Tag: General Motors

New Honda and Acura EVs Require New Dashboard Symbols for a Very Surprising Reason

Honda logoNew Dashboard Symbols

The introduction of the Honda Prologue and Acura ZDX electric vehicles in 2024 required us to add several new dashboard symbols to the manufacturer’s respective pages. Well, actually, new old symbols.

This is because we already had the symbols in play — on pages for General Motors GM logo(GM) models!

What’s happened is that Honda and GM jointly developed the EVs, a collaboration that began in 2013, which was focused on hydrogen fuel. That shifted as EVs rose to prominence and in essence, GM‘s drivetrain and control systems won out. And the proof is in the owner’s manuals!

The cover pages of the Honda and Acura models are properly identified. Then comes page one…

Tables of Contents

Below in order are the table of contents for a Chevrolet Malibu (left) and the Honda Pilot (right). And then below left is the TOC for the Honda Prologue.

Chevrolet Malibu TOCThey’re difficult to read here, but the styles are clear, which is the point. The contents of the Prologue and ZDX manuals follow the GM style of presentation to the letter right on through the entire manual! Every other Honda or Acura manual for 15 years+ has a TOC and structure just like the Pilot.

Honda Pilot TOCAnd the result is the addition of at least a dozen new (at least to Honda!) symbols and telltales that fall right out of the GM playbook.

The majority of the additions are of course related to the fact that the vehicles are fully electric. So all of the resulting indicators and warnings related  to the high voltage system are found.

Honda Proloque TOCBut beyond this, many of the driver support system indicators, like lane keeping and pedestrian avoidance are in the GM style.

Remember that auto manufacturers are given great leeway in the way they present warning symbols and indicators. Only a few are identical from one manufacturer to another. Most of the time symbols end up looking similar but differ enough for us to address here on this site. Hence the fact that we host over 1,000 of them here!

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Remember that only proper service and repair procedures will ensure the safe and reliable operation of your car. In addition, proper safety procedures and precautions, such as the  use of safety goggles, the right tools and the equipment should be followed at all times to eliminate the possibility of personal injury or improper service which could damage the vehicle or compromise its safety.

These posts are for information sharing purposes only, and should not be used in lieu of an OEM service manual or factory authorized service procedure. We are not in the auto repair business nor do we publish automotive service manuals. Nothing we include on these pages and posts has been reviewed, approved or authorized by any vehicle manufacturer.

Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2024/08/new-honda-and-acura-evs-require-new-dashboard-symbols-for-a-very-surprising-reason/

Open a Holden with a Dead Key Fob

How to Open a Holden with a Dead Key Fob

Getting into Your Holden

  • But first, if you are already inside, click here for help getting started!
  • Second, you’ll find video help here!
  • Finally, if you need or want another manufacturer, click here.

Retrieving the mechanical key

Holden flip keyHolden uses three key fob or transmitter styles. To get in the vehicle when the key fob battery is dead, a mechanical key will have to retrieved from the fob and used to unlock the car.

The first is a simple flip key (above right). Press the unmarked button to extend the mechanical key. It remains attached to the key fob. Use the mechanical key to unlock the driver’s door.

Holden remote controlHolden transmitterThe next two (shown to the right) feature a removable mechanical key and are quite similar (one has more buttons than the other). Each has a button on the side of the transmitter (remote control or ‘clicker’) near the key ring end. Press the button, as shown, and pull the key out.

Getting Inside

If a key hole is visible at the back of the driver’s door handle, simply insert the mechanical and turn, and you’re in.

Holden door handle 1The Commodore,  Acadia and and Equinox models are hiding their key holes behind a cover at the back of the driver’s door handle. To remove the cap on the Acadia and Equinox, pull the door handle out to the open position. Insert the key into the slot on the bottom of the cap (number 3, right).

Push it as far upwards as possible and hold some upward pressure. Then pry outward. And yes, you WILL feel like you are prying off a piece of your car! Move the cap rearward revealing the key cylinder. Now the mechanical key can be used in the cylinder.

