[stephent]

Still digging into the menu options of the 2012. The manual doesn't really describe what passive locking does. It just lists the options as "off, on, on with horn chirp". Default is off. So of course I have to experiment ...

If you set it to on, the car auto-locks itself if you just walk away with the fob, no buttons to push at all! This is more than many other smart key cars do that I've had experience with. You have to be at least a few feet away, and I think it's ~5 seconds after the last door closes. Pretty neat.

For some reason on my car the horn chirp doesn't go off though. It doesn't sound when locking with the fob either. Neither "lights + horn" or "horn only" work. I'll probably have to take it in to get this checked out. But not a high priority since I think I prefer the horn off anyway.

Never mind this part I wrote earlier. User error, although I'd argue the manual is poorly written. Turns out the horn only sounds when you hit the lock button on the fob twice. Once is enough to actually lock the car and get the lights to flash, and that's what I'd been testing with. Cars I've rented in the past, if they tooted their horn, seemed to do so on the first lock press on the fob from what I remember, so I guess I was expecting the same thing. Manual never mentions having to hit the button twice to get the horn to sound, even though once is plenty to get the car locked. I'd argue that the menu interface should say "lights, horn on second press", instead of "lights AND horn", which I think implies simultaneous lights & horn. And I think it's weird to require two presses when the option is set to "horn only".

 

[SharkVolt]

First press on lock button only locks doors, second press turns on alarm and chirps horn.

 

[stephent]

I think the alarm is supposed to come on automatically after 30 seconds after only one key press. Second press on the RKE bypasses the delay and arms immediately. 2011 manual describes this. Don't remember if 2012 manual does, I forgot it at home. Neither mentions the horn only sounding on the second press, they should make the manual more explicit on this.

 

[KayFisher]

<If you set it to on, the car auto-locks itself if you just walk away with the fob, no buttons to push at all! This is <more than many other smart key cars do that I've had experience with. You have to be at least a few feet away, <and I think it's ~5 seconds after the last door closes. Pretty neat.

I have a Volt on order. My current car (Mazda RX-8 2006) locks the doors when I walk away. What I don't like about it is to open both doors I have to push the door handle button twice. And the timing of that second push is critical and seemingly random - drives me nuts. Also I don't like having to push a button on the door to open it. The Prius we rented would just open the door if you pulled the handle. It must have the sensor hidden on the back side of the door handle. That was nice but the Prius did not have passive lock like our RX-8. The worst keyless entry is Ford with a numerical keypad beside the door - how lame.

Respectfully,
Kay R. Fisher

 

[stephent]

On the Volt, pushing the button twice to unlock all doors isn't too timing critical. It just has to be more than ~0.4 seconds I think, and less than 5. Pretty easy IMO, press twice, just don't double-click as fast as you might on a computer mouse. It's also not a lot of effort to push the button, the travel is maybe a millimeter, like buttons on a cell phone, and your thumb can be placed naturally on the button as you grab the handle. Good god are we lazy these days or what? I remember my parent's cars from 30 years ago, big buttons you had to push about an inch to open . There's a certain advantage to not "open on pull" also - it doesn't trip up people who are used to pulling on the door handle to test if the car is locked. A friend of mine got a new Lexus some months ago, she told me the first day she kept on locking/unlocking unintentionally .

Also, if you prefer, you can configure the system so that a single press unlocks all the doors, no second press needed.

 

[Frankman]

I like the feature in the 2011 model where you press the lock button on the center stack after you power down the car, even when the doors are open. The locking is delayed until everyone gets out of the car and all of the doors are shut. Then the Volt auto locks 3 seconds later. By doing this I can leave the fob in my pocket when I get out of the vehicle and I never forget to lock it because I am "programmed" to press the lock button on the center stack before I get out of the car. This feature also exists on the 2012 model right?

 

[stuart]

I like the feature in the 2011 model where you press the lock button on the center stack after you power down the car, even when the doors are open. The locking is delayed until everyone gets out of the car and all of the doors are shut. Then the Volt auto locks 3 seconds later. By doing this I can leave the fob in my pocket when I get out of the vehicle and I never forget to lock it because I am "programmed" to press the lock button on the center stack before I get out of the car. This feature also exists on the 2012 model right?

This sounds like a guaranteed way to lock the key fob in the car.
Stuart #2209

 

[Frankman]

This sounds like a guaranteed way to lock the key fob in the car.
Stuart #2209

LOL. Not if you keep the fob in your pocket. But since you mentioned it, I will confess that I did lock the fob in the car one time because I was taking something off the key ring while sitting in the car. I placed the fob in the cup holder for a moment and exited the vehicle. I think I realized what I had done about 1/2 second before the horn chirped all the Volt auto locked. This is when you realize the value of the OnStar mobile app.

 

[stephent]

Delayed locking still exists on the 2012 model. Though I'd never use the lock button on the center console I think, I'd just use the button on the driver door. Or the walk away method.

