Never in a million years did we think that the internet would debate the appropriate amount of time that’s ideal for a remote starter to warm up a car. Some folks believe that even a minute is too much, and others want the interior to be toasty and warm and are willing to let the vehicle idle for 15, 20 or even 30 minutes. Let’s talk about the physics of cold engine starting and why a little warm-up time can help get you on the road faster.

Engine Oil Science

There is a myth that whenever you start your car or truck, you inflict serious damage to the bearings, cylinder walls and piston rings because oil isn’t flowing. Modern engine oils are designed with adequate viscosity (thickness) and surface tension so they don’t completely drain into the oil pan when your car sits overnight or for a few days. Think of the fingerprints you leave on a stainless-steel fridge door. They don’t evaporate. That’s because the oils on our skin stick to the surface. The same applies to engine parts. If you want to test this, put a drop of cooking oil on your finger and touch a stainless appliance. That spot will be there until you clean it off with a degreaser.

If you put the car away for the winter and nothing moves for several months, there will be a bit of extra wear during the first start in the spring. However, so long as you drive your vehicle regularly, accelerated wear from starting isn’t an issue.

Modern engine oils include viscosity modifiers. An oil like 5W30 acts like a 5-weight oil at cold temperatures and a 30-weight oil when warm. The lower viscosity when cold helps it to flow better when it’s frigid outside. The W in the 5W30 stands for Winter. We got an email from a reader in mid-January informing us it was 49 below zero Fahrenheit near Edmonton, Alberta. It was 25 Fahrenheit in Anchorage! When it’s this cold, any fluid will have difficulty flowing. This doesn’t mean that you can’t drive your vehicle. However, it will take a while for the engine to warm up.

Ultimately, you’ll have to start your vehicle at some point if you want to go to work. So, a remote starter will give the engine a head-start in warming things up.

Transmission and Differential Warm-Up

Another argument against prolonged warm-up time is that the transmission and differential aren’t warming when idling. In the case of the differential, gear oil is usually 75W90 or similar in viscosity. After just a few revolutions of the driveshaft, every part in the differential will have a thorough coating. Just as with the engine, the lubricants don’t drain dry overnight or even after sitting for a few days or weeks. The oil coats the gear surfaces and the roller bearings. A colder, thicker oil provides more protection between gear surfaces. The only drawback to the differential being cold is that it takes more energy for the ring gear to move through the oil in the bottom of the case.

Most modern vehicles have a transmission cooler integrated into the radiator. Fluid lines from the transmission run up to connections in the radiator. A small heat exchanger might be in front of or behind the main core or a dedicated cooling channel and fins integrated between the engine coolant lines. Ultimately, once your engine is warm and coolant passes through the radiator, that speeds up the process of warming the transmission.

So if you don’t warm up your vehicle significantly, neither the engine nor the transmission will be warm. If you let the engine idle for a while, both will be warm. Worrying about one and not the other isn’t an argument against using a remote car starter.

Cold-Weather Driving

If it’s 40 below, you aren’t going to go outside, start your vehicle, then put your foot to the floor and drive off like Roscoe chasing Bo and Luke Duke. On the other hand, you don’t need to let your vehicle idle for so long that every fluid in every system is up to full operating temperature. The latter is a waste of fuel since it might take 10, 15 or even 30 minutes. Vehicles with physically larger engines take longer to warm up. A big V-8 engine has much more mass to bring up to temperature than a 1.5-liter four-cylinder. Idling is the slowest way to warm an engine. It’s not doing much work, so less heat is produced.

Suggestions for Engine Warm-Up Time

Here are our suggestions for an ideal minimum warm-up time for your car or truck. Whether you’re using a professionally installed remote car starter or are just sitting in the vehicle in your driveway, our benchmark for a minimum warm-up time is to wait for the engine idle speed to drop. When you start a fuel-injected car from cold, it typically idles between 1,200 and 1,400 rpm. The idle speed when warm might be 500 to 900 rpm. The coolant temperature sensors in the engine directly control the idle speed.

Go to your car or truck on a cold morning, hop in and start the engine. Listen to the engine speed if your vehicle doesn’t have a tachometer on the dash. Note how long it takes for the speed to start slowing down. This time can vary from five or 10 seconds on a warm day to a few minutes on a cold day. The speed dropping is a sign of some heat in the engine. Whatever the time it took is a perfect time to let your remote starter warm up your engine.

