Triple Honk Always

[little1er]

I just purchased my spark last week and I've noticed that whenever I pull the bright headlight lever, the horn honks 3 times. I know the car has this as a safety feature for under 19mph, but mine does it all the time. Anyone else's do this or am I an isolated case?

Thanks

 

[GeorgeChevy]

Mines does it too, I wanted to alert someone with the high beam on the highway, and it honked 3 times.

 

[little1er]

Mines does it too, I wanted to alert someone with the high beam on the highway, and it honked 3 times.

I have confirmed with Chevrolet that the car is not meant to do this above 19 mph. They advised me to take it into the dealership to have it fixed. I wonder how wide spread this problem is!

 

[MysteriousJ]

Mines does it too, I wanted to alert someone with the high beam on the highway, and it honked 3 times.

I have confirmed with Chevrolet that the car is not meant to do this above 19 mph. They advised me to take it into the dealership to have it fixed. I wonder how wide spread this problem is!

What would the fix be? Seems to be that a simple software update would fix this.

 

[SanDiego]

Ours does it at any speed. The honk is such a quiet set of toots it doesn't bother me so much, but it would be great to have it work only over 19 mph. I love the car in so many ways, but I do find that the setup of that stalk for bright vs. dim lights is counterintuitive: having to push it one direction for brights and pull one direction for dims (or is it the other way around - even now I don't know)

 

[iletric]

One of the first things I dealt with back in August. Err, err, err -- it's the Chevy way, folks! I happen to never really use high beam flash because cuturally everybody sees it as being challenged, and in Oakland you could probably get shot right there on the freeway flashing someone.

So I guess none of us have been driving American or Chevy lately. Or everrrr!

That, and the cruise control on the wrong side of the steering column...and the wiper lever on the right side of it but going in the wrong direction (up instead of down) to activate it, etc. etc. GMC must be feeling very good about themselves doing thing the wrong way instead going with the flow.

Hey, this is why I leased and didn't buy. Sparky is just an in-between car for us before a 200-mile Tesla comes along. Honda maybe? Would be nice. Or even Infinity that Nissan has been promising. The list is getting longer within a year of two and I do look forward to normality again.

 

[cwerdna]

So I guess none of us have been driving American or Chevy lately. Or everrrr!

That, and the cruise control on the wrong side of the steering column...and the wiper lever on the right side of it but going in the wrong direction (up instead of down) to activate it, etc. etc. GMC must be feeling very good about themselves doing thing the wrong way instead going with the flow.

I guess you haven't looked at/driven GM vehicles much before. (My parents had 3 of them and I've had plenty of rentals before. )

The wiper controls direction being backwards vs. many Japanese cars (Toyota and Nissan along w/many Hondas) is a GM thing and has been going on for ages. At least they copied the Japanese by putting a lever on the right and following the action, except making them backwards. Put the video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pz3UIzmK7T8 into 720p and look at the right stalk.

On older GM cars, often, the wipers were on the left stalk (same as turn signal) and you rotated it forward to turn them on. This is basically the same action as turning on headlights on Japanese cars.

Also, on some very old GM cars from the 80s (but was still used as recently as a decade ago or even newer and may still be in present use), the cruise control was ALSO part of the turn signal stalk and crammed onto a little switch near the end, combined w/pushing a button at the end of the stalk.

Here's an example of what I'm talking about: http://www.1aauto.com/1A/cruise-control-switches-and-levers/Buick/Century/1AZCC00002. Google for gm cruise control stalk, if you want more examples.

FWIW, none of the GM vehicles we had even had cruise control and none even had headlight controls on the left stalk. They were all a switch or knob on the left side of the dash for the headlights. Them putting it on the left stalk was also copying the Japanese.

 

[iletric]

Well, they're halfway there...

 

[little1er]

Mines does it too, I wanted to alert someone with the high beam on the highway, and it honked 3 times.

I have confirmed with Chevrolet that the car is not meant to do this above 19 mph. They advised me to take it into the dealership to have it fixed. I wonder how wide spread this problem is!

What would the fix be? Seems to be that a simple software update would fix this.

It should be a software issue. When I originally spoke with onstar, they said it was a feature that was on the vault too, but it shouldn't happen over 19 mph still.

 

[little1er]

One of the first things I dealt with back in August. Err, err, err -- it's the Chevy way, folks! I happen to never really use high beam flash because cuturally everybody sees it as being challenged, and in Oakland you could probably get shot right there on the freeway flashing someone.

So I guess none of us have been driving American or Chevy lately. Or everrrr!

That, and the cruise control on the wrong side of the steering column...and the wiper lever on the right side of it but going in the wrong direction (up instead of down) to activate it, etc. etc. GMC must be feeling very good about themselves doing thing the wrong way instead going with the flow.

Hey, this is why I leased and didn't buy. Sparky is just an in-between car for us before a 200-mile Tesla comes along. Honda maybe? Would be nice. Or even Infinity that Nissan has been promising. The list is getting longer within a year of two and I do look forward to normality again.

I rarely use my high beam flash as well. My bigger issue is coming home in the evenings I drive through a canyon with little traffic, but lots of deer. It's helpful to get more distance with the highbeams, but its when I dim them for an oncoming car that I activate the triple honk. It just gets obnoxious hearing it ever 45-90 seconds when a car passes in the other direction.

I will be taking the car to the dealership next week in an attempt to have the issue resolved. I will post my outcome.

 

[SanDiego]

Hey, little1er, you said "...when I dim them for an oncoming car that I activate the triple honk." I think that means you're pulling the turn signal lever towards you to dim them; that DOES always give the triple honk.

