Remote Car Starter Buying Guide

Executive Summary by By Mitchell Schaffer

My store has been installing Remote Car Starters since the early 1990s. This experience has taught us what is important in a quality remote starter installation.

10. Warranty

The actual remote starter brain should be warrantied for as long as you own the car. Many quality companies offer this. Our Pro line remotes carry a 2 year warranty and all our 2 way remotes have a $25 replacement plan.

9. Engine Speed Sensing

A good remote starter should have some method of monitoring the engine RPM’s. Why is this important? There are a couple reasons:

* On a very cold day, the car might not start on the first turn of the key. The same is true with a remote starter.

* The other main reason is over-rev protection. A quality remote starter will know if the engine speed is too high and shut off. A remote start that does not offer RPM sensing cannot know if this level is exceeded and could end with damage to the vehicle.

8. Transmitter Range

You want to make sure that the remote start that you are buying will allow you to start/stop/lock/unlock, etc from a long distance. You will want to use your remote start then also and you will not be parked as close as at home.

7. Hood Safety Switch

This cutoff is designed to prevent the vehicle from remote starting if the hood is up.  Many shops skip this step because it saves time. Mobile Edge integrates a hood cutoff on every single job.

6. Manufacturer

Make sure that the manufacturer is a company that specializes in remote car starters.

5. New Car Warranty

Do not let your car dealer tell you that an aftermarket remote car starter will void your warranty .

4. Do it Yourself?

Unless you are a certified technician with experience in remote car starter installation, DO NOT attempt to install your own remote starter.

3. Buy it Here / Install it There?

Do not buy your remote starter on eBay (or WalMart or Amazon, etc) and expect to find a quality, reputable shop that will install it for you. While many aftermarket shops will install stereos and amps purchased elsewhere, few if any will install a remote start purchased elsewhere. During remote starter season, the good shops are busy enough trying to keep up with their own work. If you find a shop that will install someone else’s remote starter, they are likely not very busy. There is another very important reason not to buy a remote starter at one place and have it installed at another. A remote starter is an electronic product and can fail.

2. Go to a Specialist

Look for a specialty shop. Not to bash any of the chain stores, but they have a much higher turnover rate with installers than a specialty shop. Crimp connectors can save up to an hour of installation time, but when dealing with the vehicle’s electrical system, I want a rock solid connection. Will a remote starter from a specialty shop cost more than from a chain store?

1. More than Just a Remote Starter

Most higher quality remote starters will allow a ton of cool features to be added or controlled from the remote.

The Bottom Line

When selecting a shop to have a remote starter put in, ask a lot of questions. I am sure that you will find that Mobile Edge is one of the best shops for your Remote Car Starter Installation.

I wrote a guide you may be interested in reading: Discount Car Audio, Car Alarm Systems, and Alpine Car Stereo