Pedestrian Alert System hooked up to Headlight Flasher

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drdoom1951

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Joined
Aug 30, 2014
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I've recently became aware of my Spark EV's he Pedestrian Alert system. Because they are so quiet, EVs have an audible alert tied to headlight flasher stalk to alert pedestrians the car's presence when moving at slow speeds, like in a parking lot or where there is pedestrian traffic. It can be set up automatically, or also manually. Manually, it's activated by the driver pulling up on the headlight stalk as if he's flashing is high beams. According to the design, the horn will briefly sound, like a trill, when activated. The system is supposed to activate at speeds of up to 18moh. Trouble is, I was driving along at 65mph and wanted a slower driver to move out of my way, so I flashed my high beams. Well I was surprised when I also hear the pedestrian alert horn, as I don't expect to be worried about pedestrians when traveling at 65mph. Has anybody experienced this issue, an if so, has anyone heard about a fix? I don't think this is correct operation for this feature!
 
drdoom1951 said:
I've recently became aware of my Spark EV's he Pedestrian Alert system. Because they are so quiet, EVs have an audible alert tied to headlight flasher stalk to alert pedestrians the car's presence when moving at slow speeds, like in a parking lot or where there is pedestrian traffic. It can be set up automatically, or also manually. Manually, it's activated by the driver pulling up on the headlight stalk as if he's flashing is high beams. According to the design, the horn will briefly sound, like a trill, when activated. The system is supposed to activate at speeds of up to 18moh. Trouble is, I was driving along at 65mph and wanted a slower driver to move out of my way, so I flashed my high beams. Well I was surprised when I also hear the pedestrian alert horn, as I don't expect to be worried about pedestrians when traveling at 65mph. Has anybody experienced this issue, an if so, has anyone heard about a fix? I don't think this is correct operation for this feature!
Click to expand...

I've had the same "problem" with the "soft alert" going off at any speed while I'd pull on the turn signal lever.
I think you are a little confused between two different audible pedestrian alert features of the vehicle.
One is an automatic audible alert, call it the way you want it, but it's not coming from the horn, maybe we can agree on a hum..
The other feature is only activated manually and does activate the horn although at reduced power.
Here what the manual says;

Your vehicle is equipped with an
automatic sound generation and a
manual alert.
The automatic sound is generated
to indicate the vehicle presence to
pedestrians. The sound changes if
the vehicle is speeding up or
slowing down. It is activated when
the vehicle is shifted into a forward
gear or R (Reverse), and up to
30 km/h (19 mph).
 
I never noticed the "automatic sound generation" for a week or two. It is really quiet, so much so that in normal suburban noise background, you can't hear it. I can only hear it when I switch between D and N while inside the garage.

The horn going off when I pull the hi-beam flasher lever is downright annoying. In the Volt, the sound comes when you press the END of the lever in toward the steering column.
 
SteveC5088 said:
I never noticed the "automatic sound generation" for a week or two. It is really quiet, so much so that in normal suburban noise background, you can't hear it. I can only hear it when I switch between D and N while inside the garage.

The horn going off when I pull the hi-beam flasher lever is downright annoying. In the Volt, the sound comes when you press the END of the lever in toward the steering column.
Click to expand...
Yea,
I wish they had reversed those two, making the auto sound louder and the "flusher" sound quieter, but I'll take what I have because I still love the car :)
 
SteveC5088 said:
... In the Volt, the sound comes when you press the END of the lever in toward the steering column.
Click to expand...

In 2011 Volts, it's the same as the Spark. I wish they had used the end button as well. And the sound is nowhere near as obnoxious in the Volt. Just one of those things they got wrong, like the really loud honk when you plug in. At least it's possible to disable that. Again, Volt is much less annoying, although there is no way to turn it off, at least AFAIK, not with my '11 certainly. The second mistake that is correct on the Volt has to do with the speed at which it cuts off, or in the case of the Spark, does not cut off. A Volt will not activate the pedestrian alert above 40 MPH, which is how I expected the Spark to behave. Now I have learned to just push the stalk to get the brights without the horn nonsense...

I have yet to hear the other sound at all.
 
The issue has been discussed last year when Spark came out. Dealer told me the sound is intended. I say, BS. It's a bug, and they need to fix it along with that same randomly executed, intensely annoying sound when you shut driver's door and the car thinks the key is inside, even when it isn't. Chevy should take a page from Leaf playbook and make that "key inside" reminder MORE GENTLE.

Needless to say, I do hate both sounds. I just happen not to use hi-beam flasher on the freeway so as not to get shot at by some raging freak. I just pass on the right and go on my merry way.
 
Sparkler said:
SteveC5088 said:
... In the Volt, the sound comes when you press the END of the lever in toward the steering column.
Click to expand...

In 2011 Volts, it's the same as the Spark. I wish they had used the end button as well. And the sound is nowhere near as obnoxious in the Volt. Just one of those things they got wrong, like the really loud honk when you plug in. At least it's possible to disable that. Again, Volt is much less annoying, although there is no way to turn it off, at least AFAIK, not with my '11 certainly. The second mistake that is correct on the Volt has to do with the speed at which it cuts off, or in the case of the Spark, does not cut off. A Volt will not activate the pedestrian alert above 40 MPH, which is how I expected the Spark to behave. Now I have learned to just push the stalk to get the brights without the horn nonsense...

I have yet to hear the other sound at all.
Click to expand...

Thanks for sharing this,
never knew about any of this about the Volt. I guess all of the possible improvements are getting lost in between-departmental communication, or they just don't care of any improvements on a compliance vehicle :roll:
I found that by pushing on the stalk with the car OFF, one gets no flush or the horn, yet pulling on it does flash the high beams but without the sound. Seems like a fairly simple programming requirement, but again.... the compliance only vehicle - should we abbreviate this one, since it's been repeated so much :( ? COV?
It seems that almost the only time I can here "the other sound" is when I start moving inside the garage or I am outside the vehicle that someone else is driving.
 
Also, pushing the stalk a second time deactivates the high beams without the honk, just figured this out the other night :D
 
Interestingly the owners manual states on page 5-3

An alert can also be sounded
manually while driving at low
speeds, such as in parking lots.

This is wrong as the manual alert sounds at any speed. It's certainly useless at highway speeds, I wish it didn't work this way, but definitely falls into the realm of "first world problems".
 
If you can find one, examine a a J1772 connector. Everything's deeply recessed and tucked away. I wouldn't hesitate to charge in the rain/snow. Also any EVSE includes ground fault protection.
 

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