Trapped in my ZR1

[leead1]

I closed the door and the door locked and would not open. The car would not start. I was trapped!

I called 911 and the police came quickly thankfully. Once the officer assured himself that ilt was a car problem and not a idiot driver problem. He nor I could not figure out what to do.

He called the chevy dealership. They recommended I get out of the seat and crawl to the back of the ZR! and pull the emergency tag. It is not a pretty sight to see a fat, 65 yr old man crawling to the back of the car. Well I did and the trunk opened.

That was this morning and the ZR1 is sold, gone out of my life. Took it to the dealer that helped me and sold it cold and flat. It is still in my garage I am not going near it. They will have to come to my home and get it out of my garage.

Thank god for the police and the chevy dealer. Boo for GM.

What a stupid system to put onto a car. Just think , if my garage door was closed not open and I did not have a cell phone and my wife just left for Vermont It could have been alot worse.

No more cars for me with automatic door lock systems. FYI the officer said his captian had the same problem with his Corvette.

If I find out the root cause I will post here. The car is only 2 years old.

Lee

[TheMayor]

That's amazing. I have never heard of that before.

I think these new Merc gullwings have explosive bolts on the doors if the car gets upside down.

I'm thinking.... any door that needs to be removed by explosive bolts in an emergency is NOT for ME!

Glad you're OK Lee. Luckily, you have plenty of other cool cars to use as a back up!

[REMIX]

Sorry to hear man but there are ways out of the car.

I don't have my C6 anymore but I seem to remember a pull cable near the seat?

RMX

[GuyIncognito]

Originally Posted by leead1

FYI the officer said his captian had the same problem with his Corvette.

interesting that it's a known problem....

[REMIX]

Actually it has a latch...

Lee, do you read the manuals of all these cars you buy? Or look at the various switches and buttons to see what they do?

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-c...our-vette.html

RMX

[leead1]

Originally Posted by REMIX

Sorry to hear man but there are ways out of the car.

I don't have my C6 anymore but I seem to remember a pull cable near the seat?

RMX

The 2009 vette does not have pull cables near the seat. The new vette I looked at in the dealership had door open cables on the passenger side. This year did not have it.

The only pull cable is at the very back of the car. Trust me it is a ***** to squirm out of the seat then crawl back there. This is how i got out.

Lee

[SSNISTR]

FYI all C6's have emergency door releases. The '09 ZR1 has one next to the seat, I've seen it myself. It is a law, GM wouldn't have a choice FYI.

[leead1]

Originally Posted by REMIX

Actually it has a latch...

Lee, do you read the manuals of all these cars you buy? Or look at the various switches and buttons to see what they do?

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-c...our-vette.html

RMX

I was going to write you a crsip post but I thought I should look first and you are correct.
Funny the dealer did not know about the manual door switch. Even when talking to the Police officer who came to my aid. I looked everywhere before calling them. In my defence The garage is dark and the switch therefore hard to see. I did look in the glove box for a manual before calling the police.

I must admit I do not even have a manual. The dealer told me the car was so new it was still in printing. I was lucky to get the first ZR1. I had to get my friends at GM who is director of the performance division find one and lock it in for me.

One of the bad aspects of having so many cars is reading the manuals. I only use them for reference never read them completly as I did when I had a car for two.

Thank you for pointing that out for me.

Lee

[leead1]

Originally Posted by SSNISTR

FYI all C6's have emergency door releases. The '09 ZR1 has one next to the seat, I've seen it myself. It is a law, GM wouldn't have a choice FYI.

Yes the other poster was kind enough to tell me where it is.

Makes sense as you write that the federal Gov requires an emergency release.

Thank you for posting

Lee

[REMIX]

Originally Posted by leead1

I was going to write you a crsip post but I thought I should look first and you are correct.
Funny the dealer did not know about the manual door switch. Even when talking to the Police officer who came to my aid. I looked everywhere before calling them. In my defence The garage is dark and the switch therefore hard to see. I did look in the glove box for a manual before calling the police.

I must admit I do not even have a manual. The dealer told me the car was so new it was still in printing. I was lucky to get the first ZR1. I had to get my friends at GM who is director of the performance division find one and lock it in for me.

