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Remote Car Starter Interface


Big_D73

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Crazy question for you all - have any of you tied Control4 into a remote car starter, allowing you to say, start a car or open the trunk, from a Touchscreen in the kitchen (or where ever) as you are getting ready for work? Or, how about installing a card access contact sensor in the car (in conjunction with the remote starter) for two-way confirmation that the car is started in case you can't see it from the house? I think this could lead to interesting possibilities for "complete automation"......

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Actually, building the interface, and programming it should be easy enough, I was just wondering if it had already been done. I've already modified the remote for the car starter, just waiting for the power supply to get here, then time to connect it to an I/O extender, and program it... (I am an ex- custom car installer as well) If anyone is interested, I can send photos, etc... The thought of tying a car into a C4 system is intriguing to me - imagine your car automatically locking itself if left in the driveway overnight, but not if it is in the garage, or owner-specific lighting and media scenes executing as you pull into the driveway as well as your entry door unlocking when you pull in, without you actually having to "do" anything...

What do you folks on here think?

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I think James Bond...

Than again, maybe an automatic starter isn't such a good idea if our better halves leave the car in gear and the handbrake off... :cool:

And new makes of cars have automatic door locking after a set time anyway....

As for entry scenes, it might be way easier to tie them into sensing garage opening...

Just some thoughts...

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@wappinghigh - true enough, easier to tie the event into the door itself opening, but how much cooler would it be if when you get home from work, and you walk into the house, and ESPN is already on, and whatever lighting scene is executed, but if say, the wife gets home first, she has a completely different scene, and maybe the cooking channel on.... it could be specific to each vehicle/card access piece...

As for the doors locking, I cant speak for everyone, but if my car is safe in the garage, I don't necessarily want it to lock. only if it is left in the driveway.... also, if it is in the garage, and I remote start it, the system can automatically open the door to vent out the exhaust fumes..... And any PROPERLY installed remote starter will not start the car if left in gear (or left in neutral without the handbrake engaged...)

I guess the point is customization - thinking outside the box - pushing the envelope, alas, maybe there isn't really a market for this type of thinking...hmmm :-(

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I have the viper remote start with smart start. I was wondering if anyone had tied control4 to it. It seems like it would just be a Internet command as it works from smart phones or Internet page. Then it seems easy if they would release the commands or sniff them with a program from the Internet. It's just beyond my skill to get the codes

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I have the viper remote start with smart start. I was wondering if anyone had tied control4 to it. It seems like it would just be a Internet command as it works from smart phones or Internet page. Then it seems easy if they would release the commands or sniff them with a program from the Internet. It's just beyond my skill to get the codes

Could be easily done if Directed released an SDK of sorts, or someone can try and sniff what traffic goes from the app, heck even call them up. Would love to have a driver for it where I can just press the red button (or something) on my SR250 to start up my car. Better yet, have it programmed to start up 5 minutes before my scheduled time to leave each day using programming during winter months.

Have the smart start and it works great. Integrating it into C4 would be good, but now that I think of it, mostly only for scheduling programming

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Just an update, the new interface is in and working fine. The homeowner can now start and stop the car (and unlock) from the touchscreens in the house, as well as from any remote, in the way of custom buttons. One thing to keep in mind, as I modified the Viper remote, the interface will only operate the vehicle while it is within range of the remote (approximately 1/2 mile), but very handy for starting the car when getting ready for work in the morning, etc...

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  • 3 weeks later...

Apparently, although i am smart enough to set up a remote car starter with control4, I can't seem to figure out how to post photos to this site... :-( Essentially however, I modified the Viper remote by soldering leads to each of the button contacts on the board (12 wires total, including power leads), installed it into a project box, with a 12 position barrier strip, and connnected to the relays on an I/O extender. I included a 120v ac to 3v dc power adapter to replace the remote's battery as well... the individual "button" leads are connected to the normally open, and common relay pins of the I/O extender relays, and programmed for a momentary 1 second pulse when activated.... activation is typically initiated through custom buttons on a few select infinity edge touchscreens in the house... obviously, the vehicle needs to be in range of the rf remote in order for the system to work, but with approximately a 1/2 mile range, this should not be an issue at the house.

If someone could explain to me the seemingly easy task of posting photos, I would be happy to do so...

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  • 4 weeks later...
Apparently, although i am smart enough to set up a remote car starter with control4, I can't seem to figure out how to post photos to this site... :-( Essentially however, I modified the Viper remote by soldering leads to each of the button contacts on the board (12 wires total, including power leads), installed it into a project box, with a 12 position barrier strip, and connnected to the relays on an I/O extender. I included a 120v ac to 3v dc power adapter to replace the remote's battery as well... the individual "button" leads are connected to the normally open, and common relay pins of the I/O extender relays, and programmed for a momentary 1 second pulse when activated.... activation is typically initiated through custom buttons on a few select infinity edge touchscreens in the house... obviously, the vehicle needs to be in range of the rf remote in order for the system to work, but with approximately a 1/2 mile range, this should not be an issue at the house.

If someone could explain to me the seemingly easy task of posting photos, I would be happy to do so...

Email them to me and I'll post them.

Or just hit "reply" at the bottom, and below text box there is an "Image Upload" section. That works well, just make sure your pictures meet the parameters given (less than 2000x2000 pixels and 1000 KB).

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  • 7 months later...

The way we did it was to add an aftermarket remote start that looked for 3 pulses (normally sent by lock button) to start car. Then a CA relay and some programming and it was done... Very Simple. You could even add CA Contact to look for 12v to show you car is running by a LED on keypad... I can't because employee we used for Guinea pig car is no longer around...

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  • 4 months later...

https://github.com/fiquett/Viper_SmartStart_Control

This guy made viper smart start work with Siri through a proxy. Using the php only it could be used to send the command from c4. If only I knew how to set up a php server or send the command through a button press. Any leads or links to get me started? I'd love to be able to start my car 20 mins after a wake call if the temp was x degrees and there was a button set on a keypad that would tell the system I want it to run. (That part I know how to program)

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https://github.com/fiquett/Viper_SmartStart_Control

This guy made viper smart start work with Siri through a proxy. Using the php only it could be used to send the command from c4. If only I knew how to set up a php server or send the command through a button press. Any leads or links to get me started? I'd love to be able to start my car 20 mins after a wake call if the temp was x degrees and there was a button set on a keypad that would tell the system I want it to run. (That part I know how to program)

Good job on finding this. Now to see if I can find some time to write a quick C4 driver.

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