Set time zone on clock?

[adopterearly]

I've had a Bolt Premier since January of 2018. Every time I turn on auto time set, the clock goes to a different time zone. The good news is that it works perfectly when set manually. So I tried it again with the change to Standard Time and within a few hours it went to UTC (GMT), which doesn't do me much good in California. The minutes are always correct. The Infotainment computer has been replaced once and the software upgraded several times by the dealer. I know the time zone is set by OnStar, to which I no longer have a paid subscription. When in the garage it connects to my home WiFi, which serves my computers the correct time. I couldn't find a way to set the time zone manually and use the automatic time set.

Do I need an OnStar subscription to get the correct time zone automatically?

 

[SeanNelson]

I've had a Bolt Premier since January of 2018. Every time I turn on auto time set, the clock goes to a different time zone. The good news is that it works perfectly when set manually. So I tried it again with the change to Standard Time and within a few hours it went to UTC (GMT), which doesn't do me much good in California.

This is just a theory, but I'm wondering if your car's GPS isn't working properly. If the time zone is set based on the car's GPS coordinates, then a bogus GPS position could very well set the car to UTC. This is based on the observation that other people have noticed that the "Parked Location" of their car sometimes appears off the west coast of Africa (at 0 degrees longitude and latitude).

 

[iwatson]

I know the time zone is set by OnStar, to which I no longer have a paid subscription.

Are you sure about that? I was under the impression that the infotainment time was kept updated through Apple car play or Android auto by cell phone data received when you connect your smartphone to the car using a cable?

 

[BoltDriver29]

time was kept updated through Apple car play or Android auto by cell phone data received when you connect your smartphone to the car using a cable?

I don't know anything about this but it seems odd that GM would design a system to update time only from a device that not all vehicle owners may have. I have not subscribed to OnStar and my time was not updated. I changed the hour manually but the minutes have drifted a bit. The "auto - from cell tower" setting seems to be the most likely choice. But it doesn't work for me. That said, maybe the time sync comes in only so often, but I have never driven my Bolt for more than +/-30 minutes before shutting it off.

Not saying above it accurate, just something I think is plausible.

 

[iwatson]

I don't know anything about this but it seems odd that GM would design a system to update time only from a device that not all vehicle owners may have.

If you look at the point you just made, That's why GM has a manual setting for the clock. It could also be argued that "it seems odd that GM would design a system to update the clock through onstar since that's an option that not everyone will subscribe to."

So basically we agree on that point!

Where you and I disagree is that you think the signal is supplied via onstar and I think it is through apple car play or android auto. I think today it's likely that nearly everyone has a smartphone, however fewer people will keep onstar since they have the security of a phone to rely on.

So here's the questions that I want to know. Do you have a cell phone? Is it a smartphone? Do you use Apple car play or Android auto which requires you to connect your smartphone to the car with a USB cable?

 

[SeanNelson]

I was under the impression that the infotainment time was kept updated through Apple car play or Android auto by cell phone data received when you connect your smartphone to the car using a cable?

My understanding is that the car gets the time from the cellular network via it's built-in cellular modem, not from a phone that may or may not be connected to the USB port. I'd hazard a guess that the reason the time doesn't update immediately on the standard time switchover is that the synchronization is done when a data or voice connection is made. That would occur either when you use the car (NOT your phone) to place a voice call, or when you use the car's built-in WiFi to access the Internet, or when you access the car via the MyChevy phone app, or on some sort of built-in schedule that the car uses to upload telematics data.

 

[BoltDriver29]

Where you and I disagree is that you think the signal is supplied via onstar and I think it is through apple car play or android auto. I think today it's likely that nearly everyone has a smartphone, however fewer people will keep onstar since they have the security of a phone to rely on.

Point well taken. However 3 of my friends have a flip phone and refuse to use a smart phone. Those friends are all of my generation and retired. I understand why they don't use a smartphone. I'm also the one they call when they have a computer problem.

So here's the questions that I want to know. Do you have a cell phone? Is it a smartphone? Do you use Apple car play or Android auto which requires you to connect your smartphone to the car with a USB cable?

Yes, I have an iPhone. And your question prompted me today to get off my rear-end and I put nearly as many miles on my '19 Bolt today as I have since I owned it (3 weeks as of today). So I drove 35 miles with my iPhone in the car and the iPhone connected via BT. I also noted that the drive time occurred such that I was driving when the clock went past the top of the hour (just guessing that MAYBE cell towers sync'd time not continuously, but occasionally, thus ASSUMING 00 minutes is a good time - I ack this maybe be total BS).

Then, after a lunch, I returned home, another 35 miles, with the clock passing the top of the hour. This time the iPhone was connected to CarPlay via the Apple's USB cable.

My Bolt clock did not make a correction to it's 2.5 minute error.

I still have my suspicions that one must be connected to OnStar for the clock to keep track. Isn't OnStar a division of GM. Why not assume that all drivers would use the product and thus code it that way? I do admit that it is an attractive product, I just don't want to pay for it. After I have exhausted all other possibilities, I will then take advantage of OnStar's service that is included for free with my purchase of the car. I just want to know for certain how the time gets corrected. Maybe I have a bad module, unlikely since there are many other reports of the same problem.

