remote start, stupid idea?

[ColJack]

watching "real A&E" on telly, and there's some guy on there got run over by his own van because he used the remote start and had left it in gear..

surely that's a really bad idea by te manufacturers letting it remote start while it's in gear? there must be a switch or sensor that would prevent it from starting while in gear?

think of the damage you could do ..

leave it in gear and wait for someone you don't like to walk in front of it and start it up..
how many garage walls have been knocked down because of this design flaw?

 

[Lincsbodger]

Well in the UK its illegal to leave a vehicle standing unoccupied with the engine running, so potentially anyone that uses a remote start to start an empty vehicle is breaking the law.

Furthermore, i would imagine there's a fail safe in such systems that prevents you starting it if its in gear, its not rocket science. I cant see the Elf'n'Safety Nazis letting you sell a car that hasnt such a safeguard.

 

[Steve]

Why the hell would a VAN have a remote start?

I once witnessed a lorry start its own engine to charge the tail lift battery.

I also witnessed another lorry turn off its own engine - a energy saving feature when the driveer left it running unessecarily.

Clearly refrigerated lorries start their own engine to keep them cold.

But WHY would you want to start the engine of a van remotely? Is turning a key too hard?

 

[ColJack]

cold days? who wants to go out and wait in a freezing van for 5-10 mins waiting for the screen to defrost?
after posting the guy said something about taking it off, so I don't think it's fitted as standard, maybe a kit you can fit?

 

[Mw Roofline]

I used to have remote start in a prevoius car, but it was SMG (Automatic) and would only work in Neutral/Park.

Used it about 3 times in 4 years.

 

[Steve]

cold days? who wants to go out and wait in a freezing van for 5-10 mins waiting for the screen to defrost?

Hmm, it'd have to be a "remote start, fans to full, heat to max, a/c on, rear demist on" button then, wouldnt it? Because chances are, you didnt leave it in that state when you last used the car!

 

[ColJack]

if it's generally cold out, then it's likely that the heater was already on the warm side of the dial, and odds are that you've got the air pointed at the screen and left the fan on..
don't use the AC anyway and the rear screen will melt itself when the inside of the car / van is warm..
even if none of those things, once the engine is warm it would only take a minute or so to warm the inside of the van to a comfortable temperature once you get in and set all the dials to the right place rather than having to wait in the chilly car for 5-10 mins for the engine to get warm..

 

[Lincsbodger]

You're all still overlooking the fact its technically illegal to leave a vehicle with the engine running with no one in it, and you can be arrested for it.

 

[Mw Roofline]

technically illegal

as opposed to illegal?

 

[Johnmelad502]

You're all still overlooking the fact its technically illegal to leave a vehicle with the engine running with no one in it, and you can be arrested for it.

I don't think you can be arrested for it, just fined.

 

[Mw Roofline]

If there was an officer with absolutely nothing else to do but arrest you for that then I don't think it would even get past the custody Sergeant let alone the CPS.