First off - nobody 'needs' a sledstart. It is a toy first and foremost. If you are concerned about your sled starting in ultra cold temps the first and foremost concern is having a good bat. I ride alone a lot and I routinely buy a new bat every year just for piece of mind. Yes, the sledstart has the auto start feature and it would probably work just fine if the temps were -30 or worse. The problem here is that you will find something better to do if it is that cold so it doesn't matter if your Yammie starts or not. I have had these Yammies since 2003 and have yet to have starting issues and it gets colder here than it does where you are. I have seen the hair dryer crews on cold mornings. It is my belief that these folks were never properly instructed on how to start a super cold sled. They let off on the starter as soon as it fires. They try to start it like it is warm. You only get a few chances when it gets really cold. The proper technique is to keep the starter engaged until the thing is basically running. You will not harm the starter - it is designed in such a way that this practice does not matter. If you are keeping your sled in your insulated trailer/garage and it is 20 degrees in there you have nothing to worry about. We are talking about a snowmobile here - it was designed to start in the winter. The last thing I would do is to program the sledstart to start up in my nice paneled trailer and stink it all up.
Grub,
Thanks for the mention of the unit. Funny because the same thing could be said for the sled itself...lol many of us don't "need" it. It's a toy as well!
But I just to clear a few things up in this thread. Your statement may be true for many of us, but not for all. We have sold this unit to quite a few customers who have had batteries freeze and sleds that will not start after about -25. I talked to a guy in the arctic circle that the temps can reach -55. Yes, most of us will never see this, but he does. He told me the batterys freeze on him. The SledStart has solved his problem because of the temperature auto start feature. He can set it for any temp to -40 and the sled will autostart when it hits the set threshold and run for 5, 10 or 15 minutes (programmed by the user) There is also a timer start mode that will autostart the sled every 1,2 or 3 hours and run it for the selected run time mentioned above. This mode will expire in 24 hours automatically.
During any remote start operation, the unit will sense RPM change and brake input. If it see's either it will shut itself down and notify you via 2 way communication to the LCD remote from the module in the sled. The unit has 2 way communication with the LCD remote so anytime the sled starts or shuts down you are notified by sound or vibration from the LCD remote. With the 2 way communication there is code hopping technology. This means it will constanty change code (like new garage door openers for example) so nobody elses remote will start the sled. It was mentione that the module would drain their battery. Yes because of the code hopping SledStart uses, it is communicating with the remote. SledStart should be disconnected in the off season, or better yet the battery should be put on a decent tender and then the SledStart can be left connected. A tender will increase battery life as well.
When I started this project, I talked to Anchorage Yamaha and flat out asked them "how do these sleds do in extreme cold" They told me flat out the 4 holer was the best, and "good luck with the Phazer". That motor runs higher compression to get the power out of the 2 banger. He went on to explain that when they do start, there pretty noisy for a bit. Anyone knows this is not good for any engine. With the temp auto start mode the unit can keep heat in the motor if the extreme cold hits. If it is set for -25, it will start, run, shut down and sense under hood temp and when the motor dissipates it's heat it will repeat the process until the mode is deactivated or the temp goes above the set threshold.
So contrary to thinking it is a toy, there is a real need for this for people who use their sleds for more than just pleasure. With the price of sleds today, many people need these machines to last a long time. I have talked to many many Yamaha owners that ride in extreme temps. Even though Yamaha claims they will start to -40, trust me this is NOT always the case. It will vary sled to sled and not it is not simply about battery condition alone. There are numerous components that are all effected by the cold and they many of them must work together for the sled to fire up in such harsh conditions.
I myself am a flatlander and rarely see extreme temps. BUT when it's -5 to someone who is used to 20 it is nice to have heated grips when I walk out. I don't now if any of you are familiar with the Yamaheater hand controller, but SledStart and Yamaheater can plug into each other automatically setting the grips to high heat setting. I am one who has poor circulation and so for me this was the sole reason I wanted a remote start on my sled. One thing let to another and SledStart was born. Yes Yamaha has tested this and it has been in the Canada and Scandinavia book for 3 seasons. USA had it for one season, and then decided to wait because of no "rule" written yet in the SSCC for a remote starter on a snowmobile. But now were being told that it will go back in. It's literally a Lawyer thing because everyone carries their attorney in their back pocket so Yamaha USA is just being conservative.
And yes, the sled WILL shut down if it hits 218 or see's low oil pressure. I have tested the snot out of this with all my Yamaha's when testing this unit. When the idiot light comes on, it's basically saying shut me down. If you don't...it will approx 30 seconds after the light comes on. Normally a remote start will make 3 attempts to start a vehicle. We were concerned about this because if someone set say a 15 minute run time on a 30 degree day and the sled overheated, we did not want SledStart to try to restart the sled again when it shut itself down. SledStart will attempt to start 3 times, but once the sled starts and runs for 60 seconds it will not attempt any more restarts. There is quite a bit more it does such as adjustable turbo cool down mode, valet mode etc...and yes 3 factory connections (key switch, brake switch and one injector) and it is installed.
FEATURES:
2 way remote start system
Safe and secure with RPM and brake switch sensing
Easy plug and play installation -
no cutting or splicing!
Water and shock resistant electronics
Operates down to -40 Fahrenheit or Celsius
Up to one mile range
Key lock function to lock the remote
Temperature auto start (on screen programmable right from the LCD remote)
Timer auto start (on screen programmable right from the LCD remote)
Turbo mode (cool down)
Selectable run times available in 5, 10, or 15 minutes (on screen programmable right from the LCD remote)
Selectable turbo/short run times available in 1/2, 1 or 3 minutes (on screen programmable right from the LCD remote)
For added security, SledStart will cut snowmobile ignition by tach sensing or brake input.
User selectable Celsius or Fahrenheit mode (on screen programmable right from the LCD remote)
User selectable alert system in sound or vibrate
All the features of SledStart can be customized for the user's specific environment
Snowmobile Battery Monitor
Adjustable Engine Crank time (on screen programmable right from the LCD remote)
Backlit LCD display for easier night visibility
Real time clock
Two way LCD remote and battery included (main remote)
2nd one way remote and battery included (backup remote)
Bypass toggle switch included
Clutch side panel safety switch and bracket included
Mounting hardware kit included
http://www.sledstart.com/sledstart_remote_description.htm
