[rideit]

who here has one?
Wifey wants to get two for this winter.
Did some google searching, but I didn't find anything concrete regarding makes, models, what to avoid, dealership or aftermarket...

 

[CrabJoe StretchPants]

I will never let anyone tap into the wiring harness on my vehicle. But that's just me.

Factory remote start only or deal with it.

 

[jonKranked]

I will never let anyone tap into the wiring harness on my vehicle. But that's just me.

Factory remote start only or deal with it.

fucking gremlins

 

[stevew]

my brother had one in his dodge diesel......nary a problem ever....not sure what it was.

 

[canadmos]

I live in a small enough town that my remote start procedure is this;

1. Start morning coffee procedure
2. Put shirt, boxers and snow boots on
3. Run to car and start it
4. Come back inside, make coffee and get dressed
5. Return to running unlocked car and leave for work

 

[jimmydean]

my brother had one in his dodge diesel......nary a problem ever....not sure what it was.

My buddy tried this with a setup installed by Car Toys. Nothing but issues, but it was also a manual and there were some funky things they had to do. '00 3500 dually 4x4, but that truck was nothing but issues.

 

[eric strt6]

Have it on my 2011 F350. I tried it when we first got it and have never used it since

 

[Toshi]

I enjoy turning on the heat in my wife's electric car via phone app. The extra nice bit is that one can do this with the car in the garage without dying.

What's the point to remote start if one has gas vehicles and a garage? Open garage door, remote start cars, then get in and hope the bikes weren't stolen in the meantime?

 

[slyfink]

research shows it's not great for the vehicle (increases wear on certain parts without oil moving through them, and from uneven heating of parts), and it's not great for air quality (idling). Most modern vehicles don't need to warm up for more than 30 seconds. So why bother?

 

[jimmydean]

research shows it's not great for the vehicle (increases wear on certain parts without oil moving through them, and from uneven heating of parts), and it's not great for air quality (idling). Most modern vehicles don't need to warm up for more than 30 seconds. So why bother?

Because my heated seats take like 5 minutes to warm up. That's 5 minutes of cold ass life I'll never get back.

I don't have heated seats, I'm not a nancy.

 

[stoney]

Factory only. /thread

research shows it's not great for the vehicle (increases wear on certain parts without oil moving through them, and from uneven heating of parts), and it's not great for air quality (idling). Most modern vehicles don't need to warm up for more than 30 seconds. So why bother?

Because cold. When it's 20* out, the Subaru sounds like a diesel upon startup. It takes 3-4 min to stop making that noise. Also, warm butt and a heater.

I have a factory one in a box in my garage. It is getting installed this weekend and dropped at Subaru to let the computer know it's there.

 

[kazlx]

I will never let anyone tap into the wiring harness on my vehicle. But that's just me.

Factory remote start only or deal with it.

This. You don't want the headaches that eventually come with it.

 

[Toshi]

Factory only. /thread



Because cold. When it's 20* out, the Subaru sounds like a diesel upon startup. It takes 3-4 min to stop making that noise. Also, warm butt and a heater.

I have a factory one in a box in my garage. It is getting installed this weekend and dropped at Subaru to let the computer know it's there.

Forester is living outside while the Infiniti and ///M live in the garage?

 

[rideit]

No garage here, and we hate scraping ice.

 

[CBJ]

We not get something like this

https://www.webasto.com/int/markets-products/car/retrofit-parking-heaters/our-parking-heaters/small-cars/

This is what most people in colder areas in Scandinavian run in their cars and should be much better for the car. Can be set with time or app.

 

[stoney]

Forester is living outside while the Infiniti and ///M live in the garage?

Only the Infiniti is inside right now. I have the bike setup in the garage currently, so the ///M is on the driveway and Subie on the street.

 

[Toshi]

Only the Infiniti is inside right now. I have the bike setup in the garage currently, so the ///M is on the driveway and Subie on the street.

Get that larger house that Sarah wants with a 3 car garage and all your problems will be solved replaced by other problems.

 

[StiHacka]

We not get something like this

https://www.webasto.com/int/markets-products/car/retrofit-parking-heaters/our-parking-heaters/small-cars/

This is what most people in colder areas in Scandinavian run in their cars and should be much better for the car. Can be set with time or app.

That reminds me of old Tatra limos with air cooled V8s that had an independent gas heater for cold seasons.

 

[IH8Rice]

having worked in and around the business of selling remote starts, unless it came from the factory with one, it will fail within a few years. ive had everything from a $100 unit to my last $1000 2-way communication unit fail. there is no issue if properly installed with tapping into the wire harness of the vehicle..the issue lies with the brain of the unit dying....and they all die.
that being said, i still get them on every car that can have them and deal with replacing the removable brain later. avoid getting the unit installed at the dealership (unless the dealership actually brings in a reputable company to install them)

 

[DirtyMike]

Block heaters > remote start.



