# Remote car starter installation **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [December 19, 2018, 3:39am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/remote-car-starter-installation/131093 "2018-12-19T03:39:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ustitan\_142831](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/8491ac/32.png) [@ustitan\_142831](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ustitan_142831)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2018, 3:39am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/remote-car-starter-installation/131093/1 "2018-12-19T03:39:48Z")
Does somebody know how much to install a remote car starter ? or any online resource where to install manually a remoter car starter. ---
**Author:** ![Purebred](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/purebred/32/46796_2.png) [@Purebred](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Purebred)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2018, 4:45am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/remote-car-starter-installation/131093/2 "2018-12-19T04:45:15Z")
Google will probably provide you sources in your area. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2018, 4:52am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/remote-car-starter-installation/131093/3 "2018-12-19T04:52:22Z")
In cold-winter areas there is usually a car repair shop or two that specialize in that. that’s how it was when I lived in Colorado anyway. They’d also install other stuff, like block heaters and radiator heaters. You may need to ask at a few shops in town to figure out who they are. ---
**Author:** ![wolyrobb](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/wolyrobb/32/45497_2.png) [@wolyrobb](https://community.cartalk.com/u/wolyrobb)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2018, 7:24am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/remote-car-starter-installation/131093/4 "2018-12-19T07:24:14Z")
So far the only one i’ve found a price for is best buy at $150 but if you buy certain ones from them the installation is included ($269.99 was the cheapest) Car Toys includes installation in their prices but depending on the year of your car and the remote starter you buy you might need additional parts for $80 or so. You could get one from the dealer installed but at probably a higher price. ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2018, 12:54pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/remote-car-starter-installation/131093/5 "2018-12-19T12:54:55Z")
A warning to the original poster… Lots of people post here with problems with and caused by aftermarket (non-factory) remote starters. I am not saying don’t, just don’t go cheap. ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2018, 1:43pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/remote-car-starter-installation/131093/6 "2018-12-19T13:43:40Z")
In less time than it took for you to make your post you could have used Google to locate most of the installers in your area. You did not give your location so that makes it difficult to make recommendations . Also a search would also find videos showing how a remote starter is installed. Mustangman is correct , hardly a week goes by here that someone has problems with their vehicle just because of an after market starter. ---
**Author:** ![thegreendrag0n](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/thegreendrag0n/32/9265_2.png) [@thegreendrag0n](https://community.cartalk.com/u/thegreendrag0n)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2018, 1:51pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/remote-car-starter-installation/131093/7 "2018-12-19T13:51:07Z")
If you are doing it for the first time with no experience in electronics - either let professionals do it OR go to [crutchfield.com](http://crutchfield.com) and find if they have ready wiring kits and instructions for your particular car year/model. Going by other sources might have some undesirable/unpredictable results. I agree with other posters here, you do not want to get some chepo/unknown system installed to start troubleshooting starting/charging/etc… issues. ---
**Author:** ![shadowfax](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/shadowfax/32/13026_2.png) [@shadowfax](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shadowfax)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2018, 2:48pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/remote-car-starter-installation/131093/8 "2018-12-19T14:48:44Z")
I’m going to say publicly that I am not a fan of driving new posters away by saying “don’t post here; use Google.” Aside from the notion that if everyone takes us up on that suggestion the board will die because no one will be asking any questions, Google has pitfalls that need to be competently navigated. Search result rankings can be bought and/or manipulated through search engine optimization such that sham companies and bad products can appear at the top of the search results. Those of us with sufficient car knowledge can navigate that minefield successfully, most of the time, but people asking questions on car forums probably lack the background to know what is and is not a bad result. ---
**Author:** ![thegreendrag0n](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/thegreendrag0n/32/9265_2.png) [@thegreendrag0n](https://community.cartalk.com/u/thegreendrag0n)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2018, 2:55pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/remote-car-starter-installation/131093/9 "2018-12-19T14:55:19Z")
> [@shadowfax](#): > > Those of us with sufficient car knowledge can navigate that minefield successfully, most of the time, but people asking questions on car forums probably lack the background to know what is and is not a bad result. +1 still, OP has to do his part by asking question with sufficient details to get the answer and in doing followup rounds “good question has half of the answer” thing is still here 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2018, 3:48pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/remote-car-starter-installation/131093/10 "2018-12-19T15:48:09Z")
