I feel dumb

[Intrepidation]

A while back I think I posted a question about the automatic locking feature...basically mine stopped working and I wanted to know why.

I never bothered to get it fixed, and lived without it.

I was browsing through my owner's manual today and came across information about the headlights. Basically you can program them to stay on for a minute or so after you turn the car off or disable the feature.

It got me thinking....I wonder if the automatic locking system is programmable?

Sure enough, you can enable or disable it. So I followed the instructions and sure enough they work again.

I just don't know how they were disabled in the first place. Oh well, nice to have them back.

[Justin Bimmer]

[longtooth]

Did you ever have a dead battery? Or had disconnected the battery for any length of time?

[Robert Hall]

Yes... I don't know how it is on the LHs, but on my GC it's all configurable through the overhead console controls. I can set the light delay to 30/60/90 seconds, drivers door only or all doors on first click of the remote unlock, flash the lights or not on lock/unlock, sound the horn or not on lock/unlock, etc.

Speaking of LHes, one thing I noticed a while back, my friend Karyn has a '99 Intrepid--in riding in it and also driving it I've noticed many of the controls (stalks, stereo, HVAC) are pretty much identical to my '00 GC.

Edited April 22, 2009 by moltar

[ShadowDog]

Handy feature to have... but the light delay feature annoys me.

To allow the light feature to run, as convenient they are 1 in every 100 trips I make somewhere in the dark, whenever I park in the city, day or night, it's friggin' annoying almost EVERY time to have a passerby tell me, "You left your lights on!"

I really have to control myself from just yelling, "YES GODDAMN IT! I KNOW! THEY WILL SHUT THEMSELVES OFF ON THEIR OWN!" ... Of course, if I did that, I would just seem to be an inconsiderate tool.

[Intrepidation]

Did you ever have a dead battery? Or had disconnected the battery for any length of time?

Yes but the day they stopped working was just at random as I recall. Could be wrong. I thougght battery too but then why would all of teh other programmable stuff stay enabled?

Yes... I don't know how it is on the LHs, but on my GC it's all configurable through the overhead console controls. I can set the light delay to 30/60/90 seconds, drivers door only or all doors on first click of the remote unlock, flash the lights or not on lock/unlock, sound the horn or not on lock/unlock, etc.

Speaking of LHes, one thing I noticed a while back, my friend Karyn has a '99 Intrepid--in riding in it and also driving it I've noticed many of the controls (stalks, stereo, HVAC) are pretty much identical to my '00 GC.

The Overhead Travel Information Center as Chrysler called it was optional on Intrepids and Concordes. You do the programming for various features by some combination of turning the key off and onn a certain number of times to activate a particular programming mode and press something related to the feature you're programming to enable or disable it.

Chrysler, like GM and Ford liked to parts share much of the switchgeatr...although when it comes to stereos and the HVAC controls, there were actually a lot of variations.

Handy feature to have... but the light delay feature annoys me.

To allow the light feature to run, as convenient they are 1 in every 100 trips I make somewhere in the dark, whenever I park in the city, day or night, it's friggin' annoying almost EVERY time to have a passerby tell me, "You left your lights on!"

I really have to control myself from just yelling, "YES GODDAMN IT! I KNOW! THEY WILL SHUT THEMSELVES OFF ON THEIR OWN!" ... Of course, if I did that, I would just seem to be an inconsiderate tool.

I don't think anyone's sad that to me yet.

I do like how the headlights have an auto off feature if you forget to actually turn them off.

I think it would be cool if mine had the optional auto-on feature. That was one of my favorite features about the Cobalt I had.

[Robert Hall]

Chrysler, like GM and Ford liked to parts share much of the switchgear...although when it comes to stereos and the HVAC controls, there were actually a lot of variations.

Yeah, more so with the 2nd gen and later GCs...it seems like the 1st gen GCs had more specific interior parts, probably since they were originally an AMC design.

I think it would be cool if mine had the optional auto-on feature. That was one of my favorite features about the Cobalt I had.

My Jeep has the auto-on.. I usually leave it set on auto-on, great with parking garages and tunnels. When it's set to auto-on, the lights go off after 60 seconds (which is what I set it to)...if it's not on (and I leave the lights on otherwise) they shut off after about 5 minutes, IIRC. Though since it chimes when you get out w/ the keys but the lights still on, that's hard to do..

One other option my Jeep has in the overhead console that I like is the Home Link garage door opener...I have my garage in Denver, my condo complex gate in Denver, and my sisters' garage in Phoenix programmed in.

[Oracle of Delphi]

Stop having sex in the car ...

[Intrepidation]

Yeah, more so with the 2nd gen and later GCs...it seems like the 1st gen GCs had more specific interior parts, probably since they were originally an AMC design.