To replace the cap, insert the two tabs at the back of the cap between the black seal and the metal base. Pull the door handle out to the door open position and move the cap forward and press to snap it into place. You can then release the door handle.

Holden door handle 2The cap on the Commodore is slightly different but there is still a slot under the cap. Insert the mechanical key into the slot and again hold upward pressure. Then rotate the key upward until the cap comes away.

To replace the cap, insert it with the lower side in the recesses. The rotate it upwards and push it until the cap engages at the upper side.

Remember, getting in the car is most important. If you have difficulty replacing the cap, don’t. Let your dealer do it when you get a new battery for your Key FOB!

Continue to Part II, Getting Started …

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Remember that only proper service and repair procedures will ensure the safe and reliable operation of your car. In addition, proper safety procedures and precautions, such as the  use of safety goggles, the right tools and the equipment should be followed at all times to eliminate the possibility of personal injury or improper service which could damage the vehicle or compromise its safety.

These posts are for information sharing purposes only, and should not be used in lieu of an OEM service manual or factory authorized service procedure. We are not in the auto repair business nor do we publish automotive service manuals. Nothing we include on these pages and posts has been reviewed, approved or authorized by any vehicle manufacturer.

Technology is always changing and what is current and accurate today may be literally out-of-date and inaccurate tomorrow. And when it comes to the current state of flux in the auto industry, nothing is more true.

Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2020/10/holden-dead-key-fob-help-part-i-getting-in/

Start a Holden with a Dead Key Fob

How to Start a Holden with a Dead Key Fob

Starting Your Holden

  • But first, if you are still locked out, click here for help getting inside!
  • Second, you’ll find video help here!
  • Finally, if you need or want another manufacturer, click here.

Holden uses three key fob styles (see Getting Inside) and many back up start variations, but we have them all here. If you have the right key fob, we’ll get you started and on the road, even if the fob’s internal battery is dead!

Commodore back-up start locationIn the Commodore, open the cover of the center console storage area in front of the shift lever. Place the transmitter in the transmitter pocket beside the power outlet, with the buttons facing up as shown in the image. Remove any additional items that might be in the area. Press the brake pedal and the engine Start / Stop button and you’ll be on your way.

Equinox back-up locationThe Equinox uses the left side cup holder as a back up location. Make sure there is nothing, particularly coins, in the cup holder, and simply drop the fob into it with the buttons facing up. The car will recognize the fob and pressing the brake pedal and Start / Stop ignition button will have you on your way.

Trax back-up locationThe Trax, also uses a cup holder as its back up spot. However, there are three cup holders in the center console area, and the choice is the front and is separated from the two behind it. Be sure to use the one in the very front (see the image to right). Drop the key fob into the front cup holder, buttons up, and start the car as normal, using the Start / Stop button while stepping on the brake pedal.

Spark back-up locationThe Spark uses a unique back up start location. The electronic key fob is placed in the center console transmitter pocket, which is in front of the cup holder and alongside the brake handle (image to the left). While in Park, press the brake pedal and press the engine Start/Stop button and you will be on your way.

Acadia back-up locationFinally, the Acadia uses a back up pocket located in the back of the center console (image to the right). Drop transmitter or key fob into the pocket with the key ring up and the buttons facing the front. With the vehicle in Park or Neutral, press the brake pedal and the Start / Stop ignition button as normal. Once again, you will be underway.

Engine Start Operation IndicatorNote: If you have made an attempt to start the vehicle without success, there may be residual pressure in the brake system and a new warning light may appear (left) or text message to Step on the Brake. Press the brake pedal very, very hard when trying to start the vehicle again to be sure that the release switch behind the pedal is engaged. Or wait a few minutes and try again.

… Return to Part I, Getting In

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Remember that only proper service and repair procedures will ensure the safe and reliable operation of your car. In addition, proper safety procedures and precautions, such as the  use of safety goggles, the right tools and the equipment should be followed at all times to eliminate the possibility of personal injury or improper service which could damage the vehicle or compromise its safety.

These posts are for information sharing purposes only, and should not be used in lieu of an OEM service manual or factory authorized service procedure. We are not in the auto repair business nor do we publish automotive service manuals. Nothing we include on these pages and posts has been reviewed, approved or authorized by any vehicle manufacturer.

