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I bought a cheap-ish alarm from ebay with remote start function. I wasnt bothered about this function, I just wanted the alarm features, but thought I would wire it up anyway. The instructions were vague to say the least, and after I finally got clarification from their premium rate helpline, I was good to go. All wired in correctly, I stood back, pressed the button and watched the wiring start to smoke. I disconnected it after that. don't buy cheap. Lol I'm sorry this made me laugh so much,i just had visions of someone zapping his car from the bedroom window on a cold frosty morning only to come outside after a shower and a coffee to find it a smoking shell with all the neighbours cars in a 100 yard radius nicely defrosted.... Not that id ever wish that on anyone.....
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1984 Subaru GLF Hatch 1983 Skoda 120LE Super estelle 1977 Subaru DL Wagon 1978 Datsun 120Y Coupe 1995 Skoda favorit estate
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A couple of years ago i'm in a carpark in leicester loading the boot up with a couple of bags of shopping when i hear a car start up behind me,followed by my legs getting trapped between my car and a BMW 325i...remote starts i'm not a fan of. lying on the floor in pain while some arrogant A£$%hole is asking me why i was standing there in the first place is not something i want to relive. Those kenlowe heaters are good but yes you do have to plug them in,which is no good if you park on the street. Another option that again comes from Land rover,the freelander and i guess other landies have a diesel heater thats on a timer. you program the time you want it to start and when you get in you have a toasty warm motor. Apparently it takes 20-30 minis to heat up a big land rover so a 1.8 jetta should be even quicker
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spiny
Club Retro Rides Member
Wiki Admin
I am abivalent towards car electrics ...
Posts: 1,331
Club RR Member Number: 167
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Remote startspiny
@spiny
Club Retro Rides Member 167
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spiny
Club Retro Rides Member
Wiki Admin
I am abivalent towards car electrics ...
Posts: 1,331
Club RR Member Number: 167
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Remote startspiny
@spiny
Club Retro Rides Member 167
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eberspacher do one too, but I don't know how to spell their name correctly
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^^ yes I was just going to comment that they do this but we cant. they always leave them cop cars and meat waggons running like this around my place, always tempted to turn them off. Not sure anyone would be daft enough to try to nick a cop car from right under their noses so is not really the same thing as you leaving your car running with no one around. If I had a remote start I would be too embarassed to tell anyone cos is a bit girly!! Like... I've gone to all this bother messin' with electronics and alarms and sorted my insurance... and don't mind paying for extra petrol and b*ll*x to the ozone layer cos....... I don't want to get my pinkies and tootsies cold in a mornin'.... is sort of thing the GF would come up with. Thinkin' myself lucky she doesn't read RR forum otherwise I'd been fitting one in her Polo. Have you considered a part time chauffeur for those 'parky' mornin's??
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Last Edit: Dec 2, 2009 12:59:03 GMT by arrocuda
'71 Arrocuda.... '71 Sunbeam Rapier Turbo (The Grim Rapier).... '63 Hymek D7076..... Audi GT5S
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Can't you use some sort of push to break switch near the gearstick?
In 1st gear, circuit is broken. Neutral, circuit complete. Have another one on reverse, just in case.
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AA vans have an immobilisor that allows the van to carry on running as long as the driver and his keys are within a certain distance. You can get in and drive away, but you'll only get 10 metres or so before it cuts the ignition.
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I'd thought about a petrol heater too, but there too expensive.
I was also wondering if you could put the element from an in car kettle in the rad, hooked up to a remote and a second battery on split charge so the water could be electricaly heated but thats alot more faff than just connecting a function of the alarm.
I'm really undecided, maybe just heated seats will surfice. Although remote start may be perfectly well and good, there will always be a slight risk that it will be nicked/go up in flames/run out of petrol/be left in gear etc etc.
Maybe theres just too many possible downsides.
Are there any good electric air heaters i could run untill the car warms up, or are they all useless?
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well, I'm moving from sheffield to essex so it should be a bit warmer.
Its all coconuts and palm tree's down south ;D
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Hitch
Part of things
Posts: 427
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I was under the impression that the proper kits were supposed to have some sort of in-gear cut out to stop it starting in gear? Oh and its also worth bearing in mind that remote starts usually invalidate the thatcham category as far as insurance companies are concerned.
They can be dangerous though, there was a girl on a local forum got run over by a car started in gear with remote start.
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I know it's not much use to you here but I thought I'd just mention it - It's not good on the engine to be just started from cold and idled until warm - much, much better to get it out on the road and warm it up gently that way. A cold engine experiences abnormally high wear - it is therefore bad for the engine to heat it up by letting it idle, especially if you've got the heaters whacked on full, as it takes even longer to warm up then....
