Hi everyone,
I've been waiting for about a week to pick up my Malibu 2LT.. but they aren't able to release it to me until mid-Tuesday.. I'm so excited :D! Anyway, I live up in MA and we have some quite brutal winters (The primary reason I needed remote start) and I was wondering if this function was similar to the Cadillacs we have where it'll adjust the interior temperature, heated seats, defoggers, etc based on the exterior temperature? Thanks.

Hi everyone,
I've been waiting for about a week to pick up my Malibu 2LT.. but they aren't able to release it to me until mid-Tuesday.. I'm so excited :D! Anyway, I live up in MA and we have some quite brutal winters (The primary reason I needed remote start) and I was wondering if this function was similar to the Cadillacs we have where it'll adjust the interior temperature, heated seats, defoggers, etc based on the exterior temperature? Thanks.

My dealer told me that it does do that, based on the temprature if chooses to cut on the AC or the heat/seats/defrosters

I think this feature / function is only available on the LTZ (with the digital / (semi-dual) climate control.

The 2LT has the manual heating function. So I would say probably not.

For the manual systems, you have to be a little prescient yourself and set the climate controls the way you want them to be when you get in the car. Whatever they're set to is what will be going on when you remote start the car. This is a lot like the (only) setup in the Impalas, except that that car also has dual zone capability (manual only).

That's not true about the Impala. When you remote start the car, it adjusts the climate control system according to the temperature.

That's not true about the Impala. When you remote start the car, it adjusts the climate control system according to the temperature.

Hmm. I was mislead then. Sorry about that. I read this about the Impala, and since that also happened to be the same exact way that the manual tri-zone controls worked on the Buick Terraza that my wife had, I didn't question it.

Hmm. I was mislead then. Sorry about that. I read this about the Impala, and since that also happened to be the same exact way that the manual tri-zone controls worked on the Buick Terraza that my wife had, I didn't question it.

No problem. I have an 06 Impala SS so I happen to be an expert on the subject...lol. I am curious though to know if the Malibu system works the same way or if I have to buy the LTZ with the automatic climate control.

Good question. Now that we know that GM has two different vehicles with remote start and manual climate control that work differently, someone with an LT should let us know how theirs works. Or.. I could dig through my manual (the next time I remember and am in the car at the same time :p) and see what it says.

It's only automatic on the LTZ.

It's only automatic on the LTZ.

The climate control or the temperature adjustment when remote starting?

The climate control or the temperature adjustment when remote starting?

All of it, the car doesn't adjust anything, it will be exactly the way you left it when you got out.

That's rediculous.. do you know if it at least turns on the heated seats and rear defogger? Those are the two most important things for me this coming winter.. oh well at least the engine will be warmed up so it can disperse heat immediately when I get in.. this is old school remote start LOL

Sad how the Impalas with manual climate control get the automatic remote start feature and the sexy new Malibus don't.

That's rediculous.. do you know if it at least turns on the heated seats and rear defogger? Those are the two most important things for me this coming winter.. oh well at least the engine will be warmed up so it can disperse heat immediately when I get in.. this is old school remote start LOL

Sad how the Impalas with manual climate control get the automatic remote start feature and the sexy new Malibus don't.

I am double checking my manual since I haven't had the car during the winter yet. There are 3 different sections dealing with the remote start.

I'll summarize:

The remote start section:

Says Remote start allows you to start the vehicle from the outside. It may also start the vehicles heating or air conditioning systems and rear window defogger. When remote starting a vehicle with the auto climate control it will automaticly regulate the inside temperature.

The regular climate control system:

If remote start is activated the vehicle will heat or cool using the settings set before the vehicle was turned off. If the fan is off the climate control system will not operate.

The automatic climate control system:

The system heats and cools the vehicle using the previous system settings before the vehicle was turned off. If the controls are set to auto and it is cold enough out the system will begin in defrost to clear the windows.

I don't see anything under the dedicated defogger section or seat section that say they do anything on their own.

So a LT may or may not run the rear defogger based on the temperature because the instructions aren't very clear as to if it applies to all models or just the LTZ . For the rest a LT will be just like you left it when you remote start it and if I had to put money on it I would say the rear defogger won't do anything on it's own in a LT either because when it is mentioned in the remote start section it uses the word may.

