Shutting off in Reverse
Racer
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 298
Likes: 0
It is there because of a federal requirement. I don't think GM wanted it to work that way. Basically on a manual you need to lock the column or lock the shifter when the vehicle is off. On the majority of manual vehicles this is done mechanically when you turn the key from on to off and you have to push that button thing. I've heard that the federal requirement has been changed and the 2006 do not have a column lock and therefore do not require reverse to shut down, but I don't know if this is true.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 1,015
Likes: 0
From: Granby CT
I always kept my manuals in neutral. Rather pay for a new parking brake than part of the transmission if it gets pushed or something. Now I worry that I forget it is in reverse and I let up on clutch. I just object that I HAVE to do something rather than it working as it should.
5th Gear
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
Originally Posted by carjon
I always kept my manuals in neutral. Rather pay for a new parking brake than part of the transmission if it gets pushed or something. Now I worry that I forget it is in reverse and I let up on clutch. I just object that I HAVE to do something rather than it working as it should.
I would dig into it myself but I don't own a Corvette yet (on order). Sounds like a nice business opportunity for someone. Who marketed the 1-4 skip-shift bypass kit? Get on it already!
Racer
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 274
Likes: 0
From: Indiana
Oh no....that wouldn't work...... then it would be a hassle to HAVE to pull the parking brake up. On a flat surface in the garage, you don't need it if you leave the car in gear!! 
Plus, could you program the dic to say pull parking brake and honk at you 3 times if you forget?
IF you don't like it, trade it for an automatic or stop whining!!!!
Plus, could you program the dic to say pull parking brake and honk at you 3 times if you forget?
IF you don't like it, trade it for an automatic or stop whining!!!!
Racer
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 429
Likes: 0
From: El Segundo CA
Originally Posted by stanleyp
Putting the tranny in gear when shutting off the engine is something you should be doing anyway. Corvette, Mustang, Yugo, whatever. If GM had opted for 1st gear instead of R, then the R advocates would complain. They had a 50-50 chance of which gear people would prefer.
I will admit, it is a PITA when you have to hope that when you drop the car someplace, they will remember your warning and that the Post-it note you stuck on the dash didn't fall to the floor.
I will admit, it is a PITA when you have to hope that when you drop the car someplace, they will remember your warning and that the Post-it note you stuck on the dash didn't fall to the floor.
If they chose first gear, then there's the possiblity of the column being locked while the car is in motion (i.e. the off button is pressed while on the highway). Now you're screwed because you're coasting down the road with the steering column locked. Hence I believe this is why they chose reverse since you don't go driving down the road at high speeds in reverse.
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5th Gear
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
Originally Posted by bz94z28
Oh no....that wouldn't work...... then it would be a hassle to HAVE to pull the parking brake up. On a flat surface in the garage, you don't need it if you leave the car in gear!!
Plus, could you program the dic to say pull parking brake and honk at you 3 times if you forget?
IF you don't like it, trade it for an automatic or stop whining!!!!
Plus, could you program the dic to say pull parking brake and honk at you 3 times if you forget?
IF you don't like it, trade it for an automatic or stop whining!!!!
Tell you what, kid... go pop a zit and let the grown-ups talk. You're bothering me, son.
Racer
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 274
Likes: 0
From: Indiana
Knasher - I was just trying to point out that no matter how things are, somebody is not going to be happy. If this feature of the car is such a hassle, maybe you should have done your homework before you bought one. I find no problem with it. As far as your insults go, I would expect better from someone driving a Vette, but if you can't remember to put your car in reverse, maybe not. You won't find many friends here slinging stupid comments like that around.
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 11,183
Likes: 85
From: Castle Rock CO
St. Jude Donor '15
Originally Posted by OttoNP
It is there because of a federal requirement. I don't think GM wanted it to work that way. Basically on a manual you need to lock the column or lock the shifter when the vehicle is off. On the majority of manual vehicles this is done mechanically when you turn the key from on to off and you have to push that button thing. I've heard that the federal requirement has been changed and the 2006 do not have a column lock and therefore do not require reverse to shut down, but I don't know if this is true.
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5th Gear
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
Originally Posted by bz94z28
Knasher - I was just trying to point out that no matter how things are, somebody is not going to be happy. If this feature of the car is such a hassle, maybe you should have done your homework before you bought one. I find no problem with it. As far as your insults go, I would expect better from someone driving a Vette, but if you can't remember to put your car in reverse, maybe not. You won't find many friends here slinging stupid comments like that around.
