Choosing A Remote start for Your Car or Truck

Whether you live in a climate where temperatures drop below freezing, or the summer sun drives temperatures in your vehicle to dangerous levels, a remote start system might be something to consider?  These handy little gadgets allow you to start your vehicle from the safety of your home or office so your vehicle will be warm or cool when the time comes for you to enter your vehicle and be on your way.  Just imagine no more scraping ice off windows, or getting into a steaming-hot car or truck. The rising popularity of remote start systems even prompted car manufacturing companies to provide them as an option in their new cars. Whether your considering buying a remote start system or including it as an option in your new car, there are certain features you need to look for when making your choice.

Safety Features:

One of the first steps in choosing a remote start system is to find a model that has all of the following features.

• The feature which either honks the horn or flashes the lights when your car or truck has started; confirming that your vehicle has in fact been turned on.
• The feature which ensures that when the brake pedal is tapped your vehicle will shut off. This is an important feature to have in case you accidentally hit the remote start button when you've already turned the car off or when you don't want the car to start.
• A transmission monitor. This feature will tell the remote start system when the car is in park before the start function is carried out. With this feature, if the car is out of park the remote start system will not function.
• A safety hood pin switch located on the hood. This feature ensures that when the hood is open the remote start will not work. This is very important when you or a mechanic need to work on your vehicle.
• A safety starter relay. This feature ensures that when the car is driving you cannot re-engage the starter with the remote start. This is a critical feature to have when you manually start the car and accidentally hit the remote start button.
• Most importantly, make sure that the car remote start system has a minimum 400 foot range, which is very important when you are walking to your car from the store.

Choosing a remote start system can be pretty confusing these days. Like most consumers you've probably been bombarded with misleading advertising, confusing claims and a lot of bad information. With all the unbelievably low advertised prices it can be difficult to know which system is a good, dependable product for you.

Some companies use price as a lure for their misleading advertising. They offer a cheap price, (somewhere between $90 and $150) but once you're in their store or shop, you learn the price you saw advertised is for a model that "won't work on your car or truck. The most important fact to know is that not every remote start system will work on every vehicle. Moreover, a professional grade remote starter that provides years of trouble free enjoyment really is more inexpensive and may be the best option from the onset? Here are some of the more popular models that you may see on the market today:


PIGGY BACK — ADD ON TYPE REMOTE STARTERS:

These models are piggybacked to an existing alarm or keyless entry system that is already installed in your car or truck. They operate using your existing remotes, providing they are compatible. These are the models you'll often see advertised at a very low price, but don't be fooled! These models are compatible with very few vehicles. If this model will work on your vehicle, be sure you ask about the range! Most have the same range as your alarm or keyless entry — usually about 50 feet -- and is insufficient for most people.


BASIC ONE WAY:

This is a stand-alone remote starter and it operates independently. It doesn't need to be piggybacked on an existing keyless entry or alarm, and it's usually an "entry level" model — meaning that it has few, if any options. Models like these usually come with one key-chain remote which transmits a signal (one way) to the vehicle on a lower power "radio frequency" (RF) band. It is a perfectly acceptable model for some people. It will generally have a range of about 500 to 700 feet.


BASIC PLUS — ONE WAY:

A more deluxe version of the above. It comes with 2 key-chain remotes and options that may include: keyless entry and trunk pop, turning on the parking lights, and many more convenient features. A very popular model. It has an extended range antenna; giving it an overall range of 800 to 1200 feet.


DELUXE HI-POWER — TWO WAY:

Two way means when you transmit a signal to your vehicle to start, lock, unlock, etc., your vehicle transmits a signal back to the LCD screen on your key-chain remote, giving you a visual confirmation and ability to monitor your vehicle status. Most models will come with two key-chain remotes, (1 two-way LCD transmitter and 1 four button) with options that include keyless entry, trunk pop, turning on the parking lights and a wide variety of other convenient options many people enjoy. These models will generally have a range of 1000 to 1500 feet.


DELUXE HI POWER — TWO WAY WITH COMPLETE VEHICLE SECURITY SYSTEM:

Identical to the system above, but with the added convenience of a total vehicle security system, complete with: shock sensor, current sensor, door trigger, flashing LED light for the dash, starter interrupt, 120db siren and much more!

It's best to invest a little time researching various models to check warranty information, as well as finding a reputable company to install your new vehicle accessory.