24 Limited Disappointing Cold Weather Issues

It has been bitterly cold and snowing for the last 3 or 4 days now. I have posted before about the remote start not auto-turning on my heated steering wheel and seat like my 21 GMC but I was told it would work if I turn them on when I park. This is not true at all. I can remote start wait 9 minutes and look in the truck and see the heated steering wheel switch light is on and the seat heat switch is showing 3 red lights but get in the truck and they are stone cold. I simply can't believe this.

The truck is on for 10 minutes via remote start and the windshield is barely defrosted. My 21 GMC would be at least half done. I have tried setting the heat to 80 and the defrost to on before turning it off but it makes no difference. My 21 GMC was smart enough to turn the defrost on full when needed with remote start.

While driving into work this morning I am constantly switching between the defrost and auto modes. It does not appear to have a split function where the defrost and floor heat are on at the same time as my 21 GMC did. So the windshield just constantly freezes over in auto mode.

The heated seats do not heat the entire seating surface like my 21 GMC did. It must only heat the very center sections. If I roll a shoulder or hip over it is stone cold until it eventually heats the whole seat surface some time later.

A brand new truck, with no preheated steering wheel or seats, and no auto high defrost with remote start. Oh, forgot the thing shuts off when opening the door or tailgate. I am constantly switching between 2H and 4H because there is no Auto 4H. I need to constantly switch between defrost and auto to keep the windshield from freezing because there is no split function. Not to mention that it does not heat anywhere as quickly as my 21 GMC did.

If you didn't guess it I very much regret trading in my 21 GMC.

 

Just wait till you get a little snow on the bumper sensors, then you will get the dash light show!

Our temps are down but not too bad, the other day (about -8 C) I did the remote start and ran it for 10 minutes, It was like it hadn't been running at all. I know it was from the exhaust that was coming out.

We live in a relatively mild climate on the West coast but when things get more extreme, the truck just struggles with the comforts.

My little 2015 EV will be nice a toasty when I get in after running a preconditioning cycle for 10 minutes.

Expectations are a tough thing to come to grips with!

 

I haven't tried a second warm up cycle!

-8 F in DFW what sort of craziness is this?

 

Hi Greg, Thank you. I have followed the suggestions you made above as given to me in my previous post. It is set that way but simply does not work. Maybe the 24 no longer works that way. It is very frustrating.

 

Sounds like a GMC is a better fit for you?

 

If "expectations" were, I was "expecting" my new 24 Limited Tundra to at least have the same modern features and functions as the 21 GMC I traded in. I guess you are right. Never would have imagined that my new Tundra would be so antiquated.

 

Very much so. I hope the trade-in value holds up as I will trade in the first of next year.

 

Oh, the first world horror of it all.

 

In the negatives here in CO and have used the remote start feature several times today with no issues. Also have not gotten any error messages for any sensors even though they’re covered in snow and ice.

 

Some of the tech seems pretty good, I really like the snappiness of the multi media system. Our outgoing 2019 Honda had a system that was terribly slow and hard to read given that it was the top model in the Ridgeline for that year.

 

Real feel is -31F where I'm at in Colorado. My truck will stay parked in the garage, and I'll stay parked on the couch watching football.

 

I am in Broomfield. Once I started out of the neighborhood I called and told my wife to stay home. I should have opened my Tesla app to precondition it, taken the new Tundra back home, parked it, and driven the Tesla to work.

 

I was debating with an Indian guy in liquor store, he said -30 is an instant death. I said this was the weather I was skiing in taiga by myself at age of 11. What would instantly kill me is 100+ degree weather. He said he spent most of his life in 130-150 degree weather.

 

Wife's ex-Volvo XC60. Was very comfort oriented. It was defrosting the windshield using built-in electric heater, while the cabin was heated with engine. Steering wheel and butt cushions were always burning hot when you got in. Ford spoiled it somewhat, the weatherstrip were always frozen, so you could not open the doors for a few minutes, not until pouring boiling over, but I know what you mean. Her new Sequoia does not have that level of cold weather morning comfort. However, we hope it will last more than a couple of years before it starts falling apart, like her Volvo did.

 

Are you comparing the truck in bitter cold to normal cold for your GMC? Not exactly apples to apples.

my truck turns on and heats the seats and the steering wheel as I would expect. My seat gets quite warm.

there is most definitely a split mode that blows on the windshield and your feet at the same time. Rather than hitting the defrost button simply hit the mode button until it shows the windshield and your feet. This allows you to recirculate the cabin air as well rather than pulling in (not so)fresh air from outside.