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Last Edit: Dec 2, 2009 18:49:18 GMT by Lewis
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well, I'm moving from sheffield to essex so it should be a bit warmer. Its all coconuts and palm tree's down south ;D Didn't know you were going back to Essex dude! Is it cus Sheffield won't be as good without me? ;D ;D ;D
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;D
A few reasons, but mainly the opertunity to make £30k plus hopefully. Only decided a few days ago.
Been working alot, probably working untill a week friday then ill come down for a chat and a cuppa.
Hows the golf?
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timered eber thats plumbed into the coolant system ?
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If the alarm is a professionally installed item (by a genuine retailer/installer), with an insurance thatcham category & certificate, then there wont be any insurance problems as the alarm *SHOULD* have the necessary wiring and sensors to not leave it parked in gear. You have to do a routine when you leave your car which makes it impossible for it to be left in gear. If installed properly it will not remote start unless the routine is performed. And any tampering, locking or unlocking the vehicle will cancel the mode and, again, it wont start off the remote.
If you choose to install one yourself, and something does happen (car sets on fire, car hits neighbours merc - you will be in trouble)
My advice - if you are struck on the idea - get one installed properly with the necessary insurance paperwork. That way - you wont leave it in gear either. And don't BUY cheap rubbish. They are cheap because they are cheaply made. Get all sorts of problems with them. Wind & rain setting them off 24/7, ones with immobilizers cutting cars out when going over bumps.
Stick to the people who pump money into research and development, and use quality stuff. Get a clifford or a toad and you wont go far wrong.
Enough of the essay...
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You could also just buy an old 5 series (E34) with park heaters as an option - they're small, timed petrol heaters that operate when you want them to and demist/defrost/warm the entire car - and being factory fit, completely unnoticeable and work very well
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...I was also wondering if you could put the element from an in car kettle in the rad, hooked up to a remote and a second battery on split charge so the water could be electricaly heated but thats alot more faff than just connecting a function of the alarm... In cold climates you can get block heaters to warm the coolant so that starting/warmup will be easier. Most fit in place of a freeze plug and plug into your mains electricity. In a mild climate like Britain, a block heater might get the coolant quite warm (according to wikipedia they will boost the coolant temperature by 20 deg within four hours. If you really wanted to warm the car up you could install more than one. But be warned - they will bump your electricity bills up - especially if you leave them plugged in overnight. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Block_heater
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1995 Range Rover 4.0 1995 BMW 320i Saloon 1989 BMW 325i Touring 1991 Mercedes 300TE-24 1991 Mercedes 190e 1970 Sunbeam Imp Sport
1966 Valiant 200 Custom 1964 Ford Fairlane 500 Station Wagon
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Remote startDeleted
@Deleted
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Any thatcham is invalid with the fitting of a remote start. My alarm was thatcham til I had the R/S Connected up! lol My insurance company aren't bothered by the remote start because it was fitted by an aproved installer. But no discounts either. The instaler i used said they used to use aftermarket gear gators with micro switches for each gear to stop it starting in gear, but became unreliable. Now it uses the parking brake, If the handbrake is not on, it wont start, not that it matters in mine anyway ! Mine cuts out if anyone tries to drive it that's not me with the keys (it has many ways of knowing I'm not going to spout on public forum) It gives my glow plugs time to prime then tries to start If it fails to start first time when cold (which it normally does being a 20 year old diesel) it will try again 3 times until either A) it starts, or B) 4 tries and no start. So best to fit it to summut u know is a good starter with no carb of course otherwise it'll be ticking over a million RPM til u go over and blip it lol The alarm people cover them selfs by saying they're strictly for automatic vehicles only and wired so they'll only start in park. I have tested mine, it WILL start AND drive in gear with the handbrake on when the engine is already warm, so have to be VERY careful! I don't really use mine, it came with the alarm so heck to it I had it connected up for giggles. Comes with turbo timer too if I want it. A lot of fuss about nothing really, MAN UP and scrape that ice til ya cant feel ya fingers! lol ;D
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Last Edit: Dec 3, 2009 14:52:17 GMT by Deleted
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Y'know, you say that but I'm glad I've got factory remote start on the wife's truck- because it's so blasted hot it fires up and'll run for ten minutes and bring the aircon on to get the cab out of roast-chicken range and into something a bit more useable. Remote start is easy to wire up into an automatic- it hooks up into the starter-immobilize circuit on the gears, so it'll only start if it's in P which at least means it can't go anywhere. Or in some of my older vehicles, wander outside onto driveway, start it up and wiggle the key a bit to pull it out and go back inside having locked the doors. It'd stop itself after a few minutes if I forgot about it because it'd not like running on that much choke... --Phil
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Last Edit: Dec 5, 2009 20:47:01 GMT by PhilA
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