This was last week and I forgot to say anything then, and the local news brought it up again. Last Monday was record cold, near 10* below zero. In that one morning, in a 2 hour period 5 cars with remote starters were reported stolen from their driveways. All of them had been started and running in the driveway to warm up. Just sayin.

I think they must have started the car with the key, then went inside without locking the doors. Most remote starters have safely features to prevent that.


Q: Can my vehicle be stolen while it is running by the remote starter?

A: This would be next to impossible. All remote starters have safety and theft prevention features built-in. The ignition key must be inserted before driving, if not the engine will shut off when the brake is pressed. It is recommended to ensure the vehicle is locked at all times while the remote starter is in operation.

I agree with DL10. I have a remote starter/RKE on my Blazer. I've started it remotely then accidentally tapped the brake as I was getting in the truck. Truck instantly died. I had to insert the key, turn it to "RUN" then back to "OFF" before I could do anything else with it. I have a cheaper system. Some of the more expensive systems have even more security features.

The piece on the news was on remote starters, so I assume they used them. Steering and trans interlocks are easy to bypass...any car thief knows that. At least a few of the ones they reported on had the window broken to get in. I bought a car for parts that had no keys, it was simple to break the interlocks and put it on a dolly. You simply pull steering wheel and shifter till they break. As far as killing the engine, maybe thats in a factory installed one, and aftermarket can be installed any way you want them.

[This message has been edited by rogergarrison (edited 01-13-2014).]

quote Originally posted by rogergarrison: The piece on the news was on remote starters, so I assume they used them. Steering and trans interlocks are easy to bypass...any car thief knows that. At least a few of the ones they reported on had the window broken to get in. I bought a car for parts that had no keys, it was simple to break the interlocks and put it on a dolly. You simply pull steering wheel and shifter till they break. As far as killing the engine, maybe thats in a factory installed one, and aftermarket can be installed any way you want them.

What you are saying is "Any car can be stolen by breaking a window and bypassing the steering and trans interlocks, regardless of whether they are running via remote start."

A properly installed remote start system will shut off when one of three things happens. The brake is pressed without the key in the ignition, the car is put in gear without the key in the ignition, or the engine revs above idle speed without the key in the ignition.

The likelihood of all of the people with reported vehicle thefts having a remote start without at least one of these features in operation is slim to none.

So, let's restate the post:
"Several vehicles were reported stolen during the cold snap." Remote start likely has nothing to do with it, instead it is most likely the idiot owner started it with the key.

Source:
Many years of professional automotive accessory installation experience... Including multiple brands of remote starter systems.

http://www.kktv.com/home/he...hile--238815951.html

Another one

It can be tempting on a cold day to start up your car, then run into the house to stay comfortable while the car warms up.

#It’s also illegal.

#In the state of Washington, RCW 46.61.600 explicitly states the engine must be off and the key out of the ignition before a motor vehicle can be left unattended. The law is to prevent cars from being stolen or from driving off by themselves.

#There have been quite a few cases in recent weeks of cars being stolen while left running and unattended. During the coldest days of the year, it’s a scourge in this area.

#People who thoughtfully warm up their vehicles for thieves suffer the difficulties of having to find a different mode of transportation and also manage to annoy police. It seems a bit much to ask officers to help people who were breaking the law by leaving their car unattended.

#There are a couple of solutions to the problem. The most obvious is to just stay with your car while it’s warming up. It may be cold, but how much worse will it go for you if the car is stolen?

#The next is getting a remote starter. A properly installed starter will heat up the engine and the interior of the car while preventing theft. Most remote starters prevent a car from moving and keep the vehicle secure at the same time.

#Remote start systems can cost a couple of hundred dollars or more. This is cheap, if the alternative is losing your car to theft or getting a ticket for leaving it unattended.

#A garage is also a nice thing to have for a car. It prevents icy build-up on the windows, making it easier and safer to get going in the morning.

#Whatever the solution, the problem is clear. Don’t leave your vehicle unattended while warming up. You can lose your car to thieves or be fined by police. Either way, you aren’t going to like it.

http://www.dailysunnews.com...fe-easy-car-thieves/

Steve

------------------
Technology is great when it works,
and one big pain in the ass when it doesn't



Detroit iron rules all the rest are just toys.

[This message has been edited by 84fiero123 (edited 01-13-2014).]

i use the hillbilly floodlamp under the motor and then the most they can steal is my cord and homemade light setup only on the days it is 10 or more below do i use it

On all the cars I have owned with remote start kill the engine as soon as you open a door. I've always found it annoying but I understand why. I guess someone who installs their own system might not have the security built in but I would best most systems installed by pros would make sure these are working to avoid in future troubles with lawsuits.

Kevin

quote Originally posted by 84fiero123: http://www.kktv.com/home/he...hile--238815951.html Another one It can be tempting on a cold day to start up your car, then run into the house to stay comfortable while the car warms up. #It’s also illegal. #In the state of Washington, RCW 46.61.600 explicitly states the engine must be off and the key out of the ignition before a motor vehicle can be left unattended. The law is to prevent cars from being stolen or from driving off by themselves.

