Understanding Starter Interrupt Devices: What Car Buyers Need to Know

February 11, 2021

-Video Transcript-

I want to give y’all some tips. Next time you’re in Pasadena or South Houston, and you’re looking to buy a car at one of the hundreds of dealerships that are on Spencer Hwy. Here’s a tip. Try to purchase your vehicle from one of the dealerships that has a service department. There are some advantages if you purchase from a dealership that has a service department. So advantage number one, is they probably have some type of process in place to get all their vehicles inspected before it’s placed on the front line. So at King of Cars, we have a full service department. And before we put a vehicle on the front line, it goes through an entire make ready process. First, we drive the vehicle into the Bay, we put it on the lift and we raise it and we do an 89 point inspection. We check 89 things on the car.

Pre-sale inspections

It could be from all the fluid levels to any leaks, to your suspension, to brakes, to tires, you name it, we check out the entire car. We’re actually looking for things to replace on the car before we sell it to a customer. A lot of these dealers, they don’t look for things to buy to fix the car, they’re trying to save as much money as they can. So literally wherever they buy it from, they bring it to their lot, they detail it real quick and they’ll just put it on the front line. It might need an oil change, the oil change might be super black, but they’re going to sell it just like that. We’re going to take the time out and we have a whole process set up where every vehicle comes in and we’re going to try to get the vehicle ready for you so that you don’t have to do anything except maintain it from there on out.

Now, does that mean we’re perfect? Nope. There are going to be some items that might be overlooked or some items that might fail after the fact that we did our inspection and probably just from sitting on the lot for a few weeks. But the thing is we do our due diligence and make sure that the vehicle is ready for you to buy so that you can just maintain it moving forward, so that’s your first advantage.

After-purchase support

Your second advantage is after you buy the vehicle, most likely that dealer is going to be there to back you up in case any major repair or just regular maintenance needs to be done on the car. So for instance, again, at King of Cars, since we have a full service department, we got qualified technicians. We offer a free warranty on every car.

So if you drive out the lot and something major happens, we’re going to ask you to make an appointment with our service manager. Bring that car in and we’re going to give you top priority. If we have outside repair cars that we’re working on, we’re going to put those to the side and our customers get our first priority. We’re going to check that car out as soon as possible and if whatever’s wrong with it is covered under warranty, then you don’t pay anything except your deductible. We repair the car and you get it back as soon as possible. Now let’s say one of the items is not covered under warranty. Another advantage is we offer all of our customers a reduced labor rate.

Reduced labour rate

Our labor rate is so low, it’s $45 an hour. If you go out and compare our labor rate to any mom and pop service shop, which is probably going to be around $90 to $100 or even at the manufacture dealership like Chevrolet or Dodge or any of these dealerships, they’re all between $150 to $200 per labor hour.

We’re only at $45 and that’s only for our customers. We don’t make no money off of that. We pass on our costs to you and that’s just to pay our technicians. So that’s another advantage that you get is you get reduced labor rate for all of your service. In addition, the parts, you’ll be able to buy those at our wholesale price. We get reduced pricing for all of our parts since we purchase a lot of parts and we pass that over to you as well.

Financial assistance

In some rare circumstance where you can’t afford the repair on your car well guess what? We’re still going to be there to help you out. You can apply for financial assistance and you might be able to qualify to get the repairs financed in your loan. So there’s a lot of advantages if you purchase a vehicle from a dealership that has a full service department. So next time you’re driving down Spencer Hwy at all these 80 to 100 dealerships that you see and you’re searching for a car, take my tip or my advice.

Make sure that the dealership has a service department because it’s going to create a more convenient experience for you with less hassle, less stress. And overall, you know that if they have a service department, most likely they have processes in place to have the vehicle checked out and maintenanced before they put it out on the lot for sale. Anyways, that’s my tip of the day. If you want more information on our service department or about King of Cars, visit us online, www.kingofcarstx.com. You can give us a call at 713-472-KING. And if you have any questions or comments, make sure you leave those below. Subscribe to our YouTube channel and I’ll talk to y’all next time.

What is a Starter Interrupt Device?

A starter interrupt device (SID), or sometimes known as a “kill switch”, is a technological tool integrated with a vehicle’s GPS system that allows lenders or dealerships to remotely disable a vehicle’s starter. This means while the device is activated, the car won’t start, though it won’t shut off a running vehicle.

Why Do Dealerships and Lenders Use Starter Interrupt Devices?

While not universal, starter interrupt devices have become increasingly common for buy here, pay here lots and financiers of cars to secure their assets by making repossession easier. These can be one of the features of GPS systems that help the lender track the location of the vehicle. Some finance companies encourage their use and provide incentives to dealerships that install the devices.

These devices serve several purposes:

1. Improved Collections: They help ensure timely payments for their loans from borrowers

2. Risk Management: Combined with GPS tracker functionality, they help the company locate vehicles when necessary

3. Financial Incentives: Some lenders offer dealers additional compensation for installing these devices

4. Industry Standard: They’re particularly common in the “buy here, pay here” automotive sector, although not every dealerships uses them

How Do Starter Interrupt Devices Work?

The system operates through a simple mechanism:

• The device connects to the vehicle’s starter system

• When activated remotely, it prevents the vehicle from starting

• Once a payment is made, the lender can quickly reactivate the vehicle through an online command

• The device is typically concealed and may not be immediately visible to the driver

Where Are Starter Interrupt Devices Located?

The main unit is installed somewhere inside the vehicle and has wiring run to the vehicle’s starter under the hood. The device requires connection to a constant power wire and ground. Most installations are designed to be discreet and not immediately visible.

Best Practices and Consumer Considerations

The devices are legal in many states, including Texas, as long as they follow certain guidelines and provide proper disclosure to the customer.

Dealerships should typically follow several best practice guidelines when using these devices:

• Full disclosure to customers before purchase and leaving the lot

• Written acknowledgment from buyers

• Implementation of grace periods (typically 3-4 days) before activation

• Activation during early business hours to allow customers time to make payments

• Installation of backup devices in case of tampering

Tampering with devices may affect financing agreements you have with your dealership or financier.

For consumers purchasing vehicles with these devices:

• Ask about the presence of starter interrupt devices

• Read and understand all documentation

• Know your grace period for payments

• Understand the consequences of tampering

• Keep contact information for your lender readily available

This technology represents a modern approach to vehicle financing, balancing lender security with consumer access to transportation. While controversial to some, when used properly with full disclosure and fair practices, these devices can help make vehicle financing accessible to more consumers while protecting the interests of lenders.

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