2008 Mustang Neutral Safety Switch?

[Nick F]

Hello, it's my first post.

I went down to my local installer (Best Buy, probably wont use them....) and asked about installing a Viper 5901 security and remote start system. He told me that because I have a manual, he may not be able to do the install since my car might not have a neutral safety sensor.

Is this true? It seems odd that of all the 08 stick mustangs, no one has figured out how to install a remote start system to it safely.

I plan on calling a few other places, but they're all closed right now. I figured I'd post here and see if someone knew.

Thanks.

Click to read more...

 

[wenn_du_weinst 10+ year member]

it won't let you remote start it because park is reverse gear in a manual. Starting your car in gear will drive off on you. You can rig it to work but I would just walk out and start it myself.

 

[legendndisguise 10+ year member]

Check out Clifford alarms (made by DEI as well). They have the safe start for remote start on "manual transmission" cars. You will need an installer that knows what they are doing. I had Clifford on my IS300 that was manual and the only way it would start via remote is if I shut down the car a certain way. I even put the car in gear and stood in front of it to prove to some people that it would not attempt to start, just flash lights and that was it. If you know somebody they could easily get around the clutch neutral safety, but you run the chance of the one time you leave it in gear and some bad happens.

 

[Nick F]

I already ordered the Viper 5901. It comes equipped with the shutdown sequence feature. So, it should be fine. Just got to find an installer, I know of a good one in the area.

 

[>>SQL<< 10+ year member]

I installed my own alarm and autostart

Was not that hard at all

 

[Nick F]

I called another shop today, and they said what they do for manuals is wire the neutral safety up to the e-brake. (Mustang e-brakes are insane, they control the rear caliper, instead of a drum inside the hub like most cars. Pulling all the way up on the e-brake is like pushing the brake pedal all the way down for the rears. I could rev up to 3,000 and dump the clutch and the car would only lurch six inches.) Then they program a shutdown sequence that makes it impossible to leave it in gear on accident.

I would do it myself, but I know literally nothing about electronics/audio systems. I know more mechanical side.

I also want to have it done by a dealer for warranty.

 

[mendon99 10+ year member]

OP, IF the car comes with a neutral safety wire, (some do, some dont) then you can wire up any DEI system like an automatic and it will ONLY start in neutral. Nissans, Subarus, VWs and some Honda's Ive found this wire on, there are probably more, those are just all the ones Ive worked on with manuals.

DEI units come with a NS wire which you would normally just ground. You could hook it up the way DEI wants to you, but then you must prepare the really annoying exit method EVERY TIME you leave your car and plan to remote start later. I'll check Directechs to see if your car has the wire (it also may not be listed. If you can find the sensor and confirm the wire is there, you can probably use that. It must be NEG when in neutral ONLY)

EDIT: Directechs doesn't list it (not surprising).. so if you can find the NSS in the car test the wires there and if one of them is neg only in neutral then I'd give it a shot

 

[Nick F]

Yeah, it isn't listed. They told me that if they can find one, they'll use it. But if they can't, I'll have to do the procedure. They'll hook the NS wire to the handbrake sensor, that way it'll only start with the handbrake up, as a secondary safety.

It isn't really that frustrating, you just lock the car with it running and it turns off 5 seconds later.

It's going in Wed morning to get installed.

 

[Nick F]

Just got the car back today. They set it up so in order to remote start, you park, pull up the ebrake, tap the brake, then you press either lock or unlock on the remote. It blinks at you a few times, then you take the key out. Once you get out of the car and lock it, the engine shuts off. If you open the doors or unlock the system, it becomes void and will not start.