My car got broken into in St louis so now I need to find an alarm. I like the idea of a remote start but have a manual, heard this is a problem(not familiar with alarms).

So basically what I need is an alarm with a 2 way pager, remote start, and can work on a manual car. Any recommendations?

 

Viper 791 or Clifford RS.3.5.... as for adding the remote start function on your manual tranny.... I don't advise it. I own a shop and sell/install remote starts, and I too would not even consider putting it on my manual tranny xB.

 

there are a few systems that will keep running after you pull your key out, and then once the door closes it shuts off and locks your doors and sets your alarm. It keeps you from putting it in gear when you park... My question is WHY? why would you want something like this, I don't get what it's for.

 

well in texas it would be nice to have especially with a dark color as its HOT AS HELL. But mainly, like everything else about the box, for show. I was just seeing a common theme that most models with 2 ways also have a remote start.

But an alarm with a 2 way and no remote start would work just as well and most likely be cheaper. So anything like that would work great.

 

I got a stick also... I would LOVE to have remote start...

seems like you could just build an override setup that would keep the system from starting unless the emergency / parking brake was engaged and the shifter was in the neutral location...

I'd really like to see this happen, anyone seen it done??

 

i got an alarm with a 2 way pager and remote start fromhttp://www.scionspecialties.com/ and am very satisfied. i havent figured out how to hook up the remote start but i am happy with it. try hitting up bill(scionspeaciltiesvegas) when he's online im sure he'll hook you up.

 

I was going to mention Bill as well. Very nice guy whiling to help you. Even has given me a call or two to explain things to me. Im sure I will be talking to him more once I actually start installing today.

 

Bill is a very good guy.
I have gotten a few things from him,including the remote start and alarm.
He will help you with any probs you may have.
There are ways around a remote start on a manual.
I would not suggest it.There is just to much risk of something happening.

 

i have the remote start / 2-way paging. i have no problems what so ever. ( yes, i have a 5 spd.)
the only thing to get the remote start to work on the box is , you need to fool the car in to thinking the clutch is pushed down. at the top of the clutch pedal is a pin switch, just tap the wires together.

now you either need to remember you left the car in neutral, or you can rig up sensors to see if the stick is in neutral. its not that hard, just takes some time to do it.

you can also use the parking brake to interupt the starter, it would just take a relay to complete the circuit.

 

overriding the clutch is easy... checking to see that the parking brake is engaged is easy...

a manual transmission car doesn't know what gear it is in, this would be the trick... as a precautionary step you could install a motion sensor that would detect if the car was moving during the moments it was being started, this would be the easiest way to have it kill the engine if the "neutral" sensor gave a false reading...

I love how people who have no idea about electronics or cars will interject their opinion onto the subject... if these people ran the world, we'd be walking... no cars, no planes, etc... this idea isn't taking a chance, it is about thinking through and designing a system that will accomplish the task... if you trust your 16 year old to go drive the car every day, why wouldn't you be able to design a simple device to start the car??

 

i don't think that a motion sensor would be a good idea (yes it will stop the car from driving down the road, but it could still jump a few inches to feet)

under the shifter you mount to pin switches that will detect if the shifter was forward or backward from neutral. (you don't need to worry about left and right)
this would cut out the starter just like the brake and clutch.

all safe, no jumping.

 

city tuff....installed for 160.00 love it!

 

that is why I used words like "precautionary"... you are putting a lot of faith in your "pin" switches... the motion sensor would be a secondary / backup system...

I design safety systems for offshore production platforms, NEVER trust that the one safety device will be enough... you are banking on the fact that those sensors are going to be giving you the correct signal 100% of the time... things wear out, things go wrong... always, always have a backup check in anything as valuable or life threatening as a car...

 

I haven't done any on Scions yet but I have done manual transmission remote starts on a Mustang and a Cavalier. Basically I used 4 or 5 diff. magnetic switches position under ther shift boot that would send a ground signal to the neutral safety switch input on the alarm if the shifter was in any position other than neutral. I also wired it so the parking brake had to be engaged. Not something I would suggest for a novice installer or DIY beginner.

 

how about an mechanical engineer with free time on his hands and a knack for all things electrical or mechanical...??

 

here's another option that I have done. I installed an apexi turbo timer(works with N/A too) with a remote start alarm system too. so when you take out your keys your engine is still running(arm it while it's still running the only thing you will need is a relay tricking the alarm that the ignition is off). the good thing about the apexi timer is that its also a volt meter and theoretical air fuel ratio meter(a plus but volt meter good enough). the draw back is that this system is not full proof, nothing is when it comes with RS on a manual.

there are RS out there that is made for manual transmission I remember the old clifford alarms that had it(almost the same thing as the above option) but I have no clue who makes them now.

also one thing about RS on a manual is habit. if you have the habit of putting your car in gear...remote start is not for you. trust me i disabled my friends RS cause of this. he said he can change his habit. but after 3months he placed it in gear cause his car was parked uphill and started his car and hit a trash can. good thing no one was there and hit anyone or messed up his transmission. so please think before you put RS on your manual transmission.

hope this helps,

 

I have a CompuStar alarm. It has a listed range of 1.75 miles, but it has worked for me at more than 4 miles away. 2 way pager uses some weird Spread Spectrum technology. It also has remote start, turbo timer, shock sensor and a timer that will start your car every 2 hours (or whatever you set it to). So if you park outside and it's cold, it'll start and run for about 5 minutes.

They have a new one out that uses FM to transmit. Has a little bit longer range, and is more clear than the SS one.

 

Well, that would be me, but I still wouldn't recommend it.

The manual transmission doesn't have a neutral switch, and a manual transmission vehicle really shouldn't be parked in neutral. Leaving it in 1st gear is a backup for the parking brake, just as the "park" position of an automatic is a backup for the parking brake. I don't know if they teach this in driver's ed any more, as the world becomes more automatic-centered.

That being said, you could probably sense neutral on the stick with two switches that sense the position of the two control cables. If either cable is away from the neutral position, its switch would go to the off position, disabling the starter. I would also sense for the parking brake, as a safety backup, just in case the neutral switches fail or the owner leaves the parking brake off.

I understand that those in hot or cold climates find remote start useful, but my feeling is that it is not worth the risks involved.

George

 

i don't understand...sorry. whats wrong with remote start and manual? is it because most people put their car in gear when they park? if so, then thats good for me...cause i never have. i just pull the parking brake and turn the wheel

 

Like MGIHENS said..Doing a RS on a manual is just as easy as doing it on an automatic with the exceptions of a couple more relays, but it is just most shops will not do RS due to liability.

You can say you leave it in neutral, but what if you let a friend do a beer run for you and he comes back and sticks it in gear. You thinking its in neutral; start the car, the car goes jumping, and hurts or possilbly kills someone. Whos is liable? You yes, but then you can turn around and sue the shop for installing a device that was not recommended for a man. tran.

I had a RS on my civic with a 5spd, and even though I leave it in neutral most of the time, there were a few times were I left it into gear. Luckly all i hit was a curb.

For anyone that decides to do a RS on a manual or auto, always make sure you have a valet switch that will override the RS function, along with a hood pin. Thats all you need is a mechanic to work on your car with your keys in his pocket and pushes the buttons on accident and his fingers get chopped of.