 

Apples to Apples. My 2021 GMC sits outside and I have had the same frigid conditions routinely over the years. There is no comparison. Thank you for the Mode button info as this is what I was looking for.

 

Bit of advice for the OP.

READ THE OWNERS MANUAL.

 

I test-drove the Tundra while at our Mesa, AZ home. It was a short drive that I almost didn't bother with. This is 100% my fault. I cannot convey how surprised and disappointed I am overall with the Truck. I honestly had no idea how antiquated it is. I have always wanted a Tundra but did not care for the low fuel mileage of the previous generation. My daughter still drives our 04 4Runner bought new with 280,000 miles. I am a Toyota fan! My 24 Tundra looks great, it is comfortable (probably more than my 21 GMC was) and I am getting decent mileage on the highway but probably not in town. I put around 25,000 miles a year on my trucks and trade every two years. With this truck depending on how the year goes I will most likely trade it in in December if not sooner. I did not say the seats won't get hot but that when cold they only heat the center sections and they do not come on at all regardless of what I have tried with remote start. I did not say that the defront does not work it just does not work very well at all when remote starting which in the winter I do nearly every day. It looks like I will need to just go out, start it, back it up close to the garage, and let it run with the steering wheel heat on, the heated seats on, and the defrost set to high. I am under the impression it can not be driven off without the key inside the truck, but will confirm this. This is how I do my old $25k Titan shop truck. Sorry to offend the Tudra fans but this is ridiculous for a new 60k+ truck.

 

Could not agree more. I expected a modern truck with similar features as most of the other major truck brands. My bad that I will live with for the next 9 to 11 months. Hope others don't make the same mistake is all. Thanks for the feedback as some of it helped.

 

I’m unclear on exactly what it was missing? It seems to have the same features as your 21 GMC. Others have said the functions you are asking about are there, but you don’t seem to know how to access them. Read the owners manual and it will likely reveal how to access these functions. They may not be accessed the same way as in your 21 GMC.

 

Nothing in the manual talks about the functionality of the remote start. I have followed everyone's thoughtful suggestions. It just does not have the functionality of my previous truck or other vehicles for that matter. This does not make sense to me as the functions (heated steering wheel, heated seat and high defrost) are all software-controlled features. I am guessing Toyota could put out a software update ala Tesla but based on current feedback that is not likely to happen. Just disappointing for all the hype of this 3rd generation Tundra especially compared to the competition.

 

maybe I've missed it somewhere else, but what is the background behind turning off that setting? Is this a winter only thing or is it good to disable AC with Auto year round? I always assumed AC with defrost was a good thing in previous vehicles I've owned. May just be placebo but always seemed to defrost faster.

 

Traded my 2021 GMC in for a 2023 Capstone. The thing my Tundra doesn't do that the GMC did was burn through a quart of oil every 1000 miles. Seriously, it had me worried. Also, I am hoping it doesn't lose its value as fast as the GMC.

I did have some pretty good luck all in all with my Sierra. Drove it 93,000 miles and only had a few minor issues with it. I did like the auto start feature, and I agree with OP that on frigid mornings, the GMC automatically would heat up the inside nice and toasty. Can't figure out why Toyota makes it so hard to auto start and why they can't get rid of the open the door shut it off feature. It's not for safety. The GMC still needed you to be in the vehicle, with the key, in order to drive it.

 

If you start the truck with the key inside the truck & then take the key out of the truck, leaving the truck running outside, it absolutely can be driven off without the key inside it!

 

New member waiting for 2024 1794 HV delivery in March. Been reading the manual and have numerous questions. But first, about remote start and not much info in the manual. Is the remote start launched from the phone app? And in the case of the HV, does the remote start launch the gas engine if outside temp is below some set point?

 

Remote start from either key fob or app. Remote start is no different then normal start with the key inside the vehicle, the truck will run on engine & battery (hybrid) as needed.

 

Thank you. In order to use the app for the remote start, must I subscribe to the Remote Connect service at $15/mo?

 

Ryan, Thank you. I’ll try that tomorrow morning.

 

That’s why I didn’t jump on the 22 Tundra and waited for the 24. Hopefully all those type issues the early ones experienced have been resolved. Nothing like replacing a new engine.

 

OP states the truth. Love my tundra but it sure wasn’t tested in Canada prairies or Alberta. Or it was but bean counters figured the need for 4auto, real heated seats, a modern remote start and modern traction control didn’t make financial sense for the paltry few that want it. Gm and ford 1/2 tons blow the tundra away in all those areas. But hey my tundra is staying together not like my Denali that was in the shop every other month

Only getting down to -25 c tonight so who needs a warmup right?