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[Mperor]

I think something which would be insanely useful for people in cold climates like myself would be to have a unit that could learn the RF signal from a remote car starter or similar device...  then have it be able to transmit that signal.

Coupled with perhaps a Macro or a timer (and maybe a temperature sensor?) you could have it automatically start up your car in the morning.

I have a car starter, but often in my morning daze forget to start the thing ahead of time to get it warmed up.  (And my car takes a long time to warm up.)

Most car starters have a 'safety' setting so that if the car is started and you don't get in after a half hour or so, it will turn off automatically.  So the risk is pretty low.

This could also work for hot climates I would suspect.  Have your car turn on automatically and start blasting A/C to get the temp down.


I figure if I sacrifice my spare car starter, I could build this myself with one of the plug in appliance switches and a very basic circuit board...  but who wants to do all that work?   

[Oldtimer]

I figure if I sacrifice my spare car starter, I could build this myself with one of the plug in appliance switches and a very basic circuit board...  but who wants to do all that work?   

If you're going this route how about wiring a Universal Module UM506 accross the appropriate button in the spare car starter. No circuit board required.  Check here for specs, the manual is also on line:

http://www.x10.com/automation/um506_s.html

[steven r]

Are the remote starters smart enough to know when the car is running? I'd hate for X10 to be grinding my starter while I was taking my morning shower.

Safety tip: This might not be such a good idea if you keep your car in an enclosed garage.

[dave w]

Are the remote starters smart enough to know when the car is running?

FWIW
Yes, even the cheapest remote starter units sense the engine is running by watching for a rise on the ignition line from 12V to 14V. Usually the unit will do a short 3 second crank and then watch for the rise. If no rise is detected in about 5 seconds, it will make a second attempt.  Optionally you can connect the vehicles tachometer line to the unit. The unit then cranks until it detects engine run from the tach input. A solution for hard to start vehicles, but probably more wear on the starter.

Thanks to Oldtimer for Universal module / starter remote trigger suggestion...great idea I'm going to incorporate. Although I would still use an X10 remote or voice command to initiate the start sequence rather than a time triggered macro. I just like the idea of the house saying "I will start the car"...cool.

[roger1818]

Had you ever thought of using a 12V electric car heater?  These will quickly heat the car's interior and are much friendlier on the environment (and the pocketbook with todays gas prices).  Even on extremely cold days, modern engines only need to be warmed up for 30 seconds before you start driving.  Any more than that is actually bad for the engine (see Idling Is Not Good for Your Engine).  A block heater is a better way to warm up your engine on cold days, and X10 can easily be used to automate it with an appliance module.

If you do insist on using a remote car starter and to use X10, I would suggest using a "Wake Up" macro that is triggered by a mini-timer on your bedside table, so that any changes to your wake up alarm will also affect your car starter.  Using a condition based on the results of a temperature sensor is also a good idea.

[dave w]

Had you ever thought of using a 12V electric car heater? 

In Ft Lauderdale??.

[roger1818]

Had you ever thought of using a 12V electric car heater? 

In Ft Lauderdale??.

Presumably you wouldn't need to warm up your car in Ft. Lauderdale so unless you shouldn't need a remote car starter let alone an electric heater. .

[steven r]

Presumably you wouldn't need to warm up your car in Ft. Lauderdale so unless you shouldn't need a remote car starter let alone an electric heater. .

If you leave the AC on, remote starters can cool the car also.

[Mperor]

If you're going this route how about wiring a Universal Module UM506 accross the appropriate button in the spare car starter.

Ah, yes.  That would work quite well.   Of course, my car starter requires you to press the button twice... but 'hitting' it with the macro 2x using momentary should do it.