> [@Mustangman](#): > > Lots of people post here with problems with and caused by aftermarket (non-factory) remote starters. > I am not saying don’t, just don’t go cheap. Overall, I agree, but buying the “factory” remote starter is not a panacea. Take the example of my friend, who wanted a remote starter installed when he bought his new 2008 Rav-4. The salesman tried to talk him into an aftermarket unit, but I insisted on the genuine Toyota unit. I was proven to be correct when he immediately began to have all sorts of weird electrical problems. After 2 failed repair attempts at the dealership, I crafted a demand letter, notifying Toyota that they had one more chance to repair it before my friend invoked the NJ Lemon Law, requiring repayment of the full purchase price, plus fees. In response, they sent a Japanese engineer and the regional service supervisor to the dealership, and after ~3 hours they resolved the problem. It turned out that the installer had left the unit in “test” mode, which meant that every 12 hours or so, it would turn itself on and off and wreak havoc with the electrical system. Because it was a factory unit, and because it had been installed at the dealership, this put Toyota on the hook for any problems, under the terms of the Lemon Law. The installation had been done by a “professional” installer that the dealership brought in to do the installation, but because it was done in the dealership’s shop, it was a valid Lemon Law situation. The moral of the story, I suppose, is that the quality of installation is just as important as the brand of the unit. ---
**Author:** ![thegreendrag0n](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/thegreendrag0n/32/9265_2.png) [@thegreendrag0n](https://community.cartalk.com/u/thegreendrag0n)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2018, 4:32pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/remote-car-starter-installation/131093/11 "2018-12-19T16:32:05Z")
> [@VDCdriver](#): > > buying the “factory” remote starter is not a panacea. +1 on that if not going OEM, but aftermarket, for 25+ years I had good success installing multiple security/start aftermarket systems by Omega (under brand names of “K-9” / “Excalibur” / etc…). - these units worked with no hitch for as long as I owned vehicles, which was for 5-7 years. I tried “CrimeStopper” once: unit failed within a year, not to mention it was apparent from get-go it was cheaped-out on components and worksmanship ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2018, 4:45pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/remote-car-starter-installation/131093/12 "2018-12-19T16:45:40Z")
> [@thegreendrag0n](#): > > I had good success installing multiple security/start aftermarket systems A few years ago, we had a very sad post from a young woman who had an aftermarket unit installed in her brand-new Honda CR-V–at an aftermarket shop. When she had all manner of electrical problems with her new car, naturally she took it back to the Honda dealership. The Honda mechanics found that the car’s wiring harness had been butchered–literally–by that aftermarket installer, and–of course–the Honda warranty doesn’t cover that type of damage. After repeated attempts to have the aftermarket shop pay the bill, she found their door locked and no sign of the owner. I don’t recall the exact amount that she had to pay for repairs, but it was definitely over $1k. ---
**Author:** ![shanonia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de053/32.png) [@shanonia](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shanonia)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2018, 4:50pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/remote-car-starter-installation/131093/13 "2018-12-19T16:50:12Z")
Next to a flood, this is the worst thing that can happen to a vehicle’s electrical system unless it is done with care and expertise, using top quality components. Hard to be assured of either. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2018, 5:00pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/remote-car-starter-installation/131093/14 "2018-12-19T17:00:26Z")
> [@shanonia](#): > > Next to a flood, this is the worst thing that can happen to a vehicle’s electrical system unless it is done with care and expertise, using top quality components. Hard to be assured of either. +1 Personally, I wouldn’t want one in my car unless it came directly from the factory with the system already installed. Between the chances of equipment failure from a low-end aftermarket system, and the possibility of an installation screw-up with either an aftermarket system or a “factory” system, I would not have any of these systems installed in my car. ---
**Author:** ![thegreendrag0n](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/thegreendrag0n/32/9265_2.png) [@thegreendrag0n](https://community.cartalk.com/u/thegreendrag0n)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2018, 5:00pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/remote-car-starter-installation/131093/15 "2018-12-19T17:00:39Z")
Yes, @VDCdriver, I’ve seen what some shady “professional” installs look like and I agree with this concern. Even reputable shops have to work on the clock to keep install costs down, resulting in “quick taps” used all around, which tend to become a problem down the road. My experience was strictly DIY, soldered connections, careful wires routing, etc… ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2018, 2:30am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/remote-car-starter-installation/131093/16 "2018-12-20T02:30:01Z")
> [@thegreendrag0n](#): > > “quick taps” used all around, which tend to become a problem down the road. If by “quick taps” you mean those gadgets that splice into an existing harness by slicing through the insulation to get a “quick” connection to the wire inside, concur, best to avoid those. Years ago I used those to patch in a utility trailer l harness for my truck and those things – while they worked ok at first – later on caused me no end of grief. Just not a reliable way to modify a wiring harness. I had to remove all that and just splice into the harness by cutting the wires, removing the insulation, and splicing in using crimp (solderless) connectors (which I soldered just for good measure). No problems since. ---
**Author:** ![thegreendrag0n](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/thegreendrag0n/32/9265_2.png) [@thegreendrag0n](https://community.cartalk.com/u/thegreendrag0n)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2018, 3:16am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/remote-car-starter-installation/131093/17 "2018-12-20T03:16:10Z")
YES, I had similar experience with these “quick connects”, but my method to connect to the original wiring is not to cut wires, but to slightly cut into insulation and to remove a 1/2 piece of it exposing wire, then getting my wire twisted atop and finally using solder to make a reliable connection, then some electric tape atop. This way, I never damage the original wires and can remove my wires if needed.