Remote start install
Elder User
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 764
Likes: 1
From: Gulfport/Biloxi, MS
I would NEVER let a ford dealer install one if that is what you asking.... If you must ask the question then I would say the install would be something you wouldnt want to tackle yourself. Anywhere between 30 and 60 wires on a remote start and it take someone who knows what they are doing. Try and find a good car audio shop.
Elder User
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 764
Likes: 1
From: Gulfport/Biloxi, MS
Where are you located?
Posting Guru
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,543
Likes: 0
I put an aftermarket remote start in one of my hot rods last year, and by the time you add up all the lights, locks, relays, and other things there are about 60 wires. I install and work on a/c systems and I had a time with it, get a professional if you don't know what you are doing.
Elder User
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 668
Likes: 6
From: Northfield, MI
I don't really mind, their screwups put money in my pocket and after an hour or two of labor to fix their wire nuts, scotch locks, and PATS programming, they come back to pick the car up for their customer. I wonder how they explain to them that they had to tow their vehicle somewhere else to fix it?
Anyways, I guess my point is wherever you go for a remote start, make sure you talk to people that have had work done at that store and get some references. You definitely want to avoid the "$99 installed" type of places. Go for a good name brand like Viper, Code Alarm, etc.
Jay
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Senior User
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 160
Likes: 0
I have had remote starts on my last 5-6 trucks the first two were installed by car audio places, when they started screwing up the dealer told me to get lost, not their problem.
After that they have been dealer installed, and when they screw up " and they will", I go back to the dealer they start to tell me not their problem, then I say wrong again, dealer install, and then they have to fix it, well worth the extra to get it installed in my book.
After that they have been dealer installed, and when they screw up " and they will", I go back to the dealer they start to tell me not their problem, then I say wrong again, dealer install, and then they have to fix it, well worth the extra to get it installed in my book.
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Elder User
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 764
Likes: 1
From: Gulfport/Biloxi, MS
LOL. Every month we get two or three cars towed in to the dealership because some "car audio" hacks try to install remote starts or alarms without a clue how the factory systems work. Best Buy is usually the worst, but there is another in the area that gives us a lot of business
I don't really mind, their screwups put money in my pocket and after an hour or two of labor to fix their wire nuts, scotch locks, and PATS programming, they come back to pick the car up for their customer. I wonder how they explain to them that they had to tow their vehicle somewhere else to fix it?
Anyways, I guess my point is wherever you go for a remote start, make sure you talk to people that have had work done at that store and get some references. You definitely want to avoid the "$99 installed" type of places. Go for a good name brand like Viper, Code Alarm, etc.
Jay
I don't really mind, their screwups put money in my pocket and after an hour or two of labor to fix their wire nuts, scotch locks, and PATS programming, they come back to pick the car up for their customer. I wonder how they explain to them that they had to tow their vehicle somewhere else to fix it?
Anyways, I guess my point is wherever you go for a remote start, make sure you talk to people that have had work done at that store and get some references. You definitely want to avoid the "$99 installed" type of places. Go for a good name brand like Viper, Code Alarm, etc.
Jay
Elder User
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 668
Likes: 6
From: Northfield, MI
I didn't know that Code Alarm had gone that far downhill. I withdraw my recommendation 
The ones they build for Ford seem to work good, my apprentice does the installs at my dealership and he doesn't see many come back with problems, but maybe they're made differently. He only does a half dozen or so a week, and that may have something to do with it.
I guess my revised advice to the OP is that the person doing the install is more important than the name on the building, hence, check references.
Jay
The ones they build for Ford seem to work good, my apprentice does the installs at my dealership and he doesn't see many come back with problems, but maybe they're made differently. He only does a half dozen or so a week, and that may have something to do with it.I guess my revised advice to the OP is that the person doing the install is more important than the name on the building, hence, check references.
Jay
Elder User
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 764
Likes: 1
From: Gulfport/Biloxi, MS
I didn't know that Code Alarm had gone that far downhill. I withdraw my recommendation The ones they build for Ford seem to work good, my apprentice does the installs at my dealership and he doesn't see many come back with problems, but maybe they're made differently. He only does a half dozen or so a week, and that may have something to do with it.
I guess my revised advice to the OP is that the person doing the install is more important than the name on the building, hence, check references.
Jay
The ones they build for Ford seem to work good, my apprentice does the installs at my dealership and he doesn't see many come back with problems, but maybe they're made differently. He only does a half dozen or so a week, and that may have something to do with it.I guess my revised advice to the OP is that the person doing the install is more important than the name on the building, hence, check references.
Jay
Logistics Pro
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 3,881
Likes: 84
From: Wake Forest, NC
I know what I'm doing and had someone that does this regularly do it last time and I was happy to pay for it. I've installed a couple and dealing with them regularly makes all the difference. He was done in the amount of time it would have taken me to read the directions and find the wires.
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