I happened to notice a thread in the alt.autos.corvette usenet newsgroup recently that I tought might be worthwhile posting. It seems that if you don't shutdown the car 'by the book', it can be restarted without the fob (and thus easily stolen). (If I read correctly).

FYI: here's (parts) of that thread:

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"Mark Mathews" <m-mathews@raytheon.com> wrote in message
news:4186AD4A.D30D1FB6@raytheon.com...
> What is everybody paying for the 05 Corvette? I got a quote for MSRP in
> the Dallas, Tx.
>
> Thanks,
> Mark
>
Actually I'd hold on to that C5, the C6 sales could be in the crapper. I
just came from my dealer and his statement was that they only have 20% of
the sales they had for the C5 and nobody standing in line as they did for
the C5. Why was I there? I wanted to find out how bad I'd take it in the
shorts to get my C5 back. If I can do it with out hemorrhaging money this C6
will be gone. Delivery available on my terms.

Why? Don't get me wrong, it's quick, fast and quiet and can be driven away
by anyone that knows how to do it without the fob. I didn't believe it until
this weekend when I set it up and put the fobs in the house. Walked out,
about 48 feet, opened the door, got in, fastened the seat belt, hit the
start button and it came to life. No problem, it won't go anyplace without
the "FOB", the manual says it has to be in the vehicle for the ignition to
work. Pulled out of the drive thinking that this thing will stop any second
now. Turned left and started down the road. Stop sign a mile away, that's
where I'm going to have to walk back and get the fob from, wrong. Turned
around and drove back passed my house and stopped, used reverse and then
figured it ain't going to shut off so I drove around the mile square. By the
way this is not the only vehicle that GM makes with keyless, pushbutton
start. If anyone has had this happen or any other similar situation with
their Cadillac let us know.

--
Dad
05 C6 Silver/Red 6spd Z51 - Definitely in a class by its self.
72 Shark Black/Black/4spd

"Robert Scibienski" <rjscibienski@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message
news:418829bb.22933843@news-byoa.prodigy.net...
> Are you sure you didn't have a spare fob in the car or on your person.
> I have an XLR and even when holding the fob at full wingspan the car
> won't open. The fob has to be within ~40 in. for the car to sense it.
> If you are sure there was no fob present, you have an electronics
> problem.

I wish it were that simple but I'm not the only one that it has happened to.
There is no electronic problem, it is the way the car is built. Yes, I can
tell you how it happens but right now I don't feel right about telling the
whole world on a news group. If in fact that is your email addy I'll send
you a copy of how it is done.

Oh what the hell, the basis for this flaw is a quick stop to get a
coffee/newspaper, whatever. The car is shut off with the start/stop button
with the gear shift in neutral with no emergency brake set and the windows
down. I know that's not the way you're told to do it but it can happen. The
car is still live so to speak much like it would be if you stalled it. If I
were to get in it while you are in the store/news stand I can start it and
drive it away. You ask the same question about where the other fob was as I
did when I first heard this and I can assure you that they were both in my
house. The reason for this condition is obvious if you need to restart it in
traffic. My problem is that it can be done without the fob in the car and
the manual says that the fob must be in the car for the "ignition to work".
Goodbye car. Please, if you think you need to try this make sure you don't
get out of it where it can roll away and hurt someone or the car.

I've gotten a raft of crap from people about how I should follow
instructions and I agree. That wasn't the point of the complaint, the fact
that it can be done is not acceptable. It would be the same as my leaving a
key in a car and I never do that.

Good luck with your pushbutton start,

--
Dad
05 C6 Silver/Red 6spd Z51
72 Shark Black/Black/4spd
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You have to shut the car down by putting it in reverse (manual tranny) to avoid battery drain. If you're unable to do that, perhaps you shouldn't be driving the manual tranny or the C6 or both.

The thief is going to have to steal it before the battery runs down.

There are obvious reasons I don't read the corvette newsgroup you're referring to.

 

my question is "does the 6 speed C-6 have a steering column lock"? if not then the requirement to put it in reverse must be there to meet the federal govt requirement for a anti theft device. also can the C-6 6 speed be taken out of reverse with out having the fob in the car? my auto can not be taken out of park without the fob in the car

 

Yes, you can take the manual out of reverse without the fob. But once the shutdown with the tranny in reverse has been accomplished, you cannot start the car without the fob.

 

LMFAO

 

I don't really go for all of these electronic doodads in a sports car, sometimes less is more.
I do still love the C6 regardless though.

