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...
Does Toyota offer remote starting as standard?
The Smart Key fob in your car can be used to start and stop your engine with Toyota’s remote start system. In order to ensure that your car’s interior is at the perfect temperature when you get in and drive to your next location, this feature also lets you turn on the air conditioner, heater, and defroster.
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.
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.
Is a warranty invalidated if a remote start is Plug n Play?
Briefly, NO. Customers likely have the greatest misconceptions and incorrect information about this issue, making it the most frequently asked topic about remote auto starters. The short answer is no, your warranty will not be voided if you have a remote car starter. The Consumer Protection Act makes it legal for you to put gadgets like remote starters in your car. It is important to make sure that the equipment you select and the installation are of a caliber that eliminates warranty issues. The best course of action is to pick a reliable remote start system manufacturer and have a skilled authorized dealer install it. They have the necessary training to operate those systems, and a reputable manufacturer will offer assistance to both you and the installing dealer (us) if any issues or challenges arise. In fact, even if remote starters weren’t factory installed in the car, many dealers will utilize the same devices and frequently have a professional like us install them when the customer buys the car.
Does the remote start on my Toyota cost money?
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.
Do Toyotas from 2021 feature remote starting?
Toyota has removed the remote start buttons from its physical key fobs, so owners who wish to start their cars remotely will have to pay. The feature will no longer be part of the actual car key as the automaker transitions to digital services and a subscription-based approach, the manufacturer informed Roadshow on Wednesday.
Here is how it works. The remote start technology will operate for three years during a “trial period” for automobiles made in 2018 to 2020 that have it on the key fob. The button is present on the owner’s fob, however after three years it will no longer operate. Owners must search the brand’s Connected Services for Remote Connect in order to regain the remote start feature. The cost, which also includes a plethora of additional digital features accessible through the Toyota smartphone app, is $80 per year or $8 per month.
The remote start functionality on a key fob won’t be available on any new Toyota vehicles. Key fob remote start is not a function we actively market as we transition to more digital interactions through the Toyota app, the business stated. Owners of specific automobiles from the 2020 model year and newer enjoy a 10-year trial for connected services. In other words, since owners receive more than a decade of free use, there’s a strong chance they won’t need to fork over the cash to use remote start. However, it will eventually become permanently invalid and call for a Remote Connect subscription.
Toyota stated, “We routinely incorporate feedback from customers to ensure we’re giving features that are beneficial and enrich their ownership experiences,” despite the fact that it is a controversial move in an era where manufacturers continue to seek revenue streams via subscriptions.
How long can an automobile be operated remotely?
Using the remote keyless entry (RKE) transmitter, the remote vehicle start feature enables you to start your automobile from outside of it. Your engine will run for 10 minutes after you utilize the remote vehicle start, or until you begin moving. On the other hand, you can add another 10 minutes to the engine’s runtime:
1. On the RKE transmitter, press the unlock button.
2. For at least two seconds, press and hold the remote car start button on the RKE transmitter. To show that the remote vehicle start has been extended, the turn signals will blink.
Instead of going back to 10, the run time is extended by 10 minutes when using a remote vehicle start. For instance, if the engine has been running for five minutes after the initial remote vehicle start, the extension will cause the engine to continue for an additional fifteen minutes.
How long does a Toyota’s remote start function?
After I turn on Remote Start, how long will my Toyota engine run? Your Toyota will idle for approximately 10 minutes after remote start is turned on before shutting down on its own.
Can a remote starter that is aftermarket damage your electrical system?
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.