has anyone installed a remote start system on their Disco 1 and gotten it to work correctly? I am not interested in additional alarms or keyless entry, just the remote start feature. If I had to, I would completely bypass the OEM alarm features(not the ECU) to install a remote start. I don't worry about my vehicle getting stolen, just that the vehicle is defrosted when we go to get into it in the mornings.(yeah, I know I could just walk out and start it the old fashioned way, but this is my wife's car. She doesn't think that far ahead.)

 

I'm assuming you and your wife understand that letting an engine idle to warm up is bad for the engine and causes premature wear. The colder it is the worse it is for the car.

 

Yes, but I believe it is worse to only drive your car less then a mile a day. It is one of those bittersweet things. We live less than a mile from anything in town, and the road only goes 20 miles north of town and 18 miles south of town before it ends(literally). Our cars never reach operating temperature around town unless we let it 'warm up' before driving. Because of the colder climate(60's in the summer and 30's in the winter) and high humidity(+70%) our vehicles are fogged up insideall the time. Sure, we could use a towel to remove the water every time we want to go anywhere, but that does not remove the moisture from the headliner, carpet, seats, so on and so forth.

If someone has a better idea, please tell me. And driving from one end of the road to the other once a week or even month could happen, but I don't have time and my wife has no desire to drive that much.

Ah, the things that make life complicated. That, and I ran out of Mt. Dew in the shop fridge...

 

You can always get a block heater. Ive had one on all my vehicles I have ever owned. Kats makes one you put inline of your heater hoses and has a pump that circulates the warm water. I have mine set on a timer so itll come on about 1-1/2 hrs before i want to drive it, itll get the motor up to about 120* so its nice and toasty warm when I wanna leave.

 

Yeah probably a lot cheaper too

 

I had never thought of putting a block heater on a timer. That would help it harm up quicker without idling the engine. I have those inline coolant heaters on several trucks here at work, but never thought to put one on my own rig...alot less hassle than a remote start wiring compatability nightmare. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

remote start in a D1 is pretty straight forward, no transponder in the key, just power the ignition and accessory circuits and trigger the starter wire. The heated seats stay on which is nice. I have done mine and a couple others (well a couple other rovers, I have thousands of remote starts under my belt) only complaint I have about rovers is the ignition wires are tucked up a bit making you work to get to them, I would suggest popping off the steering column clamshell and getting them a few inches from the back of the switch.

 

And a lot better for the engine, not to mention a lot safer. Think about what would happen if it overheated or lost oil pressure while idling in the drive while you're in the house.

 

I have never heard this before.
I always let my truck warm up in the winter, 10-15 min every morning and every night before heading home from work, thats the only time I use my butt warmer, while in the parking lot at work letting the truck warm up.
Thats a great time to check my e-mail but a pain as I try to hold my hands still enough to use the phone.

A warm engine gets better MPG than a cold one.
I know many people who have spun rod bearings in their cars by starting the car and then driving away before letting it warm up at least a few min.
Not to mention that you cant see out the windshield because your breath fogs the windows, I would rather "take a chance" on a "shorter" engine life than take a chance on crashing because I couldn't see.
I am not a fan of remote car starters, but I also realize that you cannot always plug in your block heater either.

 

The good remote car starters have a safety cut off, if the engine temp gets to high or the oil pressure gets to low it shuts off the engine.
They all have a brake interlock, push on the brake pedal to shift out of park and they kill the engine.
They are all also timed, 15 min and then they shut back off unless you put in the ignition key and turn the car "on".
If you have to worry about loosing oil pressure or overheating your engine then you have bigger problems than a remote car starter.