Remote starters. Any details I should know?

[HardDrive]

We are spending our first winter in Ohio. Its GD cold. I would like to put a remote starter on my wifes 2004 Lexus RX so she can get it warmed up before heading out.

Any problems, gotchas I should be looking out for?

[Don Plumley]

Ventilation? Native Californian here, I have no clue.

Though when I as a kid and there was frost on my dad's car windows, I was the remote starter.

[porsche4life]

No experience with aftermarket remote starters. But dads 2010 Chevy has it factory, and it's damn nice!

[Laneco]

We've had remote starters in a couple of vehicles and my husband installed one in my Ford Edge. They are wonderful! Leave the ventilation system where you want it the next morning. Seems obvious but we tend to turn the car off of defrost and then to a low heat setting after driving. Remote start it and it won't defrost. Had habit to get into.

If your seat heaters work in the remote start function, that is especially nice. Mmmm...bun warmers....

angela

[fastfredracing]

Here is my take on aftermarket alarms, and starters. A few important factory wires get cut, and then power, or signals are re- routed through cheap chineese relays, or alarm modules. 10 years down the road, when you start to have weird starting, or no starting problems, tracking it down is always fun, usually requiring complete replacement of the unit, because there are no serviceable parts, and the model is usually not in production any more . I would do a factory remote start if possible.
I am sure most of them are trouble free, but I have fixed quite a few pia electrical problems in my day due to this stuff. I walk out in the morning, and start the cars for her and I.

[billybek]

Originally Posted by fastfredracing

Here is my take on aftermarket alarms, and starters. A few important factory wires get cut, and then power, or signals are re- routed through cheap chineese relays, or alarm modules. 10 years down the road, when you start to have weird starting, or no starting problems, tracking it down is always fun, usually requiring complete replacement of the unit, because there are no serviceable parts, and the model is usually not in production any more . I would do a factory remote start if possible.
I am sure most of them are trouble free, but I have fixed quite a few pia electrical problems in my day due to this stuff. I walk out in the morning, and start the cars for her and I.

+1
My wife's Nissan was ordered with a remote starter/alarm system and what was installed was a piece of crap aftermarket system after the vehicle was delivered to the dealership.
The damn thing kept pulling down the battery. After a couple of batteries and half hearted attempts for them to trouble shoot the car, they told my wife that she needed to pull the negative post anytime she was going to leave the car for more than a day or two without starting it.
I looked at pulling it myself, but it was a nightmare of cut in wires. In the end we had to pay some one to pull the damn thing out. No more starting problems.
I wouldn't have one unless it was factory....

[VINMAN]

had one intsalled in my grand cherokee (normaly something I would do myself, just didnt feel like doing it...) One of the top of the line ones intstalled by a very reputable place. all i have to say is after a few months nothing but trouble with it. Battery would be drained after sitting 2 days. lights would flash on and off all different times. door locks screwing up. No controls on the steering colmumn working. Decided to try to fix it. Crawled under the dash, took a look, the wiring was trashed. About 20 gutter taps all over, wiring cut , fuses spliced in.
Ended up cutting everything they did out. and resplicing or replacing that section of wiring. Ive seen a lot of other people have nightmares with these things. But also some trouble free. Like Fred stated, a lot of important wiring gets cut and reconfigured. Real easy to screw it up.
The ones I put in my Bronco, and fire chief's vehicle myself, never had a single issue with them.

[Laneco]

I should probably add to my above post that ALL of ours, including the one my husband installed, were OEM factory remote starters. The Mazda6 had a remote start from the factory. The Jeep had an OEM starter installed by the dealer. Interestingly, it was made by Mercedes. My Ford Edge has an OEM Ford remote start that Steve installed.

Zero problems with these, can't offer any advice about any aftermarket bits.

angela

[mikesride]

Phffft......we have already had a few -19 F mornings up here. you go out, start your truck and scrape your windows off then drive to work.....that's not even glove wearing weather yet.....wait till it gets cold!!!
LOL!!! But my G/F always has remote start in everything she has owned...me never. I used to sell them in the autoparts stores we ran always a high warranty return rate on aftermarket stuff. (about 11 percent).