For us, we usually remote-start our vehicles just before getting ready to head out. We still need to put our shoes or boots on, get our coats on, and grab our keys, wallet or purse, and laptop bag. If it snowed, then we can brush off the vehicle and scrape the windows. Most of us have the rear window defroster, heated seats and heated steering wheel controls integrated into our remote starters. They’ll have time to warm things up if it’s below freezing. This is more than enough time for the engine to warm up. You can hop in and drive off.

As always, be gentle with throttle inputs and try to keep the engine speed down until the engine is at full operating temperature. Exerting extreme force on the engine when cold isn’t ideal. The gap between bearings and journals won’t have stabilized yet. These gaps, measured in the thousandths of inches, are small but are critical to maintaining a proper fluid (oil) film. Letting the engine warm up ensures that the appropriate film thickness is present for adequate wear protection.

Tips For Cold Weather Engine Protection

Here are a few tips to make starting your car or truck on a cold winter morning easier and more reliable. First and foremost, if you haven’t already, switch to a synthetic oil at your next oil change. Even with the same viscosity ratings, synthetic oils flow better than conventional oils at low temperatures. Do you want a thick syrup in your engine or a fluid that will provide excellent protection?

Make sure your battery has a complete charge. We’ve talked about battery maintenance at length. Invest in an intelligent charger to keep your battery topped up for those cold winter morning starts. Every battery loses some ability to deliver current when cold, so keeping yours charged and in good health is crucial. Proper maintenance with biannual or quarterly reconditioning will dramatically extend the battery’s life and prevent you from being stranded.

Turn off any electrical accessory you don’t need in your vehicle. Most modern vehicles have a computer called the Body Control Module that shuts down things like the heater motor or radio when you crank the engine. However, in many cases, some of these items are left on for convenience. If it will be very cold out, turn off everything you can think of when you park the car. Turn off automatic headlights, the radio and so on. This will reduce the draw on the battery when it’s trying to crank the engine. If a local specialty mobile enhancement retailer has added heated seats, make sure they’re off while the engine is cranking.

If it gets extremely cold where you live, invest in a block heater for your car or truck. These small heating elements are installed in the engine block and warm the coolant. You can use a timer to turn the heater on a few hours before starting the vehicle. Likewise, a battery warmer might be a good investment if it’s frigid. A car dealership can often add a block heater to your vehicle. Remember to use a heavy-gauge extension cord with the heater to optimize its performance.

Make sure you have a set of good-quality jumper cables. If you have trouble starting the vehicle or need to help someone else, good cables (4 AWG or thicker) that are nice and long (20 feet) make jumping a dead battery much easier. Most importantly, if your battery has died, you must recharge it properly. This means more than running the engine for a few minutes. Invest in or borrow a high-quality battery charger with a desulfation or reconditioning mode and let it run a complete cycle on the battery. It should take eight to 12 hours to charge a completely dead battery back to its full capacity. The desulfation feature will stir the chemistry in the battery and restore or improve its performance.

Warming Up Your Car Adds Comfort

So what’s the bottom line on how long you should let your car warm up? Technically, a minute or two will be beneficial and allow the parts in the engine to build up some temperature. Do you need to warm your car for 15 minutes? We don’t think so. That’s quite a while, and you could run into trouble with anti-idling laws in your jurisdiction. When it’s time to add some comfort to your vehicle on a cold winter morning, drop by a local specialty mobile enhancement retailer and ask them about having a remote starter installed in your vehicle. Your cold hands will thank you for it!

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.

When the temperature outside drops, it’s common for car and truck owners to want to warm their vehicles before driving off. Unfortunately, thieves know this is a great time of the year to steal vehicles idling in driveways and parking lots. Let’s look at how a remote car starter can make it safe and convenient to warm up your vehicle and prevent warm-up thefts.

What Is Warm-Up Theft?

In what police call a warm-up theft, the most common scenario is where a thief would steal your car or truck that you’ve started with the key and left it running. With the key in the ignition, your vehicle is prime picking for someone to hop in and drive away in it.

