 Remote Starters: Buying & Installation Tips
Posted by carsandtrucks on Wednesday, November 21 @ 06:25:30 PST
If your morning starts something like this: the outside temperature is -12, your leather upholstered SUV is sitting in the driveway and it is time to leave for work, you may just wish you had a remote starter.
With the remote starter you could have had your vehicle warming up in the driveway as you sipped your coffee and you never stepped one step out into the artic air. Sound good? Where do you find a remote starter? Well, I Googled "remote car starter" and came up with 14 pages of possible vendors that I could buy a remote starter from. These vendors included all of the mass merchants that sell automotive electronics to car and truck accessory specialist. The first question that came to mind was
who will install this marvelous device. Several of the remote starters I looked at came with do it yourself instructions. I will tell you before you attempt to do it yourself, be honest with yourself about your understanding of automotive electronics. This is not a plug and play installation. You must be able to read and comprehend wiring diagrams, understand passive anti theft systems and a host of other intricacies related to other optional equipment on your car or truck. It is best if you leave the installation to the experts. That being said you will be better served to buy locally rather then on line. Make sure you buy from reputable vendor. I have seen fly by night installers selling remote starts out of a van. They offer to do the install at your office or home and are generally less expensive. The problem comes when you have a problem with your remote start and they can not be found. Vehicle manufacturers are beginning to see there is a market for remote starters. As a result they have begun to have remote starter kits manufactured that are vehicle specific. These remote starters can be purchased and installed through the service department at the new car dealership. There are several options when considering a remote starter. From simple one button units to multi-buttons that activate your keyless entry and alarm system. I personally like the simple solution of a separate key fob for the remote starter. Simple means fewer things to go wrong.
As with everything else shop around, do some homework, and know the installers reputation. Remember when you use your remote starter and the car is out there idling you are burning gas and omitting emissions, so limit your warm up time.
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