Q. I would like to have a remote car starter installed that I received for Christmas. My new car’s guarantee could be voided, the dealer warned me, if they are not the installers and I do not use factory parts. They informed me that the car’s push-button starter made this possible. Is this a fact?
A. No, the warranty of any vehicle, including those that employ proximity keys and push-button starters, will not be voided provided the remote starter system is fitted correctly. In actuality, many remote starts installed by dealers are aftermarket brands rather than ones made by the car’s maker. The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act protects consumers by prohibiting firms from voiding your warranty or denying coverage under the warranty just because you utilized an aftermarket part, so long as the aftermarket part was installed properly.
Q. I may not be taking my car (a 2008 Honda Civic EX) with me when I travel out of state for work for more than three months. What must be done to get the car ready for long-term storage if I don’t take it with me? What maintenance procedures would you recommend if I could find someone to watch the car?
The best response is to let someone else operate the vehicle. It would be ideal if someone could operate the vehicle for 20 minutes every two to three weeks. By doing so, you exercise the entire vehicle in addition to maintaining the battery’s charge. At the very least, properly inflated tires, full tanks of fuel, and fuel stabilizer should be done if that doesn’t work. If it were my car, I would get the oil changed and have a mechanic give the vehicle a brief inspection when you come back in three months because the battery could need to be recharged.
A. I drive a 2007 Honda Element, and I’ve noticed that one of the headlamps can occasionally develop moisture inside the plastic lens cover. This will dry out during the summer, but the moisture is present the rest of the year, and I assume this is reducing the lamp’s efficiency. What should I do in order to fix the issue?
A. Having moisture build up in the headlamp assembly will undoubtedly distort the light pattern and reduce the lighting’s efficacy. At this point, dry off the headlight assembly and carefully remove the bulb. There are two potential entry points for moisture into the assembly. The headlight reflector is the first, and the headlight lenses are the second, where the bulb attaches to the headlight assembly. A gasket or seal on some lenses dries up over time. In some circumstances, you can simply clean the lens’s edge and reseal it with some clear silicone. In some circumstances, it may be possible to separate and then re-gasket some headlamps in order to stop further leaks.
In This Article...
Invalidate warranties aftermarket remote starters?
It most certainly does not. The Magnuson-Moss Guarantee Act of 1974, a federal law that protects consumers, states that a manufacturer cannot invalidate a customer’s warranty unless the part results in a malfunction of the condition in question. For instance, the manufacturer would not be liable for the repair if U-Haul installed a trailer hitch on your car and wired the component into the brake lights, causing them to malfunction. However, the manufacturer is required to respect the vehicle warranty if you have a remote start fitted and a separate component breaks.
Toyota is able to add remote starting.
The purpose of this is to protect the driver and anybody else nearby from harm. The device shuts off when it notices an attempt to get inside or move the car.
Can you add a Toyota remote engine starter to your vehicle?
Fortunately, even if your model didn’t come with one, many Toyota models have an optional remote engine starter. To find out if your Toyota is suitable, feel free to get in touch with our staff at Toyota Vacaville or your nearby Toyota dealer.
Myth #1. Remote starters increase engine wear and tear.
This is a typical misunderstanding of remote starters. It’s not accurate, and it’s unknown why individuals are led to believe this. The general opinion among mechanics is that remote starts are beneficial for your engine, particularly for those who have turbocharged or diesel motors.
Because they warm up the engine before usage, remote starters are beneficial for your vehicle’s engine. The oil in your car thickens in cold weather. The viscosity of the oils is increased during engine warming to ensure proper circulation. Thus, preheating your engine makes your drivetrain last longer.
Myth #2. Remote starters waste a ton of gas.
It makes sense that we’d all want to use as little gas as possible. If you’re not careful, the cost of gas can seriously cut into your monthly budget. However, some who believe remote starts use a lot of gas are misinformed.
Most cars only require 3-5 minutes to warm up, using less than 0.015 gallons of fuel on average for each remote start. This indicates that a single gallon of gas will power 75 remote starts. You no longer have to scrape ice off your car in the winter or risk burning your hands on a hot steering wheel in the summer thanks to four dollars for 75 remote starts. A remote starter’s advantages (time savings and improved comfort) far outweigh its cost.
