cold weather & remote starter
 

It finally got cold in NYC this week and was wishing my car had a remote start as I sat in it at 6am waiting for it to warm up.

Does anybody have plans to install a remote starter in theirs? I heard it's a bad idea to install one in a manual but then others say there shouldn't be problems.

The only problem with a remote starter in a stickshift car is that you have to park it in neutral if you want to use the remote start feature. Personally, I NEVER park my car in neutral.

Same here. It might be more practicable to install seat heaters. Art_Mighty started a thread on the topic a while back; that might be a good starting point.

I always park in neutral (with the e-brake on, obviously) and am planning to have a remote starter installed. At night the car sleeps in the garage, but at work I'll be able to start it from my office window before putting my coat on. It'll give it a minute or two to warm up.

never engage the ebrake after a spirited drive
never leave a car parked on ebrake alone

#1 yes.

#2 I've been doing for my 20 years of driving on 17 different cars owned in that time and have had 0 issues.

From the manual Page 147:

■ Parking the vehicle

Step 2: Shift the shift lever to neutral.
Step 3: Set the parking brake.

That said, I too wish that we had remote start. Heated seats + remote start ftw. Alas I have a manual, so it's illegal anyway.

Side note: My rental car on my latest trip to Germany was a Ford Cmax (small wagon thingy) which was manual (almost everything there is) and you could start it w/o depressing the clutch.

You omitted Step 5: ....If parking on a hill, shift the shift lever to 1 or R....

Any surface that isn't perfectly level can be considered a hill. Even my garage floor is sloped slightly downhill (to drain water out of the garage), so the car can roll out of the garage is the e-brake fails. That's why I always park in gear.

only time an e-brake should NOT be used is when it is below freezing
this is because,the e-brake MAY not fully release and create a ''drag" or ''resistance'',and subsequent unnecessary damage,and wear when driving.

I know placing the car in 1st or R will prevent the roll...Isn't it enough to turn the wheels on a slope so if it does begin to roll, the curb will stop the tires?

Also, aren't there remote starters that won't start UNLESS the car is in Neutral?

you can do this! why not? make sure you engage the e-brake though!
be careful about the colder weather,as you don't want the e-brake
freezing up on ya!..just sayin'

A hill has a distinct grade in comparison to the surrounding terrain. Your slightly inclined driveway is not a hill.

Again, 17 cars, 20 years of driving, I've never had an e-brake fail, or freeze...and I live in WI where it freezes often.

I think you guys are going a -tad- overboard on the safety issue here.

Edit: I'll also note that I've mainly driven older restored Hondas up until this point. Even those 20 year old cars never had a failure or freeze. The likelihood of that happening on a brand new car is basically nil.

Regarding the advice that you shouldn't use the handbrake after spirited driving, why?

The parking brake is a drum type inside the rear wheel hub. Understood if it was actuating a hot rotor...but it isn't. I don't believe that little adage applies here.

its outta habit

drum disc whatever, after a session, stuff is smoking hot. you dont want pressure applied, warping etc. I steer clear and play its ol skool

park it in 1st..or reverse if thats the way out:w00t:


back when cars had parking brake pedals no one used them..

not true! if it's cold enough,it CAN freeze and NOT release! have had this happen to me! and more than once over the years! in colder weather,be well advised to "keep the car in gear",and NOT risk it,unless you are on a very steep incline,and are forced to use it for safety reasons!..just sayin'