Am I Autostartable?

February 2, 2019 9:38 AM

Just bought a used vehicle, and it came with two Autostart remotes...that don't seem to do anything. Should they?

Dealership says that because it's an aftermarket addon they won't guarantee it, I could pay to have their mechanic look at it.

But, I can't find any evidence that there's even Autostart installed. Pressing buttons on the remotes does nothing (the remote beeps but there's no 'response' beeps), and a coworker mentioned that there should be an obvious switch under the dash to turn the Autostart electronics on and off, but I don't see anything.

Aside from taking it in to a mechanic or autostart installation shop for diagnosis, is there any outward signs I should be able to tell that I do have Autostart, or tell me if the dealership given me remotes for a different vehicle by accident?

The vehicle is a 2007 Chrysler Aspen, if that helps.

posted by AzraelBrown to Travel & Transportation (4 answers total)

My aftermarket autostart had a small square antenna glued to the bottom driver side of the windshield. From there it had wires to tie it into the CAN bus (what the obd connector plugs into).

I'd look around the interior for anything thay looks aftermarket. And if you're mechanically inclined, up under the dash for patches into the electrical system.

There might be a style that mounts under the hood, but that seems like a bad idea due to interference. (Which could be a possibility if it's installed but can't get a signal.)
posted by BenevolentActor at 12:02 PM on February 2, 2019 [1 favorite]

I'd say there is a big difference between "guaranteeing it" and telling you if it's even installed. I would tell the dealer that you want their mechanic to point out the auto starter to you, for free. I would point out that it is an investment in customer satisfaction that will benefit them in word-of-mouth. Of course, many car dealers operate on the model that "everyone else is just as bad as us so screw you." But it is worth a try.

I'd be worried about a non-working auto start dingus since having any non-working dingus patched into the wiring harness (especially one that defeats part of the security system like an auto starter) can lead to expensive electrical problems in the future. If it didn't work and you hadn't bought the car yet, you'd be in a stronger position.
posted by Gilgamesh's Chauffeur at 12:07 PM on February 2, 2019 [1 favorite]

My wife's car has this. We couldn't get it to work either. So I stood out in the -20 temps and figured it out. For hers you had to press and hold the button for a few seconds to get it to start.

Pro-tip from an old forensic engineer, do NOT have an auto start car if you have an attached garage or garage under house. Even with that hold button thing on my wife's car I would sometimes go into the garage in the morning and find that her car had been running all night. Just an accidental purse press thing. In you have an attached garage or under house garage that can be deadly. I have been on a few cases just like that. I've seen a lot of really messed up shit in my line of work, but CO cases are always the worst. Just everyone dead and life stopped in a moment in those houses.
posted by sanka at 5:45 PM on February 2, 2019 [1 favorite]

sanka just reminded me - mine also had a weird button sequence. I think it was 3 presses within 4 seconds to start, 3 to stop, then 1 for something else. I guess that was a way of guarding against accidental starts.
posted by BenevolentActor at 9:23 PM on February 2, 2019 [1 favorite]