Choosing a Remote Starter

Remote starters are becoming a necessity in todays ever changing climates. Why would you not want one? It does the dirty work for you. Cooling and heating your vehicle while your still inside. Sounds easy, but how do you shop for one? You have to measure which features you need and do not need as well as installtion planning.

Selecting Features

Remote car starters come in a multitude of ranges with an endless amount of features. You must determine what it is that you want the vehicle to do. Basic items on a remote starter would be parking light flash, keyless entry and factory alarm arm / disarm. Other features include relays on-board for ignition and accessory, starter disable outputs and extra channels.

Parking Light Flash: Parking light output is a great feature to have in a remote starter. When the vehicle is started by remote, your parking light will either flash or stay on constant for confirmation to the owner that the vehicle has been successfully started.

Keyless Entry Support: This feature will lock and unlock the doors by the press of a button. This feature is also very nice as it will make sure your doors are locked while the vehicle is running. This will keep honest people honest.

Factory Alarm Arm / Disarm: If your vehicle has a factory installed alarm system, this is a must. These are output wires trigger the factory alarm system in your vehicle under remote start and keyless entry conditions so it will not interfere with the remote starter.

On-Board Relays: On-Board relays simplify your install by keeping you from wiring relay sockets to your vehicle wiring harness. Typical units have a relay onboard for ignition, accessory, parking lights and door locks.

Anti Grind Features: Anti-Grind is an essential saftey feature for your remote starter. This feature checks voltage in the vehicle to make sure the vehicle is not cranking while it is started. A unit lacking this feature could possible damage your starter if the crank time is off.

Remote car starters can provide years and years of comfort and convience. Choosing the right unit is a daunting task due to the size of the market. Using the above refrenced guidelines, you are sure to get a reliable unit for your dollar. For information on planning an installation, plese visit "Planning an Install".