Warming up the Camaro question...

[Level300]

Hi.

When it gets really cold out and I can't wait that long to get the car up to temp so I'm not grinding 2nd gear, I start up the Camaro and then lock it.

However, when I go lock the car, only the other physical key will "lock" the door. None of the remotes work outside of the car if it is running.

Is that right? I just want to make sure that my keys/settings are working correctly. It sure would be nice if I could lock the car with a remote...even if its the "secondary" remote.

[ChibiBlackSheep]

Yeah the car has a lockout feature that won't let you lock the doors with the key in the ignition, unless you are physically using another key.

[Level300]

Originally Posted by ChibiBlackSheep

Yeah the car has a lockout feature that won't let you lock the doors with the key in the ignition, unless you are physically using another key.

Thanks.

This is what I don’t get about this car. It’s like all the electronics were an afterthought. Then what the heck is the remote for? I do get the safety thing but when you are physically holding the other fob outside the car, it should lock/unlock the doors and I would be okay with using two fobs. At one point the key and fob were fused as one so WTF? To make you use the physical key is just a lazy implementation.

My 2009 Mini Cooper bought new 6 years BEFORE the 2015 camaro had MORE and better convenience features. I could lock/unlock the car with a button on the door handle. Open the trunk? Sure, walk back there touch the button and the trunk pops open. My fob never left my pocket and I never had to touch it. GM was seriously behind in this area. It looks like the caught up with the industry with the gen 6 so that’s good for their owners.

Sorry for the rant. It’s not the lack of convienience features that gets me it’s the stupid implementation. Also finding all this out when the temp is 2 degrees didn’t help either.

[Batmanntexas]

I agree, it is frustrating at times. My biggest pet peeve is the bluetooth feature on the 2012 SS.

Have you thought about a remote start for your car? It's a bit more involved for a manual transmission car, but is a readily available option, aftermarket of course.

2 degrees.....BRRRRRRRRRRR!!!

[Level300]

Originally Posted by Batmanntexas

I agree, it is frustrating at times. My biggest pet peeve is the bluetooth feature on the 2012 SS.

Have you thought about a remote start for your car? It's a bit more involved for a manual transmission car, but is a readily available option, aftermarket of course.

2 degrees.....BRRRRRRRRRRR!!!

I would never install a remote starter in a manual. I would have to undo all the years of making sure to put the car in gear...etc. That's would be a ticking time bomb for me.

I did look into a push button start system with all the bells/whistles.

It's a huge undertaking. I'd have to install it myself because I don't like other people working on my car unless its absolutely necessary. Those systems are deeply integrated into the stock harness. Lots of cutting and splicing in almost every harness in the car. I installed a car alarm (motion, g sensors, door pins, etc) in a Jeep Wrangler years ago. That is child's play compared to a push button install.

The problem is, years later, when something breaks, troubleshooting becomes a nightmare because you forget half of the stuff you did. So while this car's features are severely lacking, for me, the fear of possibly troubleshooting an aftermarket system far out weights any convenience benefit.

Besides, if I wanted a well thought out driver interface and proper convenience features, I would have bought a BMW.

Yeah, it was COLD! But she started right up. Also there were no noticeable creaks/groans driving around at that temp. The weird thing is that I think it sucks down more gas when it's really cold out. I went through 1/2 tank when I usually use 1/4 tank. It could have been me though, it feels more lively when it's cold out.