Remote Starter Terms Explained

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.

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.

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. To start the car from inside a building or across a parking lot, add an aftermarket remote kit or smartphone app control.

Shown as 3xLock Start not supported. Your vehicle can't use the factory fob to trigger the remote starter, so you'll need an aftermarket remote kit or app control to use the system at all. Budget for that on top of the module.

We'd rather tell you this before you order than after.

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.

A two-stage programming process used by Fortin. It exists so you don't have to sacrifice a key: rather than permanently giving up a spare, the module is programmed to work with the keys you already have.

Completing the installation requires a Fortin FLASHLINK programming tool, which is not included with the remote starter. We stock the FLASHLINK Updater for a Windows PC and the FLASHLINK Mobile for phone-based flashing.

If you don't have one, this solution needs an installer. We pre-program modules before they ship on most vehicles, so if you're buying from us this often isn't a problem at all.

A two-stage programming process used by iDatastart and Compustar, and the direct equivalent of Fortin's DECRYPTOR. KLON creates firmware unique to your vehicle using one of your existing OEM keys, which means no key sacrifice, no replacement keys and no dealer visit. On a modern vehicle where a spare key can run several hundred dollars, that's the whole point of it.

Completing the installation requires an iDatalink ADS-USB programming tool, which is not included with the remote starter. There is no alternative method. We stock the ADS-USB, the lower-cost ADS-USB-ECO and the ADS-USB-HUB, which adds a built-in key reader and Mac support.

If you don't have one, this solution needs an installer. We pre-program modules before they ship on most vehicles, so if you're buying from us this often isn't a problem at all.

The solution needs one of your working keys to be permanently mounted inside the vehicle, where it satisfies the factory immobilizer during a remote start. That key is given up for the life of the install, so if you only have two, budget for cutting a spare.

Where a data bypass or a KLON or DECRYPTOR process is available for your vehicle, it's usually the better route, because you keep all your keys.

This one appears on Mercedes-Benz solutions. As well as the key sacrifice described above, the vehicle's Electronic Ignition Switch has to be physically modified before the remote starter will work.

This is not a job to attempt yourself. The modification is delicate, and getting it wrong can brick the vehicle. The car will not start, and recovering from that is expensive. For that reason the work is handled by a specialist rather than done in the bay.

If you're buying a solution that needs it, add our EIS jumper installation service to your order and we'll arrange it. Mercedes is one of the hardest vehicles to fit a remote starter to, which is why these solutions exist at all when the mainstream brands don't cover it.

Push-button start, warranty, install time and more are answered in our Remote Starter FAQ.