Car Gadgets: Features of Remote Car Starters
Contents
– Remote car starter function and use
– Features of remote car starters
– Different types of remote car starters
– Installation and price of a remote car starter
Starting your car’s engine remotely when it needs to be warmed up in winter is now possible with a remote car starter system. You can also activate other functions via the remote control or a smartphone app. Let’s find out more about the possibilities of this gadget, whether it is offered as original equipment or an accessory.
Function and use of the remote car starter
The remote car starter is an electronic system that allows you to start a vehicle’s engine via radio waves without being in the car and without using the ignition key.
You can use it in different circumstances. The most common is its use in extreme weather conditions. In icy weather, it allows the engine to be warmed up to limit, or even eliminate, the time it takes to warm up to drive with optimum performance. Depending on its options, you can also use the remote starter to activate the air conditioning system to warm up the car’s interior, defrost the windows, or cool it down during hot summer weather.
Depending on the features and the different functions available or activatable through options, it can also set the distance from which you start your car, as well as activate and deactivate the anti-theft alarm system, unlock the doors, boot or tailgate, activate alarms for accidental shocks to your car when parked or even a panic mode that triggers alarms to draw attention to your car in the event of an assault.
Some systems can remind you to pay the meter when your parking time has expired. Similarly, in a large car park, you can activate your car’s alarm system to identify your vehicle among the others.
Good to know: systems using smartphone apps can use GPS to locate where you parked your car, so you can find it if you can’t remember where you parked.
Features of remote car starters
Both the integrated systems fitted as standard to cars by their respective brands and those offered by car accessory dealers have the following technical features in common:
– an electronic starter module;
– one or two remote controls;
– the wiring of the kit.
The top-of-the-range kits also include the following accessories:
– a bypass;
– a neutral switch for vehicles with mechanical transmissions.
Different types of remote car starters
Three types of remote car starters are available on the market, the one-way starter, the two-way starter and the smart starter controlled by a smartphone app.
One-way starter
It communicates with the car through a simple remote control up to an average distance of 100m. This is the basic system to which many options can be added, depending on your intended use and budget.
These include a second remote control, an extended range option of up to 900m, locking and unlocking of doors, trunk release, a locator that activates the alarm and lights to find your vehicle, a mode to disable the remote start function, and an emergency call connected to the alarm.
Benefits
– It is the most straightforward system.
– It is also the cheapest.
– It can be equipped with many options.
Disadvantages
– Its effectiveness is limited without options (distance and other functions).
– It does not give you information about the actual start of the motor.
– It can be equipped with many options, which increases its price.
– You should check its compatibility with the car’s electronic management systems.
Two-way starter
The two-way starter communicates with the vehicle and sends back information about the functions you have activated via the remote control to let you know they are activated. Their transmitter (remote control) has an LCD screen, displaying information about your car’s status, allowing other functions such as a time display.
Benefits
– It provides you with information on the actual start-up of the engine and other functions associated with the system.
– It has a broader range and can be changed in the settings.
– It can be equipped with many options.
– It has an LCD.
Disadvantages
– It can be equipped with many options, which increases its price.
– You must check compatibility with the car’s electronic management systems.
Smart starter with a smartphone application
Once you’ve installed a remote starter of this type, you download the remote starter brand’s smartphone app to your phone. You can then set your car to start according to the weather and get a lot of information about the status of your vehicle: location, lock the doors, GPS location in case of theft, etc.
Smart remote starters use GSM phone networks and WiFi, allowing you to be in constant “contact” with your car and have an almost unlimited range.
Please note that the remote start systems offered by car accessory dealers are not compatible with cars equipped with starter cards, those electronic keys without metal parts, or hands-free systems.
Similarly, cars produced after 1997 with a coded key require a bypass module to start, provided that it is possible to extract the transponder from the original key. A conventional bypass module is necessary if the original key transponder is integrated into the electronic circuit or if the key is moulded.
Good to know: some smartphone applications help to start your car remotely; some are available from the car manufacturers’ websites. In this case, you do not need to install an auxiliary system.
Advantages
– The number of functions and settings is vast.
– They are integrated into the smartphone and do not require additional remote control.
– Its range is almost unlimited.
– With the development of smartphones, they will become the most widely used system.
Disadvantages
– It requires a compatible smartphone.
– You must check its compatibility with the car’s electronic management systems.
Installation and price of a remote car starter
The sophistication of onboard electronics in today’s cars means that highly qualified professionals must install such systems.
Changing settings and connecting additional wiring to an existing network remains a source of faults that can completely block a vehicle.
The prices of the various systems range from $40 to $250, depending on their features and options, excluding the system’s installation.
Lastly, use the remote starter only when necessary, as a running engine’s environmental impact is not negligible.