One more good example of government getting involved in something that isn't government's business. My vehicle running in my yard is nobody's business. In a public place is a different circumstance. You leave a car running, you accept the risk of it being stolen. Of course, down here in Florida, you steal a car, or especially a pickup, you accept the risk of being shot. Everyone down here is carrying, you know.

driving off by themselves.

That certainly is a national epidemic. I put a shock collar on mine to cure it of driving off by itself.

[This message has been edited by heybjorn (edited 01-14-2014).]

quote Originally posted by ybnormal74: On all the cars I have owned with remote start kill the engine as soon as you open a door. I've always found it annoying but I understand why. I guess someone who installs their own system might not have the security built in but I would best most systems installed by pros would make sure these are working to avoid in future troubles with lawsuits. Kevin

Just as a thought, if a car thief looks in the window and sees no keys, he knows its a remote starter so why cant he just break the window and climb in to drive it off...... A lot of cars are stolen just for someone to get from point a to point b, or for a joyride and abandoned. So they wont care if it dies when they open the door. Do those just work with a drivers door or all doors ?

quote Originally posted by rogergarrison: Just as a thought, if a car thief looks in the window and sees no keys, he knows its a remote starter so why cant he just break the window and climb in to drive it off...... A lot of cars are stolen just for someone to get from point a to point b, or for a joyride and abandoned. So they wont care if it dies when they open the door. Do those just work with a drivers door or all doors ?

I've never had one work the way he described. I've had super nice, to cheapo ones, to factory. All work as was previously indicated.

Every remote start sytem that I've had (4 different vehicle) all require you to push "lock" on the keyfob, then push "start". Therefore the doors are locked while it starts/runs. Then, when you do get in the vehicle you MUST insert the key and turn it to the run position. Or you MUST push the start button on a keyless ingnition, which also requires they keyfob to be within a few feet of the vehicle. The shift lock system in all modern cars requires that you depress the brake pedal in order to shift out of park. Remote start systems will immediately turn the car off if there is no key in the ignition ((in run position) or the start button has not been pushed) when the brake pedal is touched. It is simply not possible to drive off in a remote started vehicle without the ingnition physically turned on (by key or push button). Without the key or keyfob, stealing a remote started car would be exactly the same as stealing any car on the street.

[This message has been edited by turbotoad (edited 01-14-2014).]

I have a viper one on the hyundai. It has the feature that shuts off car if brake is depressed. Always wondered if it was so simple that pulling the brake fuse defeats that. I should try that some time.

On the Autopage that I installed a few years ago it was wired directly to the brake light switch so puling the fuse wouldn't work. The only way you could defeat it would be to override the switch. And even then, in my case the car only runs for 10 minutes at time, it doesn't stay on indefinitely. Even if they got it and did what needed to be done to override the kill circuit they'd only have 10 minutes to get wherever they want to go. I seriously doubt that anyone is going to steal a car that's running with a remote start, unless the remote is installed completely half-assed.

[This message has been edited by Taijiguy (edited 01-14-2014).]

yup - as above - the remote start is HIGHLY more secure than manual start for warming up unattended in the driveway.

the car starts - but wont do anything else. you touch anything without the key in the ignition, and it just shuts off again.
at that point - stealing it is just like stealing a unstarted car. unlike the manual method, which leaves the keys in place - anyone can steal it - EASILY.

your news source is pretty lacking in their explanations, and reasoning.

I cannot imagine ANY remote start that would require you to leave they keys in the ignition.

I installed a universal starter in my wife's '94 Elantra many many years ago. It shut off if you touched the brakes before the key was inserted and turned to the run setting. It also had a hood switch. If the hood was opened, it automatically shut down as well. Not sure why...safety? The unit itself wasn't in the engine compartment, it was by the steering column, above the driver's legs.

Since it didn't shut off with the doors opening, I think you could climb in, cut the brake light switch wire, break the steering lock and then drive off (the gear shifter, auto, had the release switch so you put it in gear easily without the key). As someone else mentioned, it does have a time limit before it shuts down...about 10 minutes...maybe enough time to get the car somewhere where you could take your time to break the ignition, or hotwire it the normal way.

If you're going to steal a car, may as well steal one that's warmed up...nice to be comfy while you're up to no good.

quote Originally posted by Pyrthian: I cannot imagine ANY remote start that would require you to leave they keys in the ignition.

That would be like leaving the remote control on the top of the TV! Kind of pointless.
Wife's car is a 2007 Impala and to use the remote start the doors have to be locked. Doesn't matter how. Then hit the remote start on the fob, car starts. To proceed, you need to unlock the doors with the fob and put key in the ignition and turn to the run position. Doing anything else or out of order and the car dies. Not sure how anybody is going to get away with that.

Kevin