How Do You Turn Off the Radio?

[Robaroni]

I just played around with the radio again. If you set the radio menu to "off" (see my instructions above) it works like any other radio. That is, when the car is turned on the radio returns to the same level as when the car was turned off.

 

[plj]

Can someone tell me how to stop that stupid startup sound from playing every time I get in or start the car? Can I mute that?

How about Chevrolet giving us some options for that sound? The NY Times ran a story about the GM engineer who fine tunes the Corvette's sound. How about giving us the option to play the sound of a Corvette starting (instead of that swoosh)?

What other sounds might be fun? (At least for a little while...)

 

[Robaroni]

Corvette? It's an EV! Maybe they can make it smell like an old truck with a leaky gas tank while they're at it.

I like the swoosh it reminds me that I just drove over 5k miles and didn't spend a dime on gas or go into a gas station. It reminds me that I don't have to get oil changes, fan belts, antifreeze or air cleaners. I think I'll turn up the swoosh!

 

[Usain]

Muting or turning down the sound is not sufficient.

I want the radio off but I still want to hear navigation instructions from Android Auto/Google Maps. With no sound, that doesn't work. In fact, this very issue led to me missing a turn and going 15 miles out of the way on my last long trip.

The fix I came up with was to play a podcast from my phone and then pause the podcast.

Hacks like that should not be necessary! Just let me turn the blasted radio off!

 

[dandrewk]

I'd hardly call it a "hack". And since when is turning a knob any more difficult than pushing a button?

 

[Usain]

I'd hardly call it a "hack". And since when is turning a knob any more difficult than pushing a button?

I think you misunderstood me. Whether you turn a knob or push a button, it still doesn't turn off the radio. It mutes the whole sound system, which keeps you from hearing navigation.

The hack is that you have to somehow switch from radio to some other input and then make sure that doesn't play. Then you keep the volume up so you can still hear navigation. That's a hack, an ugly workaround.

 

[SeanNelson]

I want the radio off but I still want to hear navigation instructions from Android Auto/Google Maps.

I thought that the volume of Android Auto prompts was set independently of the radio volume. It's the same knob, but you can only change the volume of Android Auto audio while that audio is actually playing.

 

[Usain]

I want the radio off but I still want to hear navigation instructions from Android Auto/Google Maps.

I thought that the volume of Android Auto prompts was set independently of the radio volume. It's the same knob, but you can only change the volume of Android Auto audio while that audio is actually playing.

As far as I know, there is no way to set the volume independently. If anyone knows the answer I'd love to hear it.

But the simplest solution would be to just let us turn the radio off!!!!

 

[alienbogey]

We have been frustrated as heck with the stupid radio stupidly coming on >> EVERY<>SINGLE<>TIME<< the car is turned on, or we unplug the phone before turning the car off, and sometimes for no apparent reason other than to piss us off in the middle of a drive

BUT

my wife may have finally hit upon a work around.

She set the radio to Sirius XM "CH 0 RADIO ID" and, lo and behold, there is no [expletive deleted] radio coming on any longer (at least that we can hear) when the big blue button is pressed on, or when a phone is disconnected, or because Chevy feels like poking the sore spot with a sonic stick.

Note: Our Sirius subscription expired, and I don't know if it will work if you have Sirius service. Also, I hope this works for others; I waited several days before posting this to make sure that the workaround is repeatable, at least with our car.

P.S. A while ago I asked the OnStar apparatchik how such a flaw had been allowed into production, and he replied that Chevy had deliberately designed it that way. I told him that while I had no doubt that that is what his script told him to say that, my personal belief is that it IS a bug in the software, but that's what Chevy is putting out as the party line. I mean, you might as well program the windshield wipers to come on EVERY SINGLE TIME you start the car, or unplug your phone, or at random.

 

[EldRick]

Press the telephone button on the steering wheel. The radio will turn off, and wil not come back on when you start the car again.

 

[Robaroni]

Press the telephone button on the steering wheel. The radio will turn off, and wil not come back on when you start the car again.

Or this:

Audio/ menu/ auto volume/ select off and turn the radio on and the volume all the way down. When the car comes on it should be off.

