A remote car starter is one of the most popular and convenient add-ons you can purchase for your automobile. Once you have it installed, you’re going to wonder how you ever lived without it. It seems simple enough — you’re looking for a way to start your engine from inside your home or apartment, to warm up your car in the winter or let the AC run a little in the summer — but there are a lot of factors to consider if you want to get the most out of your purchase.
First and foremost, you do not want to be frugal and cut corners when it comes to purchasing a remote car starter. You will find several remote car starters for sale at your local auto parts store for under $100. These typically come with instructions and say that you can install them yourself. These over-the-counter products are low quality and, when buying a remote car starter, you want the best product and service possible for this installation. Do not purchase these low quality remote starters.
One factor to consider when purchasing a remote car starter is engine speed sensing; you want a remote starter that can monitor your engine’s RPMs. This is because, on a particularly cold day, your car engine may not start on the first try. Without a way of sensing your engine’s RPMs, your car starter will assume the car is already started, when in fact, it never did. The second reason is that a good remote starter will recognize when the engine speed is too high, and will subsequently shut it off. Without RPM sensing, your car starter may over-rev the engine and cause damage to your vehicle.
You want to make sure your remote starter has a significant transmitter range that will allow you to start your engine from far away. You may think a short distance is okay because you park your car in front of your house or apartment, but always consider that you will want to use the remote starter while you’re out of the house as well, where you will probably be more than several feet away from your vehicle. Do not underestimate the range you will need. Another feature you should look for is a hood safety switch — that is, an emergency cutoff installed under the hood, so that if your hood is opened, your remote starter will not work. This will protect your car from theft and the elements, keeping what’s under your hood safe and protected. To find out more about car remote starter safety, check out this article.
When buying a remote control starter for your car, it’s important to know the law and protect yourself. If your dealership tries to tell you that installing a remote car starter will void your warranty, know that they are lying to you. The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, enacted in 1975, protects the car owner and prevents auto manufacturers from voiding your warranty because you chose to install a non-factory accessory in your vehicle.