A question we saw the other day involved vehicles with keyless entry and push-to-start ignition systems. The person asked whether their car was safe if they had the key fob in the house. Unfortunately, once started, if a thief can get into the vehicle, they can drive off. If you can lock the doors with your key fob once you start it, that’s a huge step in keeping the vehicle safe.

Remote Car Starters and Vehicle Safety

Unlike starting your car or truck with a key, remote car starters are explicitly designed to keep your vehicle safe until you are ready to leave. When you press the start button on the remote or a smartphone app, a message is sent to the remote start controller in the vehicle. The system will start the engine and monitor the brake and clutch pedal. You unlock the doors with the provided remote when you want to drive away. The next step depends on the vehicle. You’ll put the key in the ignition and turn it to the run position for cars or trucks that still use a key. Then you can drive away. Vehicles with keyless entry systems vary in their operation. Some require you to press the start button, but many allow you to drive off with no additional interaction.

While the car is running under the control of the remote starter, the doors are locked. This simple security measure ensures that it’s just as difficult to enter the vehicle as when parked. As we mentioned, the starter system monitors the clutch and brake pedal. If someone pushes either pedal without the ignition being on (with the key or with the presence of the key fob), the engine will shut down immediately.

Some vehicles need to unlock the doors during the starting process. This process typically takes a few seconds. The doors will lock again once the vehicle starts. Theoretically, if a thief knows you start your truck at 8:05 every morning, they could open a door when they unlock. However, they won’t be able to steal the vehicle as the system continues to monitor the clutch and brake pedal. You can’t put a manual transmission into gear without the clutch. Similarly, you can’t move an automatic transmission from the park position without pressing the brake.

Additional Benefits of a Remote Car Starter System

Aside from allowing the engine to start warming, other features in most vehicles can be active automatically. Most high-quality remote car starters include a temperature sensor. If the starter system detects that it’s around freezing, it can automatically activate the rear window defrost, heated seats and a heated steering wheel. If your vehicle doesn’t have heated seats, adding them to most vehicles is typically straightforward for a reputable specialty mobile enhancement retailer.

Another option for many remote starters is to upgrade the system with security features. These include sensors that monitor the vehicle for impacts, motion, tilting or glass breakage. If you are worried about someone stealing a set of wheels or your catalytic converter, adding a security sensor is a good investment.

The Importance of Remote Starter Range

Depending on where you park your vehicle and the distance to your home, you may need a remote starter system that offers a lot of range. The range is the distance between you and the vehicle. Higher-power transmitters in the key fobs provide more range. While outright distance might not be critical, the ability of the signal to penetrate through building walls is often an issue. A starter system that offers 1,500 feet of range might not have enough power to successfully transmit a signal to a vehicle in a parking garage. What’s more likely a problem is that you might not be able to start the vehicle in your apartment or an office building. A system with 2 or 3 miles of range is a better choice.

Two-Way Remotes Confirm Starter Functionality

Another consideration when purchasing a remote starter is to choose remotes with two-way operation. Conventional one-way remotes broadcast a signal to the vehicle. You have no way of knowing whether the signal was received and executed. Two-way remotes also broadcast signals, but they will confirm that the command was received and executed by beeping and flashing an LED or an icon on an LCD screen. You’ll never have to wonder whether the vehicle is warming up if you have a two-way remote.

Is There a Safe Way to Warm a Vehicle without a Remote Car Starter?

If you haven’t invested in a remote car starter, is there a safe way to warm up your vehicle? If you have to leave a key in the ignition, use a second set of keys to lock the doors. You’re still at a much higher risk of someone breaking a window and stealing the vehicle.

Choose an Expert to Install Your Remote Start System

When shopping for a remote car starter, look for a facility with the best products and services. Finding this will usually mean you won’t pay the lowest price. However, here are a few things to think about: The technician working on your vehicle should fully understand how the starter system integrates into your specific vehicle. They should be able to test the function of the wiring to ensure that it matches what the hardware is looking for. They should use reliable electrical connection methods so that the starter and vehicle remain reliable. The starter hardware you purchase should have a good controller and remote warranty. The remotes should be, at the very least, weather-resistant and durable.

