[nh_jim]

Has anyone hooked up one of those remote starters on their Prius? I was thinking of adding one before winter gets here, but I wonder what if any the ramifications are with the hybrid system.

 

[firepa63]

Jim, I don't really think you need one. The car warms quickly and there is supplemental electric heat that initially comes on as the coolant warms up. In addition, there is a thermos that stores hot coolant at shutdown. This is pumped back into the system at startup.

 

[Fisher]

Of course you want a remote start

Of course you want a remote start, I Want it too, I'm in Florida and at 120 degrees inside car temperature I would not only like to turn on my AC but purge the hot air by lowering the windows before I get into the car. I haven't checked but Circuit City can put remote start into other vehicles, why not the Prius.

Fish

 

[KTPhil]

"I haven't checked but Circuit City can put remote start into other vehicles, why not the Prius. "

Can I come watch as the CC monkeys hack up the Prius trying to defeat the security system?

 

[Fisher]

KTPhil, You sound skeptical, and why not, 10 years ago you would have scoffed at a hybrid car. Toyota may not offer it yet but they have told me "it would not void the warranty" so I googled it. (www .keylessride.com) has a model the goes with current smart key technology. I'm not a salesmen but if you want it I'm pretty sure you can get it you can.

 

[KTPhil]

I am skeptical of the minimum wage installers having at my Prius with power tools.

I knew about hybrids 10 years ago, wasn't scoffing.

All this so you can run the A/C?

I want to be there when my ICE starts. 90% of failures occur at startup, and I want to be able to call a halt if I don't like what I see or hear.

 

[Rich D.]

Someone told me of a luxury car that had a timer that would turn on the A/C.

You set it for a half hour or so before you expect to drive the car. I believe it even had a solar array so the battery wouldn't be drained.

Maybe he was pulling my leg.

 

[hyperion]

Just back from my local Chevy dealer to see his first HHR. Neat little wagon. Comes with everything including Moon-roof, and XM radio, 17" mag wheels, heated and electrically adjustable leather passenger and drivers seats, adjustable wheel and because of over 90% requests "remote starting in all GM models" equipped with auto-transmissions.
Everything but the kitchen sink at $21,500. Sticker says 24/32MPG. That's with the 2.4 Saturn all aluminum 16 valve, double overhead cam ecotec engine.
"BUT" NO SMART KEY!
I posted this as I thought it very interesting that over 90% of GM buyers are now requesting "remote start", so they are now standard in all GM automatics.

 

[mrv]

I'm still amazed that you can buy remote starters in MA. Their very use goes against 2 different state laws. (1 for leaving a running vehicle unattended and another one for idling over 5 minutes.) Not that the laws are enforced in MA outside of fleets operating at Logan, but... (That, and the OP was from the Land of the Free NH)

anyhow, anything is possible. but you'd have to leave a registered keyfob inside the car. (so, there goes your rolling-ID engine immobilizer). If you have SE&SS/SKS, you cannot leave a smart fob inside, as then you can never lock your car doors except with the little metallic key (same goes if you leave the keyfob in the dash slot).

The Prius warms up fast enough in the winter. Plus, it's better on the engine and better for MPG/emissions (on any car) to warm it up under load (driving it) as compared to idling it, and it'll warm up faster when driven, too.

 

[nh_jim]

Jim, I don't really think you need one. The car warms quickly and there is supplemental electric heat that initially comes on as the coolant warms up. In addition, there is a thermos that stores hot coolant at shutdown. This is pumped back into the system at startup.

Thanks to all who replied. It sounds like no one has actually done it, and most seem to think it's not necessary. I read about the thermos that keeps the hot coolant, but I wonder after 8 hours of being at work on a 0 degree day if it will still be warm. Also, the passenger compartment, steering wheel, seats, etc. will still be pretty cold for a while. As someone else pointed out, it would be nice on a hot day in summer to have the car cool when you get into it. I know it goes against the grain of gas economy, but this may be one sacrifice I'm willing to make. Maybe if the car had heated seats ...

I was concerned about it starting without the fob, but there must be a way to override this I would think. I do love the SKS and would hate to have to disable it. I would think if it is disabled, then it would be just like having a key, and all the remote starters work without the key, right?

 

[KTPhil]

In a software-controlled car like the Prius, there is far more to starting than jumping the solenoid and ignition like in the old days. Throw in SE/SS and it gets even more complex.

 

[melgish]

what you need to do is capture a Yeti and train him to grab your fob, and run out into the cold winter day to start your Prius.

It's the only sensible solution

 

[KTPhil]

Or maybe I'll outsource my car-starting duties to India.

 

[ken1784]

In Japan, there is the "Remote Start" as the Toyota dealer option.
http://toyota.jp/prius/dop/function/index2.html
(shown at the bottom of this page.)

[email protected]

 

[melgish]

In Japan, there is the "Remote Start" as the Toyota dealer option.
http://toyota.jp/prius/dop/function/index2.html
(shown at the bottom of this page.)

[email protected]

An option only available to dealers? how totally unfair :wink:

 

[DanMan32]

Many GM cars also have the immobilizing RFID. The remote start could easily emulate such RFIDs as if it was its own fob. Very similar to how Homelink works.
Thus, when the remote start 'presses' the power button, it would respond to the immobilzer request.
The aftermarket non OEM remote start might also have to tell the car that a fob is in the slot.
The remote start would have to have a program mode so that it could answer the Prius when the immobilizer is trained to accept it.