remote start worth it?

I was wondering is the remote start really worth it, and also is there a big difference in the standard lcd two-way pager alarms, and the color touch screen two-way alarms, and if so what might they be, and in the collective wisdom of this thread would you guys recommend one over the other, thanks.

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nanohertz

Whether it's worth it or not is going to be in the eyes of the beholder, is this case it's you. Do you want to come out to a toasty car in the winter or a chilled car in the summer that is ready to drive?

And as for units, everyone has a preference. I've only got experience with directed products. It seems the most popular brands recommended are directed, compustar, and audiovox. It's also going to come down to what features you'd like, too.

Thanks for the reply this will be for a Avital 5303L for $450 install out the door, but one of my co-workers said something about you could cause damage to the starter and or alternator with too much usage of the remote started, and that sometimes in the winter these units have the capacity to not crank and that you will have to manually start the vehicle from time to time, is this true, or misleading information?

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nanohertz

It is misleading for sure. If it's properly installed, no damage will be done to the vehicle. And in winter months, a car will naturally take a little longer to crank for the first time on a cold day. There are ways around this, however, and generally isn't an issue at all.

I've scheduled my appointment for tomorrow, now the installer at the shop said that I will loose one of my keys to facilitate the installation of the remote start unit, does this sound right. I have a 08 Infinity FX35.


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nanohertz

Not sure about your speciffic vehicle, but it is very common to have to give up a key. The reason is the factory theft deterrent system. The car will only recognize two keys. So if you make a copy at Home Depot, it will not start your car. The car's computer doesn't recognize the copy that you made as a valid key, so it will not allow the vehicle to start.

When the "Remote Start Unit" tries to start the car, you have the same issue. The factory theft deterrent system doesnt recognize the start request so it wont allow it to take place. They have whats called a "Bypass Module" It stores your 2nd Key in it, and is tied into the Remote Starter. Now when the remote starter requests the start, it shows the vehicle computer the 2nd Key that the computer recognizes and allows it to start.

nanohertz wrote:

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I've scheduled my appointment for tomorrow, now the installer at the shop said that I will lose one of my keys to facilitate the installation of the remote start unit, does this sound right. I have a 08 Infinity FX35.

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If use with the proper bypass module, you don't have to lose any key.

Please explain?????? The unit that they will be installing is a Avital 5303L is this a good unit, also I received a price for a Viper 5002 for 379 installed without the remote start module, Should I keep the appointment to have the Avital installed, or should I go with the Viper 5002 without the remote start feature but be able to keep my key, please advise.

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nanohertz

This advice has been invaluable, but I have an additionaly question, and that is having this Avital 5303 installed will this disengage, disable the factory security system replacing it with the after-market one or will they work hand n hand with the 5303 taking precedence???

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nanohertz

i got an 05 murano with the smart key and had the avital 5303 with xk07 no key required module plus dei tilt sensor and the factory horns conected all for 480 dollars works like a charm and works hand to hand with the factory inmobilizer.
ps: my first post ever yee haa...

nanohertz wrote:

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Please explain?????? The unit that they will be installing is a Avital 5303L is this a good unit, also I received a price for a Viper 5002 for 379 installed without the remote start module, Should I keep the appointment to have the Avital installed, or should I go with the Viper 5002 without the remote start feature but be able to keep my key, please advise.

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There is a chip inside your key that enables you to start the car. If the car doesn't detect the signal the chip puts out, the car won't start. This is why you can't simply have a new generic key cut for your vehicle.

In terms of a bypass, there's essentially 2 types. A "key in the box", or a little more advanced module. The key in the box will simply send the rf signal the key puts straight to the ignition column allowing the car to start. A more advanced module will essentially "learn" the rf signal and duplicate it without the need for a key.

hope this helped ya understand it a little better...

nanohertz, as to your questions:

1. About losing keys. Looks like x1le already answered your question, but if I can explain further and add some comments:

--It's less expensive if they use a universal bypass box, and one of your spare keys goes in there and stays there for the life of the installation.

--For extra money, they make modules that tie into the car's data wires, and emulate the "chip" that's inside your key. You pay more, but you keep all your keys. (Generally, these modules cost LESS than making more keys at the Infiniti dealer.)

--The fact that your installer didn't even try to offer you one of the no-key-required modules is a sign that he's allergic to money, or doesn't know what products are available for your car.

2. Your factory alarm.

If installed properly, the Avital (or any other brand) will arm your Infiniti alarm when you press the Avital "lock" button, and also disarm the Infiniti alarm whenever you press "unlock" or "remote start."

Your FX already has a good basic factory alarm that will honk the horn if a door or hood is opened, and the chip key already makes it hard to steal.

Adding an aftarmarket alarm gives you a shock sensor, as well as the options of things like a 2-way paging remote (like the 5303 has), and you can add various other sensors such as tilt, glass break, et cetera.

You could choose just a basic remote starter, and rely on your Infiniti alarm if you think it's good enough, or go all out and get something like that 5303 you had in mind.

3. Remote starter on friends' cars doesn't always work, especially when cold.

A non-defective, properly installed remote starter should be capable of starting the car under pretty much any conditions where you could start it by key.

Obviously, if the car is non-functional (dead battery, broken fuel pump, et cetera) the car certainly won't start, by remote or by key.

