# Turning off a remote starter for the summer **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Tags:** cr-v, honda\ **Created:** [May 9, 2015, 7:17pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/turning-off-a-remote-starter-for-the-summer/89919 "2015-05-09T19:17:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 4:55pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/turning-off-a-remote-starter-for-the-summer/89919/21 "2015-05-13T16:55:46Z")
> **BTW....letting an engine sit and idle for 10 to 15 minutes in the wintertime is shortening the life of the engine.** By how much? It’s miniscule. ---
**Author:** ![meanjoe75fan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/meanjoe75fan/32/552_2.png) [@meanjoe75fan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/meanjoe75fan)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2015, 1:23am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/turning-off-a-remote-starter-for-the-summer/89919/22 "2015-05-14T01:23:51Z")
^ Not to mention, driving off with an ice-able windshield in winter tends to shorten life–of car, driver, engine…the whole kit ‘n’ caboodle. Sounds like an OWT spread in an attempt at modifying other’s behavior. ---
**Author:** ![Sylvain22](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3be4f8/32.png) [@Sylvain22](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Sylvain22)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2015, 7:57pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/turning-off-a-remote-starter-for-the-summer/89919/23 "2015-05-14T19:57:52Z")
Problem solved! Drove past the store and the former employee (turns out he’s on medical leave) was there. He told me and the other store employee what to do… just put the starter in Valet mode. Did it myself instead of having him do it, so now I know how it’s done. Now to disconnect the battery charger. Still doesn’t explain why the starter slowly drains the battery, we just know that it does. BTW, it didn’t do that for the first two years. It started draining the battery during the third year of use. Thanks! ---
**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:** [May 14, 2015, 8:02pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/turning-off-a-remote-starter-for-the-summer/89919/24 "2015-05-14T20:02:50Z")
I hope you gave each of those guys a nice crisp Five dollar bill at least. ---
**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:** [May 14, 2015, 10:31pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/turning-off-a-remote-starter-for-the-summer/89919/25 "2015-05-14T22:31:31Z")
If your installer is an authorized Firstech (makers of Compustar) dealer, then you have a lifetime warranty on parts and labor for your system. This is important because the remote starter should not be draining your battery like that. It’s either defective or improperly installed. File a warranty claim. For what it’s worth, I have a similar system to yours (remote start / alarm) and it’s been fantastic. Compustars are very, very good, but they require a competent installer and fortunately the guy I used is top notch. ---
**Author:** ![insightful](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/insightful/32/2732_2.png) [@insightful](https://community.cartalk.com/u/insightful)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2015, 10:41pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/turning-off-a-remote-starter-for-the-summer/89919/26 "2015-05-14T22:41:12Z")
Sure hope so, but we won’t really know it’s not draining the battery for a few days. ---
**Author:** ![bscar2](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bscar2/32/2468_2.png) [@bscar2](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bscar2)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2015, 5:37am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/turning-off-a-remote-starter-for-the-summer/89919/27 "2015-05-24T05:37:01Z")
> I agree 100%. I have been railing about aftermarket systems, especially remote starters and security systems, for years. They are defective right out of the box. Couple that with a bad installation and you will have problems until it's removed. If you get a quality piece, installed by people who do it for a living, you’ll not have any problems with aftermarket units. I had an aftermarket remote starter put on my Civic a year or two after I first bought it. I bought the cheapest one they had, too. By your logic, my car should have had constant, non-stop problems because of it. Yet, when I sold it 7 years later(2010 when I bought my current ride), the remote starter still worked perfectly. It still works to this day, as far as I know. If every unit worked as you described, wouldn’t the makers/installers of the aftermarket units be sued into oblivion for causing so many problems? [Previous page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/turning-off-a-remote-starter-for-the-summer/89919.md?page=1)