[HardDrive]

Thanks all. It looks like I will remain the remote starter for the time being.

[porsche4life]

Originally Posted by Laneco

We've had remote starters in a couple of vehicles and my husband installed one in my Ford Edge. They are wonderful! Leave the ventilation system where you want it the next morning. Seems obvious but we tend to turn the car off of defrost and then to a low heat setting after driving. Remote start it and it won't defrost. Had habit to get into.

If your seat heaters work in the remote start function, that is especially nice. Mmmm...bun warmers....

angela

That is the sweet thing about the remote start in the '10 chebby pickup. If its cold out it automatically cranks heat and defrost. If its hot out, it cranks AC.

We are very afeared of when the damn thing starts breaking, gotta haul it to a dealer who has the computer to decipher all the systems.

[bell]

Columbus car audio has always been reputable (bit I haven't talked to them in years).... my old shop in Akron does them, the alarm rs tech is a true pro, even though I am too I let him do my cars lol

you drove up to Akron it would be worth the trip but they are usually booked weeks in advance for remote starts. ....
century 2000 is the spot, ask for adam the sales manager and tell them Brian bell referred you and you would need to wait on it.....

[A930Rocket]

Had one installed from Best Buy on a 2001 Honda Accord. No problems for years.

I'm going to install one in my sons 2001 Ford F150 as well.

[GWN7]

I've had aftermarket remotes in my last 3 trucks. Never a problem with any of them. You have to remember to turn the defrost on and the fan up high when you shutdown the night before. Wouldn't have a vehicle without a remote start. MPG drops because of it. Get them put in by a place that specialises in installing them.

[on2wheels52]

This doesn't seem to add as much to the thread as I thought it might



Jim

[A930Rocket]

How does the MPG drop with them?

I've had aftermarket remotes in my last 3 trucks. Never a problem with any of them. You have to remember to turn the defrost on and the fan up high when you shutdown the night before. Wouldn't have a vehicle without a remote start. MPG drops because of it. Get them put in by a place that specialises in installing them.

[GWN7]

Because the truck idles for 15 minutes every time I use the remote. When it's -27 like it was 3 days ago I like to let it warm up as much as possible.

My remote starter is set to idle until the vehicle comes up to a certain temp and then shuts itself off. It can be programed to do this every 4 hrs. If your in a remote location and there is no way to plug the vehicle in overnight this feature means the difference between a vehicle starting the next day or not.

It's a Viper remote starter. Now you can get them that interact with your smart phone. Monitor your alarm system and start the car remotely.

http://www.viper.com/

[jwgn777]

Originally Posted by fastfredracing

Here is my take on aftermarket alarms, and starters. A few important factory wires get cut, and then power, or signals are re- routed through cheap chineese relays, or alarm modules. 10 years down the road, when you start to have weird starting, or no starting problems, tracking it down is always fun, usually requiring complete replacement of the unit, because there are no serviceable parts, and the model is usually not in production any more . I would do a factory remote start if possible.
I am sure most of them are trouble free, but I have fixed quite a few pia electrical problems in my day due to this stuff. I walk out in the morning, and start the cars for her and I.

I agree. I installed several units. They worked well for years then the trouble started. Always at the worst time. Removed most of the jobs I did. I run out in the morning and run back inside and let the car warm up.

[Scott R]

So, we have this from the factory in the wife's new ford expedition and I don't think in my city that we can use it. We have a "puffing" law here where a car can't be unattended and running in your driveway. Odd law..

[jwgn777]

Originally Posted by Scott R

So, we have this from the factory in the wife's new ford expedition and I don't think in my city that we can use it. We have a "puffing" law here where a car can't be unattended and running in your driveway. Odd law..

NYC has a law similar to that however it applies to diesel trucks.