You can also reach these in the "Settings" menu.

Rob

 

[paulgipe]

We have been frustrated as heck with the stupid radio stupidly coming on >> EVERY<>SINGLE<>TIME<< the car is turned on, or we unplug the phone before turning the car off, and sometimes for no apparent reason other than to piss us off in the middle of a drive

BUT

my wife may have finally hit upon a work around.

She set the radio to Sirius XM "CH 0 RADIO ID" and, lo and behold, there is no [expletive deleted] radio coming on any longer (at least that we can hear) when the big blue button is pressed on, or when a phone is disconnected, or because Chevy feels like poking the sore spot with a sonic stick.

Note: Our Sirius subscription expired, and I don't know if it will work if you have Sirius service. Also, I hope this works for others; I waited several days before posting this to make sure that the workaround is repeatable, at least with our car.

P.S. A while ago I asked the OnStar apparatchik how such a flaw had been allowed into production, and he replied that Chevy had deliberately designed it that way. I told him that while I had no doubt that that is what his script told him to say that, my personal belief is that it IS a bug in the software, but that's what Chevy is putting out as the party line. I mean, you might as well program the windshield wipers to come on EVERY SINGLE TIME you start the car, or unplug your phone, or at random.

For the time being I am using this work-around: setting Sirius XM to "0". We have the complimentary subscription. I can't save it to my "favorites" but otherwise I use after using the radio.

Paul

 

[Robaroni]

We have been frustrated as heck with the stupid radio stupidly coming on >> EVERY<>SINGLE<>TIME<< the car is turned on, or we unplug the phone before turning the car off, and sometimes for no apparent reason other than to piss us off in the middle of a drive

BUT

my wife may have finally hit upon a work around.

She set the radio to Sirius XM "CH 0 RADIO ID" and, lo and behold, there is no [expletive deleted] radio coming on any longer (at least that we can hear) when the big blue button is pressed on, or when a phone is disconnected, or because Chevy feels like poking the sore spot with a sonic stick.

Note: Our Sirius subscription expired, and I don't know if it will work if you have Sirius service. Also, I hope this works for others; I waited several days before posting this to make sure that the workaround is repeatable, at least with our car.

P.S. A while ago I asked the OnStar apparatchik how such a flaw had been allowed into production, and he replied that Chevy had deliberately designed it that way. I told him that while I had no doubt that that is what his script told him to say that, my personal belief is that it IS a bug in the software, but that's what Chevy is putting out as the party line. I mean, you might as well program the windshield wipers to come on EVERY SINGLE TIME you start the car, or unplug your phone, or at random.

For the time being I am using this work-around: setting Sirius XM to "0". We have the complimentary subscription. I can't save it to my "favorites" but otherwise I use after using the radio.

Paul

you don't need a "work around"

 

[paulgipe]

Call Chevrolet's Infotainment team at 855-478-7767
(Press "3" for the MyLink department and have the last 8 digits of your VIN handy)

Tell the agent that you are unsatisfied that your Bolt EV can't remember your Infotainment's MUTE setting when you start your car.

They will tell you your vehicle is operating as designed; that the Infotainment system always "turns on" when you start your vehicle.

Politely re-direct them to the actual problem: the system UN-MUTES every time you start your car, even if it was muted throughout your vehicle's previous drive or if you deliberately muted the Infotainment system just before turning the car off.

They will probably tell you that the Infotainment system reboots every time you start your car, and so it's normal for some settings to go away. You can remind them that the Bolt's Infotainment system successfully remembers all kinds of other things, such as previous Source, Station, even Volume! Ask them why "mute" is the ONLY setting that gets forgotten in between reboots.

Again, it's important to use the word "mute." The agents will get tripped up if they think you're complaining that the Infotainment system "comes on" (or "powers up") on startup; of course it does! If you tell them "the radio turns on," they'll just fall back on "operating as designed" as a way of trying to get you off the phone.

I can confirm that a Chevy Malibu (loaner from my dealer) and a 2017 Chevy Volt do *not* do this; that is, they respect the "mute" setting across vehicle startups.

