Heater Doesn't Work With Remote Start On Gmt900--need Help

[03blackz71]

I am having a problem with my remote start. It is below freezing here and when ever I start my Tahoe with the remote start it turns on the rear defroster, the heated seats BUT does NOT turn on the heater. On my 07 GMT900 Sierra it would turn on with no problems. Has anyone have this problem and know of a fix?

[nickvrebel]

with digital air controls?

are you letting it run long enough to get some warm coolant flowing? the heater gets it's heat from the coolant, if the motor isn't getting up in temp then the heater with digital controls doesn't blow to keep from blasting you with cold air.

[Crazy Canuck]

Sounds like a problem. My heater kicks in to high with the rear defogger and seats as soon as I start it with the remote (regardless of if it is in auto/manual or even off the last time I shut down the truck). It behaves as described above only when it is started with the key (or the key is put in after using the remote start) and is in auto mode. It sounds like it could be a software issue and prob needs to be sorted out by the dealer.

[Mossyoakglock]

My truck does the same thing. It won't kick the heater on when I start the truck with the remote start first thing in the morning or when it's been sitting all day at work. I did a little test between my dad's 07 Avalanche and my 08 Silverado when I had to drive the Avalanche for a day.

 

I started the Avalanche with the remote start one morning when it was in the upper 20's/low 30s and the heat kicked on right away but was not warm. It took a minute or more for it to start producing heat but the system kicked on right away (It has the digital controls and I turned them off before I shut the truck off the night before).

 

When I picked my truck up I did the same thing. I started it with the remote start and nothing happened other than my heated seats turning on (I have digital controls too). I drove it for a while and then let it sit for an hour or so (Enough time to let the engine cool but not completely) and then started it with the remote start again. This time it worked flawlessly.

 

I'm guessing that between the '07 and '08 models they changed the sofware in the '08's to where the system does not kick on until the engine has warmed up a little vs kicking on right away in the '07s. From my understanding that if there is a problem with the system, the truck will not remote start. Now I could be completely wrong on both of the assumptions and if I am, please correct me. This is just what I have come up with from doing my little "test."

[Crazy Canuck]

My truck does the same thing. It won't kick the heater on when I start the truck with the remote start first thing in the morning or when it's been sitting all day at work. I did a little test between my dad's 07 Avalanche and my 08 Silverado when I had to drive the Avalanche for a day.

 

I started the Avalanche with the remote start one morning when it was in the upper 20's/low 30s and the heat kicked on right away but was not warm. It took a minute or more for it to start producing heat but the system kicked on right away (It has the digital controls and I turned them off before I shut the truck off the night before).

 

When I picked my truck up I did the same thing. I started it with the remote start and nothing happened other than my heated seats turning on (I have digital controls too). I drove it for a while and then let it sit for an hour or so (Enough time to let the engine cool but not completely) and then started it with the remote start again. This time it worked flawlessly.

 

I'm guessing that between the '07 and '08 models they changed the sofware in the '08's to where the system does not kick on until the engine has warmed up a little vs kicking on right away in the '07s. From my understanding that if there is a problem with the system, the truck will not remote start. Now I could be completely wrong on both of the assumptions and if I am, please correct me. This is just what I have come up with from doing my little "test."

 

Mine's an '08 too

[johnnyz71]

My '11 does the same thing. My '07 Burban had that heat on nice & hot when I got in. My '11 seems like the fan is only on the middle setting and the heat is low. As soon as I put the key, everything is good. Do you think this is a software issue?

[sic lsx]

Mine dose it to.your heater wont kick on till the coolant is warm enough to heat! its pointless to have the fans blowing cold air! when the truck is warm it kicks on.

[Mossyoakglock]

Mine's an '08 too

 

Does yours act the same way mine does?

 

Am I correct in thinking that it was a software/design change between 2007 and 2008?

[ChevyTech77]

Normal operation with auto climate control. If the vehicle has manual controls, it will revert to the last known settings when the vehicle is started with remote start. Also note that the controls do not light up when the vehicle is started via remote.

[TheGreekIndian]

my old G6 had auto climate control and remote start and whatver setting you left the climate control on, it would remember it when the remote start was engaged for the 10 minutes.

 

G6 could do it, I don't see why a 35k+ truck couldn't do it?

[Major_Kong]

O.K. so I have read pretty much all of the remote start threads that have come up lately and have heard different answers and am still confused, so to clear this up once and for all, when you remote start the GMT900's with digital climate control, the heat won't come on until the engine has warmed up? Is this the final answer?

