Running just HVAC without radio?

[WopOnTour]

Point taken. Thanks. From my angle I wasn't trying to be difficult/obnoxious/indifferent ... see below.

I took the time to create and then add attachments because I there are readers that did not realize the "solutions" were so "near at hand".

As well I guess I was just also following up that they (GM) think this is working as they designed it but everyone is pushing that it is "broke" and was naively "overlooked" and should be treated as a "bug fix". As well it is not just a Volt thing which also backs up that it is working as designed ... good or bad from peoples perspective.

Now can we please go to a thread to discuss the brake light coming on in (L)ow regen

Well I for one am appreciative of you continued efforts to help educate Volt owners on the various work-arounds Scottf.
All of them bear repeating especially as this isnt something that is going to be "fixed" through any sort of software update as it is a HARDWARE limitiation of the particular center stack display and the radio system. (in someone's perspective it could be seen as more of a supplier issue, but certainly I agree that someone should have been sacked for approving this design)
As others have mentioned it's also an annoying issue with certain othe GM product as well. Just something that certainly slipped through the cracks with certain infotainment system combinations.

BUT
GM certainly has taken note of how this behavior bothers some owners and in fact some 2012s with the base radio operate differently.
However this is mostly because these cars use totally different hardware.
Unfortuantely is is highly doubtful there will ever be anything done to remedy this issue.
So it's important that new owners are made aware of ALL the potential work-arounds:
- manually turning down the volume
- SWC mute switch
- selecting AUX source with none present

Given all of the Volt's revolutionary engineering I guess if this is the most serious flaw in the car, it's not all that bad.
WopOnTour

[DonC]

I hate this too. It's been commented on ad naseum. No reason to get worked up about it. For those wanting it to be fixed NOW -- not going to happen. For those that think it's fine as -- it's annoying to many people.

Scott, the problem I have with your mute solution is that it works for radio but not for an iPod or USB stick. In these cases muting lets the songs keep playing and you may not want to do that. And yes I know you can hit Pause.

GM has said that the Volt is bringing new buyers to GM. Maybe this is the downside of that -- we're used to something different and arguably better. I honestly don't see how anyone would think this was better than the way everyone else does it and, consequently, I agree with flmark that they should fix it (prospectively). And I'm not that picky.

[DonC]

You must be new here. That's how voltage692 rolls.

WWOW (Wise Words Of Wisdom). Reminds me of the quote about never wanting to try to teach a pig to sing -- it wastes your time and annoys the pig. (Not trying to say anyone is a pig, just trying to inject some humor).

[scottf200]

Scott, the problem I have with your mute solution is that it works for radio but not for an iPod or USB stick. In these cases muting lets the songs keep playing and you may not want to do that. And yes I know you can hit Pause.

Hmm ... now you have done it. I listen to MP3s too have have used MUTE to silence them. Normally with just random playing music MP3s I don't care but when listening to instructional MP3s or book MP3s it is annoying and I have to hit pause. It vehemently and passionately annoys me. Thanks for ruining my good day.

[RobertSullivan]

I bet it could be "fixed" with a software change. If the radio is "off" and any of the center stack buttons are pressed allow the radio to turn on but programatically apply the mute so it appears to remain off.

[Fulgerite]

I agree, but for now simply touch the aux button.

Does not work if you have an iPod plugged in. You can't select AUX.

[Fulgerite]

I hate this too. It's been commented on ad naseum. No reason to get worked up about it. For those wanting it to be fixed NOW -- not going to happen. For those that think it's fine as -- it's annoying to many people.

Scott, the problem I have with your mute solution is that it works for radio but not for an iPod or USB stick. In these cases muting lets the songs keep playing and you may not want to do that. And yes I know you can hit Pause.

GM has said that the Volt is bringing new buyers to GM. Maybe this is the downside of that -- we're used to something different and arguably better. I honestly don't see how anyone would think this was better than the way everyone else does it and, consequently, I agree with flmark that they should fix it (prospectively). And I'm not that picky.

Pause does not persist when you get back in the car and start up. Each time you start the car the radio comes back on. Also Pause does not stop your iPhone or CD from playing endlessly. (You also loose your place in a Audible book.) I guess you can always pause your iPod to stop the music. (And hopefully not crash into a tree while you are rummaging around in the storage tray trying to find the pause button on your iPod. Then sue GM for the crash... ;-)

[Fulgerite]

Hello everyone,

Pardon my ignorance as I have only had limited time to play with a demo Volt... Still waiting for my Volt's arrival. And the Chevy site's 2012 Volt owners manual link is not pulling up the correct doc as of 4pm CDT.

One thing I noticed when playing with the Volt was that if I turned off the radio and just hit the Climate button (I think that's what it's called), the climate control options screen would come up, but the radio would kick on as well. I would assume there is a simple way to just run the HVAC without the radio on, am I correct? Again, sorry for the potentially dumb noob question.

Thanks fellow Volt owners for your input!

-Dan

Yup... The radio does not have an off button that works. It's a BUG. There are a few workarounds. You can simply turn the volume down to zero. Or you can select the empty AUX input. Both will silence the radio. But the stereo is never really off.

[Fulgerite]

Is this only on the 2011 & 2012 w/ NAV models? I have the stock radio, it lets me hit climate to turn on the climate screen without turning on the radio. If I hit "source" or whatever, there's a popup saying something like "radio is powered off, press power to turn on".

Only happens with NAV installed.

[Fulgerite]

I am happy with the design. It's just not that hard to turn the volume down.

The volume trick is a workaround for a fundamental design FLAW that should be fixed..