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Turn off "car running" horn?

26K views 66 replies 32 participants last post by  xavierhardman 
#1 ·
I'm learning a lot about my driving habits in the few weeks I've owned my Volt. I never realized it, but I frequently get out of my car when it's still running, mostly to drop my son off somewhere. For example, when dropping him off at a friend's house, school, the swimming pool, karate, etc, I'll get out of the car while it's running, walk him to the door to make sure he gets in ok and check in with another grown-up, and then get back in my car and drive away. It feels cumbersome to turn the car off and back on again for a 30-second walk.

The problem is, with the Volt, every time I walk away it honks three times in rapid succession! I understand why. It's dead quiet when sitting idle and there's no key to take out of the ignition, so they don't want you accidentally leaving it running for hours. But it's also crazy annoying to have my horn going off three to five times a day, especially at 7:00 AM in a residential area when people are still sleeping. Is there any way to turn this "feature" off? I've looked through the manual and couldn't find anything about it. Maybe this is one of those things where I just need to change my driving habits, but I'd prefer it if I could just turn the warning off.
 
#2 ·
I think about all you can do to avoid it is to not fully close the driver door when you leave, or leave the key fob in the car (not really smart to do either of them if you are going to be walking out of visual range of the car IMO though). I think you can get away with closing the driver door gently (so it doesn't fully close)...but its probably just easier to shut the car off.

As far as I know, unlike an ICE vehicle, it isn't very stressful to turn the car off an on during short trips. My wife's VW Golf TDI on the other hand isn't so kind. We didn't drive it for a week or so in December, but I had to start it to move it out of the driveway to get my volt out of the garage each day. After about 4 days of starting it for 30 seconds to move it, then powering it down, the battery didn't have enough juice to crank the diesel engine anymore and needed a jump start....I may be wrong, but I doubt the same thing would happen to the volt since it doesn't require a lot of energy to 'crank' up like an ICE would...

There was a thread a week or so ago where Steverino compiled all the behaviours by model year (it is different) when you leave the car with the key fob and leave the car running. Maybe this would be a useful read:

http://gm-volt.com/forum/showthread...Test-Help-needed&highlight=key+fob+horn+chirp
 
#3 ·
The problem is, with the Volt, every time I walk away it honks three times in rapid succession!
Unless this is a change in the newer models here is your answer:

Three Rapid Horn Chirps. The RKE transmitter(key fob) was left in the vehicle. This feature can be turned off. Owners Manual: Instruments and Controls > Vehicle Personalization > Remote Locking, Unlocking, Starting > Remote Left in Vehicle Reminder. Car: Config > Vehicle > Remote Locking, Unlocking, Starting > Remote Left in Vehicle Reminder [uncheck]
 
#6 ·
The "Three Rapid Horn Chirps" still happens even when the car is off. The key fob has to be removed from the car to avoid the horn chirping. If I remove the fob but leave my 2011 still on it dings 4 times inside the car (like the seat belt reminder), but no "horn chirps" on the exterior.

VIN # B0985
 
#8 ·
You could leave your second (spare?) key fob in the car. I believe the horn won't sound so long as one fob is present inside the car.

Note... I don't advocate this plan. I recommend turning the car off and back on - it's just a button push for cry in' out loud. But if you are intent to leave it running for anyone to hop in and drive away - might as well leave them a key.
 
#9 · (Edited)
The problem is, with the Volt, every time I walk away it honks three times in rapid succession! ... But it's also crazy annoying to have my horn going off three to five times a day, especially at 7:00 AM in a residential area when people are still sleeping. Is there any way to turn this "feature" off?
Are you leaving the keyfob in the car when you exit the vehicle? If so, then TSquare's solution is correct:

Config > Vehicle > Remote Locking, Unlocking, Starting > Remote Left in Vehicle Reminder [uncheck]
But if this is the same thing that happens in the Cadillac ELR, where leaving the car on and taking your keyfob with you also results in the loud triple-honk (which sounds over and over again as each person opens and closes his/her door, plus the trunk), then you may be out of luck. If this latter situation is the problem, then the only solution I've found is to leave the spare keyfob in the car at all times (after disabling the Remote Left in Vehicle Reminder).

Or you could just turn the car off when you get out to escort your kid. It's not going to wear anything out to restart it. Cumbersome?
We're all glad the honking doesn't bother you. For those of us that it does, yes - turning off the car and then having to turn it back on again can be cumbersome, especially in the summer when it's 100 degrees and we want the A/C to remain on. We're so glad that you don't find it cumbersome. Such a helpful solution to tell ewoods his problem isn't really a problem.

EDIT:

New models (2014+) honk the horn shortly 3 times (it's similar to the pedestrian alert) when you take the remote out of the car and the car still 'on'.
D'oh! Bad news... :( While many owners have been begging Cadillac to give us the ability to disable this "feature" in the ELR, you're telling me Chevrolet actually took the initiative to add it to the 2014/15 Volt? Can it be turned off in the Volt like the keyfob alert can be? Ugh. I sure hope the Gen II doesn't incorporate this supremely annoying alert.
 
#10 ·
We're all glad the honking doesn't bother you. For those of us that it does, yes - turning off the car and then having to turn it back on again can be cumbersome, especially in the summer when it's 100 degrees and we want the A/C to remain on. We're so glad that you don't find it cumbersome. Such a helpful solution to tell ewoods his problem isn't really a problem.
Did I say it doesn't bother me? Up in Oregon it doesn't really get all that hot, but a few minutes of off time isn't a big deal. Button pressing isn't cumbersome, and jaero has a point about leaving keys unattended in the car. A little extra grumpy this week Blast?
 
