[ember1205]

Originally Posted by Plasar

Ember:

Between friends, I waited to respond to this, and almost don't want to. i don't know if you intended this, but your response comes across a little rough, mocking me for not installing myself, and calling this product a POS repeatedly, not just that it is not a good match to your requirements and budget.


To answer your questions:

1) Well yes, I am perfectly able to remove my back seat and do the install myself - but I had this new branch of an established auto repair shop doing a brake service today anyhow, and because it is COVID, and I want to support the great people at this shop, I will throw $70/30 mins labor their way.
1a) They just did a skip shift install for me (along with an oil service).

Skip Shift Eliminator


2) I am a 33 year career IT veteran, and I don't mind doing a couple of top up/down button clicks to re-program, if that ever becomes necessary. i prefer this over leaving USB cables dangling. V2.x firmware came Jul-2017 and last V2.x update was Nov-2019 (Camaro support) - probably won't need to update.
2a) However, for my car stereo install, I am glad to have left a USB cable available to plug into a laptop to update settings on the Helix DSP.

ZLI Vert Stereo Upgrade

I was not mocking at all - I was legitimately curious as to why you were having a shop do the install. I have three decades of tech experience myself, and thought that the directions were actually easy enough to follow that one should be able to tackle it themselves. And I was actually interested in knowing the first-hand assessment from someone that had put one in. Your response that you want to support a local shop that does good work is a very reasonable one, and I can appreciate why you did it.

I never called this module a POS. Not once.

I repeatedly commented negatively toward GM's setup, I called out the reasoning behind why we can't have window-up controls from a remote control, and I questioned the design of this module as to whether it would be done in a way that would circumvent safety features built into what's in the car (seems there isn't feedback on that speed limit bypass or not yet). I also was very specific in what feature would be of interest to me (the single button press in the car to get top up / top down), and noted that at the cost of the module it likely wouldn't hold enough value to me to purchase it.

The written word does not convey many subtle aspects of interaction like when two people speak. And, for whatever reason, we tend to look for the negative tone in writing and often find it when it was never intended to be there by the author.

[Plasar]

Ember:

• OK, I guess "I apologize for any misunderstanding" was not going to be in the mix, but "you misunderstood something I never intended" is the best I'll get here.
• I tested top down at speed - works fine.

[Plasar]

All:

This thing is great. The only regret is that I didn't discover it and install it a year ago when I first got my Camaro.

[tim32311]

Originally Posted by Plasar

All:

This thing is great. The only regret is that I didn't discover it and install it a year ago when I first got my Camaro.

My only wish is that it does not come with the option to raise the windows like the one I got with my C7.



Tim

[Plasar]

Tim:

• Agreed, that would be ideal.
• Per Voltaire: Dans ses écrits, un sage Italien, Dit que le mieux est l'ennemi du bien.

Perfect_is_the_enemy_of_good

[tim32311]

My wife pointed out something to me, she can remote start her 2020 SS vert from 50 ft. away but can't drop the top unless she is much closer and the sun, moon, and stars are all in alignment. What's up with that?


Tim

[Plasar]

Tim:

• Yes, I and others here have noticed that - you literally have to hold the fob right next to the door handle and continually press the Top button for the top to go down.
• Even worse, sometimes it stops going down during this process, and I found the only way to restart was to click Unlock first, then hold down the Top button again - so frustrating.
• SmartTOP fixes this - you can triple click the Unlock button from 30 feet away, and the top goes down. Triple click the Lock button from 30 feet away and the top goes up.
• So $300 is not nothing, but screw it, solves several problems, life is MUCH BETTER.

[tim32311]

Originally Posted by Plasar

Tim:

• Yes, I and others here have noticed that - you literally have to hold the fob right next to the door handle and continually press the Top button for the top to go down.
• Even worse, sometimes it stops going down during this process, and I found the only way to restart was to click Unlock first, then hold down the Top button again - so frustrating.
• SmartTOP fixes this - you can triple click the Unlock button from 30 feet away, and the top goes down. Triple click the Lock button from 30 feet away and the top goes up.
• So $300 is not nothing, but screw it, solves several problems, life is MUCH BETTER.