 

When I remote start mine, my heater/fans do not come on. I've never let it idle for a long time though. I usually put the key in the ignition within 5 minutes of remote starting it.

[sic lsx]

How u going to get heat if the motor isnt warm. Its not a electronic heater lol. Once the thremostat opens up and starts letting coolant flow to heater core then u will get your heat. Takes a while on a cold day to get warm idling. When ya get moving it heats up faster with higher rmps. After u drive somewhere and its nice and warm turn it off or if u go into a store for a sec then crank it up with rs and i bet its blowing hot n hard.

[MaverickZ71]

Here is how it is supposed to work; language straight from the General:

 

Your vehicle may have a remote starting feature. This

feature allows you to start the engine from outside of the

vehicle. It may also start up the vehicle's heating or

air conditioning systems and rear window defogger.

Normal operation of the system will return after the key

is turned to the ON/RUN position.

 

If your vehicle has an automatic climate control system,

the climate control system will default to a heating or

cooling mode depending on the outside temperatures. If

your vehicle does not have an automatic climate control

system, the system will turn on at the setting the vehicle

was set to when the vehicle was last turned off.

 

During a remote start, if your vehicle has an automatic

climate control system and heated seats, the heated

seats will turn on during colder outside temperatures and

will shut off when the key is turned to ON/RUN. If

your vehicle does not have an automatic climate control

system, during remote start, you will need to manually

turn the heated seats on and off. See Heated Seats

on page 1-8 for additional information.

 

AND

 

On vehicles with the Dual Automatic Climate Control System

:

 

To avoid blowing cold air in cold weather, the system

 

delays turning the fan on until warm air is available.

 

The length of delay depends on the engine coolant

 

temperature. Pressing the fan switch overrides this

 

delay and changes the fan to a selected speed.

[&CDFiXER%]

Here is how it is supposed to work; language straight from the General:

 

Your vehicle may have a remote starting feature. This

feature allows you to start the engine from outside of the

vehicle. It may also start up the vehicle's heating or

air conditioning systems and rear window defogger.

Normal operation of the system will return after the key

is turned to the ON/RUN position.

 

If your vehicle has an automatic climate control system,

the climate control system will default to a heating or

cooling mode depending on the outside temperatures. If

your vehicle does not have an automatic climate control

system, the system will turn on at the setting the vehicle

was set to when the vehicle was last turned off.

 

During a remote start, if your vehicle has an automatic

climate control system and heated seats, the heated

seats will turn on during colder outside temperatures and

will shut off when the key is turned to ON/RUN. If

your vehicle does not have an automatic climate control

system, during remote start, you will need to manually

turn the heated seats on and off. See Heated Seats

on page 1-8 for additional information.

 

AND

 

On vehicles with the Dual Automatic Climate Control System

:

 

To avoid blowing cold air in cold weather, the system

 

delays turning the fan on until warm air is available.

 

The length of delay depends on the engine coolant

 

temperature. Pressing the fan switch overrides this

 

delay and changes the fan to a selected speed.

 

That second and last paragraphs describes how my 09' works. I have the dual automatic climate control system.

[OKLAGMCRUISER]

Here is how it is supposed to work; language straight from the General:

 

Your vehicle may have a remote starting feature. This

feature allows you to start the engine from outside of the

vehicle. It may also start up the vehicle's heating or

air conditioning systems and rear window defogger.

Normal operation of the system will return after the key

is turned to the ON/RUN position.

 

If your vehicle has an automatic climate control system,

the climate control system will default to a heating or

cooling mode depending on the outside temperatures. If

your vehicle does not have an automatic climate control

system, the system will turn on at the setting the vehicle

was set to when the vehicle was last turned off.

 

During a remote start, if your vehicle has an automatic

climate control system and heated seats, the heated

seats will turn on during colder outside temperatures and

will shut off when the key is turned to ON/RUN. If

your vehicle does not have an automatic climate control

system, during remote start, you will need to manually

turn the heated seats on and off. See Heated Seats

on page 1-8 for additional information.

 

AND

 

On vehicles with the Dual Automatic Climate Control System

:

 

To avoid blowing cold air in cold weather, the system

 

delays turning the fan on until warm air is available.

 

The length of delay depends on the engine coolant

 

temperature. Pressing the fan switch overrides this

 

delay and changes the fan to a selected speed.

 

That second and last paragraphs describes how my 09' works. I have the dual automatic climate control system.

 

This is exactly how mine works too....observed it today when it was 5* today.