Idle reduction system and method

A method of controlling a vehicle's engine idle while the vehicle is at rest, comprising the steps of:

• a) placing the vehicle transmission to a position selected from among park or neutral;
• b) shut down engine by turning key to the off position and removing the key from the ignition and placing the vehicle into an anti-theft mode such that if the vehicle transmission is disengaged from park or neutral the engine will shut down and not restart until the anti-theft mode has been deactivated with a function on the controller interface;
• c) driver exits the vehicle;
• d) an on board controller configured for monitoring a vehicles operating parameters from the vehicle's electronic control module (ECM) through the CAN BUS communications port the onboard controller is configured to compare preselected operating parameters to preselected startup conditions;
• e) providing at least one dual channel module which has a master portion in direct electrical communication with a vehicle control and a slave portion in direct communication with the ECM wherein in a normal operating mode the slave portion recreates the normal vehicle control signal received by the master portion and communicates this directly to the ECM, the at least one dual channel module is for the vehicle key switch;
• f) wherein the dual channel module also in communication with the on board controller for receiving instructions to modify the signals sent by the slave portion directly to the ECM, and if required by the master portion to receive and return signals directly to the vehicle control in the event preselected operating condition parameters are met to startup or shut down;
• g) in the event preselected startup conditions are met the onboard controller is adapted to communicate with the dual channel module which intercepts key position signals from the vehicle key switch and the slave portion sends the key run position signal directly to the ECM directly thereby enabling vehicle functions operable as if the key is in run position and the master portion will receive and return signals directly to the vehicle control as required to ensure shut down can occur even if the physical key position remains unchanged;
• h) The dual channel module is configured to automatically start up the engine and the engine idles with the vehicle at rest.

A method of controlling a vehicle's engine idle while the vehicle is at rest, comprising the steps of:

• a) the vehicle gear shift is placed in a position selected from among park or neutral and the key is left in the ignition in the run position;
• b) monitoring a vehicles operating parameters with a onboard controller and comparing preselected operating parameters to preselected shutdown conditions wherein the onboard controller monitors the driver's seatbelt engagement status which is one of the preselected operating parameters;
• c) if shutdown conditions are met the onboard controller intercepts key position signals from the ignition and sends the key off position signal to the vehicles on board computer thereby shutting down the engine;
• d) monitoring a vehicles operating para meters with an onboard controller and comparing preselected operating parameters to preselected startup conditions;
• e) in the event preselected startup conditions are met the onboard controller intercepts key position signals from the ignition and send engine startup signal to the on hoard computer thereby starting up the engine and enabling vehicle functions with the engine idling and the vehicle at rest;
• f) return to step b.