Agreed. It's worth the $300 just to be able to have the top go up or down without having to hold down the button. It worked well on my C7.


Tim

[Plasar]

• Maybe the final closeout on this thread - I checked with TopDownTech whether their OBD Port dongle worked to roll up windows on the Generation 6 Camaro.
• TopDownTech answered per below - nope, it ended at Generation 5 Camaro, G5/G6/G7 Corvette.
• Take away: the Mods4Cars SmartTOP is STILL worth every penny IMHO.
• I'm glad to help anyone with their journey to this product... <sniff>... it changed my life!!!.

TopDownTech Window Valet 200


From: Info <Info@TopDownTech.com>
Sent: Tuesday, November 24, 2020 12:32 AM
To: Paul Lasar <plasar@mac.com>
Subject: Re: Does VV200 support Gen6 Camaro from 2017?

Unfortunately, the Window Valet WV-200 is only able to support the 5th Generation Camaro up through model year 2016. I wish we had a solution for you. If that changes, we'll reply back to this message.
Thank you,
Michael Fuller, President
Top Down Technologies, Inc.
On 11/19/20 12:28 PM, Paul Lasar wrote:
Dear TopDownTech:

Does your WV200 product support the Generation 6 Camaro from 2017?

017 Corvette (not yet available for 2018-2019)
& 2010-2016 Camaro
$150

I have installed SmartTOP from Mods4Cars, and it does everything but roll up windows after top goes up, and they refer us to you in their documentation.

Best regards,
Paul

[FarmerFran]

Originally Posted by tim32311

My wife pointed out something to me, she can remote start her 2020 SS vert from 50 ft. away but can't drop the top unless she is much closer and the sun, moon, and stars are all in alignment. What's up with that?


Tim

I bet it is for safety because of all the moving parts.

I cannot remote start my SS anywhere

[Chutzpah]

Originally Posted by FarmerFran

I bet it is for safety because of all the moving parts.

I cannot remote start my SS anywhere

Hmm, that’s a bit odd. Both the 6th gens I’ve had, the remote start works quite well from ~ 50ft. You may want to check the fob battery or bring in for service. That would drive me crazy.

The top is another story, lowering it can be done from 25’ ft or so (at least in my case). It’s just a PIA to complete the entire cycle. Whether the root cause is my weak thumbs or it’s the fob / receiver, I don’t know.

[FarmerFran]

Originally Posted by Chutzpah

Hmm, that’s a bit odd. Both the 6th gens I’ve had, the remote start works quite well from ~ 50ft. You may want to check the fob battery or bring in for service. That would drive me crazy.

The top is another story, lowering it can be done from 25’ ft or so (at least in my case). It’s just a PIA to complete the entire cycle. Whether the root cause is my weak thumbs or it’s the fob / receiver, I don’t know.

Sorry, my bad way of trying to be funny. I have no remote start on my M6

[Chutzpah]

Originally Posted by FarmerFran

Sorry, my bad way of trying to be funny. I have no remote start on my M6

Ah, I didn’t even think about that!

[Plasar]

• I hope you all don't mind - I want to bump this thread for my 8 month update with my review of the 1 touch top up/down from Mods4Cars.
• This is by far the best mod I've done to date.
• I can't think of how much frustration and time waste have been avoided by allowing 3 x clicks on my key fob (or door handle) or 1 x click on the interior switch to raise or lower the top rather than holding down the buttons.
• Addition points for the coolness of the party trick of doing it from 25 feet away from the car.
• It's not 100% perfect - I noticed 5% of the time the key fob doesn't trigger the top correctly. However, in this case, the 3 x clicks on the door handle, or 1 x click on the inside switch works fine.
• And yes - the windows will not go up automatically on close. (My BMW 135i/Z4/M3 verts did - but those were button holds too.)
• In sum, the best mod by far, even though it was $300 + some install time.
• Honorable best mod mention is the skip shift eliminator (1st to 4th gear for 6 speed manuals) - that was only $20 + installation.