Sorry I know this has probably been answered before but I cant seem to find it when I search!

 

I have a 2011 Octavia VRS and want to be able to start it from the keyfob without leaving the house. So on cold mornings I can start it 5 minutes before I leave the house so the windscreens are clear and starting to warm up?

 

Is this possible? Who can do it and how much ?

 

thanks

I wouldnt mind knowing as well....

Car wont be capable of that as is. You'd need a decent aftermarket alarm with the appropriate module to do that. Given the vRS already has a CAT1 alarm and immobiliser on it as standard would be alot or additional spend just to get that feature.

Get a webasto (sp ?) heater instead

A lot of messing around and I believe it is also Illegal in this country.

Also why would you want to give the opportunist thief an easy way to steal your car.

if its sat there running then they only need to smash a window and they are away with it.

I dont think the insurance would be too happy either.

A lot of messing around and I believe it is also Illegal in this country.

Also why would you want to give the opportunist thief an easy way to steal your car.

 

Nothing illegal about it if you are on private property. If your on the public road its no more illegal than the many people out there that start thier car and leave it running while popping into the house/ waiting for it to warm up.

 

As for an easy way to steal your car. Not at all. The decent systems will keep the car locked at all times. Even if someone were to smash the window and jump into the car they won't get far because as soon as they hit the brake pedal it cuts the engine.

 

I had the system on an old car and it was great for those winter mornings. Get up. While having a cup of tea, start the car. 5 Minutes later windows were defrosted so no scraping, seats were nice and warm.

 

I have a system I could fit to the VRS but due no-one so far has devised a work-around for the transponder yet (bar keeping an extra transponder in the car which I have never liked the idea of)

Google car remote start and you'll see lots of options.

Can't remember seeing on here if anyone had done that on an octavia though..

IIRC there are some OE auxiliary heater options available for colder climates. You could do a search on that or ask one of the scandinavian guys.

You can't start a car, then walk away from it on a public road.  You are not in control of the vehicle.  You will not be covered by your insurance under any circumstances.  Definitely illegal.

  The Driver and the Environment 123

You MUST NOT leave a parked vehicle unattended with the engine running or leave a vehicle engine running unnecessarily while that vehicle is stationary on a public road. Generally, if the vehicle is stationary and is likely to remain so for more than a couple of minutes, you should apply the parking brake and switch off the engine to reduce emissions and noise pollution. However it is permissible to leave the engine running if the vehicle is stationary in traffic or for diagnosing faults.
Law CUR regs 98 & 107

 

https://www.gov.uk/general-rules-all-drivers-riders-103-to-158/control-of-the-vehicle-117-to-126

I'm sure remote start is possible, but running a diesel for 5 mins on a cold morning will produce hardly any heat at all. You need to drive it to get it hot.

 

A more elegant solution would be a Webasto diesel fired heater. You can get a timer or a remote start option and 10 minutes of that running on a cold morning would have the car up to operating temperature while using hardly any diesel. Unfortunately they don't come cheap.  

I think hes more bothered about the ocupant being warm than the engine up to temperature. Put a jumper on!

given that my drive is on a slope and I leave the car parked in gear to prevent rolling if the hand brake fails, starting the engine when I'm not in the car wouldn't be the best idea..

A lot of messing around and I believe it is also Illegal in this country.

Also why would you want to give the opportunist thief an easy way to steal your car.

if its sat there running then they only need to smash a window and they are away with it.

I dont think the insurance would be too happy either.

Its actually perfectly ok and a part of most high end car security systems, 3rd party fitted of course.

You'll find that if someone tried to steal a car whilst on remote start as soon as they dip the clutch the engine dies, the keys have to be put into the ignition and turned to the on position for it to continue to run.

a friend has it on an older car (300ZX) and thats exactly how it works on that. Back in those days it was a means to warm cars up before being blagged to avoid turbo wear etc ....if this was illegal turbo timers would be too and I dont think they are.

Technically turbo timers are illegal if used on the public highway but not private parking

Its actually perfectly ok and a part of most high end car security systems, 3rd party fitted of course.

You'll find that if someone tried to steal a car whilst on remote start as soon as they dip the clutch the engine dies, the keys have to be put into the ignition and turned to the on position for it to continue to run.

a friend has it on an older car (300ZX) and thats exactly how it works on that. Back in those days it was a means to warm cars up before being blagged to avoid turbo wear etc ....if this was illegal turbo timers would be too and I dont think they are.

Most will fully arm the alarm too, so a door opened without the remote being used or a broken window will kill the ignition and activate the Immobiliser

Electric fan heater and an extension lead. I put it in the boot of the estate the night before. A quick flick of the switch and the heater de-ices the car and melts snow before leaving.

Total cost, £20.