Without that, a remote starter could engage with the transmission in gear with potentially disastrous effects.
In some installations, it will only check that the transmission is in park.
The biggest problem with manual transmissions is that there is no park.
Allain Daussin / Getty
They have only neutral, which is sort of like park, but the transmission is able to freewheel.
There is no parking pawl, which is the component in automatic transmissions that locks the transmission in place.
The interlock also prevents kids from accidentally rolling the vehicle into a building or traffic when left unsupervised.
Even with the parking brake set, the vehicle could easily hit another vehicle under those circumstances.
When you press the start button on the remote, the machine disables the interlock before activating the starter.
If that switch isn’t activated, the remote starter can be disabled entirely.
To accomplish this, the remote starter alters the way you shut down your car.
It also has to be wired into the door switches.
Locate a parking spot and maneuver into it.
Shift into neutral, and engage the parking brake.
Turn off the ignition, and remove the keys.
Due to the way the remote starter is wired, the engine will continue to run.
Exit the vehicle, shut the door, and the engine will shut off.