Technology is always changing and what is current and accurate today may be literally out-of-date and inaccurate tomorrow. And when it comes to the current state of flux in the auto industry, nothing is more true.

Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2020/10/holden-dead-key-fob-help-part-ii-getting-started/

General Motors Gets Kudos for Landfill-free Facilities

Bravo GM

We want to take a moment to give a car maker a pat on the back. Landfill-free Facilities

We’ve spent more than a little time on General Motors case for a lack of standardization with its keyless start cars as well as inaccurate information in owner’s manuals. Now the company gets a little back.

Landfill-free facilitiesOn February 28 (2018) GM noted in a press release that it had added 27 facilities to its list of 142 facilities, both manufacturing and non manufacturing, that are 100% landfill free. To be clear, these facilities send absolutely nothing to landfills, period.

Now we don’t generally expend a lot of energy on environmental issues, but we were struck by the magnitude of this achievement. This is nearly impossible for individuals to get anywhere close to this. Everything we use is packaged and a whole lot of that packaging is simply not recyclable. The rest goes to landfill.

So how did they manage it?

Certainly, there is a huge internal effort, including employees, dedicated to the task. For instance, they have a vice president of Sustainable Workplaces. Dane Parker says that GM aspires “to be a zero-waste company.” They employ a Waste Reduction manager. That person, John Bradburn, summed it up: “To us,” he said, “waste is simply a resource out of place.” This makes so much sense.

So, GM repurposes old concrete in new walkways. They clean oil-soaked cloths used in painting instead of tossing them. They use bags that held parts delivered to plants to line waste cans instead of putting them in the waste cans. In one plant, that’s nearly 8,000 plastic bags a year NOT sent to a landfill. Etc.

Seventy nine of the sites are manufacturing operations. On average they reuse, recycle or compost approximately 96% of their waste from daily operations and convert 4% to energy.

To be sure, this takes more than a fair share of creativity. For instance, one facility donates empty battery containers for use as nesting boxes for wood ducks.

Recycled bottlesRecycling efforts include turning used water bottles for air filtration elements, sound proofing for vehicles, or insulation, like the piece John Bradburn is holding. Tires are ground up to be used to make air baffles for GM cars and trucks. Cardboard and packing materials are baled at manufacturing
sites for recycling.

Aluminum chipsMetal chips are collected at GM’s Flint Engine plant and shipped to a supplier that recycles the chips into new materials.

Now clearly a company the size of GM has resources individuals will never have, but the effort simply has to be applauded. What they spend comes back as savings on materials that otherwise would need to be sourced, purchased and delivered. In fact, the company generated $2.5 billion in revenue between 2007 and
2010 through various recycling activities.

It achieved its first landfill-free site at our Flint Engine operations in 2005. Since it started its waste reduction program, it has reduced the program’s costs by 92% and total waste by 62%.

So, bravo General Motors, and keep up the good work.

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Remember that only proper service and repair procedures will ensure the safe and reliable operation of your car. In addition, proper safety procedures and precautions, such as the  use of safety goggles, the right tools and the equipment should be followed at all times to eliminate the possibility of personal injury or improper service which could damage the vehicle or compromise its safety.

These posts are for information sharing purposes only, and should not be used in lieu of an OEM service manual or factory authorized service procedure. We are not in the auto repair business nor do we publish automotive service manuals. Nothing we include on these pages and posts has been reviewed, approved or authorized by any vehicle manufacturer.

Technology is always changing and what is current and accurate today may be literally out-of-date and inaccurate tomorrow. And when it comes to the current state of flux in the auto industry, nothing is more true.

Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2018/03/general-motors-gets-kudos-for-landfill-free-facilities/

Key Fob Battery Replacement Videos (Remote Controls. Smart Keys)

How to Replace Batteries in Key Fobs.

We post videos here of us replacing batteries in key fobs or remotes.

Manufacturers are listed in alphabetical order. All GM, Stellantis (FCA (except Wagoneer)), Nissan, and Toyota Motors made vehicles are grouped together under their parent company names.

