[Old George]

I am looking to upgrade my LS to a keyless lock/unlock. And would like to upgrade manual front door manual windows to automatic. I expect this will require window motors and a different door panel. I do not believe the Chevy dealer will help.

Has anyone done ether of these upgrades?

 

[Browneye]

Auto-locks have been done, adding actuators in the other doors and tapping into what's there. Sorry, can't help you more.
Yes, for power windows you would need motorized window regulators and a way to control them.

I know, probly a silly question, but why did you buy a car that didn't have the options you really wanted?

 

[Old George]

I could not locate any Spark with a manual transmission (needed for flat towing) and with upgrades. It seems the first thing most, if not all, Sparks upgrades are an automatic transmission. The Spark has been discontinued effective last Aug, the supply dwindled quickly. Here in California, used Sparks are selling for $4k above new list price.

 

[Browneye]

Yep. We bought exactly two years ago - RIGHT before 'carmageddon'. At that time they were discounting them a couple of thousand plus zero interest for 60mo, and the dealer we went to had at least a dozen of them.

We had been towing a Colorado 4x4 but it was too heavy. Not that the coach wouldn't tow it, but any cross winds or passing semi's and it was the tail wagging the dog. I finally got fed up after about seven years. We still have the truck - homeowner and boat towing duties. We sold our third car so Sparky is our around-town grocery-getter, but any freeway driving we take the truck. The little car scares me to death. Have nearly been run over a handful of times now - big pickups just don't even see it. Reminds me of my motorcycles but with four wheels. It's one thing when we're on vacation, quite another to do any kind of distance with it.

The door locks thing is probly easier than the window regulators, although surely it's just a matter of ordering the regulators and all the switch gear. Gonna run big $$ I'm sure. Wifey is my auto-door-locks...unlock and let her in - she reaches across.

Tailgate remote release is cheaper, but you have to run wires from the tailgate to the dash and that's no easy task.

You got your towing bits all setup? Tailgate won't work once you disco the battery for towing.

Sparky setup, Colorado is in the driveway...



Installing the baseplate. It's always a little unnerving to remove the whole front of a brand new car. LOL

 

[Browneye]

Did a quick search for you on window regulators - here's gmpartsoutlet for them: Window Motors & Parts for 2022 Chevrolet Spark | OEM GM Parts (gmpartsoutlet.net)

This is for 2022 LS - powered window regulators. Fronts are $385, rears $460. Main window switch is $300 - says requires programming. Switch bezel another $130. OUCH!!
Surely the wiring is already there - the various models all come off the same assembly line. I would remove a door panel and have a look before investing too much time into it.

Frankly, I just wouldn't bother, the car works fine without all that stuff. Plus a lot less to go wrong. It's almost a novelty to have manual door locks and roll-up windows. LOL

 

[Old George]

I bought this LS last Aug. Today, it shows less than 200 miles. I have yet to put fuel in it. The mileage does not increase during towing and the driven mileage is just around RV parks. I added two bulbs into the plastic brake light housings and wired them to the trailer plug up front. No steering wheel lock, so no key in ignition necessary, no battery disconnect, and thus far, no problem with ABS brakes during towing.
The key in the back tailgate is just annoying. And I am afraid if I lock keys in the car I won't be able to open the door. OnStar can open the driver door, so the electronics are present. I choose not to subscribe to OnStar.

 

[Browneye]

I added brake lamp sockets to the taillight housings as well.

The car has electric power steering, so the battery is required to be disconnected for towing, or you'll burn out the unit. It will be constantly fighting the car.
I don't bother with onstar either. I keep an extra key on the motorhome keyring.

If you disco the battery, and leave the driver door closed when re-connecting, it will lock the door. DAMHIK.

 

[Old George]

Thanks for the update and advice. When first connected up, I sat in the car while it was being towed and it did not appear to be a problem.The steering wheel appeared to move freely during turns. I will further check into it and check into purchase dealer parts to upgrade electronics.

 

[Browneye]

Many GM vehicles have electric power steering - the Colorado does too. But it has a transfer case that can be shifted into neutral so that disengages the drive train. But you still have to disconnect the battery, otherwise the powersteering unit stays powered up.

Page 214 in your owners manual:

To dinghy tow the vehicle from the front with all four wheels on the ground: 1. Position the vehicle to tow and then secure it to the tow vehicle. 2. Apply the parking brake. 3. Shift the transmission to Neutral. 4. Disconnect the negative battery cable at the battery. See “Negative Battery Cable Disconnection” under Battery - North America 0 175. 5. Cover the negative battery post with a non-conductive material to prevent any contact with the negative battery terminal. 6. Release the parking brake. Caution If 113 km/h (70 mph) is exceeded while towing the vehicle, it could be damaged. Never exceed 113 km/h (70 mph) while towing the vehicle. Caution Towing the vehicle from the rear could damage it. Also, repairs would not be covered by the vehicle warranty. Never have the vehicle towed from the rear. To disconnect the towed vehicle: 1. Park on a level surface. 2. Apply the parking brake. 3. Make sure that the ignition is off. 4. Remove any tape, glue, or excess material from the negative battery post. 5. Connect the battery. See “Negative Battery Cable Reconnection” under Battery - North America 0 175. 6. Disconnect the vehicle from the tow vehicle. 7. Release the parking brake