Can my Chevy Bolt LT be preconditioned (heated or cooled) for specific preset times on a daily basis? I also have a BMW i3 and there is an option in that car that lets me set times I want the car to be preconditioned every day. It is really nice as I don't have to manually precondition every time using the app. Does Bolt have a similar option? The only option I saw was to manually start preconditioning using the phone app and that too using KeyPass - which means only when I am close enough to the car to be connected via Bluetooth.
Preconditioning
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I'm pretty sure it does not have a set time option for preconditioning, but I'd need to RTFM to be sure. You can precondition from anywhere on Earth with the Web and MyChevrolet app and an active OnStar subscription. If you purchased prior to May, 2018, you are good to go with the OnStar Basic that's free for five years. After that date, you'd need to maintain an active OnStar subscription (after the 30-day free period) for ~$15/month for that (and other) functionality.
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Wait, there's no scheduled conditioning?
Then you lose the ability to condition altogether if you don't maintain an OnStar subscription?
That's an enormous fail. I can schedule my Christmas lights to come on or off and monitor power consumption with an $8 device, from anywhere with a cellular or wifi internet connection.
Then you lose the ability to condition altogether if you don't maintain an OnStar subscription?
That's an enormous fail. I can schedule my Christmas lights to come on or off and monitor power consumption with an $8 device, from anywhere with a cellular or wifi internet connection.
You can still precondition with the fob, when in its range. We use both the fob and MyChevrolet in my household, as our Bolt is in an attached garage.
In four years, we'll lose the MyChevrolet option, unless GM renews OnStar Basic for free for us. Like THAT'S going to happen!
My Bolt is in a detached garage about 30 feet from the house and I use the fob to precondition it, by holding the fob near one of the windows that faces the garage.
Is it seriously so difficult to realize, "I am leaving in about 10 minutes - I should pick up my fob and precondition the car" ? Really? I, personally, manage to remember to put on pants and shoes before leaving the house, and fix coffee and even breakfast as well.
Out of curiosity, what vehicle(s) allow one to tell their car to wake up at a specific, programmed time and do something?
Out of curiosity, what vehicle(s) allow one to tell their car to wake up at a specific, programmed time and do something?
Since the Bolt and EVs, in general, are so new; all of us have been new owners at one time and needed advice. Fortunately, most of the members in the forum understand this.
The programmable preconditioning would be a good option and doesn't seem all that hard to implement. If BMW can do it, why not Chevrolet?
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I just searched a PDF copy of the 2019 manual and I'm sure there is no scheduled preconditioning. I have found the key fob works great for me in the morning. I found OnStar was quite flexible in the price for the Remote Access and they gave me a 4th month of free trial, but I still haven't used the app preconditioning feature when leaving work yet. The key fob might work for me when leaving work, if I move to the closest part of the office near my car. That's now very convenient, so it haven't tried it yet.
I was surprised to find the Bolt has no scheduled preconditioning. However, when I measured the energy use for preconditioning the LEAF, I was shocked by the cost. I would blast the heat for 30 min at 6 KW (Cost $0.66=3 x $0.22). So, I would use a later departure time to tame the cost.
A Raspberry Pi and a spare fob could take care of that...
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A jelly donut and a design engineer that insisted on including scheduled preconditioning could have taken care of that too. 
Didn't the 2011 Leaf come with the feature? Just sayin' if a feature doesn't have a hardware cost to implement, it should be included. Is there any good reason why scheduled preconditioning should be left out?
Didn't the 2011 Leaf come with the feature? Just sayin' if a feature doesn't have a hardware cost to implement, it should be included. Is there any good reason why scheduled preconditioning should be left out?
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When I bought in August, 2018, I got Onstar free for 90 days. When I called to cancel, I was able to get the lowest level service (basically the FOB abilities) for $10/month for 6 months. I'm going to re-evaluate after that time if it is worth it. I'm guessing not, but it will stink to lose all the app information on battery usage and the like (which is what I was told would happen if I canceled all together).
If you leave each day at the exact same time. it might be a convenience. However, how would you unset it for holidays, sick days, etc.? How many gyrations would you have to go through to unset it?
Like others, I find that when we are about ready to leave, I reach into my pocket for the fob and press two buttons; first to lock the doors and second, a 4 second hold on the semi-circled arrow. It only takes a minute or two to warm or cool down the car. Some days it may need more heating time to soften an icy windshield or cool down a car on a very very hot day. But why waste electricity if you leave much earlier or later than preprogrammed?
With a preprogrammed function, you might save some wear and tear on the fob.
Overall, I'm not sure how useful preprogrammed settings would be.
Like others, I find that when we are about ready to leave, I reach into my pocket for the fob and press two buttons; first to lock the doors and second, a 4 second hold on the semi-circled arrow. It only takes a minute or two to warm or cool down the car. Some days it may need more heating time to soften an icy windshield or cool down a car on a very very hot day. But why waste electricity if you leave much earlier or later than preprogrammed?
With a preprogrammed function, you might save some wear and tear on the fob.
Overall, I'm not sure how useful preprogrammed settings would be.
I'm not an expert in this, but can't you get a lot of the info you're looking for via KeyPass? It connects your phone directly to the car via BlueTooth, so no OnStar service should be needed.
But, but, but ...
One would have to get off "the fat ass" and walk a few feet to get close to the car!
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I can't get Keypass to work with my phone (Pixel 2). It always got to the last step and failed. Tried for an hour and gave up.
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You might be surprised at the range of the keyfob - it's stronger than any other car I've owned.
I can start the warmup thru a cinder-block wall at a 45-degree angle to my car at least 75 feet away, from inside my athletic club building. You may not need to move to a window to precondition from your home, either.
I can start the warmup thru a cinder-block wall at a 45-degree angle to my car at least 75 feet away, from inside my athletic club building. You may not need to move to a window to precondition from your home, either.
I realized that i cannot use my remote key fob unless I subscribe to the app which is ludicrous. OnStar support said that the Basic package ended May 2018. Anyone else facing this?
Thanks.
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Even with a 2018 or 2019 model, you should have Remote Keyfob access for 5 years. When my trial ended on my first Bolt, I got errors trying to view charge status, tire pressure, etc.. - those won't work without the mobile command package - but you should still be able to lock/unlock doors, precondition and honk the horn. Is it not working or are they just telling you it won't work?
There are 2 things in my opinion:
1. Using the Chevy app on the phone to lock/unlock or pre-condition the car. I was told by Chevy rep that those will not work. I did not try as my trial is still active
2. Using the key (physical fob) to lock/unlock r pre-condition. I am assuming that should work irrespective, right?
Does not app work after the trial period?
Thanks.
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1. Mine still worked after the trial (this was with a 2017). I now have a 2019 and have in writing that remote keyfob commands will be provided for 5 years - so I expect it to work.
> The app has two ways it works - one, through onstar; two, through Keypass. even without any onstar plan, all should work with Keypass if you have this setup and are in bluetooth range of the vehicle.
> The reality of what I saw after the trial ended on the 2017 was without Keypass, I received an error communicating with the car when trying to refresh stats - but if I issued a precondition, lock/unlock or horn command - it worked. With Keypass connected, everything worked.
2. Absolutely the physical fob should work indefinitely.
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