Why Remote Car Starters are Great!
Why Remote Car Starters are Great!
Have you ever dreaded getting into your car on a frigidly cold morning. Or, what about those HOT Texas days, it can get upwards of 150 degrees in your car! Ouch! What if you could have the car be a nice cool or warm “room” temperature when you get it. You can make this happen with a remote starter on your car.
Actually, remote start is a security feature and a safety feature - think ice and snow already melted off your windshield and windows before you get in. That means less chance of you slipping and falling while trying to scrape the ice off and less chance of you driving off before the windows are fully clear, because it is just too darn cold!
Remote start is actually an extra layer of security added your car. When you activate the engine, the doors automatically lock and you can’t shift into a forward or reverse gear unless the key is in the ignition.
Unlike most add ons, auto remote start actually increases the resale value of your car. Some auto manufacturers even have this remote start feature added at the factory, if the buyer requests it. While factory installation (OEM) of remote starters is fairly new, such devices have been available in the aftermarket for quite a while.
How Do Remote Starters Work?
How Do Remote Starters Work?
Although you don’t have to know how a remote starter works, it is sometimes useful to understand the underlying principles so that if it stops working properly you will know what to do. To be honest, if the remote is “acting up”, there is not much a layman can do. It is best to take the car to a qualified professional locksmith.
Obviously the remote “fob” is your control center. By pushing buttons on the fob you transmit codes to the receiver in the car that does all the work.
The receiving unit in the car interperpates the transmitted code and starts the car and activates whatever settings you have preset into the system: door locks, heater, A/C, etc. There is usually some kind of visible “feedback” to let you know that the car has been successfully started - like lights flashing or horn beeping in a specific pattern.
Of course the signal sent from the remote is encrypted so that it is near impossible for a car thief to duplicate the code. Notice I said “near impossible”. Given enough time any system can be broken, but, burglars and car thieves usually go for the quick snatch and grab.
Bypass For Cars With Chip Keys!
Bypass For Cars With Chip Keys!
If your car uses a transponder key, and most modern cars do, you will have to trick the transponder system into thinking you are using the key. That is the purpose of the bypass unit.
f your car uses a transponder key, and most modern cars do, you will have to trick the transponder system into thinking you are using the key. That is the purpose of the bypass unit.
f your car uses a transponder key, and most modern cars do, you will have to trick the transponder system into thinking you are using the key. That is the purpose of the bypass unit.
Most cars today have chip keys or transponder keys as standard equipment. This is a security feature that car companies began implementing back in the late 1990’s. As a result, auto thefts have dropped significantly. Today most but not all all new cars use this type of key.
As great as the chip keys are, one great drawback is that they make it very difficult to install the remote start feature in you car. Even though there are quite a few aftermarket suppliers of remote start kits, it is best to let a locksmith do the installation.
As stated above, if you own a later model car that uses transponder keys or chip keys, you will need to have that system bypassed. Again, I want to emphasize that this is best done by a reputable professional locksmith. Installation is more than a little tricky and you don’t want to mess this up! Also…you probably don’t want a “shade tree mechanic” knowing your encrypted access code, right?
Summary
Summary
Auto remote start is a great feature that you can have installed at the manufacture prior to delivery of your new car. There is also an abundance of aftermarket remote start units and bypass units that allow you to install this feature on your current vehicle.
Most late model cars and many vehicles dating back to about 1996 have transponder keys or a chip key of some kind. The introduction of these types of keys added a level of complexity to installation of remote start systems.
You can save yourself a lot of frustration and get your remote start installed correctly, quickly, and at a reasonable price by calling a reputable local locksmith. They have all the data on your car by make and model and they do these installs every day. They are not on the “learning curve”.
Michael's Keys | 238 North Main Street | Keller, Texas 76248