Remote start with the Northstar

[BeelzeBob]

When I went to my local dealer and asked if it was okay to install a remote start mechanism, they told me it was a bad idea. The car could start stalling, not starting right, etc.. Something to do with it being fiber optic.. Has anyone had any first hand experience with this?

[elwesso]

Hey, my grandpa puta remote starter on his merc. grand marquis, and there was no problems. I would recommend buying it like from ziebart and having them install it. Its not really that much more expensive, and if something gets messed up you can let them worry about it.

[BeelzeBob]

Hi Elwesso! Actually, I had remote start on my LSC and it was fine. But, I just heard that it didn't mix well with the fiber optics that worked with the Northstar.. I think cars are becoming very complex nowadays...

[elwesso]

well, my suggestion to you would be to go to ziebart or HHgregg and ask them if itll work. They know remote starters better than the dealers do. Ive been looking at some rmt starters on the net and they say that they dont interfere. But usually the installers can add filters (or whatever, a continuum transfunctioner ) and it will work fine. And if it doesnt, they can always take it out. I would go for it, and i know once i get the money im gonna buy one (its really cold here in Indiana)

off the topic, but i think you should start a new thread on the GM forums site telling people to register at your site. I like the more narrow catagories that are here. you may also ask bruce to put a link on his site to yours. Then we could really get this site goin

[maydog]

What year vehicle are we talking about. I do not think it would be too hard for a diy type to install their oun autostart. My wife's 96 aurora has an aftermarket autostart that works fine.

I am not aware of any fiber optic system. That may be for the 98 or newer cars.

On the 97 and older cars, I think the biggest hurdle is to switch in the appropriate resistance to the PassKey II system - shouldn't be too hard with a relay. The resistance in the key can be measured with a multimeter.

I have installed cheap autostarts on a few cars with no problems - each car does have its own electrical quirks however. I may put one in the caddy when it warms up.

If the ignition is somehow activated by a fiber optic link - then somewhere in the depths of the vehicle's electrical system, it is converted to a electronic signal. There is where the starter would be put - finding it may be a little difficult however.

[BeelzeBob]

Originally posted by elwesso
off the topic, but i think you should start a new thread on the GM forums site telling people to register at your site. I like the more narrow catagories that are here. you may also ask bruce to put a link on his site to yours. Then we could really get this site goin [/b]

Continuum Transfunctioner! hehe that's like the Flux Capacitor of the new Millennium. As for the link from Bruce - we traded links this morning.. I don't know how I feel about just posting a link on the GM forums to here. That would be considered spamming - especially if I ask people to come here. The owners over there have a really great thing going - I just saw the need for something MORE for Cadillac enthusiasts.. I think people will eventually start spreading the world about us.. Then, we still have the search engines which will list us soon - and then my marketing plans...

[BeelzeBob]

Originally posted by maydog
If the ignition is somehow activated by a fiber optic link - then somewhere in the depths of the vehicle's electrical system, it is converted to a electronic signal. There is where the starter would be put - finding it may be a little difficult however.

My car was a '95 ETC
<-- Pictured to the left..

I have a feeling that if the right person installed it, everything would be fine.. Maybe the problems are coming from installs that just aren't 100%...

[elwesso]

i have read things about remote starters and the installation of them, and it would be something i would not do myself. Im sure it can be done, but then if something happens to the starter or the car, then your screwed. But if you have a professional do it, chances are they will do it right, and if something does happen, you can make them fix it. Also, ziebart starters (correct me if im wrong) use the rotating codes, so that someone couldnt just come with a remote and start your car. I know that it would be nice (and probably more fun) to do it yourself, but somethings are better left to the professionals.

[maydog]

It is not really the starters you have to worry about when installing a remote start. They are simple devices. It is the computers that are designed to protect your vehile from theft that could screw things up.

A remote starter basically hotwires your vehicle. The anti-theft devices in todays cars are designed to limit ones ability to hotwire the car. Therefore, you have to get the remote starter to mimic the exact sequence of electrical events that need to happen to start the car.

The safeguards are different between cars and years. Terms like Vats and Vats II refer the the anti theft systems. I think Vats 1 uses only the resistor "chip" in the key as an additional level of complexity to start the car. That should be relatively easy to trick.

I know nothing about other forms of protection - say vats 2, but there is always a way around these mecanisms. So, yes, solving that puzzle makes the diy job fun.

There is something to be said, however, to having someone else do it - someone who doe it for a living and can warrany their work.

[BeelzeBob]

That makes sense.. I wonder why Cadillac doesn't offer remote start to beginwith.. Too dangerous? I doubt it...

[elwesso]

I think that the reason cadillac doesnt offer remote start at the factory it is wouldnt be a profitable option. I dont think it would be something people would spend an extra 500 dollars on, especially since most cadillac owners have a garage (not too practical there). At ford and GM, they are going to start making remote starters an option, starting like 2004 (cant remember for sure, but somewhere around then). And the best part about that is that it will be covered under the mfg. warranty.

[BeelzeBob]

The warranty would be nice. But you're right - probably 90% of the people who buy a new Cadillac have a garage.. That's when most people are going to use it.. Though it's nice to start your car from inside a restaurant with the heat on or a/c when needed.

[elwesso]

yes. I drove my grandpas car one time (with remote start) coming out of the supermarket, and i flipped on the starter as someone walked by ). They were sure surprised to have the car start with no one in it.

Some of the remote starters have warm up features that start the car every 3hrs or so (user programmable) and have it run for 10 mins to keep things cool or toasty. But ive found they dont work as far as youd think they would. Maybe 500 feet with no interference, you can get better models, but more $$$. As far as im concerned, i can suffer through the 5 mins it takes the northstar to warm up!!!

[BeelzeBob]

Oh, yeah! I forgot about that feature! I had it on my LSC and never used it.. Silly me.. That would be great right now.. Especially in the car I'm driving at the moment.. I put my Vette away in storage for the Winter and I'm driving a (don't laugh now) '01 Volkswagon Jetta.. It takes forever for this thing to warm up. No, it's not mine.. Just mine for the Winter.

It's either the Jetta or my '89 Dodge Shadow..

[elwesso]

just out of curiousty, do you plan on getting another caddy? You seem to know your way around caddys, and you started a cadillac website. Or do you just like them a lot because you had one.