Lastly, don't let anyone on the forum try to convince you that this is 'normal' or that it's just a situation of you not knowing what the pushbutton on the volume knob is for. It's a bug (as evidenced by the rare instance where the Bolt *does* respect the previous mute setting) and it needs to be fixed!

IF WE DO NOT CALL CHEVROLET, THIS WILL NEVER GET FIXED.

rybolt, I called and they had to "reboot" their phone just to talk to me. . . not a good sign.

I followed the script and they seemed clueless even though this was the "infotainment" help line. So I "lodged a complaint" to at least take up some of their time but they all seemed to be teenyboppers on the phone.

Paul

 

[paulgipe]

Press the telephone button on the steering wheel. The radio will turn off, and wil not come back on when you start the car again.

Or this:

Audio/ menu/ auto volume/ select off and turn the radio on and the volume all the way down. When the car comes on it should be off.

You can also reach these in the "Settings" menu.

Rob

Rob,

I tried that and it does not "mute" the radio. (I'd already had the "auto volume" off.) The radio is turned down but not off. This too is a work around to the tuning to "zero" on Sirius. Pick your work around. We shouldn't have to do either. We just want to turn the damn thing off. Every other car we've ever owned you could turn the radio "off".

Now off to look for some seat cushions. Not quite ready to take the seat apart.

Paul

 

[Robaroni]

Press the telephone button on the steering wheel. The radio will turn off, and wil not come back on when you start the car again.

Or this:

Audio/ menu/ auto volume/ select off and turn the radio on and the volume all the way down. When the car comes on it should be off.

You can also reach these in the "Settings" menu.

Rob

Rob,

I tried that and it does not "mute" the radio. (I'd already had the "auto volume" off.) The radio is turned down but not off. This too is a work around to the tuning to "zero" on Sirius. Pick your work around. We shouldn't have to do either. We just want to turn the damn thing off. Every other car we've ever owned you could turn the radio "off".

Now off to look for some seat cushions. Not quite ready to take the seat apart.

Paul

Yes, my radio is on but who cares? I can't hear anything, if I turn it up I hear it. If I leave it at a specific volume, it's at that volume on start up. So it's not 'technically' off but it functions the same as off. What's it drawing 100ma.? Tesla's have cracked paint, leaky windshields and a bunch of other issues, I'll take the radio not being technically off, it's a better car. The seats? They don't bother us either and haven't in the last 6k miles. I think they're over-hyped.

 

[dandrewk]

Yes, my radio is on but who cares? I can't hear anything, if I turn it up I hear it. If I leave it at a specific volume, it's at that volume on start up. So it's not 'technically' off but it functions the same as off. What's it drawing 100ma.? Tesla's have cracked paint, leaky windshields and a bunch of other issues, I'll take the radio not being technically off, it's a better car. The seats? They don't bother us either and haven't in the last 6k miles. I think they're over-hyped.

Agreed 100%. It's a given that complaints are almost always shared and posted. But for every "the seats are bad" there is at least one "they don't bother me" or "I find them to be comfortable". Thus, the seat issues, -while real and a major concern for many-, are still in the minority.

Besides, the seats are a design issue, not a manufacturer defect. From looking at the major issues of the Bolt compared to its competition, I think we should be very happy at this point.

 

[Robaroni]

Right!
This is a first edition, first year car and mine came without one problem, squeak or rattle. Nothing, and that is a massive accomplishment on GM's part. This, by the way, is my first GM so I'm not a blind fanboy.

I was talking with a Tesla owner who said he's had several issues, "but Telsa fixed them for free". What's your point? That's time away from your life, Tesla is 3 hours away and Chevy is 15 minutes away and the Tesla has been out a few years and it still has issues. What do people think, the Model 3 will be perfect? It's the same manufacturer, it will likely have problems just like the other cars they make. If you want to go further than the Bolt you have to spend another $9k, by the time you're done with the car it will cost $50k.

So people complaining about the Bolt, you have an option - spend more and get a car with less utility that has cracked paint a leaky windshield and rattles. You get to search the display to open the glove box or see how fast you're going but the really good part is that at current production rates you'll have it by 2020 or 2021, too bad it will be outdated by then.