Dang.. thanks for looking that up it didn't even occur to me that I could go look at the manual LOL.. guess I'll just need to remember to set my climate control during the winters..

Well that stinks. I had a remote starter installed on the car I owned before the Impala so I was used to having to set the controls every evening. Even then, every so often I would forget about it. I've become so spoiled with my Impala adjusting the climate controls that I'm not sure if I can go backwards. I didn't really want an LTZ because I don't like the two tone leather but I might have to learn to like it.

I'm more surprised (well actually, not any more- known about this for a while) that GM only offers dual zone manual / no automatic climate control on the step-up Impala, and offers only single zone climate control, but full automatic, as an option on the Malibu.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not lobbying to get the automatic system pulled from the 'bu- more like dual zone auto for both! Then again, I've been spoiled by 2 Trailblazers, 1 Silverado, and an Avalanche (dual manual on 1 TB / Silverado, dual auto on the rest).

Okay so it was about 50F when I went outside today to go to school and I was so curious about this that I decided to use the remote starter. When I got into my car with the remote start still activated I noticed that my rear defogger was turned on and my driver's seat heater was also on stage II.. the other climate control functions did remain the way I had them (set cold and on head/feet).. that's good enough for me.. at least I'll be able to drive backwards if I have to with a warm asshole.

Pepsi - Do you have an LTZ or an LT?

I have the 2LT

I also got 2LT but I have not experience the heated seats to work on remote start. The heater controls stay as left the last time used and the rear defrost works but heat on the seats ? Would this be a dealer programmed feature ?

I have left mine on Auto / Auto and Remote Started in 25F and the only that comes on is the heater system /w front defroster.. No seats or Rear Defroster

The system just cannot turn the seats on, and there's really no way to change that. It's the rear defroster if cold and, as said above, heat/cooling when in Auto mode (LTZ) or whatever you've left it set on with the manual controls.

Not sure how someone would have the seat(s) coming on with remote unless they were left on, but even then I think the switch always turns off with the ignition when they are left on.

Yeah they reset to off when ignition is turned off... its so weird how this all works lol... Impala turns heat/air on automatically even though they're all manual temp control.... and those seats go on when its too cold thats why i dont see why the malibu's cant.... malibu is the shit!!!!!!!!!!

Cost cutting, design change, who knows? But the 04 Malibu LT V6 sedan we had DID turn on the seats too. Of course, it also had separate presets for each keyfob (unlock the car with your fob, and it changed the stereo presets to the last ones programmed while using that key). And the auto climate control worked a bit differently. Where I believe there is a fixed high / low temperature setting with our cars that determines whether it'll heat or cool when remote started (and then only if the car is left with the knobs in 'Auto' / 'Auto'), the 04 used the last temperature setting on the climate control to determine whether to heat or cool, just as it would in normal auto mode while driving down the road. And it did so whether you had the Auto mode set when you got out, or had turned off the system altogether (using the manual modes, which still allowed you to set a temperature, just no fan / vent changes / active heating / cooling stuff).

Be thankful though- our seat heaters still work with the engine off. Neither the Trailblazers or the Avalanches I've been in will let you turn them on (even with the key in the 'On' position) unless the engine's running too. Many (most?) of you probably don't care, but I do. On school days I wait with my daughter at the end of our complex's driveway for her bus before I head off to work. Since my car's garage kept it starts out with no frost, and relatively warm (especially compared to my poor neighbors' vehicles, which sit outside at night). It's been anywhere from mid-teens to mid-thirties for the past month or so, so the car cools off while we wait anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes for the bus (neighbors idle the whole time- I don't care to waste the gas). We just tick the on button for the seats and enjoy toasty buns.:D I can't do that the mornings I have to take the wife's TB! :mad:

I too wish there was a way to have the heated seats come on automatically even with out the remote start. Maybe I will have to try the ole tape her down with electrical tape method.

Sometime I have lunch in the Malibu( can see some of you cringing at crumbs in the 'bu) at the park and also enjoy that they stay on after the ignition is off.

The heated seats do not come on with the remote start. Even if you are sitting in the car with the remote start running...say you just got in...you still cannot turn the seats on until you turn the ignition on.

However, if you set the front defrost to high heat, the rear defrost will come on as well...no matter the temp outside.