Table of Contents

Acura Fobs

Acura latest key fob

 

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A new style Acura fob here.

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Acura older key fob.

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Alfa Romeo Fob

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Audi Fobs

Audi, common key fob.

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Audi, newer key fob.

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Audi new generation (2019) key fob.

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Audi flip key, updated, key start and keyless start models.

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BMW Fobs

BMW, common key fob.

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BMW, updated version of the above video.

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BMW, newer key fob.

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And an update of the video above.

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BMW 2022 and newer fob.

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FCA Fobs

FCA, newer (rounded) Chrysler, Jeep or Dodge key fob battery, updated.

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FCA, early (tapered) Chrysler, Jeep or Dodge key fob battery replacement.

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FCA, for a Fiat.

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FCA, newest key fob style.

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FCA, for Maserati.

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FCA for a new Jeep flip key fob.

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Ford, Lincoln Fobs

Ford and Lincoln, one of three key fob styles, updated.

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Ford and Lincoln, a second key fob style.

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Ford/Lincoln, a third fob, introduced in 2016.

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General Motors Fobs

General Motors fob in use since 2021 across all makes.

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General Motors late model fob.

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GM, a newer Chevrolet key fob.

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An even newer Chevrolet fob, and better battery handling.

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GM, a Buick flip key.

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GM, Buick key fob, updated.

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GM, for a Cadillac.

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GM, 2021 and newer Cadillac.

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GM, for GMC models.

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This one is for a Chevrolet flip key, still in use with some keyless start cars.

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Holden Fob

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Honda Fobs

Honda, older key fob.

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And a new Honda key fob. Be VERY careful with these!

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Hyundai, Kia Fobs

Kia key fob, Pre-2014. Some Hyundai fobs may be similar.

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Newer Kia key fob.

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This video cover the side button 2019 and newer Kia fob

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This one is for a newer Hyundai key fob. A little different from the one above.

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Land Rover Jaguar Fobs

A fob from Land Rover. Newer Jaguars also use this style.

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Post 2018 (roughly) Land Rover, Jaguar DIY key fob battery replacement.

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Toyota, Lexus Fobs

Most common Lexus key fob. Toyota fobs may be similar.

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Next gen Lexus or Toyota key fob, updated.

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2019 and newer Lexus.

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This one covers Toyotas exclusively.

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Toyota Post 2018 key fob battery replacement.

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Mercedes-Benz Fobs

Older Mercedes-Benz key fob.

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New style Mercedes-Benz key fob.

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Mitsubishi Fob

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Nissan, Infiniti Fobs

Most common four button Nissan and Infiniti key fobs, updated.

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Nissan three button key fob, updated.

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The latest key fob style, so far used in an Infinity only.

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Porsche Fob

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Subaru Fob

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Tesla Fobs

Tesla fob, Model X only.

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This one covers the Model S.

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VW Fobs

Volkswagen flip key-style key fob.

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Volkswagen embedded mechanical key style.

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Newer flip key style.

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Volvo, Polestar Fobs

Volvo key fob, older models.

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Volvo, Polestar, new generation key fob.

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Wagoneer Fob

Wagoneer key fob, new models (post 2021).

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Remember that only proper service and repair procedures will ensure the safe and reliable operation of your car. In addition, proper safety procedures and precautions, such as the  use of safety goggles, the right tools and the equipment should be followed at all times to eliminate the possibility of personal injury or improper service which could damage the vehicle or compromise its safety.

These posts are for information sharing purposes only, and should not be used in lieu of an OEM service manual or factory authorized service procedure. We are not in the auto repair business nor do we publish automotive service manuals. Nothing we include on these pages and posts has been reviewed, approved or authorized by any vehicle manufacturer.

Technology is always changing and what is current and accurate today may be literally out-of-date and inaccurate tomorrow. And when it comes to the current state of flux in the auto industry, nothing is more true.

Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2016/03/replacing-fob-remote-or-smart-key-batteries/

Start a Chevrolet with a Dead Key Fob

How to Start a Chevrolet with a Dead Key Fob

Starting Your Chevrolet

Chevrolet vehicles uses all three of the key fob styles made by General Motors. There are also way too many back up start variations, but we have them all here. And you can find a whole lot of videos here.

Inside door releaseHere’s the deal: Buckle up, find your model, and if your start battery is still good, we’ll get you underway. Note that they are generally presented as sedans, then SUVs then pick ups.

The Coupes made by GM will show up early in this list, including the Corvette (C6, C7 and C8 models). So, note immediately that the latches are electronic and if the main 12-volt battery is dead and you’ve closed the door, the lever to the right is your only escape. You will find it below the door on the floor where you would expect to find a trunk release (right). Pull it up and the door will open. There’s another on the passenger side for that door.

The rectangular style key fob is used in most GM vehicles prior to 2014. GM start 3In Corvette models built before 2014 (C6), the pocket is on the left of the inside of the glove box. Place the transmitter in the pocket with the buttons facing the glove box storage area (right). Then, with the vehicle in P (Park) or N (Neutral), press the brake pedal and the Start / Stop ignition button as normal.

In the 2014 (C7) Corvette, the transmitter pocket is moved to the right side of the steering column, as shown to the left. Place the Corvette start 2transmitter in the pocket with the buttons facing up. Again, with the vehicle in Park or Neutral, press the brake pedal and the Start / Stop ignition button as normal. Find a helpful video here. See below for the C8.

Newer, rounded “flip key” key fob and a rounded fob with a built in or pull away mechanical key, take over from here.

Camaro slotPush button or keyless start is introduced to the Camaro in 2016. It also uses the cup holder as a back up slot, but to their credit, Chevrolet made this one simple. Make sure there is nothing, particularly coins, in the rear cup holder, and simply drop the fob into it. The car will recognize the key and a press of the brake pedal and Start / Stop ignition button will have you on your way. Corvettes (C8), 2020 – 2023, use this spot as well. In 2024, the Corvette spot is moved to the front cup holder.

Impala back up slotThe Impala uses a back up pocket located in the front of the center console (right). The model is using the flip key thus far through 2018. Drop transmitter into the pocket with the key ring up and the buttons facing out. With the vehicle in Park or Neutral, press the brake pedal and the Start / Stop ignition button as normal.

Look for video help here.

With the first generation Volt, open the instrument panel GM start 5storage area located above the infotainment screen and remove the rubber mat. Extend the key blade and place the blade into the slot (right).

With the vehicle in Park or Neutral, press the brake pedal and the POWER button on the center stack to start the vehicle.

Starting with model year 2016, the back-up location for the Volt is Volt fob pocketmoved to the center console, as shown. The rubber mat at the bottom of the console will need to be removed, and so anything actually in the console.

This is also the location used by the new Bolt EV and Bolt EUV, which will be found beneath a pull-out tray.

The pocket for the fob or transmitter is beneath the pad or tray and to the front. It is also roughly the shape of the fob. Place the fob in the pocket and with the vehicle in Park or Neutral, press the brake pedal and the POWER button on the center stack to start the vehicle. We have a video of the process here.

GM start 6The last flip key back-up start option belongs to the Cruze. You must remove the plastic trim piece from the small storage area next to the accessory power outlet near the front of the console. Extend the key blade and insert it into the transmitter slot (right). With the vehicle in Park or Neutral, press the brake pedal and the Start / Stop ignition button as normal.

Check out the video here.

Cruze back up spot 2The 2017 Cruze gets the new key and a new back up location, which is the front cup holder, as seen to the right. Sonic, Equinox and Blazer models now use this spot as well.

Simply drop the key fob into the front cup holder, buttons up, and start the car as normal, stepping on the brake and pushing the Start / Stop ignition button.

Blazer EV back up spotThe 2024 Blazer Electric Vehicle (EV) is a different animal. Its back up spot is at the bottom of the center console storage area. Drop the key fob on the spot shown (right) with the buttons up.

And it starts differently as well. Once the key fob is in its spot, simply step on the brake. The instrument panel will tell you if you have been successful.

