M/T Remote Start Debate

I am fairly new to this forum and I have noticed the abundance of people asking how to install remote start on M/T vehicles and the answer is almost always a unanimous "Don't Do It!!"  A good friend of mine recently installed a remote start system in his M/T vehicle using a quite clever "neutral safety" system that I thought was very safe and I am currently doing the same thing in my new vehicle.  It involves mounting magnetic reed switches on the gear shifter to physically sense if the shifter is in the "neutral position" and connecting them to the neutral safety wire.  This way the car won't start unless the shifter is really in neutral.  I was just wondering if anyone else had ever done (or heard of) this and what you all thought. 

I've heard of this method of nuetral safety and as long as it works 100% of the time without problems, I would still be hesitant in installing an automatic remote starter in this vehicle. I do installs for manuals all the time, but I use the proper remote starter's that are designed for manual transmissions only. Better safe than sorry and wreck a new vehicle or someone. BTW: You've started something and be prepared for a few stern comments and opinions.Jeff

Velocity Custom Home Theater

Mobile Audio/Video Specialist

Morden, Manitoba CANADA

Just like Automatic Vehicles...........there is never 100 % SAFETY.  Manual Trans just adds to the problem and the SAFETY issue drops.I just don't believe it is worth the price of a $ 100.00 R/S12 Volt has been my life for over 30 years.  I have seen them come & go.  I have also seen what happens from the Hospital side, on Fuel Injected, Manual Transmission cars, when someone turns the key while it is in gear.Although Vehicle manufacturers have tried there best at making Manual Trans harder to start with clutch switch & Relays, there is ALWAYS someone out there that will ByPASS what the Factory has done.What happens when the DIYer thinks he has it right and hurts someone?  I would bet that most of the time, that DIYer person would NOT take responsibility and try to blame the Manufacturer of the R / s or Vehicle.I have REFUSED to install on Manual Vehicles, even though I have many Dealers wanting it.  My INSURANCE is high enough

Velocity Motors wrote: BTW: You've started something and be prepared for a few stern comments and opinions.

I am looking forward to it.  I appreciate any feedback that anyone has, good or bad.  Maybe somebody's post will give me an idea to make an even better solution that can combine convenience with safety.

thanks for your resopnse and I look forward to seeing what everyone else has to say

-Alex

As you have read....bobk has nailed it. If it costs 20bucks more to get a unit that IS manual safe.......enough said...

A good friend of mine recently installed a remote start system in his M/T vehicle using a quite clever "neutral safety" system that I thought was very safe and I am currently doing the same thing in my new vehicle. It involves mounting magnetic reed switches on the gear shifter to physically sense if the shifter is in the "neutral position" and connecting them to the neutral safety wire. This way the car won't start unless the shifter is really in neutral Since he's already decided to go that route, it might be good to consider adding another backup safety to add another layer to the setup. If you can use a motion sensor as a trigger to immediately kill the engine, if something went wrong, this MIGHT be able to sense the movement of the car and shut down the car. This would be only another backup, not as a primary safety. Probably wouldn't be a bad idea for a regular auto transmission setup either; adding some redundancy to the protection, and should be simple to implement. Only drawback to it might be introducing an extra failure point if it's too sensitive and triggered under normal conditions, but it'd still be erring on the safe side at least. Worst case, the car won't remote start. Best case, it could prevent an incident if all the other safeties fail. Iskidoo explained the method that the proper manual tranny remote start systems use, with the reservation mode, and that'd be the recommended way to go, either getting the right unit to start with or implementing that safeguard with an add on. I think there have been commercial units mentioned that will do this; if not, it doesn't seem like it'd be that difficult to set up. With that neutral detection switch idea, checking it periodically to make sure it still works as intended might be worthwhile too.

This is an OLD subject that will never die..........even if someone does ( from the R/S )I also REFUSE to install Manual Transmission Remote Starts.  Not only for the SAFETY Issue, but the CUSTOMER issue.  " I want to install this Remote Start on my ( whatever ) car for "My Wife".  Oh, by the way, it is a Manual Transmission and this is my FIRST install........... Not that it matters, but I also have 3 kids that will be in the car, when my wife decides to go in for a cup of coffee at the gas station and she puts it in "Pit Stop".But don't worry, I will explain to her how it works..................DUH!!  Sorry, but I still will let the next 12 Volt garage take the challenge........MO

Don't Learn from Others Mistakes

You Might Be the One That Knows.

Installers are smart.....most customers are NOT.  good point MO

Ok so people don't seem to like installs even if the unit is designed for a manual trans. Do you guys have any stories of something going wrong with such a unit?

I was just asking if a car with a R/S designed for a manual trans has ever gone wrong. There is no doubt in my mind that there are many horror stories with regular R/S designed for automatics installed in manuals.