Remote Car Start Survery

Hi,

I bought a remote car starter about a week ago. The car starts from the house but I can't get my car to start from the inside two different bowling alleys, the grocery store, inside a restaurant or from inside the building at work. I'm very close to the car in all instances. I bought an Avital from Best Buy. I understand that DEI makes Avital, Clifford, Viper and a few other brands. In all the literature it never states what the range of the remotes are. I'm wondering if anyone out there has a remote car starter and how it works from inside building like I described? Also, what brand do you own? ANother gripe is that I lost my panic button, interior lights and audible beep when you leave the lights on and try to leave the car.. Thanks in advance.

Reply to
Trader
Loading thread data ...

As stated in your other thread, mine works flawlessly. It is a personal peeve of mine to have direct visual contact before I start my car so I have never tried it over 500 feet or so.

Remember that you are dealing with radio waves.

Reply to
iBuyMinis.Us

I used to work at Digital Equipment Corporation in the Hull repair facility.

Our production floor on the lower level of the building was surrounded by vast expanses of wide open windows, provding great lighting and giving great views to the outside.

Cellphones, pagers, remote car starters, car security systems, nothing worked from inside the building.

You could be standing in the building, looking at your car only 25 feet away and none of the remotes worked. You could visually see the celphone tower about 1 mile away and still no cellphones would work.

Basically, the building and the windows themselves of course were shielded.

You will find that due to the construction techniques used for different kinds of buildings some will completely shield your remotes from working and other buildings will not.

rtt

Reply to
Richard Tomkins

I went into a stereo store today and the guy demoed a highend starter that went through a cinder block wall which started his car that was far away from the remote. He has an audiovox prestige and pager. I think you are right about some buildings being shielded but the unit and the way it was installed has a lot to do with range..

Reply to
Trader

That's what I have. Men does that thing have a long range or what?

I love it.

Reply to
iBuyMinis.Us

I have the Viper remote start system - it has the 1500-2000 foot range. I have had no problems with it at all...you have to remember to hold the button down for a good second - not just hit it quick. You also can't expect the car to start everytime if you can't see it! My father has the two-way remote (also viper) which alerts you when it starts - maybe that's what you need.

Reply to
JD

JD: I can usually see the car through glass doors and it won't start. I think the installers forgot to instal the antenna of something. Sounds like you're very happy with the Viper. All the local installes are pushing Audiovox. Have you hears anything on Audiovox satarters?

Thanks

Reply to
Trader

I have not heard anything about audiovox starters. I personally would stick with a DEI product, but that's pure preference. Can you see the antenna by the rearview mirror? If not, it should be relocated there. There's nothing worse than spending all that money on a product and then having a botched installation.

Hope you can find a solution

Reply to
JD

That's what I have and I love it so far. Has done everything it said it will do. Circuit City sells them too.

Reply to
iBuyMinis.Us

I had the car looked at today and all the little problems I was having were fixed. They even installed a new antenna and repositioned it. Unfortunately, I can't get the car to start inside most stores. I tried CVS, the grocery store, a bowling alley and inside a school. My car was close in all instances. I'm thinking that the Avital starter doesn't have a good range. Does anyone else have this problem with remote starters. I would hate to have the unit pulled out and then get the Audiovox Presitge unit at another shop to discover that all the units don't work in most commercial buildings.

Thanks

Reply to
Trader

I just got my bf a car starter for xmas on dec 3rd (early gift

anyway.....so now the stupid thing is just starting on its own EVE WHEN THE REMOTE IS SITTING ON A TABLE!! We dont even touch the remot and it just starts!!!! sucks because now we dont know if its going t start in the middle of the night or not grrrrrr[flame

- marebon

----------------------------------------------------------------------- Posted via RealCarAudio.com - The checkmate of the caraudio community

formatting link
's Profile:
formatting link
this thread:
formatting link

Reply to
marebonn

Some of the newer, more expensive, remote starters have an automatic start setting. It starts the car at set intervals, runs it for a period of time and shuts it off. Perhaps you, or someone else, inadvertantly set it that way? If so, read the instructions for shutting off the auto start.

Another possible cause is that someone in the neighborhood got a new remote starter for Christmas and it is using the same frequency as yours.

formatting link

Reply to
Bill Schnakenberg

What brand?

My audiovox (I love this thing BTW) has a programmable remote start feature but you have to set it daily.

Reply to
iBuyMinis.Us

I don't remember the brand. I was websurfing for a remote for my wife's 2000 Maxima for Christmas, and I read a ton of information on different brands and models. I couldn't see a use for the programmable autostart for her, so I just dismissed it. I sent the car off to a local installer and had them put a basic remote starter in it. It's a Crimestopper.

Reply to
Bill Schnakenberg

I hope you don't have a garage. There was a story recently about some fatalities from a family with a remote start vehicle that accidentally started in the garage. Someone bumped the start button and it started in a closed garage. Supposedly several family members died from CO poisoning. I don't know if it's true, but I'd worry if I had that setup.

Reply to
Bob

There's no room in either bay of my two car garage for any vehicles, other than the motorcycle and the tractor with the snowblower. Who uses a garage to park vehicles in?

Reply to
Bill Schnakenberg

I have all 3 vehicles in my garage. That's what I specifically built it for though.

Reply to
WindsorFox[SS]

Yeah, that's what I thought I built mine for too.

Reply to
Bill Schnakenberg

Old Wives tale. It takes a quick dual press of an indented button on the side of my remote to start the car. And it shuts off after 10 minutes anyways.

In any case I never park my car inside the garage but in my driveway/rv parking - shrug. I've got my other toys in there.

Reply to
iBuyMinis.Us

I don't doubt it. I was unable to confirm it either way.

Here I'll disagree with you. A scan of newsgroups will find more than a few folks who've accidentally remote started their cars. Not all remote units are created equal.

Reply to
Bob

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.