The shop should start the client qualification process by asking about your vehicle’s make, model, year and trim level. They will likely need to see the key or key fob to confirm whether there is any anti-theft technology already in the vehicle. Next, they should ask you where you park the vehicle at home, at work, and when you’re shopping or out for dinner. Using that information, they can suggest a remote solution with enough range to ensure that the system will start every time. Think about it: What good is a remote starter if it doesn’t work when you’re at work? You can learn a lot about a shop by the questions they ask. Be sure to look at examples of their work on their website and social media.

Make It Difficult To Steal Your Vehicle.

Don’t allow thieves to steal your vehicle. Invest in a high-quality remote car starter to ensure someone can’t hop in your car or truck and drive away. Check out our Dealer Locator to help find a shop near you.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.

There isn’t a category in the mobile enhancement industry not plagued by myths and misunderstandings. There’s nonsense about subwoofer cone materials improving sound quality, claims that Class D can’t sound better than Class AB, or that remote car starters are bad for your vehicle. This article will be the first in a series that addresses and explains the most common myths about remote car starters. We will kick this off with the myth that you can remote start your vehicle from anywhere.

Can You Remote Start Your Car or Truck from Anywhere?

Many consumers believe you can remote start your car or truck from anywhere if you’ve purchased a car starter. For example, if you are in the local mall, finishing up your Christmas shopping on a cold December evening, people expect that you can push the button on the remote, and your vehicle will start. While it’s possible or even probable, it’s not guaranteed.

The issue here is the transmitting power of the remote fob. These remotes use a low-power radio frequency transmitter, with 3.6-volt coin cells or 4.2-volt lithium batteries as power sources. Unlike the local radio station that might have 50,000 to 100,000 watts of power or a handheld two-way radio with 5 to 10 watts, your remote start key fob likely has less than a watt of power. The lack of signal transmission power means you can’t be on the other side of the city and expect it to work. If you’ve purchased an entry-level remote starter, you likely can’t start the vehicle reliably from within a big store.

Remote Start Range Is Key to Reliable Operation

Remote start range is the top priority when shopping for a car starter as it correlates to perceived reliability. If you push the button on the key fob, you expect the vehicle to start. If it doesn’t, most consumers think the system is broken. In reality, being out of range is typically the problem.

Range refers to the distance between your vehicle and you when starting the car with the starter. The most basic and least expensive remote starters offer about 1,500 feet of range under ideal conditions. If buildings or trees are in the way, or there’s a significant amount of radio frequency interference in your area, you might only get 100 to 200 feet of usable range from those systems. If the battery in the remote is low, that will also reduce the operation range.

All brands of remote starter systems have a variety of range options. For example, Compustar, the leader in remote car starter and security systems, offers four key fob range levels. More accurately, they have four different power transmitting levels.

After determining the make, model, trim level and year of your car, truck or SUV, the product specialist should ask how you use your vehicle. Do you park it in the driveway in front of your home? Is it beside the building you work in? Are you in an apartment building with underground parking? Do you work in a large production facility? Answering these questions will give them an idea of how much power the remote needs so that you can start the vehicle reliably. Imagine your frustration if you arrive at your car, thinking it’s been running for a few minutes, only to find out it didn’t get the signal from the remote!

Remote Start System Control Options

Three communication options allow you to send commands to your vehicle’s remote car starter system. The radio-frequency key fobs mentioned above are by far the most common. A few companies offer Bluetooth communication options. These solutions let you use your smartphone to send commands to the remote starter hardware in your vehicle. While the published maximum range is 150 feet for these solutions, real-world functionality is often much less. Bluetooth connectivity is a great backup solution if something more reliable isn’t working.

A third option is a telematics interface. Telematics refers to the use of telecommunication systems to transfer digital information. Technically, the good old days of dial-up internet connectivity used telematics. In the case of remote car starters, you can upgrade your vehicle with an interface that uses cellular communication to relay commands from an app on your phone to the car.

Make Sure Your Remote Starter Will Work

Here’s an example of why remote start range is essential. Let’s say you work in a hospital and have just finished a grueling 12-hour night shift in the emergency department. You grab your coat and boots, then want to remote start your vehicle. If you have an RF remote, the chance of it providing enough range is iffy, though it depends on the size of the hospital and where you’ve parked. More importantly, it depends on the range capabilities of the remote you’ve chosen. If you have a telematics solution, you can launch the control app on your phone and press the start button. The app will send a command to your vehicle using the local cellular data network. High-quality solutions like Drone from Firstech might only need a second or two for the message to get to the vehicle. Once the engine starts, you’ll get a confirmation in the app that it’s running.