#11 ·
This feature bothers me when I get out of work and my car is covered with snow. I like to get in, start the car, start the defrosters, and put on my hat and gloves. I then grab my snow brush and close the door to prevent snow from getting in while I work.

That is when I get those annoying honks!

I guess I could grab my snow brush and gloves, get out of the car, and then command a Remote Start. Then drop the snow brush while I put on my gloves. Then hope I can find the brush I just dropped in a foot of snow...
 
#13 ·
I'm concerned about the way these noisy reminders are going (more, not less). I've tried to disable all the honking on my 2013 I could, but some can't be disabled, and I get a triple honk in one scenario because of a bug in the software that has never been fixed.

However, I think I heard that the next gen has a more pleasant tone for reminders outside the car, instead of honking the horn. That would be good news. Nothing destroys the premium car experience more than a car that won't stop honking at you.
 
#14 ·
a car that won't stop honking at you.
I heard the 2016 will whistle at you, say "Hey, baby!" and then honk at you three times.
 
#15 ·
So there we have it, have gone full circle on this topic. Thousands of lines complaining that the alarms need to be louder when someone has not turned the car off and now we read that these alarms are annoying!

I pity the poor GM Engineers .....maybe they need to lock the seatbelts until the "driver" turns the car off.

John
 
#25 ·
Is there any way to defeat this warning? I sometimes leave the car without turning it off and don't like the three quick horn honk warning.
I have a 2015 Volt. I have turned off the option. It still (LOUDLY) honks at me 3 times every time I get out of the car if it's still on. Everyone in my complex hates me.

Thinking of making a gizmo that delays horn honks for a fraction of a second. If they stop within that time, make the horn not honk. If they continue, then honk. That way, I can use the horn as it's designed (with a fraction of a second delay) but it won't let those quick honks escape.
 
#22 ·
Is there any way to turn this "feature" off?
As a wise man said, "The solution is to turn it off and take the keys."

P.S. Blame the guy who sued GM when he left his Volt on overnight in his garage and went nutty on the potential for the car to ultimately run with the ICE on in his garage. The new GM is a bit sensitive on safety issues these days for some reason...
 
#31 ·
Anyone tried turning the car off, then if you want the air conditioning left on, remote start it with the FOB before you walk away.

Yes you will need to fish it out of your pocket to issue the remote start command, but if you don't want to hear the door open chime or the three honks...
 
#34 · (Edited by Moderator)
I second feinstei's comment.
Electra....you're obviously not a helpful and contributing member of this forum (or pleasant human being). Seems your life would be much more enjoyable if you weren't forcing yourself to read these thread which so clearly distress you with their lack of worth. Do yourself, and us, a favour and just go away.
 
#36 ·
Funny you mention this. Sort of related - I was at the car wash today and left my fob in the car with it turned on (the wash attendant needs to drive it into the car wash) and my wife was still in the passenger seat. The car did not honk. So maybe a workaround is to put something on the passenger seat when you get out. It might work on the driver side too, but getting out and putting something in the driver's seat before it honks would be a trick.
 
#39 ·
There are two honk alerts
1) fob left in car - can be disabled in menu
2) vehicle left running and fob has exited the vehicle - cannot be disabled in menus (only honks once all doors have closed and fob is not inside)
It will not honk if you leave it running, the fob inside the car and jump out, close doors, and run into a store, grab mail, or whatever.
But that's not a good idea for most circumstances you would like to keep the car running, as now anyone can jump in and steal your car. And you have just drawn serious attention to your vehicle with that honk.
With the fob outside the car with you, you can lock the door while it is still running. But then annoying triple honk.
 
#40 ·
Hate hate hate. Even worse GM didn't even list this in the "fix", had they done so I would have explicitly had the dealer put a note on file to NOT apply this ridiculous "fix", when said "fix" was only supposed to shut the car off after some length of time. Nothing about waking your neighbors at night when you have to go back in the house to quickly grab something. Turning the car off isn't the answer.
 
#41 ·
Just thought of a quick (free) solution. It requires 5s of your time, though.

Work around for Chevy Volt left on triple honk: http://youtu.be/E66_zvhwt-w
 
#45 ·
In The Florida 94 degree heat I leave the car and AC running while stopping for lunch or at the liquor store for cold beer, and other short stops.
The 3 honks are the most stupid darn updates I have ever seen on any car.
I hope some GM engineer reads this thread instead of sitting in front he of the TV scratching his balls thinking about how smart he is saving the Volt owners from them selfs:((
 
#47 ·
Well, if this was even in the top 50 problems in life I have to cope with, I think I'd be the happiest guy in the world.
Well, in the big scheme of things, not important, but rather irritating that GM programed the cars this way 2 years after we got it, and they never gave us the option to disable it, or ask if we wanted it.
I am sure sleeping neighbors don't appreciate it either. (I work night's)
 
#51 · (Edited)
Well, there is nothing to do to stop the 3 honks when you leave the Volt still running. And I think GM put it in place to cover his a$$ against the stupidity of people owning a Volt more than making it a nuisance. I'll explain this later if some of you don't know what I am talking about. So, if you want to leave the Volt running without the 3 honks, DON'T close the door entirely when you get out. Simple as that. If you have problems with the heat and you are out lunching, shut down the car and then use the remote control to pre-condition it 10 minutes before you finish lunch. Simple and yeah.... there are 3 things to remeber : to shut down the car, to get the remote and to push two buttons.
 
#53 ·

:(
 
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