My Jeep has the auto-on.. I usually leave it set on auto-on, great with parking garages and tunnels. When it's set to auto-on, the lights go off after 60 seconds (which is what I set it to)...if it's not on (and I leave the lights on otherwise) they shut off after about 5 minutes, IIRC. Though since it chimes when you get out w/ the keys but the lights still on, that's hard to do..

One other option my Jeep has in the overhead console that I like is the Home Link garage door opener...I have my garage in Denver, my condo complex gate in Denver, and my sisters' garage in Phoenix programmed in.

Yeah, the overhead console that was optional for the LHs had that feature as well.

The Mercury has auto lights and I love them.

When I was at the junkyard I managed to get the switch, but need the sensor. Plus I don't know how to wire it.

[daves87rs]

Handy feature to have... but the light delay feature annoys me.

To allow the light feature to run, as convenient they are 1 in every 100 trips I make somewhere in the dark, whenever I park in the city, day or night, it's friggin' annoying almost EVERY time to have a passerby tell me, "You left your lights on!"

I really have to control myself from just yelling, "YES GODDAMN IT! I KNOW! THEY WILL SHUT THEMSELVES OFF ON THEIR OWN!" ... Of course, if I did that, I would just seem to be an inconsiderate tool.

[Cory Wolfe]

I think it would be cool if mine had the optional auto-on feature. That was one of my favorite features about the Cobalt I had.

I personally dislike the feature. I need to read the manual one of these days to see if I set it to be disabled, otherwise, I have to manually disable them every time. That and the light delay that coincides with it.

Automatic this, automatic that, I hate it. I can't be in control of my own vehicle.

[Z-06]

I personally dislike the feature. I need to read the manual one of these days to see if I set it to be disabled, otherwise, I have to manually disable them every time. That and the light delay that coincides with it.

Automatic this, automatic that, I hate it. I can't be in control of my own life.

Fixed.

And a good quote by the way.

[Intrepidation]

I personally dislike the feature. I need to read the manual one of these days to see if I set it to be disabled, otherwise, I have to manually disable them every time. That and the light delay that coincides with it.

Automatic this, automatic that, I hate it. I can't be in control of my own vehicle.

I forget how the Cobalt's worked, but on both the GM and LH cars you just turned the dial all the way to the left to to turn automatic headlights on. To disable them you just leave it in the off position. The manual controls are still there.

On the GM you can adjust the sensitivity of them too.

[Robert Hall]

Handy feature to have... but the light delay feature annoys me.

To allow the light feature to run, as convenient they are 1 in every 100 trips I make somewhere in the dark, whenever I park in the city, day or night, it's friggin' annoying almost EVERY time to have a passerby tell me, "You left your lights on!"

When I first got my Jeep back in '00, I got a few comments like that from passersby. But they seem to be a very common feature on cars today, I would think most people would be used to seeing them...

[Cory Wolfe]

I forget how the Cobalt's worked, but on both the GM and LH cars you just turned the dial all the way to the left to to turn automatic headlights on. To disable them you just leave it in the off position. The manual controls are still there.

The Cobalt's off position isn't selectable.

[ShadowDog]

When I first got my Jeep back in '00, I got a few comments like that from passersby. But they seem to be a very common feature on cars today, I would think most people would be used to seeing them...

Apparently it's lost on the old farts. The grand majority of people letting me know about my lights have all been over at least 60.

This reminds me about my mother-in-law's Aurora. It's headlights and reverse lights stay on for a minute when you press the lock/unlock button on the FOB. It's funny to observe people hesitate from walking along the rear when it's parked after they see the reverse lights come on and there's nobody in the car.

I also find these lights quite stupid because they don't really help illuminate the pathway to the car; but rather, they blind you as you approach it.

[Robert Hall]

Apparently it's lost on the old farts. The grand majority of people letting me know about my lights have all been over at least 60.

This reminds me about my mother-in-law's Aurora. It's headlights and reverse lights stay on for a minute when you press the lock/unlock button on the FOB. It's funny to observe people hesitate from walking along the rear when it's parked after they see the reverse lights come on and there's nobody in the car.

I also find these lights quite stupid because they don't really help illuminate the pathway to the car; but rather, they blind you as you approach it.

I've noticed that with some GMs..with my Jeep, I can configure it to flash the parking lights/taillights and/or sound the horn on lock/unlock. I turned off the horn setting, too annoying. Though it would be useful in crowded parking lots at night.

[Intrepidation]

I have mine set to beep the horn when it locks. I find it useful for making sure I've locked it. I can walk away and not have to watch for the lights to flash. Plus it always ensures I remember my keys.