Interesting note regarding engine running while stationary in the heat

[Boardmember]

It’s all Ok.

 

Wife and I run errands today. I note it’s 92*F.  First stop is car wash.  After running thru, I get out to towel the windows, etc., wife asks if I want some help.   Sure, you can grab the vacuum.  We go about our business until she shuts front passenger door and walks around to the driver side.  TRUCK IS LOCKED.  AND IT’S RUNNNG.  

 

I go to this place often enough to sort of know the manager.  I offer $10 if someone will drive wife to my house to get the extra key.  We have one door with keyless entry (thankfully).  He ponders, they leave.  Not nearly in as much a priority fashion as I would have liked.   

 

I dried every inch.  Used the towel to dry my head.  It took them 35 minutes to get back. I opened door, switched ignition off, opened the hood.  Interior was nice and cool.  I’d glanced at the temp gauge a couple times, knowing there was nothing I could do if I had seen the temp climbing.  But it didn’t. 

 

Yes, my phone was in the truck too.  A couple other GM vehicles pulled in and out during the time and I wondered if I could have ID’d myself satisfactorily for OnStar to open the truck but I didn’t ask anyone.   

 

We talked, I thanked, made him take the ten spot and will run him a gift certificate to lunch somewhere later in the week.  

 

The truck handked it!   And the seat vent was even on.   It was now reading 93*F.....

[Colossus]

It would have done ok even if it were 120 outside.  Good vehicles. 

[2016 Sierra Owner]

These trucks have electric fans now. Not like the old style where the fans were belt driven. Which relied on the engine running some fast RPMs to spin the fan enough to keep things cool while not moving. This was the reason older cars would get hot inside while sitting in traffic. I used to shift into neutral and keep the RPMs up while sitting back in the day. 

[DONWT15]

4 hours ago, Boardmember said:

 We go about our business until she shuts front passenger door and walks around to the driver side.  TRUCK IS LOCKED.  AND IT’S RUNNNG.  

That will make your heart race a little bit.

 

4 hours ago, Boardmember said:

We talked, I thanked, made him take the ten spot and will run him a gift certificate to lunch somewhere later in the week.

Nice gesture, they will remember you in the future.

[Artie61]

Onstar basic lets you use your phone as a key Fob just download the my chevrolet App, works great! And you would not have to contact any one

[Boardmember]

Phone, wallet and every morsel of good humor were locked inside the truck.    I have the MyGMC app.

[esloser]

Yes, you could log into the app on someone else’s device and unlock your doors or even start your vehicle if you have that feature.


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[O_J_Simpson]

You do realize that Emergency Vehicles do this hours or days at a time in all temperatures. Not that big of a deal. Just they are build to be able to idle cool.

[rrmccabe]

Unless they changed it you could have called from any phone with proper ID they could have unlocked it.

 

On my Trailblazer SS I have called from a customer landline and did so.

 

I would not be concerned about overheating in that temp.

[Donstar]

Yes, even with belt driven fans, trucks would not overheat while idling for extended periods of time. It was/is common to have some service vehicles running for extended periods. to maintain interior temperature or to keep electronics running.  It must have been most frustrating for op that the one time he needed Onstar...

[j-ten-ner]

I thought that the trucks nowadays have the Lockout Protection?

 

From my owners manual:

"Lockout Protection

If the driver side power door lock switch is pressed when the driver door is open and the key is in the ignition, all of the doors will lock and then the driver door will unlock. If the passenger side power door lock switch is pressed when the front passenger door is open and the key is in the ignition, all of the doors will lock and then the front passenger door will unlock."
 

so long

j-ten-ner

[silveradosid]

thats what i thought also but my truck has locked me out of it twice

[Donstar]

32 minutes ago, j-ten-ner said:

I thought that the trucks nowadays have the Lockout Protection?

 

From my owners manual:

"Lockout Protection

If the driver side power door lock switch is pressed when the driver door is open and the key is in the ignition, all of the doors will lock and then the driver door will unlock. If the passenger side power door lock switch is pressed when the front passenger door is open and the key is in the ignition, all of the doors will lock and then the front passenger door will unlock."
 

so long

j-ten-ner

Maybe this is a feature that needs to be activated.(?)  I know my father always carried two sets of keys so that he could lock/unlock his doors while the engine was running.  Sometimes you may want your doors locked with the engine running.

[j-ten-ner]

I don't know whether it has to be activated or not. I'd assume that it's a default setting.

Just for the sake of it, I took the spare keys (just in case ;) ) and started the engine. Then I looked the doors with the door switch and the drivers side door opened up again automatically. Same on the passenger side.

Then I locked the truck with the spare fob with the engine still running. No problem.

 

so long

j-ten-ner

[T1Kaiju]

Onstar basic lets you use your phone as a key Fob just download the my chevrolet App, works great! And you would not have to contact any one

This. Saved my ass yesterday at son's baseball tourney. Ran a bunch of gear to truck in major heat and left keys with wife. Luckily had my phone. Almost at the end of the free 5 years, and not sure I will pay monthly for it. Maybe $25 a year would do it...

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