Myth #3. I will lose a key if I get a remote starter.
For their systems to function, several remote starter manufacturers demand that you hand up one of your car keys when the device is installed. They need a key since a method of integrating the remote starter with the current car security system has not been created. The average vehicle key costs $200, so you might as well factor that into the price of your installation. If you misplace a key, you probably won’t have a backup key for emergencies. Yikes.
Myth #4. Adding a remote starter will void my new car warranty
Auto dealers are to blame for spreading this fallacy. Though we share your apprehension, this is utterly untrue. The Magnuson Moss Act, a small piece of legislation, forbids automakers from acting in this manner.
The use of any good or service recognized by a brand, trade name, or company name cannot be a condition of any warranty, whether expressed or implied, according to this federal law. There is therefore no justification to put off purchasing the remote starter of your desires.
How many times can a Toyota be started remotely?
Any vehicle that has its engine started remotely can idle for up to 20 minutes. The vehicle can be remotely started as many times as you like for an additional 10 minutes before the automatic engine shutdown takes place after 10 minutes.
Compustar voids the warranty, right?
Over 90% of vehicles on the road, including manual-transmissions, diesels, some hybrids, and luxury models, are compatible with Compustar remote car starters. Additionally, installing our systems won’t void the manufacturer’s warranty on your car (Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, 1975).
What does a Toyota remote start cost?
On all new Toyotas, depending on the model, buyers receive a free trial of Toyota Remote Connect that lasts somewhere between three and ten years. The service has an after-trial price of either $8 per month or $80 per year.
Toyota charges for remote starting, right?
Drivers must pay $8 per month or $80 annually to continue registered in Toyota Connected Services once the free trial has expired. You may already be a part of this initiative if you bought a new Toyota in 2018 without even realizing it. Even the moderators flagged a recent Reddit discussion touting the program as “possibly deceptive” when it was posted.
Drivers may no longer have access to remote starting after the Toyota Connected Services trial expires, a Reddit user said. The carmaker acknowledged to The Drive that remote start will cost extra for owners. The feedback on Newsbreak reveals that many drivers are not overly thrilled with the change.
The Verge also notes that some drivers unintentionally learned about connected services. Why some vehicles’ remote starts would still function while theirs did not was a common query among users in a Toyota forum. This implies that Toyota won’t even let you know when your free trial is up.
Additionally, the fact that Toyota Connected Services and the duration of the trials are not mentioned in the dealership videos doesn’t help. Dealers simply state that while you have the Audio Plus package, remote start is still an option. That doesn’t apply to all Toyota vehicles, as we’ve learnt.
Can a remote starter made aftermarket deplete the battery?
The ability to remotely start your automobile by pushing a few buttons on your key fob without leaving your house seems like a win-win situation in theory. Remote starters do, however, have their critics, just like many other products that appear too wonderful to be true.
Starting a car remotely is seen negatively by some people, who think it puts undue strain on engines and others, who feel it can prematurely drain batteries. But how much of that is accurate? If so, do the negative consequences offset the ease that remote starters provide?
Are Remote Starters Bad for a Vehicle’s Engine?
On the subject of whether remote starting can harm an engine, there are two opposing viewpoints. The primary distinction comes down to whether you think that starting your car briefly before driving it in the winter is a good idea.
Allowing a vehicle to warm up seems like a smart move for driver comfort and vehicle performance in frigid locations with lengthy winter months. But other auto industry professionals think that pre-heating your automobile might really cause long-term engine damage and does more harm than good.
“According to Jake McKenzie of Auto Accessories Garage, utilizing a remote start to warm up your car in chilly weather might cause extra engine wear. ” When it’s chilly outside, your engine works the hardest, and driving it will warm it up the fastest. You significantly lengthen the warm-up period when you remote-start your car while you’re still getting ready for work. And over time, your engine may suffer harm from all of this needless pressure.
“Although remote car starters may have a bad reputation, Bryan Rodgers, owner of Rodgers Performance, noted that there is no concrete evidence to back up such assertions. ” Some may argue that continuously pre-heating your vehicle can cause your engine to experience some additional wear and tear. The oil in your engine is really given the opportunity to heat up, which makes your car operate more smoothly and puts less stress on the engine.
