Story about adding aftermarket remote start to car. And a question.

[Redman]

FOlks I know, who lived in San Diego and moved back to Michigan, have wanted to get Remote Start added to thier van (Toyota Sienica hybred, 2019? 2020?) that they have had for some years.

ANd they did get an aftermarket remote start added at some auto stero and accessory place.

I was visiting, and they were telling me about how he went to some effort to get it installed as a surprize/gift to her, and how much she was surprised and how much she appreciated it.

Later I was looking at the extra key fob that was added to the ring along with the original key fob.
And I noticed that the original key fob had lots of buttons for lock and unlock and side doors and for back gate . . . . .AND a button with the circular arrow (with the x2 meaning to press twice).
Huh? that would be remote start, I think. ANd it does start the engine.

Huh? the aftermarket remote start that was added . . . . that cant be operated by the original key fob? could it? I dont think so.

ANd the original key fob would only have the remote start button if remote start was original, right?

So, I am thinking, the van did already have stock original remote start, but they didnt know what that circular arrow button was for.
ANd he took it to a shop, asked to have remote start added, and the shop did add it.

What I dont know is, how much do they have to hack up the wiring to add a remote start unit. Or is there already some connector in wiring harness (maybe with a dummy plug is dont have the remote start). And should it have been apparent to technicain that it already had remote start (or at least see that on key fob).

[Cipher]

Read The Fine Manual.

[Redman]

Read The Fine Manual.

these are people that don’t think of looking at printed manaul (I have seen her in passenger seat, with manaul in glove box, and she does a Google search to find info about her car).

often owners manaul are not specific to specific optional equipment.

[Rich82GS750TZ]

My mom has a 2011 Cadillac since new. She didn’t know it had remote start til I noticed that circle arrow button on the fob. I broke out the owners manual. Sure enough. I forget but I think you have to press the lock button twice then the circle button. Pays to read the Manual.

No experience with the Toyotas.

Late ‘90s. We had a Chevy Blazer. Lived in Boston and no garage. As a surprise Xmas gift I installed an aftermarket remote start for her. Told her I was working one Saturday and actually went to my boss’s house to use his garage and tools to do the install. The aftermarket remote start mfg website had wiring diagrams of all makes of cars with clear directions on what wires to splice into. Was pretty easy. The wife loved it.

[Redman]

.....She didn’t know it had remote start til I noticed that circle arrow button

....

Ha! Yah! same situation here, they had the van for 3 years or so.

.................... I forget but I think you have to press the lock button twice then the circle button. Pays to read the Manual.

....

THe two I know:

GM: press/release lock, then press/hold start for something like 2 seconds

Chrylser: Press/release start twice, it then locks doors, does some checks then starts.

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The aftermarket remote start mfg website had wiring diagrams of all makes of cars with clear directions on what wires to splice into. Was pretty easy. ....

Hey! Thanks!

WHen you say "splice into", do you mean tap onto a wire, or, cut apart and insert inbetween...? or maybe some of each.

[Cipher]

these are people that don’t think of looking at printed manaul (I have seen her in passenger seat, with manaul in glove box, and she does a Google search to find info about her car).

often owners manaul are not specific to specific optional equipment.

Bollocks!......

[Rich82GS750TZ]

WHen you say "splice into", do you mean tap onto a wire, or, cut apart and insert inbetween...? or maybe some of each.

It was 25 years ago, so I’m sure not something I would be proud of today. But I seem to recall for most connections removing @1/2” of insulation of the vehicle wire without cutting the strands, inserting something pointy to separate the strands, inserting the twisted strands from the remote starter control unit, twisting everything together, and wrapping with electrical tape. Whatever I did, it held up through our remaining time with the car. SIL used the car for several years after that and used the remote starter in the winter time.

[Redman]

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Thanks . . . . . . . . .

[Nessism]

When I bought my new Honda in 2017, they wanted me to pay for this anti-theft add-on device by KARR. I said no way, at which time they told me it's already installed, but they can deactivate it, and they wouldn't charge me. Okay, so I took the car.

A short time later, I decided to remove it. There was a plastic module box tie-wraped under the dash, with a bunch of tiny wires attached into the cars harness using scotchloks. Opening the scotchloks, resulted in several broken wires. To say I was livid is an understatement. NEVER use, or let anyone else use, scotchloks on your car. They are crap. I wound up having to solder the broken wires back together, and use heatshink tubing over the repair.

I see cars with KARR stickers on them all the time, and it makes me cringe. Apparently, they come to the dealerships, install these junk kits for free, and if the customer is stupid enough to pay for it, fine. Otherwise the junk module just drives away for free (like mine.) I bet they don't cost them more than just a few bucks, and they charge hundreds if you are stupid enough to pay for it.

Sorry for the rant. Key takeaway: NEVER use scotchloks.

[Rob S.]

Sounds like when I bought a new Z28 years ago. "Do you want undercoating? Too late, it's already on there." Same thing with the stereo, which added hundreds to the price. They offered to remove it and take $25 off the price of the car.

[bonanzadave]

My wife's new subi will only auto start with her phone. That would have been a show stopper at the dealer for me.

[Datsa Noydb]

FOlks I know, who lived in San Diego and moved back to Michigan, have wanted to get Remote Start added to thier van (Toyota Sienica hybred, 2019? 2020?) that they have had for some years.

OK, the Toyota SIENNA hybrid came out in 2021, but still long enough that they should know most of its workings.

I also have a Sienna. It has a remote start (aftermarket). I think that with the newest generation Siennas that started in '21, the remote start feature is by subscription with the Toyota app. Nice to have, but if you stop your subscription payments, you lose some of your 'toys'. (I think that GPS/Navigation function is by subscription, too.) For that reason alone, it would be worth having an aftermarket unit.

Fortunately, not all units are like the ones that Nessism found. Some of the better ones have connectors that match the vehicle. Simply separate a connector under the dash, insert the two connectors for the remote start unit, plug them all back together. Couldn't be easier (or safer).

[Burque73]

My Mazda CX 5 has a NAV button on the dash, but the module has never been installed. I can add it, but never have. I never understood why they didn't just blank off the button location on the console.

Maybe the Sienna was similar. An option but never they addded the module.

If it's anything like the one in this video it's plug and play.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTYVTSzAKXs&t=16s

As far as the remote, I'm thinking they can be paired to work together.

[Vmass]

My mom has a 2011 Cadillac since new. She didn’t know it had remote start til I noticed that circle arrow button on the fob. I broke out the owners manual. Sure enough. I forget but I think you have to press the lock button twice then the circle button. Pays to read the Manual.

No experience with the Toyotas.

Late ‘90s. We had a Chevy Blazer. Lived in Boston and no garage. As a surprise Xmas gift I installed an aftermarket remote start for her. Told her I was working one Saturday and actually went to my boss’s house to use his garage and tools to do the install. The aftermarket remote start mfg website had wiring diagrams of all makes of cars with clear directions on what wires to splice into. Was pretty easy. The wife loved it.

We brought our son home from the hostpital in our 1994 GMC Jimmy, loved that SUV! It was maroon with charcoalish rockers and gray velour interior.

[Rich82GS750TZ]

The blazer was PURPLE with a red pinstripes. Dark gray/black interior. I hope to gawd there are no pictures. It wasn’t a bad vehicle actually.