What's the problem now???
- Thread starter davecerv
- Start date
Blue Moon Sonic
New member
It's not just a check engine light either that will not make it work. If there is no light but there is a pending code then the remote start feature will not work either and usually in the case when your thermostat or coolant temp sensor goes out you will have a no start condition because you will have a nice P00B7 or P00B6 code that will just sit there and haunt you and your temperatures won't drop even if you let it set in subzero conditions. So if you have a thermostat replaced also replace the coolant temp sensor at the same time.
(smile) yea, just to chime in, I'm so cheap I'll turn off the engine at a ATM line or things like that. Echo, best way to warm up engine is not to idle it, but to drive it. I hit the key, get it turning over, within 10 seconds drive (gently) away. I'm in Houston and I don't whine about the heat or the "cold"...but then again moved from out of state. Sometimes when its soooo hot and its a short trip I don't even bother with the AC as by the time it starts to cool enough I'm already there, rather have the windows down and are moving. The heated seats are good in winter however, my wife swears by them and just about requires them in every car and even uses them nearly year round for some reason. But one does not reason with the boss...
davecerv
New member
Ohhh so I should expect the coolant temp sensor to go out soon? Haha
I'll be ready if the check engine light turns on again. The dealer will only replace what's broken of course.
The Champ
New member
Yes, I own some collectible cars/trucks. You might be surprised how fuel efficient a properly tuned Muscle Car can be though. I can get close to 20 MPG with the 462 ci GTO and exceed 20 MPG with the 350 ci Camaro.
Of course, I don't get that kind of mileage when I melt some rubber, but then at least I'm moving and not parked while I burn that gas.....
The limo was bought by my dad in 1958 because it could haul the whole family of 10 at one time (try that in your Sonic). I used that Caddy for our daughter's wedding - a Sonic just wouldn't have projected the right image...
I don't think a Sonic will haul 48 bags of mulch at one time and I can't load my golf cart into the hatch on a Sonic either to haul it to the race track - but I can with my truck.
At least I'm actually driving my cars when I'm burning gas - not having them running in the parking lot so my butt doesn't get cold.
You don't need a remote start to get the fluids moving - they are fine by the time you get your belts buckled and the tranny in gear.
You aren't really worried about your safety - you are worried about subjecting yourself to a very brief spell of minor personal discomfort.
As Dirkdaddy chimed in, the best way to warm a car up is by driving it. Funny, I've also been known to turn my car off while at the bank drive up or the car wash - even when it's cold or hot outside.
ChicksHateMe
Member
I just hope your apparent ability to handle a minor discomfort doesn't kill someone.
You must look like an idiot driving with your head out the window because you can't see through a frozen windshield while you're driving as it thaws. OR, you haven't REALLY driven in the COLD weather.
I don't care if my butt is cold, but I do need heat to get, and keep, my windows defrosted.
It's you that seems not too concerned with safety. Drive with your windows like that and hit someone, maybe some kid, then you may change your thinking. If not, there's all sorts of defenses you can use. Affluenza, insanity...
Good Luck with that.
ChicksHateMe
Member
LOL. The guys from MN, obviously he's HAD to warm up a car and use a defrost before, at some point in life. Even if he does have a garage.
Just seemed to want to argue. I figured, what the heck... lol
The Champ
New member
Well if starting my car (with the key) and then scraping my windows with a scraper manually while the engine is running - I'm guilty as charged.
You are right - I live in MN - grew up on the Iron Range where it really gets cold. Have lots of experience driving in cold weather.
I don't drive with my windows frosted up - everyone knows that's not safe. If that were to happen to me, I would pull over and stop instead of driving blindly.
But I'm not afraid to be outside in the cold to make my car safe to drive. I don't need to let my car sit idling so that the car will heat up enough to deice all my windows for me while I sit inside my house.
But if conditions are such that the inside of the windows would frost up - you just need to open the windows to prevent your own breath from fogging them up until the car is blowing hot air (a few minutes of driving). Then you roll up the windows and it's done automatically from there.
This was a lot more difficult back in the days when I first started driving. Cars took a lot longer to warm up back then and defrosters didn't work near as well as they do today.
That's when I learned about driving with the windows open to prevent them from frosting up.
Once again, a little temporary discomfort, but very safe.
And back to my original point to the OP - when it's 37 degrees outside - there is no frost on the windows - so no need to warm the car up to deice the windows.
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...
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.
You'll never win this argument, it's a personal choice that science usually has no relevance in. Every New Years Eve I'm with friends on the WI MI border and every year without fail they warm their cars up for 15-30m and I generally just get in ours, let the oil circulate for 30s and go. I always explain to them how letting it warm up is depositing carbon on their pistons and valves and it's added wear on the engine and wasting gas. The only reason cars used to be required to warm up was because carburetors could not compensate well for the cold temps and fuel injection and ECM's have made warming up a thing of the past. It's a hard argument with guys that have a Toyota over 200k miles and a Honda over 100k and they're both still running great.
The Champ
New member
davecerv
New member
So once again, it's a cold day here in Houston at about 40F degrees...turn on the sonic..boom the check engine light is on AGAIN. It was too late to take it in for service (5pm) dealer closes at 7pm. The other nearest dealer is only taking drop offs and I'm busy all day tomorrow so hopefully it's nothing major so I can take it on Thursday for service.
***WARNING, the following will be me venting**
...This will be the third time that check engine turns on. I've had the car since July 2013...I currently have 31,887 miles. I drive a lot and I need a good solid car. I'm stating to be concerned about the longevity of this car. Bumper to bumper is nearing it's end and I will hate having to take a two year old car every few months for service. I love the car but I'm just gonna stop my rant there cause thoughts likes these have been said in here countless times.
***WARNING, the following will be me venting**
...This will be the third time that check engine turns on. I've had the car since July 2013...I currently have 31,887 miles. I drive a lot and I need a good solid car. I'm stating to be concerned about the longevity of this car. Bumper to bumper is nearing it's end and I will hate having to take a two year old car every few months for service. I love the car but I'm just gonna stop my rant there cause thoughts likes these have been said in here countless times.
Palmaris
New member
yup, same thing happened to many of us! To be honest, some company made a bunch of crappy rubber tubes and sent them to GM.
That's what the warranty is for!
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