Engine Remote Start

[GMcL]

Originally Posted by RoyMacDonald

Why assume anyone is going to break the law? Cars can be started off the public highway and left unattended without breaking any laws.

True, but what if someone just wanders onto your land and drives off in your car ? You're, possibly, left in a tricky place with your insurance. Maybe, you have better legal insurance than most ?
Otherwise, I wouldn't rely on your insurance company to help you out if the claimants are not insured through the same company as you.

[RoyMacDonald]

[QUOTE=GMcL;1870825]True, but what if someone just wanders onto your land and drives off in your car ? QUOTE]

Well I'm normally armed so that wouldn't be a good idea. If the dogs or geese didn't get them first that is.

But you know that the security system will always know where it is anyway.

[Gossa]

I've got a private carpark out of the back of my house so could start it up and leave it to warm but it takes two seconds to go out and start it so not sure why the OP has gone to the bother of it all unless he just likes t tinker and see what's possible, of which i take my hat off!

Each to their own and all that.

[swishtony]

Am I missing something here....

The remote start that Volvo offer allows you to start the car without the doors being unlocked. Therefore if the OP has managed to replicate that, the problem of car being stolen is remote - pardon the pun!

[woodman438]

Wow - now i remember why i don't post on forums!

Firstly it was more of a technical challenge to see if i could do it - some people like doing complicated jigsaw's and I like doing this stuff

Secondly, I do get up very early in the morning and have always been the start my car on the drive and keep checking out the window, although don't know what i would do if it wasn't there of course!

The Volvo ERS stops the engine as soon as the doors are opened, and the doors remain locked. So for all those people thinking I have invalidated my insurance, I would like to see you make a claim that said "I didn't installed ERS, but I did leave the keys in the car with the engine running so it was nice and warm" - I wonder who would have more chance of getting paid!

As for the dealer reload, Im not sure about that. I did ask my friendly service manager and he was unsure what would happen. However I did download the software pack as an offline pack, so could always reload it without having to pay again as the software packs and built specifically for each VIN.

Thanks for all the replies though... Im probably just going to keep quiet in the future!

Cheers

[andymcp]

Hats off to you for trying it out and getting it to work. I agree regarding insurance, it's less likely to be a problem than leaving your car to warm up by running the engine without ERS! When I bought the part was actually still available in the UK, and I missed the chance to have it added by a month, after which they added GB to the list of excluded countries. There's been quite a few mornings of -10 when I'd have been very glad to have walked up to a pre-heated and toasty car...

[cheshired5]

To the op..... Well done and it's an interesting exercise to achieve yourself but unless my maths are incorrect, haven't you just spent $500 doing it yourself to save paying a dealer $500 to do it for you?

[cheshired5]

To the op..... Well done and it's an interesting exercise to achieve yourself but an idling engine isn't the quickest way to warm your car or clear the glass.

[MikeIOW]

Originally Posted by woodman438

Thanks for all the replies though... I'm probably just going to keep quiet in the future!

Cheers

Don't you DARE keep quiet here in future!

Had the Volvo 'pre-warm' option been available, I bet there are a bunch of people here who would have considered it (myself included!). Nice to hear you got it going (even if it is a bit beyond me!).
Will be interested to hear whether you have a smooth road in the future with that remaining after any dealer work: mine managed to lose my sat-nav saved destinations just doing the 3 month check, so you might want to urge them "not to reset everything" !!

To cheshired5.....no - UK dealers CANNOT offer that option!

Cheers!

[RoyMacDonald]

Originally Posted by swishtony

Am I missing something here....

The remote start that Volvo offer allows you to start the car without the doors being unlocked. Therefore if the OP has managed to replicate that, the problem of car being stolen is remote - pardon the pun!

I just don't get Volvo's logic in not making it available because it's illegal to leave a car running on the highway without any one in it. On that basis they shouldn't fit an ignition switch because that enables it also!!

Have they done research that shows no Volvo owners have drives or garages?