Anyone have any positive (or negative) information or recommendations re: remote start installations or brands? With the cold weather approaching I'd like to be able to get into a pre-warmed truck this winter. Thanks in advance!

 

Works great, new engines dont like to be idled for long though. Thats the only drawback i suppose.

 

I need it for the opposite. It's too hot in South Florida so I need the A/C kicking before I get in that puppy.

 

When you say new engines, do mean ones that have not been broken in or as in new modern day engines?

 

I have had both AstroStart and Compustar. The Compustar is more versitile, you can add antennas to legnthen the range, a little better programming than the AstroStart. However downfalls are the remote, you have to be gentle with it, and if you have to get a new remote, you must buy the whole thing, and the price, Compustar is high dollar. AstroStart is the one that I perfer, the price is good, the remotes are durable, plus if you damage the case, you can just replace the case for $20 not the whole remote. They have a wide variety of programming options. Downfalls, the range is good but not like Compustar and often the sensor for the remote gets dirty and you have to clean it, not a big deal, but you will notice significant range decline when it is dirty.

Note: It took the installers 15.5 hours to install my AstroStart, if you plan to purchase one that has the build in alarm, you may want to consider this. The remote start was done in like 3 hours, the other time was spent trying to find the wire for the door pins on the alarm.

 

I have always wanted one but I am pretty sure you have to bypass the pats security system to make it work. this makes your truck vulnerable to theft. if I am wrong on this, I am sure someone will correct me.

 

No you do not have to bypass the pats, they install a blank key, actually its a computer chip, that will allow the vehicle to be started remotly, you still need an active pats key to drive the vehicle.

 

so explain to me how this works. if a key is hidden in the vehicle this makes the pats system think there is a key in the ignition. therfore if the pats system thinks the key is in the vehicle and wont disable the engine therfore effectively bypassing the pats system. if I am missing something let me know. thanks

 

Sorry my fault I was thinking of mine, which has a built in alarm, so the pats system is worthless to me. So essentially, yes the system is bypassed in a normal auto start. On mine, the pats light still blinks when it is started remotly, which would mean that it is still engauged. Once I put the key in the light goes off. I want to say that it only disables the pats system to start the vehicle, then reactivates it. Sorry if this is doesnt make any sense. Here we go. When you vehicle is started by remote the pats system is disabled, to put the vehicle in drive you must step on the brake. When you step on the brake the engine should die, this is a feature of most autostarts not purchased at walmart. So you would need a key to drive the vehicle.

 

well from what I read in the owners manual if the light is blinking the system is active. I guess I just don't understand how it works. I thought if it was active it would keep the engine from starting.

 

I love my remote start system!

 

The PATS bypass systems that use the collar around the ignition switch only bypass the security long enough to start the vehicle.

You still have to use a chipped key to drive the remote started vehicle.

Open the door, put your key in the ignition, turn it 2 notches to 'on', and the remote start system is deactivated, but the truck continues to run. Doh!

 

Just don't push your key to the start position!

. . . I won't lie, I've done it once or twice. My truck is too damn quiet! :o

 

yeah jasonkola, you're reading WAY to into this. Like everyone is saying, when you hook up a remote start system, you also install the PATS "bypass" kit as well. The remote start system temporarly "bypasses" the factory PATS system in order to start the truck.

 

If I remember correct, I think that I have read were some people have had to wrap something around the ignition switch for it to work. The by pass module that I have says nothing about this in the instructions.