Cost: £15 to £21
Date of Review: 22/11/2020
The Sales Pitch from :
Makes one-man operation possible for a variety of under the bonnet tasks.
Connects to starter system with leads provided and allows push-button turnover of engine.
Supplied with 1.5m cable.
Source: Remote Starter Switch | VS205 | 1 Year Warranty | Sealey
What You Get:
Below: open (Off) switch position on the left, closed (on) the right.
Product Description:
A plastic hand held switch with a wire and two crocodile clips. This is designed to bypass the ignition key when starting.
Operating the switch by pressing the end together makes a contact and turns the car over. Once the car has started, release the switch and starter motor disengages.
This saves running back and forth to start the car and the operator of the switch can see exactly what is going on under the hood at the time.
Instructions:
You will obviously need to work out where this will clip in order to work. I would suggest that newer cars of the last few years wont like this due to the delicate technology.
On older cars such as 50’s, 60’s or maybe some 70’s cars where they have a starter solenoid. One side clips to the positive side of the battery and the other to trigger terminal on the solenoid.
Application:
Remember – Using this switch means that the ignition circuit has to be in the “on” position. Prolonged ignition on could burn out some components (depending on your set up) if you are not careful.
Once wired up you press the end of the switch together and that makes a circuit. Turn the ignition on and then press the switch.
The engine should turn over and start.
Removing:
Turn off the engine/ignition via the ignition key and unclip.
Results:
It doesn’t work properly.
The switch is so flimsy it’s a joke. There is no screws to hold this together and is just a moulded click together. It opened simply by pulling the two halves apart.
Once clicked together the base where the wire goes in should hold the button open. After a few uses I found that the open position was slowly closing so it was pretty much in the on “on” position, right hand picture.
The problem of this is that the switch in the operational positional the engine could be turned over unexpectedly. This would cause a potential serious injury or even death.
What is inside the switch? Two metal contacts touch and complete the circuit.
The big problem with this switch is that that when it’s pressed together it should make a good solid circuit. I tested this product before I used it as I am playing with direct current which can be dangerous.
There is no feel that the contact has been made via a click or similar. What concerns me is that the switch could be operated into the closed position, releasing the pressure on the switch should open the circuit. But will it if the plastic is bent?
I put a continuity tester on each crocodile clip and operated it. The circuit was intermittent depending on the exact place where I pressed it. The problem being if I attached this to the car and operated the switch the starter would start, then stop in rapid succession. This could cause damage to the starter motor and the flywheel teeth engaging so quickly. Let alone any damaged caused to the electronics, such as my Pertronix electronic ignition.
Rating: 1 out 10
Diabolical crap product.
Ease of use – 1 out of 10
Conclusion:
The problem I think is that the moulded case was to long which didn’t allow the full contact to be made. Heavy pressing of the switch then bent the flimsy plastic and left the switch almost on. Longevity of this product could make the contacts be constantly closed with no positive close or open between the metal contacts.
Could the spark jump the gap in time if the switch distorts?
In short – this is a seriously poor design with cheap plastic and consider it dangerous.
There are MUCH better products out there that do the same thing. with a positive feeling of the operational switch.
Would I recommend it? Never
Would I buy it again? Never