doors with either fob from as far as I could get away from the car in our lawn...95 yards away. The transmitters work at that distance so perhaps the car is sensing the other fob? I will try taking one of them a mile up the road to a neighbors tomorrow, and see if that changes any of the bizarre behavior...

The manual quotes a 60m (197ft) range for the fobs...95 yards in real world conditions pretty darn good, haha!!

 

[NY-Rob]

You guys are discussing two different systems....

Standard RF (Radio Frequency) remote functions via the FOB for remote start, locking/opening doors is long range up to 197 ft.

Proximity detection via the FOB for keyless entry/No FOB Detected only works a few feet from the car and only near the doors and hatch.

 

[GJETSON]

Yeah, the manual says one meter/three feet for the proximity detector. I was grasping at straws here, trying to explain the bizarre behavior of our new car. I will try to get an answer about the immobilizer from Chevy Customer service.

This morning, I went out to the garage to unplug the charger. After unplugging I got in and turned on the car. After I turned it off, I opened the door and turned to get out. The horn chirped, and the DIC told me there was a fob left in the vehicle...even though I had not actually gotten out yet. It seems very eager to alert me, if the car is turned off. But if the car is still on, it has no interest in alerting me, even when I get out and shut the door! NOT A FAN OF FOBS

 

[GJETSON]

Not paying attention to cars for several decades, and not owning a smartphone, I have definitely been out of the loop. I just searched and found this article, which expresses my feelings about the feature/design flaw of keyless fobs better than I ever could.

http://jalopnik.com/proximity-keys-suck-and-this-is-why-451419955