remote starter possible?

obvious question is what would it start? when you 'start' the prius, nothing happens until you actually step on the accelerator, and even then, it's just electric until you get going a bit.

on the plus side, the prius uses a thermal tank to store heated coolant (supposedly it stays warm 3-4 days), so you should get heat very quickly once you start moving.

 

As I recall the Prius also has auxilliary Electric Air Heaters (600W seems to stick in my mind) so you get cabin heat even before the coolant heats up.

Since the Cabin Heat is what warms the battery, via the vent near the back seat, it's in everyones interest to get warm quickly

 

When you press the Power button on a cold day, the car goes into ready mode, and after a few seconds, even if you do not step on the pedal, the ICE starts. It wants to warm up the exhaust system. If you turn on the heater, the ICE starts immediately.

The cabin heats up more quickly than my old '89 Civic did. So much so that I can tolerate driving it immediately if the ambient temperature is above about fifteen below zero. Colder than that and I start it, go back indoors, and wait a few minutes before coming back out to drive it. I wouldn't think that Maine would be cold enough to require pre-heating.

But as for the possibility of a remote starter, I have no idea. Perhaps all you'd really need is a remote way to press the Power button. I can visualize a Rube Goldberg mechanism consisting of a prosthetic human hand with the index finger out, mounted on a robot arm. Pressing your remote control in the house would cause a bowling ball to roll down a ramp in the garage, falling on a pan connected to a string, which would pull on the lever of the robot arm and press the power button. The pan would be shaped so that when it hit the floor it would tip and let the bowling ball roll off, and a spring would return the robot arm to its initial position. The car remembers your cabin temperature setting and fan setting, but it forgets if you had it on recirculate, and it wants to bring in fresh air. So you'd also want some way to press the Recirculate button. Two separate bowling balls seems a bit extreme, so maybe the whole thing's impractical. And besides, you'd have to leave the key in the car or it won't start.

 

Wouldn't you have to have another bowling ball to press the brake pedal?

Carrying around your three remote start balls might have an adverse effect on mileage though.

 

Ohmygosh, you're right! I forgot about that.

No problem here. The bowling balls remain in the garage. The remote starter only works when you are at home.

 

This has little to do with the discussion underway here, but, whenever I think about remote car starters, I can't get this advertising jingle out of my head that I heard last winter on some radio station in Vermont.

Sung, preferably off-key, to the tune of "Jingle Bells":

Car starters
Car starters
Press the button and go
Start your car
From oh so far
Melt up all the snow

(repeat)

 

I totally wish I could have a remote car starter - just for 2 minutes or so before I get in my car when it's 120 degrees out during the summer here in Phoenix. You already cannot even touch the steering wheel, windshield, or the navigation system display since it's too hot.

Oh, and another big boo boo is that the recirculate should automatically shut off when you turn off the car to avoid the mildewy smell that can build up from moisture sitting there in 170 degree heat. Then when you turn on the car, the a/c starts on HIGH with the recirc on - wouldn't it be better to initially start with fresh 120 degree air instead of superheated mildewy 170 degree air?

I know, I know, minor things but they need to be addressed.... especially the location of the nav system screen - it's too hot to touch and you can't even see it during the day here...

 

Have you tried a sun shield? I just got one from Canvas Works. It looks pretty good, but it's been about 30 degrees below seasonal norm here, so I have not yet had a chance to try it out.