Do you guys take your remote start with you car to car?

[PhoKingGuy]

Engineer friend response:

"Hyundai's come with a temp sensor with their remote start feature. If outside temperature if low enough, the engine compensates by altering the idle speed to ensure proper heating and fluid flow is occurring. If the temp outside is below freezing, depending on engine used, it can idle at up to 1500rpms to obtain a normal temperature. We're also working on a transmission fluid bypass to absorb waste heat from the cooling system so the transmission is warmed up as well when your car starts moving."

My VW manual says that driving immediately after starting in a freezing environment is harmful for the engine, and that "care should be taken to let the vehicle warm up to operating temperature before spirited driving" theres also a line in about using the remote start feature to warm up the vehicles interior prior to driving

 

[PhoKingGuy]

I've read that somewhere, but I don't believe it.

With the heated seats in my new car, I don't really even need to warm it up at all, and I don't, unless it's very cold out and the windows need to be cleared. I don't warm it up because I think the engine needs it, but because I need it. Even so, I don't run it for long. Certainly not 20 or 30 minutes. Maybe 5 at the most.

Its in the instruction manual as well as on TDIclub, you certainly can let it idle, but only after reaching operating temp. There's some long winded explanation why but I'll dig it up later if anyone is interested in it.

 

[LTC8K6]

My Jeep also checks the temp during a remote start and reacts accordingly. It also turns on the rear window defroster, the front defrosters, and the heated mirrors, if it's below a certain temp out.

 

[Chaotic42]

No, but then again I don't need remote start.

 

[vshah]

if its super cold i usually just sit in my car for 5 minutes drinking a coffee or something before i start moving. my engine is ridiculously unresponsive in cold weather if i don't idle for ~5 minutes before moving.

 

[GodlessAstronomer]

You're not going to heat up your car by idling it. If you want to heat up your car, you actually have to drive it. In some areas (like Alaska), if it's actually cold enough to warrant using the remote start, then you'll NEVER get your vehicle up to operating temperature. In fact, if your vehicle is at operating temperature in these climates, there is a good chance that it will actually get colder and not be at operating temperature any more if you happen to idle the vehicle for an extended period of time.

Oh and for those douchebags who are working hard to discredit me entirely, it's in the owner's manual not to do extended idling and driving the car lightly is the best way to heat it up.

Everything you post is wrong. It's astounding.

 

[GodlessAstronomer]

THAT'S NOT WARMED UP MORON. When I say "warmed up", I'm not talking about the stupid interior, I'm talking about the engine, you know, the only thing that matters..... Warm to you, especially in a cold climate is probably 70f, right? Well if you run the heater while the car is trying to warm up, it's very possible to keep the engine from ever warming up. Instead of the engine getting to 180F like it's suppose to, it'll find an equilibrium depending on the temperature differential which in some cases causing the engine to reach a temperature no higher than 80F which is still considered cold. Obviously not all engines have an operating temperature of 180F but that just so happens to be the mean. With that said, I've seen no such engines that have a designed operating temperature of being less than 160F and I'm pretty damn sure your car doesn't either. The longer your engine operates in sub optimal temperature, the more fuel you'll burn and consequently the more you'll wear your engine out.

LOL, wow. You suck at this.

 

[edro]

What's the best model when evaluating for price, range, quality, ease of installation?

Those $50 Bulldog versions look easy and are cheap, but I am skeptical of the range and quality.

http://www.amazon.com/Bulldog-Do-Yo..._1?ie=UTF8&s=automotive&qid=1259177826&sr=8-1

 

[fleabag]

Everything you post is wrong. It's astounding.

Funny that you say that because every auto manufacturer seems to agree with ME and not YOU.

 

[Zargon]

Funny that you say that because every auto manufacturer seems to agree with ME and not YOU.

can you post proof oh wise one or just more heresay?

 

[GodlessAstronomer]

Funny that you say that because every auto manufacturer seems to agree with ME and not YOU.

Really? Please show me a single piece of documentation from an auto manufacturer that shows that idling a car with the heater on will prevent it from warming up. Should be simple if EVERY mfg agrees with you, right?

