Valet remote start

Sounds typical of a lot of remotes. What works and does not depends on the remote options, but also the particular model car and what portion is alive at different switch position. Aside from the engine running to warm up, not much is needed Can the heater blower be set to be on the night before to be in the "on" position? Or it is just dead? Some have additional modules that can turn on a rear window defroster. See if you can get the original wiring diagram to see if it is connected properly for your model

Also, the engine should be killed if you hit the brake pedal if the key is not turned to the "on" position.

Yep, there's the 'brake' detect. Touch the brake, the engine dies. There's also a hood interlock switch, but that's about it. The module itself has an free output for whatever I want like a trunk release.

Anyway, the blower is dead until I turn the key on. In the winter the car warms up fast once I get in and turn the key since the engine is already warm, but without the blower running I don't get that big start on ice on the windshield. ( I know, wait till summer to work on the defroster...)

But the big rub is the remote start requires I press TWO keys at the same time on the remote, one of which is the door lock. The door lock is a toggle, not separate lock and unlock buttons. Without external light flashes, I can't tell if I accidentally locked or unlocked the car when I go to start. Also, the module doesn't know what state the door locks are in. If I use the door button to unlock the car to get out, the remote may think it's still locked so hitting the button unlocks it. If I hit the button as I walk away from the car, I have no assurance that it's locked. I have to be right next to it to see.

All of that just sounds like whoever had the remote installed in the first place, simply went for the cheapest thing they could get. You know what they say about getting what you pay for...

Well, I can't bitch, as I didn't pay for it. In fact, the dealer who sold me the car 'dumped' it and didn't even know there was a remote start in the vehicle. When he pulled the vehicle packet out of the file cabinet, he was surprised it had remotes in it to work the doors. Then he looked and found the Valet users guide...

My guess would be apparently the original selling dealer installed the lowest cost, to acquire and install, after market remote start and charged the customer the price of a full mode. He could then advertize "remote start" and earn a bigger profit on the sale. MAWB see a Valet dealer and price an upgrade to the full remote type

IMO, the heater is the big reason to have a remote start. If you can't find the problem, you can replace it for about $129 or so with a better brand. In my case, the lights flas when it starts and the doors lock. I can also set the heated seat in the "on" position the night before. Many cars don't let you do that as the engine must be running.

That's a lot of guesses, considering there is nothing in the thread to support any of it. It's just as likely that it was a DIY project gone wrong.

Dave

Thanks for the comment Dave, but my gut on this was that it was a shop install.

If it were another brand of starter, I would suspect that. However, the people I talk to indicate the Valet systems are not common for the DIY market. And while it wasn't impossible, I had to search the web to find an installation manual for the Valet. Other brands seemed to have all kinds of DIY aids right on the home pages for those devices, including harnesses to cut installation time. I actually bought a Bulldog system and was about to install it when I smashed up my other car. I bought the current car as a quick replacement and found the remote already installed. The Bulldog is still in the box, with the extra harness and the security module and some extra goodies. I may end up eventually installing that in my Intrigue.

The current car was a former lease car that was bought by the lessee, then I got it from a small used car dealer. I'm not sure when the system was installed, but I suspect it was early in the cars life when it was still a lease car, or soon after, and that doesn't seem to be a DIY project. Also, in checking around, it seems that the Valet is a standard 'building block' for shops in this area, and they sell it at various levels of 'options'.

I have had remote starts in all of the new cars I have purchased for the past seven years or so. Once one gets a RS it soon become aparent it is more usefull in summer to pre-cool ones car than it is to pre-warm the car. If ones car does not have automatic climate control, one must remember to pre-select the proper mode when parking their car ;)

Actually a well educated guess, based on my experance, a basic system simply starts the vheicle and may open the driver door, if the vehicle has a power door lock.

I saw those types of systems added to hundreds of vehicles when I was in retail, but your guess can be another, as well

Well, here in the northeast, the heater is valuable. Also, I work at a ski area. The heater is valuable...

Anyway, I had to run out today. It's in the 80's, so at the store I got in the car and used the remote start while I was in it but without my key. The car started, and the A/C went on (it was on when I parked the car) but again, the fan didn't start until I put the key in and turned it on.

I wonder... Could I have pulled a connection when I installed the CD player? I may have to trace everything out.

You may well be correct. I certainly don't know who installed it or when. I do know that Valet remote start systems are available on eBay for cheap. That tells me that it could have been installed by almost anyone with the skill (or lack of) to accomplish it.

When I bought a remote start for my truck, I researched the net for different brands and ended up buying one that reportedly (by end users) had excellent range. I needed one that was reliable at about 300ft or more. To get that, I had to buy one with many features that I didn't need or want. When I installed it, I only hooked up what I needed and nothing else. Most of the other features were either already present on the truck, or unwanted. Maybe the installer of your system, whoever he may be, did the same.

Dave