Recommendations for a remote car starter and a place to get it installed.
November 25, 2014 11:20 AM Subscribe
We want a remote starter for a 2009 Honda Civic. I feel completely out of my element, and frankly don't care to learn all about them. I just want someone to tell me what to get. So which one should I get, and where in the Cleveland, OH area can we get it installed?
Bonus questions: Is this the sort of thing where a national chain (e.g., Best Buy) can take care of it? I don't really know how to tell a reputable installer from a fly-by-night installer, or even whether I should care. I can't think of any features that we particularly want - we just want it to start the car from 50-ish feet away. Anything else just seems unnecessary.
Since we don't need any special features, less expensive is better, but if there is a reason not to go below a certain price point / quality I'd like to know that too.
Bonus questions: Is this the sort of thing where a national chain (e.g., Best Buy) can take care of it? I don't really know how to tell a reputable installer from a fly-by-night installer, or even whether I should care. I can't think of any features that we particularly want - we just want it to start the car from 50-ish feet away. Anything else just seems unnecessary.
Since we don't need any special features, less expensive is better, but if there is a reason not to go below a certain price point / quality I'd like to know that too.
Get a 2 way remote with a 1000' distance. That's the standard basic remote, anything less will be a piece of crap. You don't need the LCD display remote, it will break or freeze. And get 2 remotes minimum.
posted by fshgrl at 11:56 AM on November 25, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by fshgrl at 11:56 AM on November 25, 2014 [1 favorite]
We just got a remote starter installed in our Subaru. My husband got some random guy with his own shop to do it, but it turned out that the shop was basically that guy's side line when he wasn't working on the electricals for police cars in his day job. Basically, it's way more complicated than a car stereo.
Best Buy generally doesn't even want to do it themselves. The problem with a place like Best Buy (so we heard) is that you tend to get these $10/hour guys who don't care about the job and can quit in the middle of an install, leaving someone else to finish the job when they're not exactly sure how far the other guy got.
There will be a ton of people advertising remote starters right now with the Son of Bride of Dawn of Polar Vortex taking place, but many places will have a two-week wait.
posted by Madamina at 12:42 PM on November 25, 2014
Best Buy generally doesn't even want to do it themselves. The problem with a place like Best Buy (so we heard) is that you tend to get these $10/hour guys who don't care about the job and can quit in the middle of an install, leaving someone else to finish the job when they're not exactly sure how far the other guy got.
There will be a ton of people advertising remote starters right now with the Son of Bride of Dawn of Polar Vortex taking place, but many places will have a two-week wait.
posted by Madamina at 12:42 PM on November 25, 2014
Added per my husband: he just googled remote start. If the car will be in view and you'll know it started, then a one-way is probably fine. (But how often does that happen?)
posted by Madamina at 1:21 PM on November 25, 2014
posted by Madamina at 1:21 PM on November 25, 2014
Oh and don't go to best buy. Go to a place that specializes in audio, alarms and remote starts. Much better results.
posted by fshgrl at 1:54 PM on November 25, 2014
posted by fshgrl at 1:54 PM on November 25, 2014
Aaack. My husband thought he would save a few bucks and have a secondary-market remote installed. Big mistake as my (luxury) car's anti theft system is not fully compatible and produces a new problem every month. I strongly recommend a product and installation by the dealership. Nothing like intermittent involuntary lockouts in a Michigan winter to save a hundred bucks.
posted by Lornalulu at 7:07 PM on November 25, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by Lornalulu at 7:07 PM on November 25, 2014 [1 favorite]
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http://estore.honda.com/honda/accessories/view-honda-accessory-detail.asp?m=2009-civic-sedan-lx-s-5-speed-automatic&ec=&oc=CIVIC09046&dl=
posted by eatcake at 11:43 AM on November 25, 2014 [1 favorite]