I have the ford factory auto start.(came with the truck)Problem is it only works from about 30 feet away.About as far as the door unlock button will work.. Obviously this is just about useless to me since when Im working my truck is atleast 80 ft away.. Other guys in the firehouse (work) laugh as they sit at the kitchen table and start their trucks.. Ive already changed the keyfob battery with a brand new one.Even checked voltage on it.Is there a antennae somewhere under the dash that could be the problem or is this all I can expect out of this.If so its useless to say the least.

 

Mine sucks too. What's really funny is if I do try to start it far away and it blinks that it's locked, then I try to push the button twice to start and it seems to never flash twice and start. I have to basically be close enough to touch it for it to work properly.

 

Yeah thats the other thing..I think you have to hit the lock button first and then hit the start button twice in a perfect sequence for it to work correctly..Any deviation or more time between the two pushes of the start button and it doesnt work..So even if it worked 100 feet away chances are the sequence wouldnt work correctly and it wouldnt start anyways.. Ill prolly end up getting another one installed..This guy at work starts his with his iphone..Jelouse

 

Mine works pretty good. I can't tell you how far a way it works but I can be in the house and start it when it is in the driveway, I have even started it when it has been up the hill maybe 150' to 200' away.

I wish I had a answer for you on the antenna question.

 

That's surprising as mine works from at least a couple hundred feet even while parked with other vehicles shielding clear sight line. It makes me wonder if the antenna in yours is wrapped in the middle of a wire bundle and needs to be moved. Unfortunately I don't have Ford's wiring info books (thick binders)

 

Same here it works great! I can start mine from inside the house...... My truck sits on the side of my home I can stand in my kitchen and it will start. That's probably 40 feet away and it's going through a few rooms.

Last night the wife and I did dinner and a movie..... The theater is at the mall...... When we left it was late and as we walked out to the parking lot I was curious to see if the remote start would work. We were directly in front of it in a flat parking lot and it started........ I was shocked as we were about 500 feet from the truck!

 

Rob, mine behaves in the same manner as yours. I wish I could get more range as well.

 

I can start mine from my office with the truck about 150 feet away (just a WAG on the distance). Sometimes I do have to go to the closest window to the truck which is about 20 feet closer than my desk.

There have been times when it doesn't start from 50 feet away.

The one I had in my '12 Expedition claimed to work from 1000 feet which I believe to be a bit inflated.

 

Ok,looks like it can work from a long distance..Ill have to try and find the antannae without breaking my back looking under the dash or first I guess ill try to find it in a wiring diagram.. Would love to get this to work without buying a new starter.

 

I saw this on Ford's Accessory website and had hoped that it was an "upgrade" to the short distance needed to remote start our trucks. I believe on the earlier models the antenna was mounted at the top of the windshield. Starting sometime after the 2011 or 2012 model year I heard they relocated the antenna to the center console? The distance needed to remote start my '14 is considerable shorter than my '11.

Remote Start - RFR Antenna Kit Vehicle Security System - Upgradeable, Remote Start RFR Antenna Kit
Part No: DA8Z-15603-A
- See more at: Remote Start - RFR Antenna Kit Vehicle Security System - Upgradeable, Remote Start RFR Antenna Kit | The Official Site for Ford Custom Accessories

 

My 2015 remote start works from a long way away. Ford Factory nothing special.

And Ford has an iPhone/Android app that will remote start it from your phone. BUT you have to buy a module and install it.

I have remote started and unlocked my wife's car from 5200 miles away using an APP...

 

Mine works but u have to see it to make sure it is on as it doesn't always catch. The aftermarket i had on my previous chev was way better that the OEM. I hate going out and finding it never started up to warm up.

 

I admit that I liked the two-way remote on my Excursion better than the factory - it gave you feedback telling you the truck was running and whether the doors were unlocked or not. I could also set the truck to auto start in the inside reached a certain temperature OR if I wanted it to auto start at a certain time of the day...

Since mine has a remote start, no reason for me to add that onto to it. My 2011 had the same range too - forgot to put that in.

 

Don't know if changing the antenna location has anything to do with it....... My 2012 had the same range my '15 has its a very long........as I stated last night it worked at roughly 500'

 

Mine works great too! I added mine to my truck since it didn't come with it. don't know what the maximum range in a straight line is, but Mine is definitely at least 50 YARDS.