You can't lock the key fob in the car I think (at least for 2012), I tried this at home last night, locking the door and leaving the fob in, the car detected it & unlocked the driver door. When the key never leaves your pocket, you are unlikely to leave it in the car unless it falls out.

 

[stuart]

LOL. Then you can stand outside the car and admire your key fob in one cup holder and cellphone in the other. Ahh - senior moments! gotta love 'em.
Stuart #2209

 

[Frankman]

Good point about locking the cell phone in the car too. I guess you would have to borrow someones phone and call the OnStar 800 number to get the Volt unlocked. If the OnStar 800 number is in the cell phone address book that is locked in your car, OnStar has some nice little window stickers for this situation. The OnStar phone number is on the window sticker. You can order the stickers on the OnStar website (free) along with a wallet card with the same info on it.

 

[Frankman]

You can't lock the key fob in the car I think (at least for 2012), I tried this at home last night, locking the door and leaving the fob in, the car detected it & unlocked the driver door. When the key never leaves your pocket, you are unlikely to leave it in the car unless it falls out.

If the delayed lock feature is turned on, the doors will lock with the fob inside the car. Otherwise the car won't lock with the fob inside.

 

[deekster_caddy]

My '13 Volt auto locks the doors 5 seconds after I close the drivers door (keyfob in my pocket). Does anyone know how to stop this or change the time? It's very very annoying - often others haven't gotten out of their seats yet (kids in car seats) and I am going around to the hatch to get something out, or plugging the vehicle in, and Lock! I know, it's easy enough to unlock again, but in the first week of ownership I would estimate more than 50% of the time I have to re-unlock the doors. 30 seconds would be nice. 5 seconds is just annoying!!!

 

[Zythryn]

Interesting, I would suggest 30 seconds is too long. In the Model S it is 30 seconds. Often in busy parking lots I have wished it was shorter (of course if I am really concerned I can us the fob).
It would be nice if both GM and Tesla would make this a user adjustable time delay.

 

[TSquare]

My '13 Volt auto locks the doors 5 seconds after I close the drivers door (keyfob in my pocket). Does anyone know how to stop this or change the time? It's very very annoying - often others haven't gotten out of their seats yet (kids in car seats) and I am going around to the hatch to get something out, or plugging the vehicle in, and Lock! I know, it's easy enough to unlock again, but in the first week of ownership I would estimate more than 50% of the time I have to re-unlock the doors. 30 seconds would be nice. 5 seconds is just annoying!!!

Here you go. This is from my 2013 Owners Manual. You can't change the time, you can turn it off though.

Delayed Door Lock
When on, this feature will delay the locking of the doors. To override the delay, press the power door lock switch on the center stack.
To turn the delayed door lock feature on or off:
1. Press the Vehicle Settings menu.
2. Select Power Door Locks.
3. Select Delayed Door Lock.
4. Turn the delayed door lock feature on or off.
5. Press Back to return to the previous menu.

 

[deekster_caddy]

Here you go. This is from my 2013 Owners Manual. You can't change the time, you can turn it off though.

Delayed Door Lock
When on, this feature will delay the locking of the doors. To override the delay, press the power door lock switch on the center stack.
To turn the delayed door lock feature on or off:
1. Press the Vehicle Settings menu.
2. Select Power Door Locks.
3. Select Delayed Door Lock.
4. Turn the delayed door lock feature on or off.
5. Press Back to return to the previous menu.

Thanks, I read that too. I was hoping there was a way for it to lock after you got further away from the car, instead of being time-based. The proximity sensor for the keyfob is pretty darn sensitive! I'm usually right next to the car and about to open another door when it locks on me.

 

[spikestabber]

I've never had a problem with this, extremely easy to keep a door open a bit before anyone else opens theirs...

 

[Logical_Thinker]

I'm sure the time delay is a relatively easily hacked parameter... one of us should have no difficulty doing that.

Hacking the Volt is a really good reason for buying one of those certificate of destruction Volts discussed in an earlier thread, if you are afraid of messing up your Volt. A good hack will be fully reversible for those times you may need warranty work.....

Anybody sufficiently advanced to try their hand at this?

 

[SteveC5088]

You can't lock the key fob in the car I think (at least for 2012), I tried this at home last night, locking the door and leaving the fob in, the car detected it & unlocked the driver door. When the key never leaves your pocket, you are unlikely to leave it in the car unless it falls out.

If the delayed lock feature is turned on, the doors will lock with the fob inside the car. Otherwise the car won't lock with the fob inside.

With the FOB locked inside the car, can't you use those little lock/unlock buttons on the door handles to unlock the doors? I use that feature to lock the car rather than pull the FOB out of my pocket and press its lock button.

 

[jfkirk]

Apparently it looks for a remote to LEAVE the car. It will lock if one is left in the car and one is removed. Pretty clever. It also suggests each remote is unique.