Valet Mode

[TheSilverBuick]

I picked up a 2014 Silverado last week and noticed it had a nifty "Valet Mode" setting in the fancy touch screen where you can set a 4-digit pin code that locks up radio settings and such. It looks like GM is rolling out the options with it on the 2015 Corvette, to where when the valet mode is on it'll record RPM's, speed, GPS location, and even audio and video! To truly see what is going on with the car while in someone else's hands. I'm a little surprised it doesn't let you set an rpm governor or speed limit, or maybe it does and the article doesn't reference it? Pretty nifty anyways.

http://www.rushtimes.com/valet-mode-is-new-and-useful-security-feature-for-2015-chevrolet-corvette/1329/lorenzo-tanos

[Deaf Bob]

Good idea for any car.. Especially hot rods.. But those of us who have hot rods rather park em ourselves..

[squirrel]

I always find the "self park" lot...

[38P]

Good idea for any car.. Especially hot rods.. But those of us who have hot rods rather park em ourselves..

Yeah, but they won't let you do that at places like the tire store or on the alignment rack . . . (cue the home tire mounting and home alignment posts)

I noticed in the papers for the MSD Digital 6 ignition I bought that it has several rev limiters triggered by 12V signals. It would be easy to wire of these trigger wires to a key switch for a DIY "valet" mode.

On the other hand, with a turbo car, it would be easy for some dirtbag to damage the turbos and overheat other parts by "bang banging" the thing "on the chip" too long, so maybe it's not such a good idea . . . .

[squirrel]

The tire store and alignment place I use will let me drive the car in myself, they are local businesses I've been dealing with for years.

The data logging thing is interesting, the tin foil hat crowd could imagine all kinds of neat scenarios involving law enforcement, big brother, etc use of the collected data while in "normal" mode.

[TheSilverBuick]

Squirrel doesn't have this problem, but I was thinking like when it goes to a shop for work or such. If you have Corvette money, you get valet parking too

I've used the MSD 6AL before to rev limit when dropping the car off for an alignment or such. I've also set the MegaSquirt rev limiters down low when leaving the car in long term parking or at someone else's house for a while just in case it were to get "joy rided" they'd find they could go 80mph on the highway, but not get there exceedingly fast when capped at 2,800rpm Enough rpm to move it around and take it for a cruise, but you aren't likely to blow the engine. Also I set it there before dropping it off, and can pick it up as well and still drive if "I forget" to unset the limiter with the laptop.

I've valet parked my truck a couple times in Las Vegas.

[squirrel]

what is the governor set to (in normal mode) on the new truck? and don't give me any crap like "I dont know, I didn't try it yet"

[38P]

There's something to align (other than setting the toe) on a beam front axle car?

they are local businesses I've been overpaying for years.

Fixed it . . .

Maybe it's different in the Grand Canyon State, but in many other parts, you get that tired "insurance" riff when you even offer to be a pedestrian, much less drive, in a chain-store shop.

Why even old high school classmate who owns and operates his own Goodyear store has given me that "insurance" business . . . but then he saw how I drove back in the day . . . .

[squirrel]

Good service is worth paying for.

I aligned the Chevy II myself, I take the other cars in, although I need to get some stuff so I can measure caster and do it all myself. The shop that does alignments...I've been dealing with for 30 years. The guy who runs it is the son of the fellow who opened the store in 1956, it's the longest lived business there is in the area.

[TheSilverBuick]

what is the governor set to (in normal mode) on the new truck? and don't give me any crap like "I dont know, I didn't try it yet"

You won't believe I didn't try?!?! Actually I didn't. Funny enough I hit the governor (96mph) of my '07 twice going down the Las Vegas two weeks ago when passing 18-wheelers, but didn't have the need to reach those speeds heading home. I actually was watching the mpg's heading home and driving fairly conservatively. Set the cruise at 72mph and the truck said it averaged 22mpg, which seemed about right for having over a half tank when I got back to Ely, and beat the 18-18.5mpg my old truck got. The flatter round trip to Bonneville and back was knocking at 25-26mpg, but I didn't top off when I got back to Ely to verify the readout. 5.3L, 355HP 4x4, 4-dr short box truck with 3.42 gears and 6-speed trans. The old truck was the 367HP 6.0L 4x4, 4-dr short box with 4.11 gears. So several factors working in the new truck's favor. I'll probably test out the governor heading to California this Thursday

[38P]

Company truck? Lucky dog! So far my pleas for a Shelby GT500 "company car" have gone denied . . . .

[SuperBuickGuy]

So how long do you expect it to be before Uncle Sam demands access to that technology? Yeah, that's great you don't trust your valet, but how much to you want NSA monitoring your driving habits (in real time) as well?

[Thumpin455]

So how long do you expect it to be before Uncle Sam demands access to that technology? Yeah, that's great you don't trust your valet, but how much to you want NSA monitoring your driving habits (in real time) as well?

I wish them luck. If I leave my cell at home, I am off the grid as much as someone can be while driving. I will probably never own anything newer than 2006 or so anyway, and that would be a new GTO. I like my stone age tech.

[SuperBuickGuy]

I wish them luck. If I leave my cell at home, I am off the grid as much as someone can be while driving. I will probably never own anything newer than 2006 or so anyway, and that would be a new GTO. I like my stone age tech.

Once they monitor the sheeple, the outliers can be addressed (where did I put my tin foil hat?)

[squirrel]

someone was talking about the license plate scanning technology they have in cop cars these days...if they want to track you, they will, one way or another. bend over, and enjoy the ride.