When you want your high beams to turn on and stay on, you push the lever away from you. Just push it away from you AGAIN to dim them - then there is no honk. That's the way ours works; check it out!

 

[little1er]

Hey, little1er, you said "...when I dim them for an oncoming car that I activate the triple honk." I think that means you're pulling the turn signal lever towards you to dim them; that DOES always give the triple honk.

When you want your high beams to turn on and stay on, you push the lever away from you. Just push it away from you AGAIN to dim them - then there is no honk. That's the way ours works; check it out!

Thanks SanDiego! I cannot do that on my Bimmer, so I never tried it on the Spark. This makes the drive much more bearable for me and oncoming cars! I am still taking my car to the dealer to see if they can get that triple honk to only occur at slow speeds. I'll post my results

 

[emissionfree]

Looks like everything is working properly with your triple honk. I compared the Volt manual and the Spark EV manual and only the Volt manual mentions a speed limitation on the 'Pedestrian Friendly Alert'. I also checked with the dealer and they said it is supposed to chirp at all speeds.

I like it. It is fun. It gives me two ways to alert other vehicles I'm in their blind spot on the interstate.

 

[iletric]

It's the dumbest thing ever.

Just like GM giving you an actual physical key to open Spark, with an rfid embedded to boot, only to have it trigger alarm if you dare to use it. This is right out of Joseph Heller pages, folks!

Driving this car (all my cars have been Hondas, Acuras, etc.) I now truly realize what stubborn twerps American car manufacturers are.

Keep going against the flow GM! It'll get you far...

 

[Nashco]

It's the dumbest thing ever.

Just like GM giving you an actual physical key to open Spark, with an rfid embedded to boot, only to have it trigger alarm if you dare to use it. This is right out of Joseph Heller pages, folks!

Driving this car (all my cars have been Hondas, Acuras, etc.) I now truly realize what stubborn twerps American car manufacturers are.

Keep going against the flow GM! It'll get you far...

Actually, that physical key triggering the alarm is for great reason. The doors have no sensor to detect anything in the door lock tumbler, as that would add cost for a feature that would be used almost never in practical use (as everybody uses keyless entry). Even if it did have this feature and you were willing to pay $XX extra for your car to have it, that wouldn't help you if you had a dead 12V battery.

Therefore, the car's alarm system has no way to detect if you used your key in the door or if somebody used a slim jim, rock through the window, or just reaching in to an open window to unlock the car...it just knows that it is armed and somebody entered the car. The method typically used to disable the alarm is by using the physical key to do something very fast or complex that you could not normally do if you broke in to the car, such as toggle the key tumbler multiple times from off to on in a few seconds. If it didn't trigger the alarm, your car would be quite easily stolen because anybody that unlatched the lock (or disconnected the 12V battery) would have full access to the car's operations. Keep in mind, the alarm only goes off it has been armed by the user! If you only use the physical key to lock the vehicle, the alarm won't go off.

Makes a lot of sense to me...but maybe I just don't hate American car companies enough. Actually...this feature isn't unique to GM (or American cars) at all. How does this feature work on your Honda with an alarm system?

Bryce

 

[iletric]

My Honda is a 92 with aftermarket alarm. So it's key, and alarm clicker.

Our Leaf has it so much better. Seriously. The logic is absent. The whole thing is counterintuitive. I've been driving Leaf for 2 years now and pretty much everything about it makes total sense. From keyless entry, to shift knob, to displays (with only a minor issues), I mean it is such a pleasure - everything the EV is supposed to offer.

Chevy's gestalt is non-EV, the AT-like shifter lever, the non-ergonomic buttons around the steering (I have to look down to operate the cruise for example) the accidental audio volume finger brushes. It's stupidity incorporated. No thought involved. Bunch of fat cats approving half-baked designs.

The only good thing about Spark is that it's cheap and has 90 mile range. In other words, if Leaf had the same range this year I would not be in a Spark today. Period.

Not even mentioning the AC and heat going awol for no apparent reason. Still haven't had a chance to bring it in to get it looked at. Ridiculous. Best thing - it's a lease. By the time it goes back Tesla will rule with Model E.

 

[Oberon]

Chevy's gestalt is non-EV, the AT-like shifter lever, the non-ergonomic buttons around the steering (I have to look down to operate the cruise for example) the accidental audio volume finger brushes. It's stupidity incorporated. No thought involved. Bunch of fat cats approving half-baked designs.

The only good thing about Spark is that it's cheap and has 90 mile range.

Yeah, the shift lever which presumably operates a couple microswitches to select modes is pretty silly. Perhaps it is meant to give comfort to EV first timers. I agree the interior design is not really all there.

However, it's not fair to say the only thing going for it is that it is cheap and has 90 mile range. First, the powertrain is really really good, very quiet, very strong, really nice to drive. And it handles pretty well and is both pleasant and fun to drive. For a car in it's size category I think it's best I've driven. Mazda 2 is sort of meh, and the Yaris is annoyingly jumpy on the throttle and is bad over bumps.

Plus don't knock cheap. We bought this as a second car (first is a Honda Fit) but use it for about 90% of the driving. After the fuel saving and all the incentives it costs only $40 more a month compared to keeping our 20 year old Accord.

Now I'm hooked, I probably won't get another ICE car.

 

[iletric]

We bought this as a second car (first is a Honda Fit) but use it for about 90% of the driving. After the fuel saving and all the incentives it costs only $40 more a month compared to keeping our 20 year old Accord.

Now I'm hooked, I probably won't get another ICE car.

Exactly my thought. Except, I've been hooked since we got our Leaf in 2011.

But I still look forward to a better EV in due time. And I know GM won't be able to cut it based on what I see they did with the Sparky.