Answer:
Dear Frozen in Foremost Alberta,
Let's get you warmed up!
Almost every new GM vehicle features classic, as well as modernized remote start and ambient temperature presets to help prepare your new vehicle for the drastic weather changes in southern Alberta. (“Give it 15 minutes” am I right? 😀 )
Let’s take a look at some of those setting changes, and the best practices that can make the difference between a luke-warm start to your day, and a comfortable drive to your next destination!
First, you need to make sure that your remote start pre-sets are turned on in the vehicle settings; some vehicles arrive from the factory with many of these creature comforts set to "Off", but this is a simple fix!
Click on the "Settings" icon on your stereo screen, and select "Vehicle" as you scroll down that list, and you will see a couple of sections that can affect the HVAC prep system, titled "Climate and Air Quality" and "Remote Lock, Unlock and Start" Under "Remote Lock, Unlock and Start", you have the option to toggle ON "Remote Start Auto Heated/Cooled Seats" (If equipped*); on cold days, this will trigger a warming cycle, on the medium setting for your seats, along with window defrost and a heated mirror cycle! And on warmer days, it will kick start your cooling features to try and bring down the temperature on those hot Alberta summer days!
Under "Climate and Air Quality", you have the ability to adjust the speed of your defrost fans (select "High" for the most impact), as well as the electronic heating of your rear window, which in turn activates your heated mirrors during a remote start (Please note that all of the features you wish to enable must be toggled to the ON position to activate)
Most newer GM vehicles have a threshold of +10 Celsius for heated feature activation, and +25 Celsius for cooled feature activation
Taking the time to change these presets will greatly improve your vehicle's adaptability to the wild temperature swings we have all come to know and love in Southern Alberta!
Enjoy!
Sincerely, Jarrett King
