[[email protected]]

Do any of you put a carbon monoxide monitor in the garage that may alert you if it was left running, and the ICE started up? I have a 2013. My daily commute is just about 38 miles, so I often get home with a mile or two left on battery. But I don't always charge it up that night, so the ICE could probably kick in pretty quick if I left it running and haven't plugged it in.

In that kind of situation, would a CO monitor let me know after the ICE had been running within a closed garage for a bit too long?

Or is this more problematic than it's worth - false positives from dust, sawdust (I do work with woodworking tools in the garage) to make it reasonable?

 

[caronjeff]

Software update on all early Volts after the first case of ICE running in garage overnight. If you exit the car still running the horn honks a couple times.

 

[trm2]

Software update on all early Volts after the first case of ICE running in garage overnight. If you exit the car still running the horn honks a couple times.

The radio stays on also. I still can't believe people get out of their cars and forget to turn them off. Every car I have ever driven needed to be turned off when I was done driving it.

 

[Sean-a-Tron]

I'd enable the RKE lost alert option. That way the Volt will honk at you if you leave it running and have the key in your pocket. Otherwise, stay away from the cheap CO monitors. I've heard that a lot of those don't alarm until it's too late. Also, don't get the ones with "10 year batteries". In case they have a false positive, you can't take the battery out.

 

[telveer]

I recommend putting CO monitors in each level of your house, Volt or otherwise. There are many potential sources of CO in a typical home. Garages are usually well separated from the rest of the house but there is no harm in putting one in the garage. CO monitors are so inexpensive, it does not cost much to be abundanrly and redundantly safe

 

[canehdian]

I recommend putting CO monitors in each level of your house, Volt or otherwise. There are many potential sources of CO in a typical home. Garages are usually well separated from the rest of the house but there is no harm in putting one in the garage. CO monitors are so inexpensive, it does not cost much to be abundanrly and redundantly safe

Well, there is the harm of false positives
I would put one inside the house right by the door to the garage.
Having CO in your garage that's not leaking into your house isn't an alarmable condition. You want to know if it's in your house, where you are.
Same as having it right next to your furnace, fireplace, stove, etc. It should be at least 12' away, IIRC (check the manual of the alarm)
The reason being there may be small amounts of CO that are produced during normal startup of an appliance, but are not causing harm as they dissipate to extremely low levels. But if your meter is right next to the source, it might go off, even though it's zero or safe level everywhere else in the house.

 

[11715]

Do any of you put a carbon monoxide monitor in the garage that may alert you if it was left running, and the ICE started up? I have a 2013. My daily commute is just about 38 miles, so I often get home with a mile or two left on battery. But I don't always charge it up that night, so the ICE could probably kick in pretty quick if I left it running and haven't plugged it in.

In that kind of situation, would a CO monitor let me know after the ICE had been running within a closed garage for a bit too long?

Or is this more problematic than it's worth - false positives from dust, sawdust (I do work with woodworking tools in the garage) to make it reasonable?

A CO device doesn't belong in the garage.

 

[Loboc]

In my houses, we place one CO monitor (not a cheap one) near the return for the HVAC. Usually this is the main hallway, but, some houses have the return in the largest living area. Probably need more monitors in a house with non-forced-air systems.

BTW, I have never left a car running inside a structure. EV or not.

 

[Dutch]

In my house we have one in the "mechanical room" with the furnace and the water heater, and another in the bedroom near the heating duct.

I also have one in my workshop because I heat it with propane.

I don't think I'd bother putting one in a garage though I might consider putting one inside any entrance door that goes to the garage.

 

[DonC]

This shouldn't be an issue. Didn't a software update implement a procedure where the car automatically shuts off so the ICE can't start if the car is left on? We had many threads on this. My personal opinion was that it was wholly unnecessary since the ICE only ran for a few minutes but GM disagreed and came out with the update.

You can read one of the threads here: http://gm-volt.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-162762.html

Software update on all early Volts after the first case of ICE running in garage overnight. If you exit the car still running the horn honks a couple times.

Yes but it also shuts down the car, preventing the ICE from coming on. There are threads discussing how to defeat this if you want to keep the car running for some reason, say you're using it as a backup generator or sleeping in the car with the AC on.

 

[Steverino]

Didn't a software update implement a procedure where the car automatically shuts off so the ICE can't start if the car is left on?

Yup. After 150 minutes while in Park the car shuts down.

 

[ClarksonCote]

Software update on all early Volts after the first case of ICE running in garage overnight. If you exit the car still running the horn honks a couple times.

Not only this, but the car will turn itself off after about 150 minutes, give or take, without any driver inputs. So even if you forget, and the engine starts to cycle briefly on and off (on 5 minutes, off 20, repeat), it will turn off soon enough assuming you had the required software update.

 

[Barry]

I agree the Volt is a pretty safe car (auto off). However, I think it is common sense to have a garage monitored at least for smoke. A fire could break out in there for any number of reasons. And if you are like me, you have gasoline, oil, rags, etc. You can get combination smoke/CO detectors that wirelessly network throughout your whole house. This is what I use. No problems with false positives so far, but I do not use woodworking machines in my garage.

 

[RFE]

Safety First!

Any detector, whether it is a smoke detector or a CO detector is cheap insurance to be SAFE. IF it becomes a problem with false positive that can be fix (moved). In a way, a detector is just a tool to be used.

If you are not comfortable and don't trust the car technology, then put a detector in.

If it is a attached garage, you have to worry about CO rising and seeping though any opening to the house, not just through the door. Personally, Unless I am the one sealing the garage up with the proper material. I don't trust the workmanship when it comes to CO. I am little overboard on that account.

My garage is detached, so I have no worries and no CO detector in the garage but do have two in the house.

 

[jcanoe]

When I had a dedicated circuit installed in my garage for my Level II EVSE I had the electrician pull a permit for the work. When the work was completed I had the completed work inspected by the County Inspector. When the inspector arrived he asked to see my CO detector. I have two CO detectors, one on each level of my home as I have a natural gas furnace and water heater, so I showed him the CO detector mounted in the hall outside the bedrooms and the inspector was satisfied. I have no idea why the inspector asked to see the CO detector because as far as he knew the circuit could have been for an EV such as TMS or a Leaf. I live in a Nanny County in a Nanny State so who knows, it is better not to ask questions.

I never thought about what would happen if I left the Volt running inside my garage, anyway my garage is attached to my home (next to my kitchen) and has an open soffit design so I doubt that enough CO could build up in the garage to ever cause CO poisoning inside my house. I do know that I have set the Engine Heat Assist when plugged in to be "No" on the odd chance that I might remote start the Volt while it is parked in my garage and it would be cold enough for the Engine Heat Assist to start the ICE. I have the Engine Heat Assist set to "Deferred" so it would have to be colder than 15 F (inside the garage) for the ICE to start during preconditioning. In 11 winters I have never seen the temperature inside my garage drop lower than 23 F, the garage usually stays 10 F warmer than the outside air.

 

[Dutch]

Just a PSA..
Why carbon monoxide (CO) alarms don’t need to be installed near the floor
https://nest.com/support/article/Shouldn-t-a-carbon-monoxide-CO-alarm-be-installed-near-the-floor

 

[jcanoe]

Good point. My CO detectors are battery powered, not plug in, wall mounted at eye level. The AA type batteries last a long time, i.e. 2 years.