Anyone in the Chicago land area install remote starts?

 

Pinyo probably does. (profpin is his screen name) Or find a reputable stereo shop in your area to do it.

 

it is hard to find someone to install the remote start for liability reasons if you want to install it on a manual car. i had a real shady place do mine, but they didn't do a very good install. i suggest getting everything done by best buy and then finding someone else to install the remote portion.

 

I'm not a big fan of best buy.

 

I suggest not doing a remote start on a manual car. No matter how careful you are you will end up starting it in gear if you don't have very expensive safety measures in place. I know of two people who have done so and ran into the front of their garage. Even if you don't let anyone else drive your S, sometime when you're cleaning it you'll push it into gear and forget about it. It just seems to happen.

If you really MUST do it just be careful. There are pleanty of shops out there that will do it. If they say no ask the installer if he does any side work. Sometimes they won't care about the liability, but can't do an install of that nature in front of their boss.

 

PTHermes brings up a good point. The other side is, in order for the remote start to work, the car must be left out of gear. Then you are relying on the handbrake to hold the car in place.

If you search, you will find a LOT of instances of the handbrake being unable to hold the car by itself and the car ending up in a ditch or in the middle of a street.

 

if you are really worried about leaving it in gear modifry has some inexpensive DIY saftety measures. i don't know what i ever did without my remote start! it doesn't have to be best buy anyone can install the regular alarm and then just find someone to do the remote for you. oh and yes the hand brake is not enough to hold the car if you leave it in gear

 

Pete is suggesting that everytime you park you leave it in gear, NOT that the parking brake will stop the car if remote started. I personally park both my cars with only the parking brake, I only leave it in gear on a hill. I do not disagree that with people that leave it in gear everytime that they park, but in my past three cars I have kept the brake adjusted and had no problems.

As a previously MECP certified installer, I could install a remote start in almost anything, but I would never do a manual without the minimum of a neutral switch, and a brake switch, similar to the Modifry set-up mentioned by BORT617.

I have had remote start in one of my previous cars, it was nice but personally with the current gas prices I don't see the point anymore, especially in a summer car. Also keep in mind that in some states (WI and others) it illegal to start your car "unattended," just another reason for ticket if a cop is having a bad day. If the heat of the interior is the problem get the windows tinted, and use a sun shade for the front. Just my 2 cents.

 

If you are installing remote car starter on your S, make sure to use the one for manual transmission remote car starter, NOT the one for automatic which most installer (best buy, circuit city) will use. Remote car starter for manual have some steps before you shut off your car to enable the car starting features. Working from my memory the steps are:
1. Raise the parking brake (assumming you are still steeping on the brake pedal).
2. Put the gear in neutral.
3. Release your foot on the brake pedal.
4. Tap the brake pedal three times, the car will chirp and shut down (do not step on the brake pedal).
5. Get out the car and lock your car.

 

Which STILL doesn't solve this problem:

https://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.ph...c=320862&st=0&

https://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.ph...c=203761&st=0&

https://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.ph...ic=8799&st=0&#