Hello,
I am tinkering with the idea of building a remote control starter but am unsure of all of the aspects involved in doing so. I have been reading through the following instructable:
and it seems do-able. However, is it as simple as just putting 3 relays in parallel with the ignition/starter/accessory control wires? Where can I find documentation on my car (06 accord coupe) such as ECM info and wiring diagrams?
Does anyone here have experience with this? A google search didn't seem to pull up much and this surely has been done before. Also, I am trying to do this from scratch, not buying a aftermarket unit and just grounding a wire (unless that is more cost effective). I already have most of the components necessary such as:
-bluetooth
-pro/dum/mega boards
-mosfets
-various relays
which is why i think doing it from scratch would be more cost effective.
Make sure that what you're proposing is safe and legal before you start. At a minimum, you would need to have a neutral lock-out so that it could not be started in gear. Here in the UK it would be illegal since it is not legal to leave a running vehicle unattended, and if it had been legal I would have expected insurers to be extremely interested in a modification which makes it possible to start the car without a driver in it, and enables somebody without a key to start it.
Once you have overcome those issues, in order to get it to work you will also need to disarm whatever alarm/immobiliser your car may have installed. Not a problem if you don't have one, but most cars do these days.
Make sure that what you're proposing is safe and legal before you start. At a minimum, you would need to have a neutral lock-out so that it could not be started in gear. Here in the UK it would be illegal since it is not legal to leave a running vehicle unattended, and if it had been legal I would have expected insurers to be extremely interested in a modification which makes it possible to start the car without a driver in it, and enables somebody without a key to start it.
I am in the US and I would assume that it is legal since you see commercials all over the place regarding On-Star starting cars remotely and getting them warmed up for you the morning (which is my purpose) as well as remote car starter kits all over american websites. But thats a good point, I'll have to take a further look into that and the insurance side.
Once you have overcome those issues, in order to get it to work you will also need to disarm whatever alarm/immobiliser your car may have installed. Not a problem if you don't have one, but most cars do these days.
My 06 doesnt have an alarm but I'm not sure about an immobiliser. How could I tell?
Any ideas on how to get wiring schematics and such for my vehicle? or information on my ECM?
I doubt if an 06 car can be started without its key in the ignition. My 01 car couldn't.
I imagine your insurance would be invalid if you bypass the security system.
Running an engine at idle to warm it up is a bad idea. The engine warms up much quicker when it is operating with a load. You just don't want to start it cold and go straight to full revs and/or full load.
If the reason for warming up is to get the car heater working when you have finished breakfast a water system heater would be a much better option. If you have a lot of money to spend and don't want to plug into the mains electricity you could install an Eberspacher heater.
And if you just want the car to be defrosted and cosy on a cold winter morning then a plain old domestic fan heater on the back seat powered by an extension lead works fine for me. The installation cost is zero and it works on whatever car I happen to be driving.
PeterH:
And if you just want the car to be defrosted and cosy on a cold winter morning then a plain old domestic fan heater on the back seat powered by an extension lead works fine for me. The installation cost is zero and it works on whatever car I happen to be driving.
And even in the UK, I suspect electric heating is cheaper than petrol.
Looks as if this whole idea is - a non-starter! XD
no one here seems very supportive of such an idea. i can't really do an electric heater type option as i am at an apartment and i can't run an electrical cord out to the car.
also, why would you consider leaving a car to "warm up" while running idle a bad idea?
phinsil6:
also, why would you consider leaving a car to "warm up" while running idle a bad idea?
It is very bad for an engine to run cold - it causes poor lubricant distribution and accumulates acidic moisture all around the insides of the engine. It's desirable to warm the engine up as fast as you can, within the constraint that very high revs or load while it's cold are also bad for it. Leaving the engine running at idle gives you the slowest possible warmup which gives you the maximum time running cold, so it is a bad way to warm up an engine. Normal sensible driving is a happy medium which warms the engine up quickly without overstressing it while cold.
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I know this is an old topic, but as i did somone else may stumble upon this post too.
I like how this topic kinda trailed off of what the original question was.
Every car I have ever owned I warmed up in the same fashion, idling, didn't matter if it was 11 or -11, I never had a problem.
Electric block heater would be a good idea if you have 110/220v available everywhere you park, and i would not ever recommend forced air heater (110/220v) in the car, unless you want to burn it down.
iv never heard of an insurance company dropping a person who disabled the factory immobilizer, but anything is possible.
What a enviromental stupidity is idle run cold engine, it will consume lot of fuel and create lot of pollution as engine is not operating in optimal temperature or load.
What comes to the forced air electric heaters there are lot of options that are designed and approved for vechicle use in northern parts of the world like this: Defa
