remote start keyless entry

[mavihs 10+ year member]

Can someone give me some opinions on what type of remote starter and keyless entry system i should buy? I would like the keep the cost below $150 installed. I got a bulldog system for christmas, but i hear they are ****. So before I go get it installed I would like to here others opinons.

Thanks for all your help.

Click to read more...

 

[mavihs 10+ year member]

any suggestions?

 

[jjoven1225 10+ year member]

clifford avantguard4 //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

 

[mavihs 10+ year member]

I would like the keep the cost below $150 installed.

The clifford is $380 plus install costs?
Anyone else have any other suggestions?

 

[2theMaxx21 10+ year member]

Ha ha. $150 installed.

Just the labor alone will cost $150. It takes several hours to install a remote start/security system. There are usually at least 40 wires to connect, and it isn't easy working underneath the dash and trying to find all the right wires to tap into.

Plus it's even harder if you have a fairly new vehicle that has any kind of stock security system or special security ignition.

As a former professional installer, one of my favorite brands of security systems is Compustar. They are very reliable, and have tons of bells and whistles. They hardly ever "false alarm". The remote is a cool LCD 2-way remote that works like a pager. It lets you know the status of your car. It will page you and tell you if your car is being tampered with. And you can easily start the engine, and control the security system from inside any building. It uses a FM signal that can travel through concrete and steel walls.

I have Compustar security systems on my cars for several years, and they've never failed me yet.

I've installed a lot of security systems. Clifford's are good systems, but the Compustar is still my favorite. Compustar is a fairly new company, so you might not have heard of them before, but they make awesome stuff. They are the Rolls Royce of security systems. And you might be able to find a Compustar security system for under $300. Check Ebay.

But you must also remember that a security system is only as good as the person who installs it. A bad installation can make a good security system act like crap. If you get a cheap installation, you'll save a little money, but it will be "false alarming" all the time, and not be very reliable.

 

[saber1]

$150 is going to be hard to do. Most car audio shops will charge you around $100.00 just to install the alarm. But you can by a AST2250TL from me around $90.00. This is a full blown alarm with remote start and keyless entry. Check out their websit http://www.ultrastarters.com.

 

[mavihs 10+ year member]

Have you guys heard of directed electronics, a local audio shop sells these for $130 installed. It is the Valet 551R Model. I dont need any alarm system, just remote start and keyless entry. The only reason I am not installing the bulldog system is because I hear they are really cheap quality and fail. You can see they would install here:

http://www.directed.com/security/valet/val_rs.asp#551r

and here is a link to direct electronics they make the cliffords, vipors, etc..

http://www.directed.com

My question now is, Is the Valet system any better then the bulldog?

 

[jpand2071 10+ year member]

One major point that was brought up earlier was the coded ignition. I had a viper ESP 550 installed, which is a security system/remote start. Since my 2001 expedition has the coded key, it added 60$ to the price, costing me $450. I was contemplating getting my mom just a remote start for christmas, which i saw advretised at best buy installed for i think 150. When i asked someone at the store, he told me that it would cost an extra $115 in parts. Also, if your car does have the coded key, you will need to provide the installer with an additional key that they will place in the "brain" of the alarm. Depending on the manufacturer, it will probably cost you 25-35$ for an extra coded key. If you have the coded key, i am pretty sure you will not be able to stay near $150.

 

[mavihs 10+ year member]

I dont have the coded key. My car is pretty old. Is the Valet any better then the Bulldog?

 

[jpand2071 10+ year member]

Valet is made by DEI, which pretty much dominates the car security/remote start market. bulldog is a much smaller company. Many installers will probably have more experience with valet. I dont know much about bulldog, so i cant really bash it. Hope this helps in some way

 

[BonusBobo 10+ year member]

don't buy an Audiovox Prestige. I have one and it has haunted me ever since I bought it. When I get out of the car, close the door, and press the "lock" button, I am forever hoping it doesn't flip out and do the "panic" mode on me, making sirens and honks that wake up my neighborhood. This has happened on more than one occasion.

 

[mavihs 10+ year member]

thanks guys for all the input, it has helped. Im going to go for the Valet.

 

[mavihs 10+ year member]

I went to the shop and they are out of the Valet remote starters, they have a replacement called the Xtreme its a remote starter keyless entry system made by TRC? My question now is has anyone here heard of TRC?

There company website is not too impressive http://www.trc12volt.com/.

The remote looks like this:

 

[BonusBobo 10+ year member]

not necessarily. besides, eh doesn't want immobilizer or alarm, if I am correct.

 

[terifi 10+ year member]

immobilizer being...?

like whats the main thing I would really need for an alarm, i wanna pay as little as possible, but apparently it starts at 300,

all i want is something to protect my precious stereo system, and something so they cant drive my car away, like a starter disable, but i def. want a siren, not just one of the ones that uses a horn....anyone happen to know what kind of alarm im looking for? like anyone know of an alarm that does this?

 

[BonusBobo 10+ year member]

then in that case... you want an immobilizer. it kills the car's engine (sort of) until you come back and turn off the immobilizer.

 

[terifi 10+ year member]

so whats the avg price of an immobilizer with a siren/ auto door locks?

oh and while im at it, anyone wanna name good and bad companies, and maybe why u like/dont like them?

 

[BonusBobo 10+ year member]

I don't know about immobilizer, but DON'T BUY AUDIOVOX PRESTIGE. I have one and I hate it. They combine the "lock" button with the "panic" button. This is bad news, because there's a very VERY thin line between holding it just long enough for "lock" and for "panic." I learned that the hard way. It has a decent alarm and good features, but it's just a pain in the ass because of that. Also, if you do get one of them, turn the sensitivity down to about 75%. At 100% it will go off **** near every night if you live in the city, whcih I do.

 

[2theMaxx21 10+ year member]

I don't know of any real security systems that don't have an "immoblizer" as you like to call it. Every security system should have an ignition interuptor. The engine will be unable to start until you disarm the security system with your remote. The ignition interuptor is the main security feature of most security systems, otherwise your securty system wouldn't make your car very secure. Once the alarm is armed, you can't start the engine until it is disarmed or remotely started with the remote control.

Your security system should also be hooked up to a hood pin switch as well as your door and truck pin switches. If anyone tries to break the lock on your hood latch, to cut your electrical system (which would disable the security system), then the hood pin switch will activate the security system.

Remember, the installation is just as important as what brand and model of alarm you buy. There are lots of different ways to wire up a security system so it will work, but a good installer will correctly wire everything the best way, so that it is dependable, and doesn't false alarm all the time.

 

[mavihs 10+ year member]

I dont need a alarm system. I just want a remote start / keyless entry. Should I go with the TRC or try to get the DEI? Has anyone even heard of TRC?

Thanks for all the help.