The DIY $10 Prepaid Cellphone Remote Car Starter

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."

Comments

Telemarketer solution

[janek78]

On many phones you can group contacts and assign different ringing profiles. You could just program in allowed numbers and set all other calls to "silent".

I personally leave my car in gear (with the reverse locked in if I leave it for extended periods of time), so this would not be very practical. :)

Re:Telemarketer solution

[sunderland56]

There are some tasks that machines are bad at; gear selection in an automobile is one of them. Automatic transmissions cannot predict when you are approaching a curve, or a hill, or other vehicles. Gear selection needs to be based on what you are about to do, not what you just did.

Note that all race cars use manual transmissions, as does any decent sports car, for just these reasons.

Automatic transmissions are also mechanically inefficient. Cars with a manual gearbox generally get 1 or 2 more miles per gallon; it is strange how many people want an efficient car, yet they elect to pay extra for the automatic option.

Re:Telemarketer solution

[jridley]

I prefer manual transmissions myself, but automatic transmissions these days are not all that bad. You give up maybe 1 MPG usually, and even then it depends on if your A/C is on. With the A/C on a car with automatic may actually be a little more efficient, because it's programmed to cut the A/C off during heavy acceleration. This is especially helpful in city driving.

Re:Telemarketer solution

[Lumpy]

Um no, not unless you are looking at racing from 10 years ago or longer. Automatic transmissions DOMINATE drag racing right now. you get spooky consistant ET's running an Auto, plus you can get Auto transmission that handle far more HP than manuals.

Also some of the more recent rallies in europe are being won with automatics in the car.

Re:Telemarketer solution

[karnal]

Manuals will cut the AC off under heavy load as well. Had two Chevy vehicles that you could tell would kick the AC off under load or high RPMs and they were both stick.

Re:Are Americans really this lazy?

[rnelsonee]

In modern cars, I keep hearing that warming up your car isn't needed, and can actually be bad for it. Note it still recommends 30-60s to let the fluids warm up, which makes sense.

It still incorporates the remote start's safeties

[name_already_taken]

What happen's if someone finds out your phone number? Can they steal your car?

No.

This is just using a cell phone to trigger the auxiliary trigger input on a remote starter system installed in the car. Basically this input just simulates pressing the Start button on the remote starter's remote.

Installed correctly, most remote starter systems will stop the engine if the brake pedal is pressed. Additionally, since the ignition key is not in, the steering is locked. Also, if the engine speed goes over a certain limit, the remote starter will stop the engine. Most cars with automatic transmissions require you to press the brake pedal to shift out of Park these days, so there's no chance of stealing the car that way.

I suppose if the car had a manual transmission, it would be possible to make it move forwards or backwards in whatever direction the steering wheel is pointed, but only at slightly over idle speed. You might be able to drive it up onto a trailer.

The problem that might come up is that most of these systems come with a pin switch that disables the system if the car's hood is opened (so you don't get your hands torn off when the engine starts unexpectedly, while changing a belt for example). Many people do not bother to install the hood pin switch. You would want to make sure it is in place and working, because a telemarketer's call could be deadly.

If the phone rings while you're driving or the car is already running, nothing happens other than the remote start will keep the engine running after you remove the key (if you don't touch the brake pedal.

Re: Idling is bad for the engine

[Sigmon]

SNOW is not generally a problem when it comes to defrosting windows... it's ICE. Keep in mind, some of us live where much of the frozen perciptiation we get is not like the nice fluffy and powdery snow you may get. It's a totally different ball-game when there's a layer of ice on your windshield twice as thick as the glass itself. Sometimes you have to let the engine warm up enough to melt the undersurface before it can be scraped off.

Re: Idling is bad for the engine

[PhotoJim]

The problem is that most people crank their defroster to maximum fan speed and that makes the engine take forever to warm up . The secret is to put the fan on a low speed (even 1) and don't be in the car for a minute or so (while you clear the windows), then ease it up to 2 and start going. Notch the fan up as you notice your temp gauge going up. Don't use maximum speed unless your engine is at full operating temperature. Even then, very small engines in very cold weather will lose heat at maximum fan speed unless they're actually driving (i.e. the engine is under load); idling at full fan speed may still result in the engine cooling off.

I start my engine, leave the fan on low, turn on my seat warmer, clear the windows, and by the time the windows are scraped, I drive. Drive gently and easily until the engine is warmer. That way I get heat quickly and I am friendlier to the environment.

If the interior of your car is really humid and you're getting frost inside on the windows, turn on the air conditioning. This will help to sublimate the ice faster. (Keep the heat turned to the warmest temperature, of course. It'll still warm up your car - but with air with less humidity in it, which helps to remove the frost and ice.)

Re:Starting is bad for the engine

[0100010001010011]

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=41668
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=8795
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=46193
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=131289
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=203750
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=100750

I've heard them a few times give quite a bit of misinformation. They haven't the slightest clue about the differences between WVO, SVO, BioDiesel. Say that 10,000 mile oil changes are 'stupid' (It's VW recommended, they go up to 30,000 km in Europe).

Better design

[Animats]

Here's a better solution. This design connects to the cell phone audio output (so you don't have to open the phone) and has a DTMF decoder chip, so you send it tones to make things happen. That at least gives you some protection against random phone calls.

Re:How does one "remote start" an electric car/vol

[natehoy]

The Volt comes with an iPhone app that allows you to start it remotely over the mobile phone network.