mikeyc6,

Good idea and I hope you can develop the bypass for those people that want to disable it or at least create a "DIY / How To" so others can disable it if they wish

 

 

I've had DBS once with the car in reverse, but my initial start of this thread wasn't to address DBS. It was to address the need to shut down in reverse so that if/when your car must be driven or shut down by another person like a valet, friend, family member, ignorant service tech, etc. the battery won't go dead. After thinking about it some more, one failsafe must be added to my initial proposal. If done as I proposed and the engine were accidentally turned off while driving, the column lock would engage while the car is moving. Indeed I think that's the reason that the shutdown-in-reverse exists to begin with, so you'd probably have to disable column lock to make my proposal work.

And Stan... just give it more time. I was like you a couple of months ago. I remember you got your car a couple of months after I did so I had my car about as long as you've had yours now when my first (and so far only) DBS hit. Before my first DBS, I was like you, I figured it was quite rare and that only some cars had the problem. I too park mine for a month or more at a time even in the dead of winter and never had a problem. I always back into the garage, never hear a peep from the warning when you don't get it in reverse, and double checked mine after the DBS... it was still in reverse. My "it only happens to a few cars" idea was shattered one day when my battery was drained down to 2.4 volts after sitting only a few days. It'll happen to you. Have confidence. It just takes time.

Mike

 

Well, Mike, that's reassuring...not. So far my car has been remarkably free of most of the problems being reported. Still, I am concerned about these issues and the possibility that I can be hit with one or more of them at any time. That's why I had the DEW installed as a preventative measure...no problem, but I'd rather err on the side of caution. If GM does come up with a retroactive shutdown fix, I can guarantee you that I'll be on the phone with my dealer to have it done. Like the crank pulley bolt problem, my concern here is that GM doesn't seem to really have a handle on what's causing the problem.

In the meantime, I'll keep my fingers crossed and hope all stays golden until a TSB is issued.

 

THANK YOU!!!!!

 

I'll be in line right behind ya.

I don't plan to do the DEW for the crank bolt as I feel I'm over the hump for that one, but I know that the same thing I told you regarding the DBS could happen to me with the crank bolt. As for DBS, I've run into that one so I guess my DBSaphobia is worse than my crankaphobia.

At least I have a PriorityStart installed so I know there is no possibility of my battery actually being dead and no possibility of me getting stranded because of it. Still, it would be quite annoying to be out with someone at a nice restaurant to come out and have to get in the car through the trunk and reactivate power with the cigarette lighter only to hear giggles and a remark like "and you paid how much for this car".



Mike

 

What do you mean "get in the car through the trunk"?
Don't tell me you're crawling in!?

 

Question: if you leave the car parked mainly in your garage, and you have Battery Tender Plus, do you also need a Priority Start unit?

 

Only problem might be on an overnight trip where you can't run the tender.

 

Interesting post. What I find most meaningful is about a week before I encountered the dreaded DBS, I went from the manual lock to the passive mode. This was at 5 mos of ownership, & about 2500mi. No problems before the reset to passive.
Thanks for the tip, & I'll go back to manual lock!

 

I've used passive lock with horn notification since day one, and no DBS at least in 6 months. Your situation could just be coincidental. Of course it can't hurt to change it though.

 

Hoonose;
Well, you're probably right-guess at this point I'm just grasping at straws. Well, I'll give it a shot, & see what happens. By the way, thanks much for all your posts on the DBS issue-you've been very helpful
Take Care.

 

this happen to a friend on a C-5 as he did not have the horn signal till i set it up for him. that is when he found out what was causing his battery to go dead. the corvette keys were on a hook in his kitchen and when they were walking thru the kitchen the vibration would lock and unlock the doors and turn on the lights but they never knew it till the horn signal was set up. he just switched off the fob and no more dead battery

 

I think it is dumb, I should be able to put into whatever gear or not that I want. I'll bet a bunch of people start the car with the clutch down and then let up the clutch forgetting it is in reverse.
GM tried to provide 3 functions (running, accessory and off) with a 2 position switch so they had to have some other method. Too clever for their own good. If the statement in another message about this going away for 2006 then even the general realized how stupid this is.
I never(used) to leave my car in gear. The parking brake is sufficient (other than the hills of SF). The engine, clutch, trans. aren't built to be a brake and hold the car stopped, the brakes are.

 

I've never left a car in gear in the garage until now.

I hope someone can figure out a way around this.

 

For all the nay sayers. I admit you shouldnt have to put it in reverse to shut it down properly but you do.

IT IS NOT THE FIRST TIME FOR CHEVY like someone said. Its not even the first time for CORVETTE. The old c4s (Specifically my 86) Made you put the car in reverse before you could take the key out. Nothing new here its just now people are forgetting because there is no mechanical stop to it. The car allows you to not put it in reverse. That being said i dont mind, never had a dead battery with my c6.

 

No. By the time I get the trunk open to pull the manual door release, I sometimes feel like I might as well crawl through though because that's about the only thing I haven't done at that point. Getting the trunk open in a dark parking garage with the key requires basically standing on your head, feeling and looking for the hole, inserting and turning. Maybe I just need more practice hitting the hole. In my own garage, I back the car up close to the ATV, so getting to the trunk is a real pain.

Mike