no range on remote start

Hi. I finally managed to install my remote starter, ready remote model 24921. On the package it says that the range is 500+ feet, but the car doesn't start from a much shorter distance.If I connect a wire to the antenna and pass it through the dash to the windshield, will it improve the range???Are there any other suggestions you can give???

replace the battery in the transmitter before trying anything else.

Pretty much all quality, modern remote starters have a long antenna cable, and an antenna with self-adhesive tape that attaches to the windsheild glass. If your remote starter just has a short piece of wire hanging out of the brain, it's either very old, or maybe some kind of non-name-brand thing from eBay. You could improve range slightly by taping that antenna wire to something straight (like a zip tie), so it can't curl up. And you could experiment by making horizontal or vertical, and see which is better. You could try attaching a long piece of wire to it and bring it right up to the windshield. It wouldn't hurt to try, but I would guess it wouldn't work well. The antenna is supposed to be a certain length, and making it longer or shorter would probably worsen it. There's one thing that might help slightly: http://www.junik.lv/~meg/new/pagers.htm If you look on the bottom of that page, you'll see the "range extender" antenna. It has a shielded cable, and then the antenna would be about the same length as your original one, but up on the glass. It won't make it as good as a modern remote starter, but it will probably improve things a bit.

I installed a old bulldogsecurity rs122 with the same short antenna and had the same problem, the alarm worked perfectly but the range sucked with was worst than the factory alarm and the customer swap it out for a more modern one since the alarm was a free gift anyway. I would suggest just upgrading to a more modern alarm all your wires are already ran anyway so it should take to long. Just my .02cents.Protect what's yours.