[kgvickers]

I've hit the power button a time or two by accident so I've been looking for a way to protect it. I walked all over Container Store after work today looking for the right small clear plastic box to modify when I happened upon what is for me the near perfect solution, a tiny 0.7 ounce scoop.

Using a hacksaw, Dremel tool, and a sanding sponge I modified it to the pics you see below. I happened to have some clear "Shoe Goo" adhesive handy and it seems to be working well holding the "cover" in place.

 

[wizard_of-ahs]

I have never hit the power button, but I like your mod

 

[Steverino]

A few other ideas: Train your thumb, fighter jet flip cover, braille bump.

 

[Mister Dave]

Very creative.

This is my method and I taught it to the wife. I call it "locating" and it can be done without looking. All you have to do is memorize the right number of button presses - 2 for sport mode and 4 for hold mode.

 

[hellsop]

This is my method and I taught it to the wife. I call it "locating" and it can be done without looking. All you have to do is memorize the right number of button presses - 2 for sport mode and 4 for hold mode.

Exactly how I do it, too. Conveniently for me, it also totally obscures the blue glow, so if I can't see "power light", I'm know I'm not hitting the power light either.

 

[srmarti]

I appreciate the ingenuity of the mods. I haven't accidently turned the car off yet in over 40k miles. Risky operator actions makes the power button an issue. If you need the mechanical idiot resistance, by all means go for it. I use the hand position, have a cell phone mount that discourages hitting the power button, but mostly use care when selecting the energy display or drive mode. I very rarely see a need to play with the drive mode button anyway.

 

[kgvickers]

The car is still new to me so I'm still playing with it ... I prefer sport mode so if I forget to switch prior to pulling away from my home then that's when I'm most likely to accidentally depress the Power button.

You guys can all say what you want, but the location of that button is a poor design. That would never pass muster in any aircraft cockpit. Sure, the Volt is not a fighter aircraft, but if inadvertently switching the car off leads to an accident the consequences can be the same.

This topic pops up often enough so obviously I'm not the only Volt owner with this concern. I was only trying to offer another inexpensive solution.

Cheers.

 

[Arcanox]

The car is still new to me so I'm still playing with it ... I prefer sport mode so if I forget to switch prior to pulling away from my home then that's when I'm most likely to accidentally depress the Power button.

You guys can all say what you want, but the location of that button is a poor design. That would never pass muster in any aircraft cockpit. Sure, the Volt is not a fighter aircraft, but if inadvertently switching the car off leads to an accident the consequences can be the same.

This topic pops up often enough so obviously I'm not the only Volt owner with this concern. I was only trying to offer another inexpensive solution.

Cheers.

Personally I'm a fan of your solution similar to something I would have done.

GM seems to have learned their lesson about the power button placement, as in Gen 2 it's now behind the right side of the steering wheel and nowhere near any other pressable buttons. The Mode button is now aft of the shifter.

 

[Mister Dave]

Doh! ..... I thought I got that deleted before anyone could quote me .....

Fixed it. You can unquote me now.

...the location of that button is a poor design.

We know. GM figured it out after we did and fixed it in the next iteration.

 

[kgvickers]

Fixed it. You can unquote me now.

Thanks, but probably too late. Like Anthony's Weiner pics, once they become electrons and hit the net they will live in infamy.

 

[kgvickers]

Woohoo! This is post #55, the same as my age in human years. But today it feels like dog years.

 

[srmarti]

The car is still new to me so I'm still playing with it ... I prefer sport mode so if I forget to switch prior to pulling away from my home then that's when I'm most likely to accidentally depress the Power button.

You guys can all say what you want, but the location of that button is a poor design. That would never pass muster in any aircraft cockpit. Sure, the Volt is not a fighter aircraft, but if inadvertently switching the car off leads to an accident the consequences can be the same.

This topic pops up often enough so obviously I'm not the only Volt owner with this concern. I was only trying to offer another inexpensive solution.

Cheers.

As you say you're "still playing with it". Granted the placement could have been more "idiot resistant" but if you aren't playing with the buttons while driving it's essentially a non-problem. If you practice that hand placement technique to locate the button it's hard to mess up. There's also no critical reason to be playing with them while driving. So if you aren't confident about what button you are pressing, DON'T. I don't object to somehow shielding the button if the user believes he needs to. We're complaining about engineers overestimating driver competence and good judgement here. Yes they redesigned Gen 2.

 

[hellsop]

Woohoo! This is post #55, the same as my age in human years. But today it feels like dog years.

I feel old now. Mostly because of the posts.

 

[Mister Dave]

I feel old now. Mostly because of the posts.

Ummm......