Every remote starter we list carries a few short notes describing how it fits your vehicle and what the install involves. Here's what each of those terms means.
The solution includes a wire harness that plugs into your vehicle's existing connectors, so most of the work is done for you. Some splicing is still needed on most vehicles.
If a solution says Not Plug and Play, it connects entirely by splicing into the factory wiring. That isn't a fault — on plenty of vehicles no plug-and-play harness exists, and the hardwired module is the only route. Our installation price is the same either way.
You start the car by pressing lock three times on your factory key fob, so there's nothing extra to carry on your keyring.
The catch is range. A factory fob reaches 150 to 500 feet at best, and that's line of sight. If you want to start the car from inside a building or across a parking lot, add an aftermarket remote kit or smartphone app control.
Your vehicle can't use the factory fob to trigger the remote starter. You'll need an aftermarket remote kit or app control to use the system at all, so budget for that on top of the module.
We'd rather tell you this before you order than after.
Our own assessment of how hard each solution is to fit, on a scale of 1 to 5. We've done the research on each vehicle so you can judge whether to attempt it yourself.
A 1 or 2 is realistic for someone comfortable with vehicle wiring. A 4 or 5 we'd recommend having done — usually because of what has to come apart to reach the connectors.
A two-stage programming process used by Fortin. Completing the installation requires a Fortin FLASHLINK programming tool, which is not included with the remote starter.
If you don't have one, this solution needs an installer.
A two-stage programming process used by iDatastart and Compustar. Completing the installation requires an iDatalink ADS-USB programming tool, which is not included with the remote starter.
If you don't have one, this solution needs an installer.
Takeover means you can get into the vehicle and drive away while the remote starter is running, without the engine shutting off. Where a solution says takeover is not supported, the engine stops when a door is opened and you restart it with the key as normal.
Call us on 647-439-4485 with your year, make and model. We fit these every day and we'll tell you honestly whether it's a job worth doing yourself.