Though most cities have excellent cellular network coverage, access to a cell signal isn’t always guaranteed. There might be pockets of areas where network accessibility is limited. Likewise, if you’ve parked underground in an office building, the telematics hardware in your vehicle might be unable to pick up a cellular signal. If you want to be sure you can remote start the vehicle, use the app on your phone to lock the vehicle when you park it. The signal strength indicator on your phone will also tell you the cellular coverage where you have parked. The app will notify you if it’s unable to communicate with the vehicle to lock the doors. Depending on the results, you may choose to move the vehicle. Alternatively, you may decide that using the RF remote is adequate once you’re closer to your car or truck.

Know If Your Vehicle Is Remote Started

Most entry-level key fobs are only capable of transmitting a signal. If the vehicle is too far away, that digital request to lock the doors or start the engine will go unanswered. Unfortunately, you won’t know the status unless you can see the vehicle. Most high-quality remote car starter manufacturers offer remotes with two-way communications. The remote key fobs can transmit commands to the starter system, and the starter can broadcast confirmation messages back to the remote.

Two-way remotes come in two styles: LED and LCD. An LED two-way remote will let you know if the remote starter hardware has received and executed a command by illuminating a little light on the remote and producing a beep or chirp. If the command fails, the remote should warn that the request is incomplete. Please make sure the system you’ve purchased confirms failed requests.

The second type of two-way remote has an LCD or OLED display. These remotes use graphics to indicate the completion of a request. These remotes will also beep or chirp; some have a vibrating motor. With a two-way remote, you’ll never wonder whether your car is locked or has completed the remote start process.

Choose the Best Shop to Upgrade Your Vehicle

We’ll finish this discussion about remote start range by reminding our readers that the lowest-price remote starter is rarely the best choice. An inexpensive remote starter likely won’t offer much range. Likewise, the durability of the remotes might be questionable. We don’t know anyone who hasn’t dropped their car keys at least once. Better-quality remotes should be water-resistant or waterproof, just in case that drop involves a puddle.

When it comes to installation, many shortcuts can save the technician time but affect the performance and reliability of your car starter system. Failing to make reliable electrical connections could prevent the system from working or, in a worst-case scenario, leave you stranded and unable to start the vehicle. Where the antenna and control modules in the vehicle are mounted can affect performance. Likewise, how the technician routes wires or mounts control modules can play a role in determining range. The hardware you choose also determines how well the system integrates with the vehicle.

You will also want to pick a shop that cares for its clients’ vehicles. You should see fender covers in use when someone is working under the hood or in the trunk. Seat covers, steering wheel covers and floor mats should protect the interior when the vehicle is driven into or out of the bay or when someone is working under the dash. The vehicle battery should be on a charger when the doors are open so the dome light doesn’t deplete the battery.

Shopping for a remote car starter is similar to shopping for a plastic surgeon. Do you want an amateur under your vehicle’s dash, cutting wires without being 100% sure what they are doing? If you want to add a remote car starter to your vehicle, start by looking at the shop’s website. Do they have examples of their work? Do they explain their client qualification process? Next, look at the shop’s reviews on Google. Do they have happy customers? Once you’ve narrowed the list, visit a few shops. You should get an immediate sense of professionalism from the product specialist who greets you. They should ask questions about your vehicle and, as mentioned, where and how you use it. They should offer several solutions, explaining the benefits of what more elaborate systems provide. They should explain the remote start range capabilities and show examples of what will and won’t work.

While considering your purchase, look around the shop for certifications or awards. Many top retailers have technicians who have completed Mobile Electronics Certified Professional training. These are good signs. Finally, make sure you ask about warranty and after-sales support. The product specialist should give you a detailed walk-through of the remote starter functionality once the installation has been completed.

Your car, truck or SUV is an essential part of your life. Adding a remote starter with the control solution that provides the range you need is a great way to elevate your driving experience.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.