FWIW it is actually not great for a car to idle it for long periods of time and you're right that you shouldn't idle a car to warm it up, but you're right for the wrong reasons. Idling an engine for long periods causes the cylinders and valves to "glaze up" over time, although the problem is almost negligible with modern fuels, materials and fuel injection systems.

 

[zeruty]

fleabag, WWYBYWB?

 

[fleabag]

Really? Please show me a single piece of documentation from an auto manufacturer that shows that idling a car with the heater on will prevent it from warming up. Should be simple if EVERY mfg agrees with you, right?

FWIW it is actually not great for a car to idle it for long periods of time and you're right that you shouldn't idle a car to warm it up, but you're right for the wrong reasons. Idling an engine for long periods causes the cylinders and valves to "glaze up" over time, although the problem is almost negligible with modern fuels, materials and fuel injection systems.

I don't think I could come up with anything that specifically states this but considering that engine coolant runs through the heater core which is a radiator itself, it'd be a given. I've seen before my eyes the engine coolant temperature DROP after I turned on the heater on cold days AFTER the car had been warmed up and while cruising on the highway or while idling. So if the engine coolant temperature can DROP when turning on the heater, putting two and two together would indicate that it would take much longer, if ever for the car to warm up with the heater going..

 

[GodlessAstronomer]

The heater core is a very small radiator. It will pull the temperature down slightly if the engine is already hot, but it won't prevent the engine coolant from heating from cold.

 

[fleabag]

The heater core is a very small radiator. It will pull the temperature down slightly if the engine is already hot, but it won't prevent the engine coolant from heating from cold.

You people keep saying that yet I'm the only one who has done any actual testing... We're not talking about cooling down an engine at 80F, we're talking about 40F, where it's much much colder and like I said before, the thermostat is closed for the majority of the time. It's a radiator and however small you want to call it, if it's cold enough to warrant pre-warming the car, then it's probably cold enough to prevent the car from fully warming up. Have you actually seen a heater core? They're about 1/2 the size of a Civic radiator and 1/4 the size of some larger radiators so I don't know where you come up with the idea that they're "small". In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if people water cooling their computers are using heater cores from cars.

One more thing... Let me emphasize this: If the thermostat is only open 1/8 of the time at 40F with the radiator Fan OFF, then try to imagine a situation with a smaller radiator with the thermostat is open ALL OF THE TIME WITH A FAN BLOWING ON IT! Yeah, pretty sure that's going to be more than "slightly".

 

[GeekDrew]

What's with the arguing? Christ.

I don't have, nor have I ever had, a remote start device on any of my vehicles. I've wished for it on every one of them; it's extremely convenient to let the vehicle idle for a few minutes to warm it up (both cabin and engine). My experience with vehicles idling to warm up:

1999 Ford Explorer XLS -- would never heat up to standard operating temperate via idle, particularly if the cabin heater was turned on

1999 Buick Regal GS -- cabin would be HOT and engine would be at operating temperature by idling for 5 minutes

2004 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP -- cabin would be warm and engine would be at operating temperature by idling for 5 minutes

2006 Nissan Frontier SE -- haven't tried it yet (certainly will within a few weeks), but I've read that letting them idle for just a few minutes brings the engine up to operating temperature

(I've never let my vehicles idle without the cabin heat on. I want to be comfortable too.)

 

[Capt Caveman]

I don't think I could come up with anything that specifically states this but considering that engine coolant runs through the heater core which is a radiator itself, it'd be a given. I've seen before my eyes the engine coolant temperature DROP after I turned on the heater on cold days AFTER the car had been warmed up and while cruising on the highway or while idling. So if the engine coolant temperature can DROP when turning on the heater, putting two and two together would indicate that it would take much longer, if ever for the car to warm up with the heater going..

Based on the fact that you're still in HS, how many winters have you gone thru with a car? One at most? Shit, you don't even own a car or drive one regularly.

Stop making more of an arse of yourself. I'm surprised you're not telling people to inflate their tires to sidewall max for the winter. I hear it's great for driving on icy roads.

 

[fleabag]

Based on the fact that you're still in HS, how many winters have you gone thru with a car? One at most? Shit, you don't even own a car or drive one regularly.

