Remote Start - Novelty!

[Magfan2]

Never had a remote start on on one of my cars. My Wife gets the new cars (my choice) has had it for years but has never used it. My new to me '14 has it and I tried it. First push locked the doors, second started it right up. Good fun! What immediately came to mind and gave me a chuckle, though I am no fan of the author, was Christine! I don't imagine I'll use it much since I have a garage, and retired, don't need to go anywhere when the weather is really bad. What is the primary usage? Warmed up / warm car? Curious.

 

[Ken226]

Never had a remote start on on one of my cars. My Wife gets the new cars (my choice) has had it for years but has never used it. My new to me '14 has it and I tried it. First push locked the doors, second started it right up. Good fun! What immediately came to mind and gave me a chuckle, though I am no fan of the author, was Christine! I don't imagine I'll use it much since I have a garage, and retired, don't need to go anywhere when the weather is really bad. What is the primary usage? Warmed up / warm car? Curious.

I didn't have remote start when I moved up here to WA state.

After the 3rd time i had to chip my way around the door seams to get in, I bought a remote start kit.

Now I leave the heater on and go remote start about 10 minutes before I get off work. Not only does the ice sheet off the doors, but the windows clear up too.

I keep it garaged at home, but at work not so much.

 

[62Blazer]

Yes, main use is to let the car warm up before venturing out in the cold. Not just for the comfort of having the interior warmed up some, but also to let the defrosters start working and clearing the windshield.
It sure is nice when you have to park outside and it's -5 F in the morning, and the car is covered with a couple inches of snow and ice.
A few comments:
Most remote starts will only turn the engine on and run for 10 minutes before turning off. Also, most will only let you remote start 2 times in a row. Meaning you can remote start it and will run for 10 minutes, then you can remote start it a second time and run for 10 minutes. But it will not let you remote start a 3rd time in a row.
While the 10 minute run time is long enough for the car to actually start blowing warm air from the heater and start defrosting the windshield, it is by no means fully warmed up. Even if you remote start it a second time so it's running for 20 minutes it's still not fully warmed up when it's cold outside. It is partially warmed up and much more comfortable, but definitely not fully warmed up inside.

 

[Grams]

Never had a remote start on on one of my cars. My Wife gets the new cars (my choice) has had it for years but has never used it. My new to me '14 has it and I tried it. First push locked the doors, second started it right up. Good fun! What immediately came to mind and gave me a chuckle, though I am no fan of the author, was Christine! I don't imagine I'll use it much since I have a garage, and retired, don't need to go anywhere when the weather is really bad. What is the primary usage? Warmed up / warm car? Curious.

It’s good for killing the mice in the closed garage.

(Hint: Don’t do this inside a garage…open OR closed.)

Also, note that your Owner’s Manual cautions you Not to Rely Solely upon the transmission “Park” feature expecting that to prevent vehicle movement.
There are plenty of examples of vehicles moving when the “park” fails on modern transmissions, some resulting in death.

 

[Magfan2]

I actually thought of running it in the machine building to kill the mice. Far, far from the house. Just a random thought!

 

[Grams]

It was with some degree of mixed-emotion to recall my ex-wife won the newest car in the divorce….and she was a fan of starting it to let it warm-up while it was parked in the garage of the house she also kept.

 

[2016 2500]

I have lived in the cold, remote start on cold mornings is nice. I now live in SW FL and getting the interior cooled down is also nice. That being said I don't actually use remote start all that often.

 

[62Blazer]

Just to be clear, you should NOT run a vehicle inside an enclosed space. There is a potential hazard of CO poisoning.
With that said, with a properly running modern vehicle you would have to run it for quite a while to produce a high enough concentration to be fatal, if it was even possible. Again, take my word on that and don't actually try it.
To put this in perspective, the emissions standards in 1970 said the limit was 34 grams per mile of CO. Todays emissions standards limits that to 1.7 grams per mile, with many cars producing around 0.28 grams per mile of CO. That means a modern car produces 100 times less carbon monoxide than an old 1970's pre catalytic converter car.
But again, there is still a risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. That is at least part of the reason manufacturers limit the remote start time to 10 minutes at a time, and only allow 2 starts. The thought is that if somebody accidentally remote starts the car in the garage it won't run long enough to be an issue.

