New! Start your car from your iPhone?

[djpic]

Wow, I was amazed when I saw this: http://www.viper.com/SmartStart/ Is anyone using this yet?

 

[Jeremy1026]

Pretty neat, but I'm not hacking away at my cars wiring to install a remote starter, even if I can operate it from my phone.

 

[Unspoken Demise]

AND ITS FREEEEEE!












(after you pay 500$ to have the system installed.)




Billy Mayes would be proud.

 

[lllll]

that's a neat trick with the iphone, but if u lose your phone. you lose not only your ID and #, but your car too.

 

[GoCubsGo]

The gentleman that installed my iPod kit offered a remote starter. In CA this is stupid, but now that I am on the east coast I have to admit the heated seats and heater being on before I get to my car would not be such a bad idea (an idea I'm unwilling to pay for). This app obviously has a market and should be free after the $500 purchase price tag. I do question security though.

 

[gilkisson]

So, if you have this installed, and someone steals your car... you could turn it off from anywhere?

Hmm...

 

[Jeremy1026]

Remote starters can only start cars. As soon a pedal is touched the car will die unless the key is in the ignition. If you lose your phone a crook could unlock your car and steal stuff from it, they can even turn it on. But they can't take it anywhere unless they know what they are doing (and if they do, they will be able to take your car without the app too.)

The app's service is also only free for the 1st year, it will then be 29.99/yr after that (according to their website.)

 

[strike1555]

Wow...I knew this would be expensive but still surprised me.

$500 at least and then $30/year on top of that?

For that price this thing should be able to track your car as well and include a remote kill switch.

EDIT: LOL! And apparently there is a limit to how much you can use the application! You can only send so many commands to your car.

Your annual service plan was designed to cover all the activity that a customer would use under any reasonable circumstances. Like all other "unlimited” services such as cell phone data plans, we do have a limit on the number of uses per month that we can enforce on a case by case basis in the event that a device is malfunctioning or a subscriber is clearly abusing the service (e.g. commercial purposes). In the unlikely event that you approach the usage limits of your service plan, you’ll receive a notice with an option to opt up to a higher usage plan for an additional fee.

This things a joke.

 

[caligurl]

The gentleman that installed my iPod kit offered a remote starter. In CA this is stupid, but now that I am on the east coast I have to admit the heated seats and heater being on before I get to my car would not be such a bad idea (an idea I'm unwilling to pay for). This app obviously has a market and should be free after the $500 purchase price tag. I do question security though.

WRONG! i used to have remote start on my car to turn on the a/c in the summer to cool the car down some before i had to drive home from work..... when it gets to 110+ degrees.... it was sure nice to have a bit of a head start!

security was fine.... because like other posters noted.... you have to have the key to actually go anywhere with the car..... i'd start the car.... get in.... put the key in... and away i'd go.... if you forget to put the key in (or don't have it) as soon as you step on the gas pedal the car stops....

of course we didn't pay over $500 for it and there was no yearly fee... (and our remotes "talked back" at us... if someone were to attempt to steal the car it would have told us... same for glass breakage... and it told you if the start was successful... unlike the ipod version that has no "talk back" at a much higher price.)

 

[yg17]

My old car had remote start, the way it worked is that after remote starting, you had to put the key in, turn it to on and then step on the brake, which handed over control of the ignition from the remote start unit back to the car (so you could only turn it off with the key). If you hit the brake before they key is inserted and turned on, the car shuts off, so a thief who breaks into a remote started car wouldn't get too far since as soon as they hit the brake to shift out of park, the ignition would be killed.

I'm not sure how that would work on a manual where you could theoretically drive the car without pressing the brake pedal (since you don't have to hit the brake to shift out of park and you could slow down with the handbrake and engine braking). I guess you could drive off with it if it was a short distance. Although most shops won't even install remote starts on manuals since if you park your car in gear and then remote start it, bad things will happen. You can find some who will do it (or do it yourself)