melikeRX8

Can I install one in the RX-8 ??? I'm planning on buying an AT anyway and wouldn't mind putting in an autostarter. Besides I can get a headstart on warming up the car and possibly prevent any engine flooding problems.

...I always find myself rushing out the door to get a headstart on my commute and usually I tend fail to warmup my car.

hit me back

Doctorr

There is an Autostarter option in the J Spec RX-8 Option list,
check with Canzoomer in the Vendor Forum (He can get ANYTHING!)
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doc

RX Guy

I think the autoostarter is a novel idea. However, I feel compell to share this tip bits with my fellow citizens.

I live in a neighborhood where crime is usually not a concern. However, there was a series of car thefts lately. Several cars were stolen while the cars are being warmed up. The police were able to recover the cars and caught the culprits. It seems this kind of crime takes place quite often in different neighborhoods whenever the weather turns cols and people start to start their cars to warm up and then walk away. Theives know this and would scout out neighborhoods looking for opportunities.

Doctorr

Your car is no more liable to be stolen with an Autostarter, than if it were simply locked and parked.

The autostarted car locks itself, and there is no key in the ignition, it remains immobilized. If you touch the brakes or clutch without putting a key in, it will stop.
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doc

RX Guy

Thanks for the quick education Doc. :o

93rdcurrent

I wanted to upgrade my car alarm with the Compustar system I pulled out of my M3 before giving it to the dealer and I was told that it would void my warranty. This alarm has an auto-start feature as well as a paging unit for the alarm that works up to 4,000 feet away. I really felt more safe with this alarm and am quite disappointed that I cannot put it in. Unless anyone here knows more than the dealer did about my warranty. Otherwise you may want to consider this when purhcasing the car since I live in a cold weather climate as well and know what it means to get into a cold car in the morning. All right the seat warmers help.

zthang

Why can't you put the alarm in? I understand the autostart having the possibility of voiding your warranty, but i don't understand how the alarm itself would. If your dealer is telling you that you can not install the alarm b/c it will void your warranty then thats BS. Read The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act. It protects you legally from dealers trying to deny you warranty work because of aftermarket stuff. I'm not completely sure what the Act says, but i believe the dealer would have to prove that whatever modification you did DIRECTLY caused the malfunction.

rabinabo

Has anybody been able to install compustar w/ autostart on their 6-speed rx-8 yet? I think it would be really handy for when you want to warm up the engine to move the car, plus the compustar has a lot of nifty features.

Mr Rabbit

Hi! Me wanted it too. I considered the Mazda factory-fit option, but was STRONGLY advised against it. It appears that the car has a tendency to die...

Wonder if anyone knows of this & why. I'm still keen to fit an autostarter - for kicks!!! And when it rains...

Speed Racer

Where did you hear that the factory autostarter kills the car?!?

Mr Rabbit

'Filtered' from someone in Mazda Japan. Apparently it's happened to other cars before. By better half was scared off by it. Safte concern. But all the same, I'm still keen! Maybe someone knows something? Or did I hear wrong?

Mr Rabbit

Saw it above & remembered, it affects/voids warranty too... Or so I heard... Disappointing 'cos it's cool!

zthang

I have it installed on my 6-speed Z, and when I service it, i just dont tell the dealer that I have it and just give them the valet key. You do have to be EXTREMELY careful with it on a manual transmission though.

93rdcurrent

Zthang,

I was hoping that I would be able to upgrade the alarm system but at the dealer they said that it would void my warranty on the electrical systems. Please tell me where I can research this since I have the alarm and it is ready to install. Thanks.

RX-8 friend

The biggest problem with the remote start systems is you will loose the theft protection afforded by the "chip in key" system. That chip will have to be installed close to the ignition keyswitch permenently, otherwise the car will not start. Soooo, any thief can get your car started with a "normal" key or hot-wiring.

They can't drive it away if you have used the remote start to start it, but they can hot-wire it and start it themselves and drive away.

jtimbck2

I was wondering about the anti-theft key chip thing. I guess defeating this system to install an autostarter would have a negative impact on one's insurance rates as well (assuming you were honest with your insurance company about it).

zthang

Do a search for Magnuson Moss Warranty Act. There are a ton of sites about it for you to read up on, but basically in order for your dealer to void/deny your warranty, they have to be able to prove DIRECTLY that your modification (ie alarm) was the direct cause of the malfunction. You can contact a lawyer to help explain it more because i don't know all that much about it, i just know that i have the right to have an aftermarket alarm on my car and still have a warranty. Just ask your dealer again, but this time mention that you know about this act and see if they change their minds. This is for the alarm system only though, I don't think this act could apply to an autostarter on a manual transmission. I say screw the dealer and put your alarm system on, but just make sure you go to a place that knows what they're doing and will do a very good install. Then if the dealer still gives you problems, just sue or threaten to sue.

...by the way, heres a picture of my alarm system.