Remote Car Starter...Any good?

[s5aif]

Hi All,
After seeing a mates car with the remote starter i am considering getting one for my car but would like to know if any of you have installed anything like this in your car and are there any drawbacks or problems with remote starters.

 

[DougCLK320]

Don't forget that it's illegal to use a remote starter on the public road. Some poor chap (in a Mercedes) was in the papers last week having got a ticket from a "jobsworth" policeman for having his car engine running, at the side of the road, despite the car being locked - and impossible for it to be stolen.

From the Daily Mail 28/12/07:

"A motorist has been fined for defrosting his car outside his home because he left it unattended with the engine running.

Ken Hardman was given a £30 fixed penalty notice for leaving his engine on to warm up his car during the cold snap in the morning.

He was prosecuted under the Road Traffic Act offence of 'quitting' which is when a person leaves their vehicle's engine running while they are not in it."

Okay on your private drive of course...
Doug

 

[carabind]

yesk guess it's a kit or car for an overseas market They help but can accelarate engine wear as its better to start and get driving, that just idle when cold. and you really need an auto , imagine starting a manual in gear by mistake and seeing your car kangeroo up the drive into your house....
Look at Kenlowe (or similar) engine pre-heaters - these heat the coolant, so give almost instant heat as soon as you set off. better than a remote starter, but not not as good as say a garage !

 

[bigasotonuk]

Hi,
What car is it? As if you have the "electronic" key it will be neigh on impossible to fit as the alarm immobiliser is in the key.
Save your money.

 

[gchild]

...They help but can accelarate engine wear as its better to start and get driving, that just idle when cold...

hope this isn't off topic, but how is warming up the car considered to be bad? i let mine usually run for a few mins at least before setting off...

 

[DougCLK320]

It warms up quicker driving it off straight away ... and it's arguably better for the engine than letting it idle (on choke). At least that's what I was told years ago.
Driving off straight away is certainly better for the planet!!!
Naturally I mean: Drive off slowly and let the engine (and transmission) warm thoroughly before opening it up.
Doug

 

[television]

Warming up at idle is unnatural as nothing is under load in the correct thrust plain

 

[DougCLK320]

Yeah, that’s what I meant !!!
Doug

(What's thrust plain???)

 

[television]

Yeah, that’s what I meant !!!
Doug

(What's thrust plain???)

The angle on the pistons among other things

 

[rf065]

I believe a car warming up by letting it tick over, will suffer top end engine wear as oil pumps are not very efficient at low revs and do not pump sufficient quantities of oil to the top of the engine.

That is one of the reasons for warming your engine by setting off right away, sometimes difficult if your windows are iced up though.

Russ

 

[JEZ.S320L]

......sometimes difficult if your windows are iced up though.

Russ

De-icer..????

 

[rf065]

De-icer..????

Don't know about your part of the country, but up here the insides of the windows are sometimes covered in ice too. I'm not spraying de icer inside the car.

Russ

 

[JEZ.S320L]

Don't know about your part of the country, but up here the insides of the windows are sometimes covered in ice too. I'm not spraying de icer inside the car.

Russ

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrr ..... point taken

 

[gchild]

Warming up at idle is unnatural as nothing is under load in the correct thrust plain

when i start my car, the revs rise over 1k, then drop slighlty under after say 30s, then drop to around 600rpm when the car is fully warm. should i just pull away when the revs are over 1k just after starting?

 

[carabind]

yes, pull away, any cold idling will increase wear in theory

 

[television]

Yes as carabind just pull away as soon as the revs drop back