What's the problem now???

[davecerv]

So it's really cold right now in Houston…37 degrees. So obviously I remote start my sonic as I'm getting out my room. Then it turns off. I'm like whaaa this has never happened. Tried to remote start again and nothing..then nothing again. Get in the car start it and the check engine light is on. AGAIN??? (2nd time)
I already searched the forum and this has happened to other Sonics but no one ever updated and gave a code to the cause.
Sighh. I'm at 29k miles.

 

[Chevy2012sonic]

So it's really cold right now in Houston…37 degrees. So obviously I remote start my sonic as I'm getting out my room. Then it turns off. I'm like whaaa this has never happened. Tried to remote start again and nothing..then nothing again. Get in the car start it and the check engine light is on. AGAIN??? (2nd time)

I already searched the forum and this has happened to other Sonics but no one ever updated and gave a code to the cause.

Sighh. I'm at 29k miles.

What's the code?


2012 chevy sonic

 

[davecerv]

I don't know. It's late (11pm) It's Sunday tomorrow and the dealer is closed so ill have to go to an autozone eventually tomorrow.

 

[Sneakerfix]

I don't know. It's late (11pm) It's Sunday tomorrow and the dealer is closed so ill have to go to an autozone eventually tomorrow.

Should get the torque app it really comes in handy

 

[jgrote]

If you have onstar they can read the code for you.

 

[The Champ]

I don't know what's wrong with your car, but don't understand why you would use the remote start when it's well above freezing (32 degrees) in the first place.

I live in MN (where the air temp is frequently well below zero) and don't use the remote start. All it does is waste gas.

 

[Blue Moon Sonic]

Remote start is seriously the best thing in the winter or the summer time, especially when you can have the AC on when the engine is warming up so when you get to your car it's not hotter than an oven and you don't have to worry about waiting for the car to idle down.

 

[davecerv]

I don't know what's wrong with your car, but don't understand why you would use the remote start when it's well above freezing (32 degrees) in the first place.

I live in MN (where the air temp is frequently well below zero) and don't use the remote start. All it does is waste gas.

Well excuse me. I live in Texas and temperatures below 50 are cold and 30s are just freeeezzzzz opcorn: seat warmers are on and everything.
I only remote start when I'm about to exit the house then it take less than a minute to get to my Sonic. Ohhhhh what a big waste of gas lol. I feel bad if I just turn on the car and immediately put it on drive and take off.

 

[davecerv]

Remote start is seriously the best thing in the winter or the summer time, especially when you can have the AC on when the engine is warming up so when you get to your car it's not hotter than an oven and you don't have to worry about waiting for the car to idle down.

Exactly. Getting out of the store during summer times (90-100's)?
Takes about two or three minutes to get to the car, sure why not remote start and cool off the inside. Especially when I'm with my lady not a necessary feature...convenient? yes.

Can't wait to get head over to the dealer first thing tomorrow morning to find out what this is all about.
The car is running as usual. Better not be the silly gas cap…I fed the Sonic three days ago and I always close it up at the sound of the click!

 

[The Champ]

Well excuse me. I live in Texas and temperatures below 50 are cold and 30s are just freeeezzzzz opcorn: seat warmers are on and everything.
I only remote start when I'm about to exit the house then it take less than a minute to get to my Sonic. Ohhhhh what a big waste of gas lol. I feel bad if I just turn on the car and immediately put it on drive and take off.

Well, the last time I checked, 50 degrees is just as cold in MN as it is in TX.

Same thing with 37 degrees.

If you are using your remote start to have the car running for about 1 minute before you get in - it hasn't done anything more to start your car warming up. than getting in, turning the key, putting your seat belt on, checking your mirrors and then putting the car in gear.

On the bolded part of your post - funny how you contradict yourself in your very next post...

I'd hate to see how you would have dealt with a vinyl interior car without air or heat as was common in TX back in the day. I lived in Texas back in 1973 - ask me how I know about this...

Remote start is a feature that has extremely little benefit, and to derive the benefit you will need to let it run long enough to waste gas.

 

[5H1F7Y]

Wish i had a remote start... Lets not forget it helps get the fluids up to temp before you drive, well worth the wasted gas imo

 

[davecerv]

Turned on my sonic today to go to the dealer but then...of course..the check engine light didn't turn up. It was on for two daysss lol still brought it in since the dealer is just a few miles away and also to get a oil filter while I'm here. Could a code still show up?

 

[ahtoxa]

There should be a history of the code, even thought the code isn't active now.

Dumb question - is your gas cap on correctly?

 

[davecerv]

There should be a history of the code, even thought the code isn't active now.

Dumb question - is your gas cap on correctly?

Yes I always close it to the click
Unless it came loose somehow, maybe?
I put gas two or three days ago.

 

[davecerv]

UPDATE* Fixed. Code P0597 Thermostat stuck open.

 

[TheFallenAngel12]

cool you got the thermostat fixed. but i dont understand how or why that would stop the remote starter from functioning and letting the car run, esp since you ran the car with the key just fine with the thermostat broken. just curious thoughts and questions. Glad you got the issue resolved tho.

