Batman can do it. James Bond can do it. Now you can do it, kind of. "It" is remotely monitor and start your car – or, more specifically, certain GM models from Chevy, Buick, Cadillac or GMC equipped with OnStar via an OnStar app available for both iPhone and Android.
Originally developed for the Chevy Volt, which I've been writing about all week (in case you hadn't noticed), the app uses OnStar's cellular network to start your car (sort of), check you fuel supply, tire and oil pressure, honk the horn and flash the lights, and a bunch of other cool stuff, regardless of where you are or how far from your car you are.
What you can't do is actually drive the car remotely as James Bond or Batman do. Even though the remote says "Remote Start," that's a bit misleading – thank goodness.
What Remote Start does is put your car into a quasi-start mode, which activates the climate control system – what OnStar calls "cabin preconditioning" – to whatever your last heating or cooling settings were, for 10 minutes. If you haven't started your car by then, your car will shut itself off to conserve energy. I've been told by a resident of a chilly northeastern city that 10 minutes was plenty of time to toast the interior in the coldest of conditions.
To make sure no one drives off in your remotely-started but unattended vehicle, the locks remain locked and the car cannot be driven until you actually start it while sitting in the driver's seat.
Wait for it…
To activate the app – and make sure no one else has access to your car – you have to get a identification code/user name, a password and a four-digit pin code (both from your dealer). Then you have to request a registration number to be emailed to you (if you've done online banking, you're likely familiar with this code request process). Once activated, you'll only be periodically asked for your PIN.
In operation, the app doesn't immediately translate your touch to action. It took anywhere from seven to more than a minute before the car actually reacted (or to update the vehicle status data), the lag produced by cell connection vagaries.
This lag can be a bit annoying when you use it to set off the horn and lights to locate your car. Yes, you can use the horn/lights button on the key fob remote, but only if you're in range. If you've lost your car in a huge parking lot, you may have to wait a bit before your car starts making noise and lighting up. Honking and flashing lasts 30 seconds, which you can end only by unlocking the car.
But these are minor quibbles. I loved checking and updating the app to see how car my borrowed Volt was charging, and especially cooling it off rather than enduring sauna conditions for the first 10 minutes of my drive (am I a wuss, or what).
Only certain 2010/2011/2012 GM models are equipped to be remotely operated via the app. To find out if your new OnStar-equipped GM car is app-compatible, go to the OnStar Web site, then find the ridiculously small "Click to find OnStar RemoteLink compatible vehicles" link.
The app is not compatible, however, with the new OnStar For My Vehicle, which lets you add OnStar to your non-GM vehicle/non-OnStar (OnStar is owned by GM, which is why you now find it only on GM cars).
But I'll have a bit more on FMV next week. In the meantime, if you've got an eligible GM car with OnStar, you gotta get the app. And if getting the app is an imperative, I guess it follows that if you want the app but don't have a GM car with OnStar –