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The DIY $10 Prepaid Cellphone Remote Car Starter

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the now-that's-a-hack dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Wish you could start your car via your cell phone, but don't feel like ponying up the $40k for a Chevrolet Volt or $499 (plus $29 a year) for an aftermarket system from Viper? This hack relies on a cheap prepaid cellphone that has had its vibration motor surgically removed, replaced by a couple of leads triggering the car's starter. Whenever the phone receives a call it starts up the car — a somewhat dodgy proposition if a telemarketer ever gets hold of your number, but an interesting solution nonetheless. Total cost of the project: $71.03."

3 of 454 comments (clear)

  1. Are Americans really this lazy? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    I'm not trying to joke around here. Are Americans truly so lazy these days that they can't take a minute to start their car using a key?

    Aside from Alaska, New England and some of the midwest states in the north, the winters are never bad enough to need to run your vehicle briefly before driving.

    There's just no reason (aside from being a "patriotic" American and wasting huge amounts of Middle Eastern oil) for an American to start their car when they are not in it and ready to drive somewhere.

    1. Re:Are Americans really this lazy? by Groggnrath · · Score: 0, Flamebait

      In modern cars, I keep hearing that warming up your car isn't needed, and can actually be bad for it.

      I really don't care if it's bad for the environment. At -10F I'll be warming up my car rather than freezing my nuts.

  2. Re: Idling is bad for the engine by Montezumaa · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    Wrong, wrong, and wrong. Warming of an internal combustion engine prolongs the life of the engine. If you crank an engine and immediately put the engine under strain, from locomotion, then it tends to place the engine under more stress towards the start of travel. An engine already experiences great stress from a cold start and it is only worse when the engine is putting weight into motion.

    Imagine a human heart. When a heart is placed under sudden periods of increased movement from rest(such as the reaction from physiological and/or psychological stress), the heart tends to see a reduction in longevity. The same rule exist for mechanical and does for bio-mechanical, though the materials in engines tend to be of less quality than hearts.

    I suggest that you, newdsfornerds and mother_reincarnated, research your comments before you post them. While you are certainly free to voice your opinion, do not attempt to present those opinions as facts, which you were aiming for.