Trax back upThe Trax, which first saw push button start in 2017, also uses the front cup holder as its back up slot. However, there are three cup holders in the center console area, with the front one being separated from the two behind it. Be sure to use the one in the very front. See the image to right.

Drop the key fob into the front cup holder, buttons up, and start the car as normal, using the Start / Stop button while stepping on the brake pedal.

Check out a videos for all these models here.

Trailblazer pocketThe new Trailblazer model has the back up pocket in front of the center console storage area and behind the the two cup holders on the console (image at right). Drop the key fob into the pocket or depression, The manual states that the buttons should be facing the front, but we don’t believe this is possible given the shape of the pocket. We also believe that it will not likely matter. With the vehicle in Park or Neutral, press the brake pedal and the Start / Stop ignition button as normal.

Until 2021, the large SUV’s from GM, including the Tahoe and Suburban, feature a transmitter Tahoe Escalade Suburban back-uppocket also located in the face of the front of the inside of the center console. However, the pocket points down, as shown to the right. Slide the transmitter into the pocket with the key ring facing out, buttons forward (in the Suburban we had on hand, the engine started with the buttons facing either way). It is a loose fit, so don’t be concerned. With the vehicle in Park or Neutral, press the brake pedal and the Start / Stop ignition button as normal. Check out the video here.

Traverse back up slotIn the Chevrolet Traverse, through 2023, the transmitter pocket is at the bottom of the center console storage area, as seen in the image to the right. The outline of the transmitter will be visible to the front of the console. The 2024 Traverse uses the left or driver’s side cup holder, exactly like the Silverado EV below. Once the fob is in place, press the brake pedal and the Start / Stop ignition button as normal to start the vehicle.

Spark models also have what is called a transmitter pocket in the center console, but no image defining a location is Spark consoleshown in the manual. There are three storage spots in the console (see the red arrows), and one of them will be the “pocket” but none of them are actually marked. Drop the transmitter or key fob in the front storage spot first and attempt to start the car normally, with your foot on the brake and pressing the Start / Stop button.

If this does not work, move to the storage spot furthest back and try starting again. If the car again fails to start, try the longer storage spot alongside the emergency brake. If the starting problem is associated with a dead battery in the key fob, one of the three locations will work!

Malibu Impala back-upIn the Silverado pick up (note that the electric version is discussed below) and the Malibu sedan, the pocket for the transmitter is located in the face of the rear of the inside of the center console. Silverado gets push button start for the first time in 2019. Slide the transmitter into the pocket with the key ring facing up, and the buttons out (or however it will fit!).

The Silverado’s pocket is larger, as is the center console, which is actually the center seat in the bench seat. With the vehicle in Park or Neutral, press the brake pedal and Silverado bucket pocketthe Start / Stop ignition button as normal. The pocket in 2021 Tahoe and Suburban models with a bench seat is also moved to this location, at the back of the console.

If the Silverado, Tahoe or Suburban models have bucket seats, the pocket is found in or near the the two cup holders. In the Silverado, slip the key fob or transmitter into the insert between the cup holders (first image to the right). In the Tahoe or Suburban, as well as the Silverado EV, drop the Tahoe bucket pockettransmitter into the left side cup holder (second image below right).

Once again, with the vehicle in Park or Neutral, press the brake pedal and the Start / Stop ignition button as normal. The Silverado EV starts when the brake pedal is depressed.

And we have a video of the process here.

Note: If you have made an attempt to start the vehicle without success, there may be residual pressure in the brake system and a new warning light may appear (left) or text Engine Start Operation Indicatormessage to Step on the Brake. Press the brake pedal very, very hard when trying to start the vehicle again to be sure that the release switch behind the pedal is engaged. Or wait a few minutes and try again.

… Return to Part I, Getting In

Open Chevrolet Models with a Dead Key Fob

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Remember that only proper service and repair procedures will ensure the safe and reliable operation of your car. In addition, proper safety procedures and precautions, such as the  use of safety goggles, the right tools and the equipment should be followed at all times to eliminate the possibility of personal injury or improper service which could damage the vehicle or compromise its safety.