I had to get my whole thermostat housing replaced as it started to warp thus allowing coolant to leak out and cause issues. got a new metal housing to replace the plastic one and no issues since.

 

[The Champ]

Wish i had a remote start... Lets not forget it helps get the fluids up to temp before you drive, well worth the wasted gas imo

It doesn't take much "prudent "driving to get a car up to operating temp - a mile or two will do it.

But it will take 5 - 15 minutes of idling to get it up to the same operating temp.

Why does it take longer? Well your car idles at about 1,000 rpm's. "Prudent" driving will have the engine spinning at 1500 - 3000 rpm's

Idling that long is harder on an engine than a couple of minutes of "prudent" driving.

What is "prudent" driving? Easy acceleration for the first few miles. No need to rev it up to 5000 rpm when it's cold.

I've bought a number of new cars that I have taken well beyond 100,000 miles using these methods in the extreme cold (I have started cars in -64 below air temps - and you don't want to know what the wind chill was... ) that is the nature of MN and WI (where I've lived the most). Typically I will take a car to about 150,000 miles before I move it.

This goes all the way back to a 1979 Pontiac Grand LeMans (the car I started in -64 degree temps) I purchased new. When I sold the car (in 1991) - to a coworker) it had 217,000 miles on it and the engine had never been opened up.

Right now I've got two "driver" cars in my garage (besides the Sonic) with over 125,000 miles on them - my 2011 Chevy Impala (company car) and a 2006 Pontiac Torrent.

I drive the Impala 1,000 miles per week and I'll have it long enough to turn it over 200,000 before the company turns it over to someone else that doesn't travel as much as I do. The Torrent will be replaced with a 2016 or 2017 Equinox or Terrain in 1 - 3 years.

Between my company car, my personal drivers and my toy cars ('64 GTO convertible, '72 Camaro, '49 Caddy Limo, '81 Chev C10) I drive about 75,000 miles per year - so I've got a little real world experience.

 

[davecerv]

cool you got the thermostat fixed. but i dont understand how or why that would stop the remote starter from functioning and letting the car run, esp since you ran the car with the key just fine with the thermostat broken. just curious thoughts and questions. Glad you got the issue resolved tho.

I had to get my whole thermostat housing replaced as it started to warp thus allowing coolant to leak out and cause issues. got a new metal housing to replace the plastic one and no issues since.

The remote start won't work whenever the check engine light is on to prevent the car being in idle resulting in more possible damage. That's my knowledge about that. And ohhh that's real cool a metal housing?? I aughta look in to that for the future!

 

[ahtoxa]

The remote start won't work whenever the check engine light is on to prevent the car being in idle resulting in more possible damage. That's my knowledge about that. And ohhh that's real cool a metal housing?? I aughta look in to that for the future!

You are correct on the first point - remote start will not activate if the check engine light is on.

Check engine light is rarely associated with any kind of damage, so if you're able to start the car with key, you were going to do that damage anyway. I believe the remote start disable with check engine on is mostly for emissions's sake. Most commonly, the check engine light will be on for an O2 sensor, which means that the mixture is likely off, causing increased emissions.

That's just my speculation.

 

[ChicksHateMe]

It doesn't take much "prudent "driving to get a car up to operating temp - a mile or two will do it.

But it will take 5 - 15 minutes of idling to get it up to the same operating temp.

Why does it take longer? Well your car idles at about 1,000 rpm's. "Prudent" driving will have the engine spinning at 1500 - 3000 rpm's

Idling that long is harder on an engine than a couple of minutes of "prudent" driving.

What is "prudent" driving? Easy acceleration for the first few miles. No need to rev it up to 5000 rpm when it's cold.

I've bought a number of new cars that I have taken well beyond 100,000 miles using these methods in the extreme cold (I have started cars in -64 below air temps - and you don't want to know what the wind chill was... ) that is the nature of MN and WI (where I've lived the most). Typically I will take a car to about 150,000 miles before I move it.

This goes all the way back to a 1979 Pontiac Grand LeMans (the car I started in -64 degree temps) I purchased new. When I sold the car (in 1991) - to a coworker) it had 217,000 miles on it and the engine had never been opened up.

Right now I've got two "driver" cars in my garage (besides the Sonic) with over 125,000 miles on them - my 2011 Chevy Impala (company car) and a 2006 Pontiac Torrent.

I drive the Impala 1,000 miles per week and I'll have it long enough to turn it over 200,000 before the company turns it over to someone else that doesn't travel as much as I do. The Torrent will be replaced with a 2016 or 2017 Equinox or Terrain in 1 - 3 years.

Between my company car, my personal drivers and my toy cars ('64 GTO convertible, '72 Camaro, '49 Caddy Limo, '81 Chev C10) I drive about 75,000 miles per year - so I've got a little real world experience.

Sounds like you drive a few GAS HOGS, and you are worried about us people that like to get the fluids moving and the windows defrosted so we can safely drive away in our car? The Sonic will make up for the wasted gas compared to some of those gas guzzlers you own.

I LOVE my remote start...