When the temperatures fall, the sale of remote car starters goes up.
But before you buy one what do you need to know?
The experts say the installation is more important than the brand of starter you buy.
Scott Buehler with AutoTemp Air and Sound says cars are more complex today and it takes skill to connect starters into electronic computer systems.
“You have to be experienced in knowing the vehicles wiring, the integration for the factory key which has a chip in it, a lot of them have push starts now.
“Your tying into important vehicle computer and databus systems and we want to make sure when we are interfacing in the correct manner so as not to cause problems down the road”,
Installer experience is an important question to ask before buying a remote starter.
Especially how much experience do they have with your make and model of vehicle.
“How long have they been working on cars for. Do they have regular training. Do they keep up to date on modern vehicles and modern vehicle interfacing”, says David Derrick of Mobile Solutions Calgary.
Next, ask about the warranty.
Not just on the equipment but on the labour incase there’s a problem after the installation.
Ask how much time they book for an installation.
Shops we talked to block off a minimum of 4 hours.
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Prices for remote starters begin as low at $99 dollars but not all include installation.
The labour can be as much or more than the starter.
Most include keyless entry but as the price goes up you get more features, like trunk release or a run-time clock.
1 way starters have fewer features and less range.
2 way starters have digital on-screen display and ranges up to 1 kilometer.
You can even download an App to program a starter on your smart phone.
To find a good shop, check with the Better Business Bureau or ask your car dealership or mechanic who they recommend.
When the temperatures fall, the sale of remote car starters goes up.
But before you buy one what do you need to know?
The experts say the installation is more important than the brand of starter you buy.
Scott Buehler with AutoTemp Air and Sound says cars are more complex today and it takes skill to connect starters into electronic computer systems.
“You have to be experienced in knowing the vehicles wiring, the integration for the factory key which has a chip in it, a lot of them have push starts now.
“Your tying into important vehicle computer and databus systems and we want to make sure when we are interfacing in the correct manner so as not to cause problems down the road”,
Installer experience is an important question to ask before buying a remote starter.
Especially how much experience do they have with your make and model of vehicle.
“How long have they been working on cars for. Do they have regular training. Do they keep up to date on modern vehicles and modern vehicle interfacing”, says David Derrick of Mobile Solutions Calgary.
Next, ask about the warranty.
Not just on the equipment but on the labour incase there’s a problem after the installation.
Ask how much time they book for an installation.
Shops we talked to block off a minimum of 4 hours.
Prices for remote starters begin as low at $99 dollars but not all include installation.
The labour can be as much or more than the starter.
Most include keyless entry but as the price goes up you get more features, like trunk release or a run-time clock.
1 way starters have fewer features and less range.
2 way starters have digital on-screen display and ranges up to 1 kilometer.
You can even download an App to program a starter on your smart phone.
To find a good shop, check with the Better Business Bureau or ask your car dealership or mechanic who they recommend.
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