Just don't forget to unplug before driving off

 

[rideit]

Block heater doesn't scrape my windshield...

 

[4130biker]

I will never let anyone tap into the wiring harness on my vehicle. But that's just me.

Factory remote start only or deal with it.

Rats tapped into my wiring harness. Didn't even get a fucking remote start!

 

[Westy]

Block heater doesn't scrape my windshield...

The struggle is real.

 

[Pesqueeb]

I will never let anyone tap into the wiring harness on my vehicle. But that's just me.

Factory remote start only or deal with it.

Factory only. /thread

This. You don't want the headaches that eventually come with it.

Somewhere, buried in the archives of teh Monkey is a whole thread about me chasing gremlins in our Subaru for days, that turned out to be a remote starter that had been installed that I didn't know about. Don't do it.


And fuck that car. God I'm glad it's gone.

 

[stevew]

My buddy tried this with a setup installed by Car Toys. Nothing but issues, but it was also a manual and there were some funky things they had to do. '00 3500 dually 4x4, but that truck was nothing but issues.

my brothers truck may have been the same year but auto....

 

[Jm_]

Factory only. /thread



Because cold. When it's 20* out, the Subaru sounds like a diesel upon startup. It takes 3-4 min to stop making that noise. Also, warm butt and a heater.

I have a factory one in a box in my garage. It is getting installed this weekend and dropped at Subaru to let the computer know it's there.

Cold when it's 20? Try -20, and you can't even scrape the ice off until you've softened it by idling for 10 min. The whole "drive moderately" thing is laughable where I live.

 

[Jm_]

No garage here, and we hate scraping ice.

Even if you have a garage, if you park outside for an hour or more, frost can quickly deposite and not come off without some heat.

 

[stevew]

That reminds me of old Tatra limos with air cooled V8s that had an independent gas heater for cold seasons.

my fj 40 had this for heat...

 

[dexter]

Haven't had any issues with viper remote starts on my last three trucks- total of over 300,000 miles and using the remote start an average of 3-4 times a day in summer and winter

 

[stevew]

Haven't had any issues with viper remote starts on my last three trucks- total of over 300,000 miles and using the remote start an average of 3-4 times a day in summer and winter

are you still in montana?

 

[DirtyMike]

Block heater doesn't scrape my windshield...

What vehicles are we talking about anyways? Year make model... that type of thing

 

[rideit]

2014 Ford Escape, 2013 Chevy Silverado. All the electronics are compatible. We found an independant installer who (apparently) does the installs for all of the dealerships in Idaho falls. Lifetime warranty on Gremlins (of the original instalee).We will be able to control heat, seat heaters/coolers, AC. Sounds like this is what we are going with. $1000 for both.

 

[DirtyMike]

The escape likely already has a block heater, just needs the harness, not sure about the Silverado.

Good luck on the remote starts, never had good luck with them if they did not come factory.

 

[SkaredShtles]

2014 Ford Escape, 2013 Chevy Silverado. All the electronics are compatible. We found an independant installer who (apparently) does the installs for all of the dealerships in Idaho falls. Lifetime warranty on Gremlins (of the original instalee).We will be able to control heat, seat heaters/coolers, AC. Sounds like this is what we are going with. $1000 for both.

 

[rideit]

Here's to hoping this doesn't become a Hall Of Fame thread!

 

[Westy]

Cold when it's 20? Try -20, and you can't even scrape the ice off until you've softened it by idling for 10 min. The whole "drive moderately" thing is laughable where I live.

When I lived in balls cold Potsdam NY scraping was never an issue when it got that cold there wasn't enough water vapor in the air to cause problems.

 

[IH8Rice]

$1000 for both.

lol wut??

 

[DirtyMike]

lol wut??

That sounds about right. The Ford is likely just a re flash on the pcm, not sure exactly for the GM though, could be a couple ways.


In my humble opinion based on an actual education and close to 20 years of experience in the field of automotive repair.... Block heaters are for winter, keeps engine warmer, allows for a faster and easier start, clears windows substantially faster and extends the life of the engine in temps lower than 20 degrees Fahrenheit. Remote starts are for summer use, best when using with the air conditioner left on to cool the inside of the vehicle before you get in.

Block heaters have an actual reason, remote starts are being lazy and not wanting to walk to the vehicle twice.

 

[rideit]

You got it.

 

[DirtyMike]

You could of course, use both. Then you would not only have a warm car fast, not have to scrape windows, but you could also have it running when you walk out...