I have an older Clifford system with the auto-start. The Viper system is an off-shoot of the Clifford. I've have had this system since the spring of 1998, it’s my second Clifford system, and I’ve moved the alarm system from one vehicle to the next. The auto-start system is great and makes life a little more bearable when the weather is cold or just plain too hot. Since your system would only be an auto-start system, you don’t need to worry about battery drain; you would only see a small drain if it was an alarm system. My alarm system has gone more than a month without the truck running and it didn’t drain the battery. Plus my system monitors the heath of battery and as the charge drops, the alarm system reduces the amount it pulls from the battery. If the battery gets below a voltage that I’ve set in the preferences, it starts the engine and charges the battery for me.
I didn’t see some of the safety features or sensor taps on the vehicle. Does the auto-start system check for oil pressure when it starts the engine? Does the system check that the alternator is charging the battery while the engine is running? Does the system check the water temperature and shut-down the engine if it’s getting too hot? And if someone breaks into the vehicle while the engine is running, what’s to keep them from driving off with our vehicle?
