Remote start
- Thread starter BenST
- Start date
Pho said:Does remote start (assuming you mean the press a button and the car starts) have some kind of check to make sure the car is not in a gear? Else it could be rather embarassing.
Hence why over here remote starters are only designed for use in autoboxed fuel injected cars. Also the reason the only car in my driveway that has one is the Neon. Truck is carby and the Toyota is carby stickshift.
Autostarters cannot prime the carb and there is no way for them to tell if the car is in gear or not.
Pho said:Does remote start (assuming you mean the press a button and the car starts) have some kind of check to make sure the car is not in a gear? Else it could be rather embarassing
With Clifford Intellistart you have to follow a procedure when you turn the car off in order to be able to remote start it. I think it involves a neutral check and a handbrake sensor of some sort. Definately works with manual cars.
James_N said:
If it's not on your land then I think yes. Plus it's highly likely your insurance is void while you leave it running unattended with the keys in the ignition. I say void, I doubt very much they'd pay out if someone knicked it under those circumstances as you have to be seen to have taken reasonable precautions to not have the car stolen, leaving the keys in the ignition whilst not there I'd say is not a reasonable precaution
But from the breaking the law point of view, I'm sure everyone here does it everyday just by speeding, but technically...splitz said:
Depends, how many people tell their ins co. they haev the remote start option added to their alarm package?
I'd always had it drummed into me it was illegal, sorry if I'm wrong.
I know most insurers don't like you having it and a lot won't cover you.
I'd also imagine they'd say that whilst the vehicle is unattended and running your insurance is void, from a theft point of view.
Will try and dig out the info I read ages ago on it.
*edit* found this
OK, the law states that leaving your car running without you occupying the vehicle is legal only if your car is parked on your driveway, not on the public roads.
According to The Road Traffic (Construction and use) Regulations 1986;
Regulation 98; the driver of a vehicle shall, when the vehicle in stationary, stop the action of any machinery attached to or forming part of the vehicle so far as may be necessary for the prevention of noise or of exhaust emissions.
Regulation 107; no person shall leave, or cause or permit to be left, on a road a motor vehicle which is not attended by a person licensed to drive it unless the engine is stopped and any parking brake with which the vehicle is required to be equipped is effectively set.
Highway Code legal requirement; Rule 214
Parking. You must switch off the engine, headlights and fog lights.
You are likely to get a fixed ticket for this offence.
Highway Code states your engine must be turned off when parked.
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It's funny considering every autostarter you can get over here shuts off the minute you hit the brake pedal. You could also wire it in a stickshift to disable the autostarter with the clutch's starter interlock switch.
Besides, the streering wheel's still locked (and on an auto, the tranny selector). So it's not like the thief's going to be able to do anything with the car. The car's still locked and alarms can still be energised as well.
Any insurance company saying they won't cover you because of an autostarter isn't worth being insured through. I can tell you, if my insurers tried saying anything that utterly STUPID, I'd drop them in a heartbeat AND explain to them why....
That's paramount to my (previous) insurer trying to say my Toyota was a "sport" edition just because it said "SR5" on it. HAHAHAHAHAHA!!! WTF is sport about something that takes 17 seconds to get to 60mph?!?!?!?!? And that's the NEW specs. Mine is 20 years old and is pushing 200,000 miles!!!
Besides, the streering wheel's still locked (and on an auto, the tranny selector). So it's not like the thief's going to be able to do anything with the car. The car's still locked and alarms can still be energised as well.
Any insurance company saying they won't cover you because of an autostarter isn't worth being insured through. I can tell you, if my insurers tried saying anything that utterly STUPID, I'd drop them in a heartbeat AND explain to them why....
That's paramount to my (previous) insurer trying to say my Toyota was a "sport" edition just because it said "SR5" on it. HAHAHAHAHAHA!!! WTF is sport about something that takes 17 seconds to get to 60mph?!?!?!?!? And that's the NEW specs. Mine is 20 years old and is pushing 200,000 miles!!!
Also looks like adding the remote start facility to an existing Cat 1 setup actually voids the thatcham rating, didn't know that.
It's one of those things, it's highly unlikely you'd get cought/done for it, but technically speaking it's illegal on the road.
It's one of those things, it's highly unlikely you'd get cought/done for it, but technically speaking it's illegal on the road.
I was looking at the Clifford Intelliguard. I'm trying to find one for a good price and when I have the time I will install it. It doesn't have any sort of manual transmission check as standard and indeed it explicitly states in the installation manual that using the intellistart with a manual car is done at the installers/owners risk. Starting a car in gear would not only be embarassing but it is also dangerous. However I have an idea about putting a switch on the gearbox that detects when the gearstick is in manual or not and therefore stops remote start working if it is out of neutral.
The only thing that is holding me back is insurers. The g/f phoned Churchill on three seperate occasions to check whether or not they would insure the car with remote start. On all occasions she was told that it would make no difference to her policy but they refused to send written confirmation or updated insurance documents even when it was specifically asked for. Helpful. The other thing is that to get remote starting to work on the ZS requires the current CAT2 to be disabled. Again I can do this myself and whilst I have tried explaining this to Churchill they're adamant that it won't affect the policy. I'm not so sure.
The only thing that is holding me back is insurers. The g/f phoned Churchill on three seperate occasions to check whether or not they would insure the car with remote start. On all occasions she was told that it would make no difference to her policy but they refused to send written confirmation or updated insurance documents even when it was specifically asked for. Helpful. The other thing is that to get remote starting to work on the ZS requires the current CAT2 to be disabled. Again I can do this myself and whilst I have tried explaining this to Churchill they're adamant that it won't affect the policy. I'm not so sure.
Remote starts are bad. I have one fitted to my Civic (it was on when I got it)
I used to think it was awesome, get up to a nice warm car on a winter morning. This all changed when my car decided to kamikaze into my neighbours Transit van when i accidentally pressed the remote start button when carrying the keys and other items to a friends car. The worst thing is I got to see it all happen in slow motion while panicking trying to stop the inevitable.
I used to think it was awesome, get up to a nice warm car on a winter morning. This all changed when my car decided to kamikaze into my neighbours Transit van when i accidentally pressed the remote start button when carrying the keys and other items to a friends car. The worst thing is I got to see it all happen in slow motion while panicking trying to stop the inevitable.