Specifically with this issue, it is simply a concern, it isn't a reason not to buy the car, it isn't a reason not to get an automatic. It's a concern shared by several people on the forum and some of us would like to discuss the possibility of a workaround w/o being accused of whining. Do... you... UNDERSTAND... that concept?
As far as stupid comments go... I found your posts most insulting, non-constructive, and childish.
To the rest of the forum, I promise the rest of you that I will keep my posts on-topic from now on.
Racer
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 274
Likes: 0
From: Indiana
Don't want you condescending apology and don't need it...... good luck getting your Vette and hopefully you will find when you do get one that it is not a big deal. I got more important things to worry about.....the Vette takes my mind off of those, not adds to them. Sorry if I hurt your feelings. Can't we all get along? 
Drifting
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 1,254
Likes: 0
From: Ft. Liquordale Florida
Originally Posted by Knasher
Tell you what... I will apologize to you and to the forum for my comments to you. I should not have done that, but not because of your response, but because I took a couple of minutes to think about it and I regret lowering myself to your level.
Specifically with this issue, it is simply a concern, it isn't a reason not to buy the car, it isn't a reason not to get an automatic. It's a concern shared by several people on the forum and some of us would like to discuss the possibility of a workaround w/o being accused of whining. Do... you... UNDERSTAND... that concept?
As far as stupid comments go... I found your posts most insulting, non-constructive, and childish.
To the rest of the forum, I promise the rest of you that I will keep my posts on-topic from now on.
Specifically with this issue, it is simply a concern, it isn't a reason not to buy the car, it isn't a reason not to get an automatic. It's a concern shared by several people on the forum and some of us would like to discuss the possibility of a workaround w/o being accused of whining. Do... you... UNDERSTAND... that concept?
As far as stupid comments go... I found your posts most insulting, non-constructive, and childish.
To the rest of the forum, I promise the rest of you that I will keep my posts on-topic from now on.
How to win friends and influence people...
Rick
Racer
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 429
Likes: 0
From: El Segundo CA
Originally Posted by WhiteDiamond
Like another post much furthor up, this is not true. Go to any car make, besides Chevy Corvette, and you will not find this. Every other maker has found a way to lock the column when the vehicle is shut off. It is my opinion GM did this because the engineering staff is incapable of dealing with the column lock issue that has carried over from the C5. They are lazy and decided to through another 'interlock' at the issue and see if they could stop it. Instead, they should have re-engineered a correct system(like every other make has been able to do.....maybe why they are leting the Holden group design the Zeta platform as well, GM here probably can't do it.....).
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 11,183
Likes: 85
From: Castle Rock CO
St. Jude Donor '15
Originally Posted by elmagoo
Um, what other car has a completely keyless starter system? Meaning that you still don't have to put your key in a slot and start the vehicle? I know there are plenty of cars with a starter button, but they still require the key to be inserted. In those other cars, they can just detect when you pull the key and lock the column that way. There's no way to do that with the C6 / XLR because you don't actually insert any kind of key.
GM will learn after the Unions go into attack mode, upper management is removed and they look to the Government for cheap loans to bail them out....
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 4,430
Likes: 81
From: Whidbey Island WA
They have it that way so if you accidently hit the stop/start switch while driving the steering wont lock. The switch in turn must be functional while driving in case of a runaway engine or accident. This means they needed some other indicator to initiate the column lock. Whatever they decided to do with the column lock it had to pass muster with the boys in legal. I can easily see how they would balk at allowing electronic wizardry too handle the situation without a clear manual action by the driver. Like turning the key in a regular car or putting it in reverse in ours. Regardless of your position on the issue though one thing is for certain. There is absolutely no reason I can think of why the car does not time out and shut itself off after a given length of time. There is no reason owners should face a dead battery because of this.
Racer
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 429
Likes: 0
From: El Segundo CA
Originally Posted by WhiteDiamond
You missed my point. The other makes lock the column when the vehicle is shut off by the key. Shutting off the Corvette is when you push the button. Same action could then take place, lock the column, instead of making the driver put it in reverse. There are plenty of ways to by-pass the concerns of many that it would lock while in motion(although not fool proof) or they could simply return to the old system that locks it after it is turned so far while shut off. Either way, shifting to reverse is a very poor engineering design.