It’s crucial to remember that neither of these justifications is ultimately in favor of or against remote car starters. Whether or whether the concern concerning engine wear is justified, it derives from a discussion about how to start an automobile in general, not specifically how to start a car.
Avoid starting your automobile in the winter before you drive if you think it would harm the engine. However, there is no real difference between getting into your automobile and turning the key and doing the same thing remotely, at least not to the engine.
Are Remote Starters Bad for a Vehicle’s Battery?
The battery of a vehicle may be harmed by remote car starters, which is another criticism. This appears to be supported by dubious science and urban legends. When you start a car remotely, the procedure of engine ignition remains the same as when you start a car manually.
However, there is one situation in which a remote starter might unnecessarily drain your battery. If you wish to install an aftermarket remote starting since your car didn’t come with one, be aware that a poor installation could cause problems with your battery and electrical systems.
How difficult is it to install a starter that is aftermarket?”
If you have electrical experience, it’s as easy as following the instructions, according to Fix. “Have a professional install it if you don’t.
Does a remote start make sense?
Perhaps you’re envious of your friends and neighbors who can start their cars remotely on chilly winter mornings so they can be toasty and comfy for their morning commute because your car didn’t come with one. While you wait for the car to warm up or, in the summer, for it to cool down enough for you to grab the steering wheel, you are standing outside scraping the windows and shivering.
Fortunately, aftermarket remote starters are widely available and may fit almost any budget. Others include all the bells and whistles you might imagine, including key-less entry, trunk opening, 2-way LED displays that show whether the car is running, and so on. Some are quite basic.
To help you decide if it’s worthwhile to spend the money and effort of installing one, weigh the benefits and drawbacks of owning a remote starter before going down the remote starter rabbit hole.
Pros
The comfort and convenience that a remote start system provides is by far its greatest benefit. Regardless of the weather, you can start your car and have it ready to go as soon as you get in by having it warmed up or cooled down. You may accomplish all of this while remaining in the convenience of your home or workplace. In addition, many remote starter systems also let you unlock your car, which is convenient if it’s pouring or you need to get into your car fast in a dark parking lot and don’t want to fiddle with your keys.
If your system offers this feature, another benefit of a remote starter is the opportunity to check if your car is running or not using the 2-way remote. This is advantageous since you can easily restart the car if it stalls.
The fact that your car continues to run even when it is locked is a major benefit of a remote starting if you are concerned about someone taking your vehicle after you left the keys in the ignition to warm it up while you walked back inside the house. Alternatively, if you have to leave your pet in the car on a hot day while you dash inside the store. Your pet and your automobile will be secure if you use a remote starter to keep the car running while the air conditioner is on and the doors are locked.
Last but not least, a remote starting comes in handy when you have your hands full with the kids or the shopping. Many remote start systems allow you to unlock the car in addition to starting the car with the push of a button, so even if you have full hands, you can start the car and enter without too much hassle.
Even if it all sounds wonderful, there are some drawbacks to using a remote starter.
Cons
The price of an aftermarket remote starter is its main drawback. You could spend hundreds of dollars on the starter and the installation if you hire a pro, depending on the gadget and your familiarity with installing electronic devices. Additionally, the installation must be handled by a professional unless you have previous wiring skills.
If you already have a FOB or other device for your car’s doors and other features and you buy an aftermarket remote starter, you’ll have another gadget to tuck away in your pocket or purse.
The gasoline you waste warming up the car is yet another drawback of a remote starter. Although most individuals don’t give this element much thought, using your remote starting will result in you filling up your tank more than usual.
A remote starting should be avoided if you’re concerned about engine wear and tear. Your engine is put under additional stress when you frequently pre-heat and cool your car before you travel, which could reduce its lifespan. This is particularly problematic in the summer when your engine relies on the radiator fan to cool it rather than the air that is forced through it while you are driving.
The kind of car you drive is a further factor to take into account. The majority of automobiles have automatic transmissions, but there are still those that have manuals; in some cases, it is difficult or even impossible to get a remote starter to function on a manual transmission.
Last but not least, if you care about the environment, you should be aware of the additional pollution your car emits when you let it idle.
Although having a remote starting might be quite convenient, you should carefully consider your alternatives before investing in one.