Topic: What is an Anti-Starter?

[locutusx]

I was looking through some used car ads and came across one used car which came with a Remote Starter ... but it also claimed to come with an "Anti-Starter". What is that?

Also, this particular car was a Manual 5-speed. I thought it was dangerous/problematic to use a Remote Starter with a stick-shift?

[mdxtasy]

You have to leave the car in Neutral before the remote starter will actually start a manual vehicle.  If it's in gear, the car will not start.  An anti-starter is probably part of the alarm....the car won't start if the car is broken into and the alarm isn't disabled.

[Drivesideways]

Engineer-talk for a "stopper"? 

[paulk]

Anti-starter = engine immobilizer.

Like mdxtasy said, when remote starters are installed in a manual transmission vehicle, the remote starter is usually configured so that it is disabled if the car is not in neutral.  That's not always done though.  If it's an older car and that wasn't done, then there can be problems.

[locutusx]

so this means you have to always park the car (if it is Manual + Remote starter)  in Neutral and with ... handbrake enabled?

so the handbrake will wear out faster?

sorry, manual newbie here.

(i personally park my Auto's with handbrake enabled 90% of the time. but my parents NEVER use it)

[wing]

Use it or Lose it is the saying for handbrakes.  If not used they tend to seize.  You can't really wear the handbrake out, it's just a cable that puts a brake on the rear wheels or wheel.  If you drive with it on you could wear it out.

[avtoller]

To add to what Wing said, handbrakes should always be used, no matter whether your car is manual or automatic.

[locutusx]

Use it or Lose it is the saying for handbrakes.  If not used they tend to seize.  You can't really wear the handbrake out, it's just a cable that puts a brake on the rear wheels or wheel.  If you drive with it on you could wear it out.

ok, so its a cable which is connected to the same brake that the regular brake pedal connects to (i.e. the normal brakes), except the rear ones only?

so, do manual cars tend to wear out their rear brake pads faster?

Final question  when manual cars are parked on a steep slope, it sounds like there is a risk you won't be able to hold the car in place and it might start rolling down, i.e. if you keep it in Neutral and even use the handbrake. is that so?

[Craig]

The parking brake will not cause wear to the brake pads, assuming the car is stopped.  With your car stopped, stomp on the brake pedal all you want - no wear.

I park my EL with the handbrake pulled tight and the car left in 1st gear, because if I forget one of those, the other will prevent me from finding my car in a location other than where I left it.  On a steep slope, you may have to really yank the hand brake, but it should stop the car unless you parked on a ski hill.

[wing]

Leaving it in neutral is a bad thing IMO.  Don't do it unless you know the area and are on flat ground (like your driveway) or a parking lot at work or something.

Here's why:

When you drive your car your brakes heat up (assuming your using them in city driving or coming off the highway etc).  When you park your car and the brakes are hot you yank on that handbrake and everything seems great.  Then your brakes cool off and they no longer hold!!

[locutusx]

thanks for all the info guys

from the info presented it seems to me that using a Remote Starter with a manual-shift car is probably not a good idea! mainly because it needs you to park the car in Neutral gear only, but various users have pointed out the problems inherent in parking a manual car in Neutral gear.

I think I will be avoiding the used manual car with remote starter now. 

[wing]

Just do not use the starter, simple as that.  Or disable it if you are worried about it.

[mdxtasy]

I bought my BMW that came with a starter.  I just don't use it.  I use it for the door locks...and alarm...but that's it.

[johngenx]

Never really heard that term before.  There is "anti-grind" that ensures if you get into the car and turn the key out of reflex to the start position, you don't grind the starter gear into the ring gear on the flex-plate.

[tenpenny]

Leaving it in neutral is a bad thing IMO.  Don't do it unless you know the area and are on flat ground (like your driveway) or a parking lot at work or something.

Here's why:

When you drive your car your brakes heat up (assuming your using them in city driving or coming off the highway etc).  When you park your car and the brakes are hot you yank on that handbrake and everything seems great.  Then your brakes cool off and they no longer hold!!

If you have rear drums, then when they cool off, they hold MORE... because the drum shrinks....

On the other hand, in winter time, you aren't supposed to park an aircraft with the brakes on, in case they freeze.  Or so I was taught in ground school.

[wing]

Yes you are correct, I only have cars with discs

[The Mighty Duck]

While we're on the subject, what about the myth (?) that e-brakes don't work in reverse?  Cause judging by the slant of my driveway, they do. 

[wing]

Why wouldn't they?  Actually, my S2000 manual states you should park the car in Reverse, because the ratio is higher than 1st gear (or is that lower), it is harder for the car to roll by itself.  I can confirm this unfortunately.  I parked my car all winter in my garage in reverse without it moving, I moved the car and parked it in first and within a week it had rolled into the garage door, DOH.

[barrie1]

I always use my emergency brake as when it seizes it costs too much to have it replaced. By useing it I know it works quite well at all times and will work in safety test at any time. Do not use the emergency brake in Cold wet weather as it can freeze on and cause a lot of grief. Its OK to take a few days off the odd time. 

[jamie1]

Why wouldn't they?  Actually, my S2000 manual states you should park the car in Reverse, because the ratio is higher than 1st gear (or is that lower), it is harder for the car to roll by itself.  I can confirm this unfortunately.  I parked my car all winter in my garage in reverse without it moving, I moved the car and parked it in first and within a week it had rolled into the garage door, DOH.

I think he means when the car is moving in reverse, the park/e-brake is not as effective.
This depends on the type of drum brake set up. Some only push out the shoes from the wheel cylinder. Some push out from the wheel cylinder and also have the leading shoe push and engerize the trailing shoe. The latter set-up generally is poorer for holding in reverse.
Most modern cars do not use the rear disc caliper as a park brake,but use shoes in the hat of the rotor that acts like a drum brake.