One of the bad aspects of having so many cars is reading the manuals. I only use them for reference never read them completly as I did when I had a car for two.

Thank you for pointing that out for me.

Lee

Not trying to give you a hard time. I get two measly cars at most, so I have LOTS AND LOTS of time to figure out what stuff does, read manuals, etc.

But you cannot really blame this on GM. The C6 does not have a traditional door handle outside and that's mainly for aesthetics (and I suppose aerodynamics, too). If you let a C6 sit too long without a trickle charger, the battery WILL die. Its electronics are always on "standby", so there's a small draw on the battery at all times. When you get locked OUT is when the fun begins. No pull straps, only a key cylinder above the license plate that gets loaded with dirt and sand and may or may not work if it isn't cleaned occasionally.

I sure wouldn't sell a fantastic car like that over this, though.

BTW, there are worse things - like flipping a Diablo on its roof and trying to get out!

RMX

[leead1]

Originally Posted by REMIX

Not trying to give you a hard time. I get two measly cars at most, so I have LOTS AND LOTS of time to figure out what stuff does, read manuals, etc.

But you cannot really blame this on GM. The C6 does not have a traditional door handle outside and that's mainly for aesthetics (and I suppose aerodynamics, too). If you let a C6 sit too long without a trickle charger, the battery WILL die. Its electronics are always on "standby", so there's a small draw on the battery at all times. When you get locked OUT is when the fun begins. No pull straps, only a key cylinder above the license plate that gets loaded with dirt and sand and may or may not work if it isn't cleaned occasionally.

I sure wouldn't sell a fantastic car like that over this, though.

BTW, there are worse things - like flipping a Diablo on its roof and trying to get out!

RMX

GM is not at fault I keep all of my 14 cars on battery tenders while in storage. I pull a car out drive it a few days and get something else. The only car I keep on charge is the Ferrari 458 because the dealer suggested I do that.

I suspect I have a battery problem . car battery or key flob. Surprising for a 2 year old car.

To your point I may rethink selling it. If is a very cabable car. I think it handles as good as the 458 and a bit quicker.

Did you really flip a Diable? I looked at trading in my 2010 Galardo convertible for a Diablo. I loved the sound.

Lee

[leead1]

The car I am looking at to repelace the ZR1 is a Comaro. The car is one of the 500 Chevy made as company tuners.

It is a high performance V8 with a racing suspension. Black and orange and a beautiful car. It is not as capable as the ZR1 vette but not bad. It is called at 575 by chevy. the dealer said it has more hp than 575 and it is dinoed just over 600 hp. The ZR! is posted by GM 635 hp. The Camero while not as quick is a very strong car.

decisions Personally I like the Camero looks better than the ZR1. I think the vette design has been around to long and needs to be updated alot.

Lee

[Senna1994]

Originally Posted by leead1

The car I am looking at to repelace the ZR1 is a Comaro. The car is one of the 500 Chevy made as company tuners.

It is a high performance V8 with a racing suspension. Black and orange and a beautiful car. It is not as capable as the ZR1 vette but not bad. It is called at 575 by chevy. the dealer said it has more hp than 575 and it is dinoed just over 600 hp. The ZR! is posted by GM 635 hp. The Camero while not as quick is a very strong car.

decisions Personally I like the Camero looks better than the ZR1. I think the vette design has been around to long and needs to be updated alot.

Lee

Lee, are you speaking about the upcoming ZL-1 2012 Camaro? If so, I doubt it will handle as well as a ZR-1, as the Camaro is based on the Zeta Platform (Pontiac G8) and the weight will be an issue. Whatever you do, good luck. IMHO, better to wait for the C7 Corvette which will be out in 2013.

[leead1]

Originally Posted by Senna1994

Lee, are you speaking about the upcoming ZL-1 2012 Camaro? If so, I doubt it will handle as well as a ZR-1, as the Camaro is based on the Zeta Platform (Pontiac G8) and the weight will be an issue. Whatever you do, good luck. IMHO, better to wait for the C7 Corvette which will be out in 2013.

