Dave East

Hi all

I'm after some advise please! I'm getting a Blitz turbo timer fitted soon and was wondering what you have to do about the immobiliser.

As it is at the moment upon switching off the engine the imob. cuts in after 30 sec. Obvbiously this limits the t/t run time to that of 30secs.

The alarm is the standard fit subaru item (I think it's a Sigma?). Does the imob. cut in time have to be adjusted? Can it be adjusted?

What sort of time periods do these t/t run for? After a really hard run what sort of 'safe' time period does the t/t dictate the engine runs for? Just so the imob. cut in can be set for any situation.

Thanks in advance

Dave.

nice guy

The immobiliser will only stop the engine from cranking over i would think, it wont actually stop your engine from running if it already is, unless the oe scoob alarm immobilises the spark or fuel, but usually they just immob the starter motor circuit.

stockcar

you have a problem if its a "cat1" because of a conflict between the two (one trying to stop and the other keeping running!!)...............you normally have to disable/circumvent part of the cat1 to get the timer to work correctly.............

ben1413

iTrader: (5)

A friend who owns a car audio and security company fitted my cat 1 alarm for me to work with the turbo timer. I'm not sure about a separate immobiliser and alarm though. I would say have them both removed and a Clifford fitted. These and Toad alarms can be set up to cut in after the turbo timer has switched then engine off.

Ben

Sigma Sam

Your insurance company is unlikely to appreciate the need for a turbo timer, or the convenience of a remote start device for that matter - for the same reason.
“Cat 1” security systems are tested as a complete product and then given an evaluation number by Thatcham (the UK insurance industry’s test centre) based on the products proposed useage - this applies to all Cat 1 systems, whoever they are manufactured by
In Thatchams view, adding any other product at a later date, which interacts directly with the approved security system or by-passes any of its circuits, can be looked upon as a modification to the system that was tested and could void the approval on that particular installation. To be fair, you wouldn’t expect a Category 1 product to still gain you the same recognition by your insurance company if the immobilisation circuits were not connected?
Adding additional products such as turbo timers and remote start devices are seen by Thatcham to compromise security in the same way, as to start or keep the engine running it will be necessary to by-pass the security system's immobilisation circuits. In theory a turbo timer need not cause a problem provided that it is not connected to, or by-passes, the existing immobilisation wiring, however, the Thatcham immobiliser would kick in 30 seconds after the ignition was turned off (a Thatcham requirement), limiting the turbo timer to 30 seconds.

There are also a couple of other points for you to consider:
Due to the UK insurance industrys requirements (and EU legislation) a turbo timer or remote start unit is unlikely to have been designed with the UK market in mind (they tend to be of US origin) and so is unlikely to have been tested to EU 95/54 (- electrical legislation) and will not bear a CE mark to show that the product has been tested and is fit for the automotive environment - this is a legal requirement for fitment in the UK.
In addition, leaving a vehicle unattended in a public place with the engine running is also an offence in the UK, contravening the Construction and Use regulations.

If you don’t mention the mods to your insurance company then they will still be happy to take your money, but few vehicles are stolen without the keys, so if an inspection on a recovered vehicle could invalidate a policy and save them a payout...... Just beware.

nice guy

True mate true,

Back to Daves problem though, All a turbo timer is, is a timer, you turn your ign off but the car does'nt think you have, when the timer has counted down to zero, it cuts the circuit, so its only then that the car thinks you have switched off.

Hence, there is gonna be no issues with immobilisers, cos although you have turned the ign off, as far as the immob is concerned, you have'nt. The immob will only know the ign has been switched off when the timer has timed out.

MikeWood

The fact still remains however that if the water system is still connected a turbo timer is not necessary on a road car.

Mike

Sigma Sam

I stand by my post above, that there is an issue with Turbo Timers and Thatcham immobilisers - depending on the period you set the Turbo Timer for. To conform with Thatcham requirements, immobilisation of the engine must occur:

"Either:
- Between 10 seconds and 60 seconds after vehicle IGNITION OFF signal. (or between 0 and 60 seconds if unset synchronous with the IGNITION ON signal, using for example anignition key transponder)
or
- Between O and 60 seconds after the IGNITION KEY OUT signal.
or
- Between 0 and 60 seconds after vehicle (IGNITION OFF or IGNITION KEY OUT) signal and driver door OPENED or (OPENED and CLOSED) signals. If oly this option is specified there shall be an additional requirement for automatic setting between 0 and 600 seconds after vehicle (IGNITION OFF or IGNITION KEY OUT) signals
Setting of the immobilisation function may be achieved by a comination of the above"

Unfortunately, most after market immobilisation systems (and the standard Sigma system) will utilise the "IGNITION OFF" signal, so if the engine can be left running for over 60 seconds after the "IGNITION OFF" signal, then the installation will no-longer conform to the Thatcham requirements above - this would also indicate that the immobiliser had been by-passed using relays etc.
SS

B4 Boy (at work!)

Sorry might be missing the point here but our Turbo Timer runs as normal once keys are taken out of the ignition i.e. car ticks over for specified amount of time. But if you release the handbrake the imobiliser cuts in and kills the engine... You then need to re insert the key and go through the imobiliser routine, and yes we have the sigma alarm

We had no issues with our insurance company and the car is still considered imobilised by thatcham cat 1 equipment

nice guy

I think what sigma sam is getting at, is that if the car was inspected by a thatcham authority after a turbo timer had been fitted, they could deem it invalidated the cat 1. He's right, they could.
Due to the way nearly all timers are wired in, this is the case, if the timer was wired into the single circuit it is designed for there would be issues with the immob on newer cars....... Thats why most places dont wire them in like that, at the end of the day they are wired in the simplest way that does'nt cause grief with the immob, not to what thatcham say.