Hopefully your friends went to a reputable installer who warranties both his work and his product. They should arrange to bring their cars back and have the issue corrected.

4. Damages the car. You mentioned the starter motor and the alternator.

A properly installed remote starter probably engages and releases the car's starter motor even better and more reliably than you can do by hand.

Almost no remote starter connects to or gets involved in any way with the alternator. I see no basis whatsoever in this claim.

The only argument that could be made is that idling an engine, especially a cold engine, puts additional wear on it. Well, that's true of course....almost anything in life is using up some of its useful life while it's "on," whether it's a TV, a toaster, or a car.

And almost everyone these days that it's best for your car to get it warmed up as quickly as possible, which is accomplished by starting it, and as soon as it's running smoothly, driving at moderate speeds until it's warmed up.

Idling a car for fifteen minutes in the driveway every morning clearly is a slower way to warm it up, and in my opinion (not everyone agrees), surely puts a little more wear on the engine.

But, how long do you plan on keeping this car? Are you really going to keep it until it's so old the engine wears out?

My guess is your car will be in the junkyard someday due to an accident, or rust, or a handful of things wrong with it that just aren't worth fixing anymore, long before the actual engine wears out.

P.S. Does your FX have the Intelligent Key option?

I LIVE IN THE CHICAGO AREA AND YESTERDAY MORNING AND THIS MORNING WAS AROUND 6 DEGREES F. PLUS THE WIND CHILL AND MY CAR ALWAYS STARTS.
REMEMBER NANOHERTZ AN ALARM SYSTEM ITS ONLY AS GOOD AS THE INSTALL.
sorry for the caps didnt realize it was on.
anyway i suggest u get the no key required bypass as the keys themselves cost over a 100 dollars plus programming at the dealer and thats only for the mechanical key if u have a smart key its almost double that. i only had 1 key and my installer was able to program the bypass and he only charged me 65 for it. he really knew what he was talking about plus he was an authorized dei dealer so warranty is good.
for example i needed to adjust my shock sensor and he did it no charge.

Chris/O5Murano,

Thanks a million, you guys have answered some of the really pressing questions that I had in mind, again thanks a million. The install with the 5303 without the remote start feature was completed yesterday, from what I can tell, all looks well, but I had to take it back about an hour ago because I felt that the sensitivity was set to low for my preference. The whole purpose in me getting this alarm was because the tires and rims were stolen, I incurred $1000 out of pocket between deductible, car alarm/install and wheel locks and I want to have more of a fighting chance if this happens again, I mean this happen right in front of my door while I was sleep, woke up in the morning to go to work, and realized that I had no wheels......F$@K that was a horrible feeling, I don't want to go through that again if possible, but as with anything there's no gaurantee but as stated I'd like a fighting chance at least.

But as I stated above I felt that the sensitivity was set too low because I really had to work to make the alarm go off once engaged. I would pull on the rear hatch & door handles even letting them pop back when pulling them and nothing, also push the car heavily with my should, and again nothing, now when I hit the tires sufficiently it went off. The installer said that he didn't want to set it so that it would be a nuisance in the neighborhood, which I could understand, but I felt that if I were a thief one of the basic things that I would do would be to see if there was an alarm installed, and how sensitive that alarm is by walking pass and pulling on the door handle. Guys, please correct me if I am wrong, but it just seems like the alarm should go off when there's a little effort applied

I do realize though that a tilt sensor is probably the best sensor to have for protecting you wheels/rims, but I don't have the extra cash just yet to have that installed, and I felt that the way the car was responding to stimulus wasn't satisfactory for me and that atleast in the interim until I'm able to get the tilt sensor installed I wanted to have the sensitivity turned up just a little to better respond to the car being moved.

The installer told me that the installation of a tilt sensor would be $145, does this sound like a reasonable price.

The advice you guys have provided on this forum has been invaluable.

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nanohertz

145 for a tilt sensor its crazy, go to amazon and get one for 25 and then have your guy install it he shouldnt charge u more than 40 to do it. also have him adjust your shock sensor to your liking remember you're the customer demand satisfaction!!!
As for the 22's i got 2 diferents sets of locks on each plus the tilt sensor.any more ?'s lemme know nanohertz we're here to help

In ur original thread u mentioned $450 out the door, was it cheaper since u went without since u went without the remote start feature??

You don't even have to get those expensive tilt sensor switches from DEI or anyone else. I usually just have a ball bearing switch and adjust it to ground level.

Let me just say at the outset that you guys are awesome, and have provided me with a wealth of information. I talked to a friend of mine who I work with and he says that a tilt sensor is duplication because the existing shock sensor and the tilt sensor both respond to vvibration, he suggested that I should get a microwave motion sensor, that would provide me with much better utilized security than the tilt sensor. I tend to agree with his ascertion. So $145 is too much huh...I suspected that this guy was overcharging for his services, and what makes this whole situation so bad is that I went to this shop over a year ago to run power for a windshield mounted gps and radar detector, and that botched the job and that's an understatement. I confronted the shop and they said that the guy who worked on my car is gone, and that they'll do everything to make it right with me the customer, and now listening the pricing dialogue it seems like they're still trying to over charge me for their services.

I'm going to get a microwave motion sensor, can you guys provide me with a reasonable pice point that I should expect for this addition to my existing alarm system (Avital 5303)

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nanohertz