AUBURN - Frank Mancuso turned the key to his black Chevy and blew for three seconds into the interface of a breathalyzer unit connected to the underside of his sports utility vehicle's dashboard. Mancuso then added humming for the next three seconds.

After a few more seconds, the unit signaled that the breath of the executive vice president of private company Smart Start, Inc., was alcohol-free. Then his SUV started up.

The same breathalyzer units like the one in Mancuso's personal vehicle will now be serviced by Friendly Service Lock and Alarm at 361 Clark St., which is partnering with Smart Start to provide the ignition interlock devices to driving while intoxicated offenders mandated by courts to have the devices installed in their vehicles.

The devices - designed to ensure DWI offenders drive sober - have been mandated by the state legislature to be installed in the cars of DWI offenders who have two drunk driving convictions within five years, but they haven't been used in Cayuga County before because there wasn't a service center close enough, officials said.

A total of 21 counties have had interlock devices installed in DWI offenders' vehicles, and 36 haven't yet, said Lloyd Hoskins, coordinator of Cayuga County's STOP DWI program.

Now that the devices will be available locally, Auburn City Court Judge Michael McKeon said he expects to start sentencing DWI offenders to have the devices installed in their vehicles as soon as Friday. McKeon also said he will likely retroactively sentence DWI offenders to have the interlock device installed in their vehicles.

"Judges are always happy to have other sentencing options with different consequences," McKeon said.

New York's statute also allows judges to sentence DWI offenders who don't meet the minimum five-year threshold -- but who are sentenced to probation -- to have the ignition interlock devices installed in their cars.

After a driver's passing breath lets them get on the road, the unit also randomly tests drivers to make sure they don't start drinking while in the car, Mancuso said.

At the retesting stage, drivers are given six minutes to pull over and breathe a passing breath into the unit; the car's horn blows if they don't, alerting police officers to their violation.

Offenders will report every month to Friendly Service Lock and Alarm, which will turn over the computer logs of any violations to Cayuga County's probation department.

Just like other DWI-related fines, DWI offenders pay the $139.99 installation price and pay $80 per month to lease the devices.

The center will service nine counties within a 60-mile radius, Mancuso said. Smart Start has a market presence in over 30 states.

Staff writer Amaris Elliott-Engel can be reached at 253-5311 x282 or at amaris.elliot-engel@lee.net