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Factory Remote Start Problem


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ok, as I was approaching my truck Wednesday after work I hit the lock button and then the remote start button, it flashed the lights as it should but the truck never started. when I got to the driver door I noticed the CEL illuminated (no other lights, keys are still in my hand with truck LOCKED). I get in, insert key and I go to start the truck, it doesn't start instantly, it takes a second before the starter engaged, CEL goes off. I was in a parking garage with no hope of cell phone or satellite working, but as soon as I was out I "Press the blue button", OnStar is unable to find anything wrong with the truck, I was hoping for a stored code. Well the remote start worked fine Thursday. Friday it failed again, I didn't bother calling OnStar this time but I think I may make a pass by the dealership later. Anyone ever heard of this?

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ok, as I was approaching my truck Wednesday after work I hit the lock button and then the remote start button, it flashed the lights as it should but the truck never started. when I got to the driver door I noticed the CEL illuminated (no other lights, keys are still in my hand with truck LOCKED). I get in, insert key and I go to start the truck, it doesn't start instantly, it takes a second before the starter engaged, CEL goes off. I was in a parking garage with no hope of cell phone or satellite working, but as soon as I was out I "Press the blue button", OnStar is unable to find anything wrong with the truck, I was hoping for a stored code. Well the remote start worked fine Thursday. Friday it failed again, I didn't bother calling OnStar this time but I think I may make a pass by the dealership later. Anyone ever heard of this?

If there is a trouble code floating around in there, it will disable the start. Sounds like you may have an intermittant code coming in and the dealer should be able to pull it out.

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small update:

I stopped at the GMC dealer Saturday at ~11:00, of course service shuts down at noon so they couldn't look at it.

I talked to the Service Adviser, she confirmed OnStar would have been able to pull a stored code if it existed. She also has not seen this issue and advised to drop it off during the week. I am not gong to do that, this is an intermittent problem and I'm not going to play the "we couldn't find anything" game back and forth which just wastes my time and the tech's time. When I got home I pulled out HP Tuners and scanned the PCM myself for any DTCs and found none so I have confirmed that although the CEL illuminated with no key in the ignition and only after the failed remote start attempt that there was no stored code as a result.

 

I'm suspecting that I have a bad battery. I have a Tekonsha P3 brake controller on the truck, which has as one of it's features a battery voltage display, I'll try to remember to check that when I have the next failed remote start event and see if there is possibly a low voltage issue causing the truck to require physical intervention.

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A similar thing has happened to me. I often commute by bus and I park in an aisle of the lot that the bus drives down when we are returning to the terminal. On cold, hot or nasty days I remote start from the bus as we pass my truck coming in so it can get a minute or two of heat/cooling before I climb in. On a couple of occassions I saw the lights flash after pressing lock and then again after pressing the start button for 2 seconds, but when I got back to my truck two or three minutes later it was not running. When I tried to remote start it again the lights flashed but no start. I have not seen the CEL light turn on.

 

My suspicion is that if the truck does not receive a nice strong uninterrupted signal for the whole 2 seconds it disables remote start. I guess this could happen if I don't time my button presses just right as we drive by or if there is some other interference causing an interruption during the sequence. My remote fob might also need a new battery. Anyway, there doesn't seem to be a problem with it except those couple of times that I tried to start it from on-board the bus.

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Something similar, although I didn't see the CEL light right away. Happened a few times without starting. Finally CEL came on and it was a Crank Position Sensor. Truck still seemed to run fine. Had it replaced and haven't had a problem since.

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  • 1 month later...

Just got my remote start installed on the truck and it does this. It will work 3 or 4 times after they program it and then quit. They have no idea why. I just had the truck in for a CEL (it's 28 days old.. :lol:) could they have failed to clear the code?

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There was a bulletin around at some point about the lights flashing and it starting and immediately shutting off. You have to make sure to only push the lock button ONCE and hold down the remote start button for like 3 seconds and touch NOTHING else. If you remote start it and accidentally hit the remote start button again the truck WILL shut off and the only way to restart it is to get into the truck, turn key on, and back off. Then remote start will work again. If the battery is low in your key FOB it can cause that problem too. It receives a signal that is weak or the FOB sends it twice because the battery sucks and the truck wont start.

 

Just something to check. Mine does that too, although it usually only does it when it is miserably hot or there is a foot of snow on the hood.. :troll:

 

And are you sure it was the CEL and not the little security light? Think that one is lit when it is started remotely.

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Just got my remote start installed on the truck and it does this. It will work 3 or 4 times after they program it and then quit. They have no idea why. I just had the truck in for a CEL (it's 28 days old.. :troll: ) could they have failed to clear the code?
I don't think a stored code will prevent remote start, just the CEL being on.
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