 

You know I was wondering about this also. I wonder How easy it is to Hack the RF signal and start the cars. I bet its not to hard. Also what keeps the car from being "hot wired" there is no longer a security "chip" key?? If a 16 Y/O can hack into the CIAs computers there is no telling how these RF codes could be hacked from Radio Shack parts and a laptop.

 

Perhaps I'm reading it wrong, but it looks to me in order to start it without the fob, the car needs to be shut down as follows:
Anyone who leaves their car in neutral with the emergency break down has bigger things to worry about than having their car stolen.

The way I understand it, putting the car in reverse shuts down the electrical system on the 6-speed cars (park does the same for autos). Failure to do so will creating a good "reminder" chiming when the door is opened, much like when you leave the lights on.

How many have ever left their lights on a car when equipped with a warning chime or buzzer?

 

The car doesn't have to be in neutral. To get it stolen, you have to follow this sequence:

- Put the shifter in any gear other than R. It can be neutral or any gear 1-6.

- Press the bottom of the ignition switch rocker to turn the car off.

- Ignore the DIC warning "Shift to Reverse".

- Ignore the chime.

- Ignore the three honks of the horn when you get out of the car.

- Intentionally leave the car unlocked (if you use passive locking, you'll have to leave the keys in/on the car. If not, just don't press the lock button on the FOB).

Seems pretty unlikely to me, but it doesn't change the fact that this is unacceptable and should be fixed by GM as there should be NO way to start the car without the FOB in the car.

EDIT: Strike that last bullet from the list above. I just tried it and apparently you can't even lock the car if you shut it down in a gear other than R and you ignore all the warnings. I shut it down in 1st, ignored the "shift to reverse" on the DIC, the chime, and the three horn honks and just walked away. My passive locking didn't work, leaving the car unlocked. I then tried pressing the lock button on the FOB and that wouldn't lock it either. Also... the lights stayed on indefinitely (although I didn't leave it that way for over a minute).

As I've said before, the biggest risk here is when someone unfamiliar with the car is operating it like when valet parking is required or you have to leave it at the dealer with a non-Vette-savvy crew who might leave it in the dealer lot like this. I'm not woo worried about me making the mistake. The worst thing about it is that the three honks and the fact that the lights stay on is advertisement to thieves because it is just screaming "I'm ready to be stolen". They could be parked across the street from the dealer just waiting for those blatant signals. To the unaware person who just parked your car, they might only think the three honks indicate the car is locked and armed. To the thieves across the street, it signals easy money!

Mike

 

Excellent coverage of all the bases.

 

can't wait to see the first moron lawsuit about this one..

at some point - you have to take responsibility... it DOES warn you - not once, not twice - but THREE TIMES that you shut it down incorrectly (perhaps they need a Windows-style 'are you SURE you want to shut down improperly' dialog on the NAV screen)

I can see this being an issue with valets, etc... but for the owner... get real.
"-)

 

That guy is an idiot, thank god he's getting rid of his C6.

 

I agree that it would take a pretty careless owner to ignore all the obvious warnings the car provides on the proper shut-down sequence. However, there is a serious issue for many owners.

I can't wait to get the heck out of here and move to the country somewhere, but right now, or until I retire young, I work in Washington, D.C. Like New York City, and other big cities, the garages are almost always full on most days, and those that will let you park will not let you self-park. Most attendants don't even speak decent English, so how am I going to explain the proper shut-down sequence?

Thanks for all the great tech tips., but I think there should be a better solution. BTW, I love the car..........it's flawless, so far at 2400. I guess it just strikes me as ironic, that I finally buy an American car as a daily driver, that I can't comfortably park in the Nation's Capital.

 

Parking in D.C.

We took a few days in D.C. after taking museum delivery of our C6.

I paid the valet $10 bucks to let me ride down with him into the parking garage and another $10 bucks to ride back up. I think I would have gone broke if I had to do that daily...but, he could honestly say that he parked the car and I could make sure that he parked it correctly. Oh, I kept the fob.

 

Funny Vespa. But besides the $50/day it would take you to park that way, most of the time, they need to keep the "keys" so they can double-park it, and move it when someone else needs to get out. It ain't very practical .

 

Did you think about buying an auto tranny?

 

Not for a second. I live to shift . You'll have to see my Cobra 427so sometime, but I don't take it to DC.

 

Carry some transparent tape and a 5x7 card with you that says "Shift to reverse before shutting down or this car will be stolen!" in several different languages. Tape that to the center of the steering wheel before you get out.



No kidding, I think it would work... unless the attendant wanted it to be stolen.

Mike

 

In this city, I'd need about 5 cards to accommodate at least 15-20 different languages and dialects........ How many different Arab languages are there?

But, thanks!