Stop making more of an arse of yourself. I'm surprised you're not telling people to inflate their tires to sidewall max for the winter. I hear it's great for driving on icy roads.

Actually you'd want to inflate your tires to max sidewall in the winter because it allows the tires to cut through the snow and get traction. Icy roads? Wtf? If the roads are ICY, then you shouldn't be driving on them! If you have to drive on them, then you need studded snow tires!

You can't say I don't even own a car or drive one regularly in the same sentence! You're right, I don't own a car but I do drive one regularly.

 

[alevasseur14]

Haven't studded vehicle tires been illegal on passenger vehicles since the '70s or something? I'm not sure.

Both my snowmobile track and bicycle tires are studded though - and it is AWESOME!

 

[fleabag]

I think the worst part about remote start is that it could allow someone to either inadvertently turn on their car and leave it running without them knowing about it or they'll intentionally turn it on but then forget about it, wasting gallons and gallons of gasoline in the process. If you want to warm up your vehicle, you should be driving it! Such a stupid waste of gas!

 

[fleabag]

Haven't studded vehicle tires been illegal on passenger vehicles since the '70s or something? I'm not sure.

Both my snowmobile track and bicycle tires are studded though - and it is AWESOME!

no..... Even in California they're legal! So long as it's the right time of year and the studs don't cover more than X% of the tire.

 

[GeekDrew]

I think the worst part about remote start is that it could allow someone to either inadvertently turn on their car and leave it running without them knowing about it or they'll intentionally turn it on but then forget about it, wasting gallons and gallons of gasoline in the process. If you want to warm up your vehicle, you should be driving it! Such a stupid waste of gas!

Holy shit are you retarded. I think that you've just taken the "grievous incompetence" award for 2009. You remind me a lot of my brother-in-law: he fails miserably at common sense. Are you by chance a Muslim student studying physics?

Remote start systems *all* have timeouts; many (or perhaps all) are user configurable. I'd set mine for 5 minutes -- I wouldn't want my truck to idle for more than 5 minutes.

 

[GeekDrew]

no..... Even in California they're legal! So long as it's the right time of year and the studs don't cover more than X% of the tire.

Why on earth would I want to buy studded snow tires for my vehicles? I've yet to slide off the road or get stuck, and I'm frequently driving on rugged terrain during snow and ice conditions (including during "all roads closed due to extremely hazardous conditions" events). I do, however, stop and offer help to some people (sometimes) if they're off the road and appear to need assistance.

Studded snow tires are extreme overkill for most places in the USA. Just drive using some common sense.

 

[fleabag]

Holy shit are you retarded. I think that you've just taken the "grievous incompetence" award for 2009. You remind me a lot of my brother-in-law: he fails miserably at common sense. Are you by chance a Muslim student studying physics?

Remote start systems *all* have timeouts; many (or perhaps all) are user configurable. I'd set mine for 5 minutes -- I wouldn't want my truck to idle for more than 5 minutes.

Wait, I'm retarded because I'm not aware of a feature? 😕 Also last time I checked, there are people who idle their cars for 30 freaking minutes! I can't imagine that every aftermarket Remote start system is going to have a timer because it IS after all AFTERMARKET.

Why on earth would I want to buy studded snow tires for my vehicles? I've yet to slide off the road or get stuck, and I'm frequently driving on rugged terrain during snow and ice conditions (including during "all roads closed due to extremely hazardous conditions" events). I do, however, stop and offer help to some people (sometimes) if they're off the road and appear to need assistance.

Studded snow tires are extreme overkill for most places in the USA. Just drive using some common sense.

Obviously you've never actually hit a bad patch of black ice if you've "never skidded off the road".... I mean while I haven't skidded off the road while driving, I have gotten close but didn't because 1. there wasn't that much ice and 2. I wasn't going fast enough to get into an accident because I knew there would be ice on the road.

Regular tires and snow tires that aren't studded aren't going to help you if you hit a large patch of black ice, sitting on top of the asphalt.

 

[LTC8K6]

My factory remote start requires 2 presses of the button, and times out.

Also, my 5.7L hemi would take about an hour and a half to burn one gallon of fuel at idle according to my Scangauge2.