Remote car starters

howie777

OK, I swear I posted this last night but I don't see it anywhere.

I'm looking at putting a remote start in a 2005 Nissan Altima. I want to end up with only needing 1 key fob and if possible a 2 way system so I can tell if my car started or not. Can I get any recommeded brands? It looks like you may have to have them professionally installed or you invalidate the warrenty so I'd probably won't do the install myself. BB/CC both have python/viper, and another local company has Python and Scytek. Scytek looks like a nice brand but I've never heard of them.

I really just need the remote start, not looking for an alarm as well but might consider it if that is the only way I'm getting 2 way key fobs. It would also be nice to roll my windows down via the key fob as well (my stock fobs do this and it really helps cool the car down in the summer.

Howie

exalted512

We have remote starts/keyless entry that are $239 at the shop i work at. It doesnt have the 2-way pager though. The cheapest one we have with a 2-way pager is $450 and is also an alarm. To do window roll down, youll need an extra module, specifically the DEI 530T. It only does 2 windows though, so if you want the rear windows to roll down as well youll need another module.

Ive never heard of scytek, so i cant comment there. I do know however that you can have the best brand in the world and if its not installed well, it wont be worth a ****. I would recommend staying away from best buy/cc at all costs. Go to your local shop and ask if they use 't=taps'. If they say yes, or occasionally, or anything like that, stay away. t-taps are the devil and damn near 100% sure way of having problems later on down the road, whether it be a month or a couple years. Solder is the only way to go.

Either way, after you get it done, look under the dash. Make sure everything looks good from what you can tell. If you got an alarm, make sure you cant see any of the wires and make double sure you cant see any fuses. Those cars are actually pretty easy to do remote start on. The window roll-up can be a little confusing though.
-Cody

Thom

T- tpas aren't that bad, as long as you're not tapping a wire that's too large for the tap. Scotch locks, on the other hand, shouldn't be sold. I wouldn't trust them for anything....

exalted512

Thom wrote:

T- tpas aren't that bad, as long as you're not tapping a wire that's too large for the tap. Scotch locks, on the other hand, shouldn't be sold. I wouldn't trust them for anything....

solder is about 5 billion times better than t-taps. Even if its right size wire, it still cuts some of the wire. If you tag something small like some of the doorlock and parking light wires with them, it can eventually cut through em. Then you can get a ticket for nonfunctional turn signals and parking lamps. Thats always fun.
-Cody

Thom

Solder's better, I'm not arguing that. I'm just saying that in all my t- tapping I've never seen one fail. Even now with all the time in the world to do installs right, I hate soldering upside down under a dash.

MacLeod

Wuss! A little hot solder in the eye puts hair on your chest!

exalted512

theives love t-taps...speaking of which, when are you getting an alarm mac? I think that should be more of a priority than your eq
-Cody

MacLeod

The EQ is my biggest priority right now. Especially next year when I move up to the tougher classes where a good EQ is pretty much mandatory. There is only so much you can do with a 5 band PEQ. Im at the point now that if I try to fix one thing, it messes up another. Plus I really need the seperate left and right EQ to balance out things since Im so close to the left speakers.

My system is pretty much invisible except for the tweets in the A pillars. I usually detatch my faceplate and I use the good old The Club so hopefully that will make would be theives move on to something else.

I do have a PolkMomo sticker on my back window but most thugs dont have a clue what that is (youd be suprised how many times Ive been asked "what is a Polk-Mama?") and those that do know are probably fellow enthusiasts and less likely to rip me off.

Thom

Yeah, I'd say an alarm is more important than an EQ, too. You plan on going to NOPI for Finals? That's the type of place where you especially have to watch out. Large numbers of cars with aftermarket equipment and stereos, many without basic protection.

One of our cars was broken into at a hotel recently- they popped the hood, disconnected (only one of two) the horn, and started yanking fuses and smashed the siren. I guess once it was quite they smashed a window to get whatever they wanted inside, but thanks to the two way transmitter our guy woke up and went tearing into the parking lot half dressed. Thankfully they didn't have time to get anything...

Beyond a basic two way alarm I'd recommend multiple exterior sirens, horn honk, interior siren(s), and maybe a flamethrower like this guy wants now.

1996blackmax

Good info here guys . I will definately ask about the soldering Cody, and Thom you just made up my mind about which alarm to go with .

exalted512

if you guys want to do it yourself, you can buy the alarm online and ship it to me. I can prep it for you and give you detailed instructions on how to install it including what color wire on your alarm goes to what color what on your car and where to find it and then ill ship it back to you.
-Cody

MacLeod

I want pain generators!! Thats the ONLY way to have mobile security!!

I definitely agree an alarm is very important and an EQ wont do much good if all your stuff gets stolen, but I still want an EQ. There are so many things I want to do but cant cause I dont have the EQ I need. Very frustrating!!!

