Remote Car Starter Rules
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In the palm of your hand, it's just a plastic key fob with buttons.
But activating a remote car starter unleashes your vehicle's horsepower. Within seconds, the engine idles -- perhaps out of sight -- while the tailpipe spews its usual mix of carbon monoxide and other pollutants.
That means remote starters aren't toys. Here are tips for safe, trouble-free use:
- Keep keys safe. If you have small children in your
household, keep curious fingers away from your remote-starter key fob.
You might have a backup fob, so keep that one secure too -- especially
if the buttons also control a car alarm or other audio alerts.
- Start up outdoors. Don't remote-start a vehicle
that's inside a garage, even with the garage door open. Carbon monoxide,
the poisonous gas that exhaust systems emit, can build up inside the
garage, then creep into living areas, said industrial hygienist Bob
Pawlowski, chief of construction, safety and health for the Michigan
Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
- Nix on manuals. If you search the Internet far and
wide, you'll find someone willing to sell remote starters for vehicles
that have manual transmissions. But "I think it's dangerous,"
said Don Snyder, chief executive of Bulldog Security Inc. in Steubenville,
Ohio, a major maker of remote starters. Remote starting a vehicle whose
manual transmission was left in gear not only cranks the engine, it
sends the car or truck lurching into motion. That may cause serious
injuries or even death.
- Check your warranty. Be sure to ask the installer
for a written warranty on parts and labor, so you know you're covered
if something goes wrong. Then, before leaving the shop, test all of
your vehicle's electrical systems -- lights, heater, turn signals, stereo,
etc. -- to make sure the installer didn't cross wires and foul up a
circuit.
- Avoid amateurs. Be wary of fly-by-night installers or the neighborhood kid who says he can install the super deal he'll get you on the Internet. AAA Michigan's theft-insurance experts say that if a remote starter isn't installed right, it can disable a vehicle's existing theft alarm.