Being up in the Great White North, our winters get really cold. On my 2013, it was set for auto climate when I remote started, and it would default to high defrost settings and my heated seats would turn on with the remote start. It was nice if I had ice or snow on the windows, as it would be melted and clear when I got in my truck.
With my 21 Lariat, I have the settings for remote start to Automatic climate, heated seats and wheel to be on. The ,manual only says it will adjust to a 72 degree temp, whether it heats or cools depending on temps.
As it's getting colder now, when I do remote start my truck, I come out to see the heat is not blowing on the defrost setting and my seats and steering wheel do not turn on to heat until I press the start button.
Is this normal? Would the rain sensor detect frost or snow and automatically turn it to defrost? Does it need to be below a certain temp for the defrost to kick in? It's around freezing mark here in the mornings, so maybe it does go to defrost if a certain temp is detected?
I would hate to have to come out to my warm truck in freezing temps, only to have to manually turn the settings to manual defrost high and sit there while waiting for the windows to clear off of the frost/snow and for the seats and wheel to heat up?

 

Nobody has gone through this last winter in cold climates, that could give me any advice?

 

will be my first winter with it so i'm curious too - my '18 turned the heat on high. if the new one is set to 72 it doesn't really matter because when it's -35 the heat will be on full to get to 72.

 

OK, we hit -5C a couple days ago, windows were all frosted up. Hit remote start and let it run for the max 15 minutes it is allowed to.

All settings in the truck for the remote are set, from auto temp and the seats and wheel settings.

Windows were still frosted up, fan was not blowing on high, seats and wheel were cold as ice until I pushed the start button and they turned on.

My 2013 would automatically turn on max defrost when it was cold and I would come out to a toasty warm truck with clear windows.

Going to be along, cold winter if I have to come out and press the start button to get the seats and wheel warm, turn it to max defrost and then wait another 15 minutes for the truck to warm up.

Or, I guess I will have to put the settings to last heat settings and remember to turn it to max defrost every time I come home and turn off the truck.

 

Even at 50 my heated seats come on and warm up in auto, not sure why yours don't. Ive not been below 30s yet with mine though.

That said, when I was at the coast and it was over 100 the remote start system left a lot to be desired. Lol. Never ran on max ac and I swear I think it was blowing outside air a few times. I found that I had to set it to last setting and just hit the max cold every time I got out.

Also on the phone app you can go over the 15 minutes. Just add time. At my home its useless because the service sucks. But at the coast it was nice. I could start my truck from the 11th floor condo and by the time i got to the truck it was cool

 

I know this is an old post, but did you ever find out what was wrong?

 

I have the cheap XL model and mine is full bast when i remote start it.

 

That's what mine did when I first brought it home. It stopped doing that when we got snow a few weeks later.

 

I haven't figured out the phone app yet (if I even have that). I don't need more time on it, the engine warms up, but the heat will not blow into the cab and the seats don't heat up anymore. Even if I push the button for them or turn the dial for the heat, nothing changes until I put the key in and turn it. They were working fine for the first few weeks I brought it home. This is not worth putting it in their shop for who knows how long, but it would be nice to get my nice warm truck back. I was just out of the dealership 30 day warranty when this happened, of course. Having bought it when it was cold, it's one of my favorite features.

 

Actually no, I have been living with it ever since, just settings on last set mode and trying to remember to turn it on max heat when I shut down.

TBH, I have had it on my list if I ever had to take it in for any repair, but I haven't had a single issue with my truck in over 3 years.
I know I ned to make time to get the 4 or 5 recalls done, so maybe then, I will get this looked at.