I may go to the Sunday show at Nopi. Ive got a MECA show on the 16th so I wont be there on Saturday. That is if I can get in. Supposed to be over 75,000 people there!

1996blackmax

exalted512 wrote:

if you guys want to do it yourself, you can buy the alarm online and ship it to me. I can prep it for you and give you detailed instructions on how to install it including what color wire on your alarm goes to what color what on your car and where to find it and then ill ship it back to you.
-Cody

That is very cool Cody. The only thing is that as I get older I want to do less and less work on my car . When my son and I went to the audio shop on Saturday I even asked how much they would charge me to put my system in the car :eek: . I have decided to do the install myself, eventhough I totally trust this audio shop. I have seen them working on different cars and was always impressed with their work. One of their cars was inside the store when we went there this weekend. It is actually in one of my Car Audio & Electronics magazines. It is an orange Mini Cooper. I will use that money for them to install monitors in my headrest instead. I did not mind cutting into the headrest on my other car as those were easy to find at the junkyard, but I do not want to screw up the leather ones (harder to find and more expensive). I will probably have them make me a box under my rear deck (my thread with an example http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=43152 ) for a nice 8" subwoofer, probably a Sounsplinter RL-i8, as well as install my alarm (Viper 791XV). Too bad you don't live over here, I would just take it to your job and have you install it

Thom

I highly recommend a fine DEI product, like Viper or Python, when shopping for a two way alarm/ remote start. We've used these on our Polk vehicles for years.

MacLeod

Thom wrote:

I highly recommend a fine DEI product, like Viper or Python, when shopping for a two way alarm/ remote start. We've used these on our Polk vehicles for years.

You pulling our legs? The little smiley makes me suspicious.

Vipers are the brand my favorite shop carries and thats what I was going to go with eventually.

**Edit**

Nevermind, I just read this http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=43620

Now Im going to get drunk.

howie777

Can you buy alarms/remote starts online and still have a warrenty? Any recommendations on where to buy one online? I'd definatly prefer to do the install myself, but may not due to being to busy with work/school.

Thanks,

Howie

MacLeod

Im sure there are places you can buy em online but theyre not like they used to be in terms of the typical shadetree installer having a chance in hell of installing them especially if youve got a newer model car.

exalted512

MacLeod wrote:

Nevermind, I just read this http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=43620

Now Im going to get drunk.

i dont see ANYTHING good coming from this...i have a sick feeling in my stomach now...

As far as buying alarms online, you can. Ebay for one sales em. I dont know who else but you can google the alarm youre wanting and find it that way.

I had a marksman in my truck. Its made by magnadyne. Basically a DEI product though. Most of the wiring is the same but I would put them on par with Viper, better than python...at a lower price.

God I hope Polk is going to stay the same...
-Cody

Thom

MacLeod wrote:

You pulling our legs? The little smiley makes me suspicious.

Vipers are the brand my favorite shop carries and thats what I was going to go with eventually.

**Edit**

Nevermind, I just read this http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=43620

Now Im going to get drunk.

We've really been using them for years.

I just put the smiley in for the not- so- subtle plug...

Thom

howie777 wrote:

Can you buy alarms/remote starts online and still have a warrenty? Any recommendations on where to buy one online? I'd definatly prefer to do the install myself, but may not due to being to busy with work/school.

Thanks,

Howie

The only problem I could see you having is if there's something wrong with the unit you'll have a problem getting it swapped, depending on the seller. We see a bad remote every so often, and they're something like $75 from the local distributor. So if you had to eat that cost that'd hurt. I would imagine whoever is selling alarms to first time installers sees quite a few install errors so they might not want to warranty anything. You really should get someone who knows what they're doing to install it- the first time you pull all those bundles of wire out of the box it's scary... :eek:

MacLeod

Most retailers nowadays wont even sell an alarm to an individual! About 5 years ago I talked one shop into selling me an Excalibur alarm over the counter and installed it myself on my 2000 Ram and the ignition kill relay didnt work. I called them up to see if I could get a replacement relay and they told me "tough titties!" even though I just bought it like 5 hours previous! So even if they do sell you one, you void the warranty by installing it yourself.

1996blackmax

Having a warranty is a good thing in my book...

exalted512

1996blackmax wrote:

Having a warranty is a good thing in my book...

overrated:p
-Cody

Toxis

I love my clifford and will look at no other alarm personally.

MacLeod

exalted512 wrote:

overrated:p
-Cody

Yeah, when you work for a shop and can buy them for like $20!

Thom

Clifford is DEI, too. They've got the hot fake carbon transmitters...

exalted512

our cost on a clifford rsx3.5 is by no means cheap...
-Cody