Product Name, Cost and whereabouts?

Extended idle is bad for a cold engine. Why do you need it to idle so long?

Pete

Oh, and the product you're looking for is called a remote starter and you should be able to find it at places that install car audio and alarm systems.

Pete

Thanks Pete; Is 5 to 7 minutes "extended"? If so, what's best in 10- 20 degree weather, after stilling out all night? Any idea $$cost-wise$$?? JMay

10 seconds is all you need. Basically just start it and go. The car takes longer to warm up if you just let it sit there. And by letting it idle, the rpms are too low to allow the oil to circulate well to the upper parts of the engine and since the lubrication is poor, excessive engine wear occurs. The quicker you can get the engine to warm up, the better - and the best way to do it is to start driving it ASAP.

Also, I'd be sure to use some good synthetic oil in those low temps of yours (0w-XX or 5w-XX), if you don't already.

Cheers,

Pete

As stated, there are a few options available - probably all for professional fitment. It's also worth checking the exact laws in your area about unattended vehicles first..

If the Winter temperatures are consistently low (and you're concerned about it!), then you might also want to take a look at the Kenlowe pre-heaters. I've heard that they're very popular is large parts of Canada..

HTH

Hairy One Kenobi

Disclaimer: the opinions expressed in this opinion do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the highly-opinionated person expressing the opinion in the first place. So there!

I have heard, in addition to these concerns, that the temp of the transmission is still relatively low even after extended motor warm-up. You still have to start off slow and be nice to the drivetrain in that case. The reason most folks do a long warm-up around these parts is to get the cabin warm. Helps to melt the frost on the glass bits. Or snow.

Also keeps the windscreen from misting up on the inside.

To the OP: I have never heard of a DIY remote start. With all the lockouts to prevent a car from starting, I would think that it would require a shop to bypass some of these "safety" items - a distinct liability lawsuit downside. Pure speculation on my part, anyway. Good luck.

Spider

Exactly. When you idle, only the engine warms up (and very slowly at that). When you drive, the whole car warms up (engine, transmission, brakes, bearings, etc.).

Cheers,

Pete

You're looking for a remote starter. Cheap ones with DIY installation can be had at club warehouses for ~$85. I would not recommend the DIY route. The better ones can be bought at car audio specialty shops. I got my wife one for her honda accord a few years back for christmas. I believe the unit was by Bulldog? and ran ~$150 and installation was another $100. I had a starter by Viper in my previous car (Subaru Legacy GT). It ran ~$200 and was another $125 for installation. The units have all sorts of options and the more options the more installation costs. Both units work the central locking system, so it's easiest to replace the old key FOB with the starters. The Viper unit had a starter motor kill, so that if it was "armed" you couldn't even start the car with a key. Other options include power window operation, power trunk release, alarms, etc. We both loved our starters (my wife still does), especially before I built our garage. We live in NH so cold snowy mornings were a pain. Even after the garage, they were great when leaving work. If I weren't out of work, i would be considering one for the A6 wagon, though the heated seats, make life a bit more bearable. Hope this helps.

Stu

Temperatures