Tony, the Camaro I am looking at as a replacement for the ZR1 is a 575 camero. That is the moniker across the hood. It is not as much sports car as the ZR1 as you point out but it is not bad either.

My thought was it would be different for me untill the new vette comes out in mid 2013.

The pictures of the new vette are stunning. My fear is the production car will not look like the prototype shown at the car shows.

I am still tossing this around in my mind now that I know there is a door open emergency switch thanks to this forum.

Still thinking I did not know there was a new 2012 comaro. I will look for pictures

Lee

[Senna1994]

Originally Posted by leead1

Tony, the Camaro I am looking at as a replacement for the ZR1 is a 575 camero. That is the moniker across the hood. It is not as much sports car as the ZR1 as you point out but it is not bad either.

My thought was it would be different for me untill the new vette comes out in mid 2013.

The pictures of the new vette are stunning. My fear is the production car will not look like the prototype shown at the car shows.

I am still tossing this around in my mind now that I know there is a door open emergency switch thanks to this forum.

Still thinking I did not know there was a new 2012 comaro. I will look for pictures

Lee

Lee, my suggestion is to take a look at the new Road & Track or their website on the factory
Camaro ZL-1, it has some major changes with a detuned ZR-1 Engine, Magnetic Shocks, Etc.

I don't think the C7 will be as extreme as the Stingray Concept, we should start seeing spy photos by this summer. It will be a C6.5 IMHO with a short run, until the C8 Corvette which will be a true new chassis about 2017 or so. With Akerson at GM though, who knows what will happen. Fortunately, GM has some of the best Engineers and Designers, I just hope they don't go backwards and be run the way Ron Zarella had input in the 90's.

[boiseferrari]

Lee,

Do you leave the fob inside the ZR1 while it is parked in tha garage? If you donthis is the reason for the dead battery. When the fob is inside the car the accessories drain juice because it thinks it is getting started. Just a thought.

[308geo]

Originally Posted by leead1

I closed the door and the door locked and would not open. The car would not start. I was trapped!

I called 911 and the police came quickly thankfully. Once the officer assured himself that ilt was a car problem and not a idiot driver problem. He nor I could not figure out what to do.

He called the chevy dealership. They recommended I get out of the seat and crawl to the back of the ZR! and pull the emergency tag. It is not a pretty sight to see a fat, 65 yr old man crawling to the back of the car. Well I did and the trunk opened.

That was this morning and the ZR1 is sold, gone out of my life. Took it to the dealer that helped me and sold it cold and flat. It is still in my garage I am not going near it. They will have to come to my home and get it out of my garage.

Thank god for the police and the chevy dealer. Boo for GM.

What a stupid system to put onto a car. Just think , if my garage door was closed not open and I did not have a cell phone and my wife just left for Vermont It could have been alot worse.

No more cars for me with automatic door lock systems. FYI the officer said his captian had the same problem with his Corvette.

If I find out the root cause I will post here. The car is only 2 years old.

Lee

Don't buy American cars built by union workers.

[WILLIAM H]

Originally Posted by Senna1994

I just hope they don't go backwards and be run the way Ron Zarella had input in the 90's.

Unforetunately Govt Motors WILL mess up the next Vette. Today's ZR1 & Z06 are a high point in Vette history. Next gen Z06 will have a 5.5 instead of current 7.0 and Bob Lutz is gone.
That said I love my Z06 & I'll probably add another & a ZR1 to the stable

[cs s60]

Good God, if the dealer doesn't know about the pull handles, I hope you find a new dealer for future needs!

FWIW, I went almost three weeks without driving my Z06 at one point, and the battery was too dead to start. After that I got a tender for it, and use it if it's more than two weeks between driving.

If you really decide you're not happy with the ZR1, maybe you should keep it until the Camaro ZL1 comes out....just my 2cents

[SSNISTR]

Originally Posted by WILLIAM H

Next gen Z06 will have a 5.5 instead of current 7.0 and Bob Lutz is gone.

That might not be so bad. The race cars are that size and as I'm sure you know, you don't need big cubes for big power. Not that 5.5L is small anyway. I wouldn't worry....