Wish you could start your car via your cell phone, but don't feel like ponying up the
$40k for a Chevrolet Volt or $499 (plus $29 a year) for an
aftermarket system from Viper? This hack from a guy named Dave will set you back considerably less, relying on a cheap prepaid cellphone that has had its vibration motor surgically removed, replaced by a couple of leads triggering the car's starter. Now, whenever the phone receives a call it starts up the car -- a somewhat dodgy proposition if a telemarketer ever gets hold of your number, but an interesting solution nonetheless. Dave is also excited about the prospect of setting on timers and alarms on the handset to auto-start the car at regular intervals, while we're excited about the total cost of the project: $71.03. Why, that's barely enough to cover the gas our big blue Excursion burns while warming up in the morning.
posted January 20th 2010 9:47AM
@Atkins
You beat me to it.
He better watch out that the government doesn't put him on some terrorist watch list.
There's a huge flaw in the design. Virgin Mobile uses Sprint. This thing clearly won't work right.
@rcappo Hahahha. Hey can he do that on the iPhone? M interested!
I get a wrong number call a couple of times a week. I don't think I'd like to have my car randomly start without my knowledge a couple of times a week.
@jonnythan Have it only vibrate when called by a specific number. Problem fixed. A bigger problem might be having to buy minutes for it every month.
@(Unverified) I'm not sure I can do that on my smartphone, much less a cheapo prepaid.
@jonnythan
Well, at least the flexibility of a smart phone isn't wasted on you...
That would be the one number that you don't want to pocket dial while on vacation.
@hysonmb
how about turning the phone off while in vacation?
I don't see how this thing charges.. That auxiliary port is wired up to where the vibrate sensor use to be.
1. Install this in your car
2. Take wife to airport with car
3. Police notice cellphone attached to wires, in car, etc...
4. "Pants on the ground"
@One Love
5. "Sir, we need to check your bag. No, we're not talking about your luggage."
@One Love
Nah, they only freak out if you have wires attached to an empty Gatorade bottle.
@Captain Caveman 6. (giggles) not exactly a weapon of mass destruction is it sir...
"a somewhat dodgy proposition if a telemarketer ever gets hold of your number"
unless you put your number in the address book and set it to vibrate only on that number.
or is it not advanced enough for such a thing
You have to already have a remote start for this to work. He hooks the prepaid phone up to his pre-existing remote starter.
@trentblase
But it only has a short range. This phone could work from anywhere you get a signal.
@trentblase
Not if I'm understanding correctly. And every remote start system that I've seen doesn't use a separate starter motor. It activates the preexisting starter.
@BigJayDogg3
NVM. I think I misread. I have no clue what you're trying to say.
@BigJayDogg3 There's a big first step missing from this how-to: buy and install a commercial remote starter that has an test pin that you can hook your pre-paid phone up to. You can't get the whole shebang for the ~$70 quoted.
@trentblase Not neccessarily. You could use a low voltage "pick" relay that the phone could activate. When the relay is "picked" it would close contacts that would complete the start circuit. Once the call drops the relay turns off and ready for the next call. Simple.
@w00zzy That might work with an old car, but I doubt any late models have a simple "start circuit". My car, for instance, has a fuel ignition cutoff.
@trentblase Sure it does. What do you think happens when you turn the key? It initiates the start circuit. By strategically placing a couple of relays it could be done using this guys phone setup. Trust me, it would be that difficult to do.
@w00zzy Clearly you still have not read the article. He is hooking his phone up to a pre-existing remote starter unit (which he probably paid a few hundie for). What do I think happens when I turn the key? Well, considering I said my car has an ignition cutoff, when I insert my key I THINK the transponder sends an encrypted signal to the ECU which opens the fuel line and runs the starter, meanwhile the ECU is regulating the ignition timing (no distributor in modern engines) and likely the air intake because it's trying to moderate emissions, which it detects via an O2 sensor in my exhaust. And my car is 5 years old. If you can build a plug-in replacement ECU that requires no authentication with a couple relays, then I guess you're the badass genius.
nice!
maybe if combined with Google Voice, you won't have to be worried about wrong numbers/telemarketers.
also, couldn't you set it only to vibrate only when certain numbers call? by just setting the ringtone to 'vibrate'?
I found some remote starter at ebay for less than $60, with no monthly fee
@htd link?
@htd The point of this setup is to be able to start your car remotely from a very long distance away. (Yes its pointless because your car wont stay on for very long if you dont insert the key) I figure doorlock controls would be better fit for this idea.
Finally a good use for that phone. All it's good at is receiving calls, and thankfully that's the only feature he's using ^_^
To make matters worse, prepaid companies like to call your phone when minutes expire, or just when they think they have something you want to hear. That would be rather annoying.
@HideyoshiJP
Usually texts are sent, not phone calls. I used to use Virgin Mobile way back in the day.
@HotDog Virgin still rocks! Into Outer Space!
@Atkins
This would be sick with Google Voice and some phone number permissions that won't let the car auto-start (via received calls) from say.... midnight to 6 am or sometime when you are asleep.
@Atkins
safe as long as you don't accidentally hook it up to the fuel pump....
No reception? No remote start.
@tustah
no reception? screwed.
just don't forget to put your car into neutral before you remote-start it!
This could come in handy if I ever get a burn notice
Hum, who needs a remote starter anyways! this is not good at all for the environment. Even here where the temp. is way below zero we don't use it.
There needs to be an International Hack of the Year award for people like Dave.
The better use for this would be to remote start your wife/girlfriend. Just wire it up to a vibrator in her pants. Then just before you leave work you dial the number and Voila, when you get home you're in for some big time nookie!
@golfnz34me
I got a feeling you don't have a wife or gf, and won't any time soon.
But it's just a feeling eh.
I bought a Bulldog Security remote starter kit (with 1/4 mile range on the remote) for $35 at Sam's Club a while back. Works great and no monthly service.
I actually did this with my pager (remember those?) about 7yrs ago. I had already purchased a cell phone and had no use for my pager anymore beside for a fun project. I didn't have a remote start for my vehicle, so I just did it with unlocking the vehicle. I didn't want to try it on a remote start for the fear of it starting in my garage because of a possible accidental page. I abandoned the project because Onstar could do the same thing (for a more expensive monthly fee though).
this could be done in a bit of a different way... set up the phone profile to silent / no vibrate when an incoming call comes in but vibrate for text messages (most phones allow to do this. That way the "buzzer" mechanism would not be triggered until an sms comes in.
or buy one of those kids firefly cell phones that only accept numbers on its list.
If it is a prepaid cell phone and never answers the call, you don't use up your minutes very fast, correct?
@NetMage I think that's right. I might hesitate to use it as a remote starter, but this definitely has other applications.
Great when he leaves it in gear then rings his car, or when his engine overhears or over revs.
Or leaves it in a garage and it's fills with exhaust fumes .
Hence why proper intelistarts cost more, their inteligent to check these things.
@Commanderastig
There's an app for that...