GM will learn after the Unions go into attack mode, upper management is removed and they look to the Government for cheap loans to bail them out....
GM will learn after the Unions go into attack mode, upper management is removed and they look to the Government for cheap loans to bail them out....
What Crabman just said is what I've been trying to say, there were safety and legal means as to selecting Reverse as the gear of choice to shut the car off. Yes they could've designed say a second button on the dash for 'complete off', but they went with the reverse route (probably to save money). But I also agree with Crabman that they could have had an auto time-out to save the battery.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 162
Likes: 0
From: Levittown New York
Originally Posted by elmagoo
The other issue they had to satisfy is going into ACC mode. With a key, you have multiple positions on the lock cylinder so hence the key position can determine what you want. With the C6 you have a button. So hence hitting the off button can't just shut the car completely off because then there's no ACC mode.
What Crabman just said is what I've been trying to say, there were safety and legal means as to selecting Reverse as the gear of choice to shut the car off. Yes they could've designed say a second button on the dash for 'complete off', but they went with the reverse route (probably to save money). But I also agree with Crabman that they could have had an auto time-out to save the battery.
What Crabman just said is what I've been trying to say, there were safety and legal means as to selecting Reverse as the gear of choice to shut the car off. Yes they could've designed say a second button on the dash for 'complete off', but they went with the reverse route (probably to save money). But I also agree with Crabman that they could have had an auto time-out to save the battery.
I like the idea proposed in a prior post of tieing the shutdown process to the hand brake, rather than reverse. I would presume most of us apply the hand brake when we park our manuals.
Drifting
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 1,254
Likes: 0
From: Ft. Liquordale Florida
Originally Posted by bt944
I like the idea proposed in a prior post of tieing the shutdown process to the hand brake, rather than reverse. I would presume most of us apply the hand brake when we park our manuals.
Jeeze, for all the frikkin whining around here...
The car reminds your about the handbrake, by not automatically unlocking the door or moving the seat to exit position - solution=pull the handbrake.
The car reminds you in the DIC about reverse, and also bongs the reminder chime (like when we HAD keys & left them in the ignition) and the 3 short horn blasts.
C'mon kids, you want Starship Enterprise? Sex female voice comes on when you hit the off button; "Please set your parking brake and place car in reverse before exiting".
It's just another routine for me now. Pull in garage, pull handbrake, turn car off, shift into reverse, end of story...
Rick
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 1,382
Likes: 3
From: Sebring FL
Originally Posted by elmagoo
If they chose first gear, then there's the possiblity of the column being locked while the car is in motion (i.e. the off button is pressed while on the highway). Now you're screwed because you're coasting down the road with the steering column locked. Hence I believe this is why they chose reverse since you don't go driving down the road at high speeds in reverse. .
.EXCELLENT point that I had not thought of.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 162
Likes: 0
From: Levittown New York
Originally Posted by SickRick
If you've got your seat/exit memory programmed, the seat won't move to exit position unless the handbrake is set.
Jeeze, for all the frikkin whining around here...
The car reminds your about the handbrake, by not automatically unlocking the door or moving the seat to exit position - solution=pull the handbrake.
The car reminds you in the DIC about reverse, and also bongs the reminder chime (like when we HAD keys & left them in the ignition) and the 3 short horn blasts.
C'mon kids, you want Starship Enterprise? Sex female voice comes on when you hit the off button; "Please set your parking brake and place car in reverse before exiting".
It's just another routine for me now. Pull in garage, pull handbrake, turn car off, shift into reverse, end of story...
Rick
Jeeze, for all the frikkin whining around here...
The car reminds your about the handbrake, by not automatically unlocking the door or moving the seat to exit position - solution=pull the handbrake.
The car reminds you in the DIC about reverse, and also bongs the reminder chime (like when we HAD keys & left them in the ignition) and the 3 short horn blasts.
C'mon kids, you want Starship Enterprise? Sex female voice comes on when you hit the off button; "Please set your parking brake and place car in reverse before exiting".
It's just another routine for me now. Pull in garage, pull handbrake, turn car off, shift into reverse, end of story...
Rick
I wouldnt know that....I dont have the memory package.