These posts are for information sharing purposes only, and should not be used in lieu of an OEM service manual or factory authorized service procedure. We are not in the auto repair business nor do we publish automotive service manuals. Nothing we include on these pages and posts has been reviewed, approved or authorized by any vehicle manufacturer.

Technology is always changing and what is current and accurate today may be literally out-of-date and inaccurate tomorrow. And when it comes to the current state of flux in the auto industry, nothing is more true.

Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2015/01/general-motors-dead-key-fob-help-part-ii/

Automotive Culture Needs an Empathy Reboot

Automotive Culture

DashboardSymbols.com was founded on the basis that the industry was leaving its driver’s behind at crucial points in the driving experience – namely when something goes wrong. Recent events reinforce this basis.

First, General Motors and the ongoing saga surrounding very, very bad ignition switches. Evidence continues to point to GM treating the problem as a customer satisfaction issue early on and later to discover how to alter the behavior of their customers in order to rectify the problem of their cars shutting down unexpectedly. At first, the company warned against possibly hitting the ignition key with a knee or a bag, or some other foreign object and thus turning off the car. Later, drivers were instructed not hang heavy items on key chains, a warning that remains in force for cars not yet serviced in a recall.

Who Know?

Second, we got a call from a Kia Motors customer who tried to determine in advance of the battery in his key fob going dead just how to start a 2014 Optima. No one in sales or service at the dealership where he bought the car actually knew! They each pointed to a slot in the glove box, which had been removed for the 2014 model year. The customer called Kia’s California headquarters where he Kia/Hyun Start Style 6was told that the start button is simply to be pushed by the key fob itself if the fob’s battery goes flat. He called us since we turned up in a search for the answer, and we had it wrong too! We had the procedure, but not for the 2014 Optima. (We had access only to the 2013 model year manual and have since confirmed his answer and updated this website posting.)

In both stories, one element of a car company serving the public got it wrong – at corporate in the first instance and at the dealership level in the second. The underlying issue to us at DashboardSymbols.com is a lack of empathy for customers. It is far too easy and convenient to look for where a customer is misusing the equipment or to leave them to their own devices rather than to expend energy looking for a possible problem or a real answer. Even as there was ample evidence that several parties at GM knew the ignition switches were bad, others at the company who were hearing complaints failed to go beyond looking for how the customer might have caused the problem. And anyone at the Kia store (who will remain nameless) could have opened the owner’s manual from a new Optima and supplied the correct answer.

Widespread Problems

These problems are not confined to GM or to Kia dealerships. They are part of a culture deeply entrenched with service and sales personnel who all too often quite frankly see their customers as stupid. “Not that question again!” And they are just as entrenched at the corporate level as evidenced by the growing number of tell tales thrown into cars with little regard for the average Joe who just needs to get the kids to school on time and get to work. The car culture puts a new system in a car, and makes a new tell tale. Over 270 of them on DashboardSymbols.com and growing.

BMW Cylinder CoverAnd adding insult to injury, there are now 11 manufacturers building cars with hidden key holes, and not one has thought to put the instructions in an app for a locked-out customer to reference. Its in the manual after all – locked in the car.  The customer is supposed to remember having been shown. Once. As if anyone really learns anything that way.

A little empathy, a mile walk in their shoes, rather than the cynicism will go a long way at GM, and the industry as a whole, to change the current culture. Or at least soften it.

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Remember that only proper service and repair procedures will ensure the safe and reliable operation of your car. In addition, proper safety procedures and precautions, such as the  use of safety goggles, the right tools and the equipment should be followed at all times to eliminate the possibility of personal injury or improper service which could damage the vehicle or compromise its safety.

These posts are for information sharing purposes only, and should not be used in lieu of an OEM service manual or factory authorized service procedure. We are not in the auto repair business nor do we publish automotive service manuals. Nothing we include on these pages and posts has been reviewed, approved or authorized by any vehicle manufacturer.

Technology is always changing and what is current and accurate today may be literally out-of-date and inaccurate tomorrow. And when it comes to the current state of flux in the auto industry, nothing is more true.

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