 

[Magfan2]

That is a theme that was raised in a Lee Child novel, that modern cars don't produce a lot of CO, possibly not enough to be fatal. No interest in a personal test!

 

[Grams]

Than is a theme that was raised in a Lee Child novel, that modern cars don't produce a lot of CO, possibly not enough to be fatal. No interest in a personal test!

Explains why that Ex is still alive making someone’s life miserable in Nashville.

 

[mands0807]

In Florida, I use it mainly in the summer when walking out from work to get the a/c going. Last week though, we had an early cold snap(Tampa broke a 133 year old record low), and I would use it before leaving at 5:30am to let the truck warm up since my drive to work is only 3 miles.

 

[Magfan2]

Considering carjackings, a kill button would nice a nice addition.

 

[mtofell]

It seems my remote start also triggers defrost when it's cold enough. I've never paid super close attention but on cold mornings when I get in, the rear defrost (and mirrors) is on.

 

[Voltron99]

I live in Minnesota. And it's a MUST HAVE.

 

[1979 300]

Considering carjackings, a kill button would nice a nice addition.

Pressing the remote start button again while it's running shuts it off. If someone would manage to get in with it running, most things like the gear shift are locked, and stepping on the brake, like you would normally have to do to put it in gear shuts it off.

 

[turkeybird56]

Just to be clear, you should NOT run a vehicle inside an enclosed space. There is a potential hazard of CO poisoning.
With that said, with a properly running modern vehicle you would have to run it for quite a while to produce a high enough concentration to be fatal, if it was even possible. Again, take my word on that and don't actually try it.
To put this in perspective, the emissions standards in 1970 said the limit was 34 grams per mile of CO. Todays emissions standards limits that to 1.7 grams per mile, with many cars producing around 0.28 grams per mile of CO. That means a modern car produces 100 times less carbon monoxide than an old 1970's pre catalytic converter car.
But again, there is still a risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. That is at least part of the reason manufacturers limit the remote start time to 10 minutes at a time, and only allow 2 starts. The thought is that if somebody accidentally remote starts the car in the garage it won't run long enough to be an issue.

Remote start on RAMS 2 15 minute sessions. Just for clarity.

The engine can be started two consecutive times (two
15-minute cycles) with the key fob. However, the ignition
must be placed in the ON/RUN position before you
can repeat the start sequence for a third cycle.

 

[turkeybird56]

It seems my remote start also triggers defrost when it's cold enough. I've never paid super close attention but on cold mornings when I get in, the rear defrost (and mirrors) is on.

yup

 

[turkeybird56]

I didn't have remote start when I moved up here to WA state.

After the 3rd time i had to chip my way around the door seams to get in, I bought a remote start kit.

Now I leave the heater on and go remote start about 10 minutes before I get off work. Not only does the ice sheet off the doors, but the windows clear up too.

I keep it garaged at home, but at work not so much.

View attachment 575801

I do not miss weather like depicted in post.

 

[62Blazer]

Remote start on RAMS 2 15 minute sessions. Just for clarity.

The engine can be started two consecutive times (two
15-minute cycles) with the key fob. However, the ignition
must be placed in the ON/RUN position before you
can repeat the start sequence for a third cycle.

Now I'm going to have to remote start my truck and time it! I know the other 3 cars with factory remote starts are all 10 minutes, but to be honest rarely use the remote start on the Ram.....don't drive it daily and it's parked in the garage so don't need to remote start. It may very will be 15 minutes.

 

[62Blazer]

Pressing the remote start button again while it's running shuts it off. If someone would manage to get in with it running, most things like the gear shift are locked, and stepping on the brake, like you would normally have to do to put it in gear shuts it off.

Yep, starting the engine with the remote start is not the same as doing a regular start.
The doors will be locked. At least on the 4 different makes of vehicles we have at home with remote start, you either have to lock the doors first before the remote start will activate or the doors will lock when you hit remote start. Once it's running with remote start you have to unlock the doors and either insert and turn on the key or have the key fob present. 2 of our vehicles require you actually insert and turn on the key, and two have proximity key fobs. If you don't have the key you can't drive off with the vehicle. Just like said above the shifter and other functions are locked up.