 

[BoltDriver29]

My understanding is that the car gets the time from the cellular network via it's built-in cellular modem, not from a phone that may or may not be connected to the USB port. I'd hazard a guess that the reason the time doesn't update immediately on the standard time switchover is that the synchronization is done when a data or voice connection is made. That would occur either when you use the car (NOT your phone) to place a voice call, or when you use the car's built-in WiFi to access the Internet, or when you access the car via the MyChevy phone app, or on some sort of built-in schedule that the car uses to upload telematics data.

If I read this right, your post supports my thought that OnStar service is required to make the clock update. That said, I have used the MyChevy app 'KeyPass' to unlock/lock my car. Thus, if your assertion that 'access the car via the MyChevy phone app' is correct then my clock should not be off my 2+ minutes. I did check the clock when I first got the car (3 weeks ago) and the time was correct. I never checked to verify the correct time after that until DST ended. So in my case, with no OnStar account, using the app to lock/unlock (my understanding is that is via BT, not wireless) probably does not produced an upload of telematics. All of the Remote Commands & Vehicle Status info seems to be functional.

I haven't seen a lot of info about telematics. I know that if I have an OnStar acct then I can get an email with info. I believe that I was unable to sign up for that w/o an OnStar acct. Not sure since a lot of info has passed through my eyeballs in the last few weeks and some of it surely got lost.

 

[iwatson]

After reviewing the conversation I did a test of my own and to my astonishment I have concluded that I am WRONG! OMG! (Sorry i had to have a dramatic moment).

Convinced that I was still right I browsed every page of the owner's manual and failed to find out where the clock setting signal is coming from.

Since I have both onstar and I use Apple car play every day, I went to the garage and powered up the Bolt. I turned my phone off. I went to the clock setting function and turned the "Auto Set" to off. Then I manually adjusted the time back 15 minutes. Then I switched the "Auto time set" back to on and the time immediately corrected itself.

I must conclude that you are right. The signal is via onstar's Cell network.

 

[iwatson]

That said, I have used the MyChevy app 'KeyPass' to unlock/lock my car.

With a new realization that I don't know as much as I think I do (I mean I'm pretty smart, but obviously I can be wrong), I'm gonna wade back into the deep water.

Keypass and Mychevy app work slightly differently. Yes they both work through the MyChevy app so that to the user they appear to be the same. Keypass works via Bluetooth so you must be close to the car for Keypass to work. When beyond that range the MyChevy app uses the internet and onstar to connect to your car, therefore you can control your vehicle from anywhere you have cell service.

Someone fact check me to make sure I'm not loaded up on that one!

 

[adopterearly]

Sorry about the delay. I'm usually offline all day Wednesdays.

I do have an iPhone and use CarPlay regularly. I agree, it's not getting the time from the phone. It's also not getting it from my home internet.

Although I don't have an active subscription, the car usually tells me, either on the screen on over the speaker, that I have limited OnStar service. It looks like that means Vehicle diagnostics, Dealer maintenance notification, Smart Driver, and Marketplace. Don't know if that helps with the clock.

I might leave the clock on auto for a couple of days and see if it gets better. I did not get the Navigation or the Roadside Assistance services, so the GPS may or may not be active. The cell tower location makes most sense to me.

 

[BoltDriver29]

Keypass and Mychevy app work slightly differently. Yes they both work through the MyChevy app so that to the user they appear to be the same. Keypass works via Bluetooth so you must be close to the car for Keypass to work. When beyond that range the MyChevy app uses the internet and onstar to connect to your car, therefore you can control your vehicle from anywhere you have cell service.

That is also my understanding of how it works. It is interesting to note that your time reset immediately upon switching from manual to auto. That confirms to me that the time sync is continuous. I thought it worked that way but was considering that maybe it did not.

It's starting to look like I'll have to bite the bullet and sign up for OnStar.

 

[adopterearly]

Update.

When I turned on the Bolt this morning, it read the correct time zone. Then after the connection progress circle finished (presumably connecting to the cell network and home WiFi), it immediately switched to UTC. I'll keep it on auto it for another day or so and see if it changes when I change cell towers.

I suspect that I'm stuck with manual time set, unless I want to keep subtracting 8 hours from the time.

 

[gpsman]

Something is wrong with your car.

Mine automatically keeps perfect time and automatically adjusted from Daylight Savings to Standard time.

I do not subscribe to OnStar. I’ve never paid a dime for it.

I did notice it took 15 or 20 minutes to make the 1 hour change to standard time. At first when I started driving last Sunday I was disapointed it did not adjust. Then 20 minutes into my drive I looked down and the time was correct.

 

[RCTurner]

Check the manual. It explains how the system works.

 

[BoltDriver29]

Check the manual. It explains how the system works.

Do you have a reference? Bolt 2019 Manual page number 114: this doesn't explain anything. It does not even mention cell towers. I finally put mine in Manual to adjust out of DST and then put it back in Auto. Nothing set automatically.

"Auto Set
1. Press D, then touch T.
2. Touch Settings.
3. Touch Time and Date, then touch Auto Set.
4. Select from the available options." <----- No Explanation, although it should be apparent. So why does it not work?

 

[jdunmyer]

FWIW: my '17 Bolt changes from Standard to DST and back with no intervention from me. However! It doesn't seem to do it immediately, dunno if it takes multiple "starts" or just a time delay.

My cell phone was not connected via a cable, but was in my pocket, and I don't have a subscription to OnStar.