Tech Toolbox: Remote vehicle start

As a modern automotive consumer, we have come to demand a high level of luxury from our vehicles. Looking at some of the current amenities offered by GM -- heated steering wheel, massaging power seats, rain sensing wipers -- it is hard to imagine what will be next. Even the simple interaction of turning the key to crank our vehicle has been reengineered to a futuristic press of the remote.

Before we can talk about how, it is important to discuss why GM has provided you with this feature. Remote Vehicle Start (RVS) paired with Automatic Heat Ventilation and Air Conditioning (AHVAC) allows a vehicle to not only start, but to also adjust the interior temperature at the push of a button. In winter, when you start your vehicle using RVS, the interior is warm and windshield defrosted before you’re done putting on your coat. In summer, your RVS started vehicle will engage the air conditioning on high to cool your car before you can pay for your ice cream cone.

Now days, your vehicle is made up of many computers that share information on an internal network often called GMLAN. This high tech network makes it possible to not only start your vehicle, but also to make adjustments like interior temperature. When the RVS command is sent from the remote transmitter, a receiver built into the Remote Control Door Lock Receiver (RCDLR) picks up the signal. The RCDLR decodes the message and sends it to the Body Control Module (BCM). The BCM requests the Engine Control Module (ECM) to crank the engine, and tells AHVAC to adjust the temperature. The AHVAC checks the outside temperature so that it can determine what the desired interior temperature will be.

That is a basic explanation of what happens in less than a second when you press the RVS button on your remote.

Certain safeties are built into the system to cancel or prevent RVS in case a malfunction has occurred. That’s where Everett’s Certified Service department comes in. We know all there is about your vehicle’s creature comforts.





David Gibbs
Certified Service Technician
Everett Chevrolet Buick GMC