with christmas comin up im lookin at some affordable stuff for my truck. one thing i found on northern tool and equipments site is a remote starter/keyless entry made by Bull Dog. I was wonderin if anyone knew anything about this product or company, and if itd be reliable.


thanx for any input



heres a link, btw

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/w...Product%20Page

 

i have installed two of them they work well havent had a problem yet

 

I believe bulldog is an okay brand, nothing wrong with them, but there are better brands though. I plan on getting remote start for my ram too, and I am going with a 2-way system, which I recommend to anyone looking at a remote start system. That way, if you can't see your truck, you can look at the screen on the remote, and it will tell you if your truck is started, if it's locked, ect. GM's new 2-way system that is coming out will even tell you how much gas you have left, your mileage, and how much juice your battery has I think. I believe it has more stuff which I can't remember right now though.

Is a remote start something that I could install myself with relative ease? Or should I just take it to a shop to do it? I'm looking at getting the top of the line Viper system off of amazon for pretty cheap, then save myself about $200 in labor. Also, I'd need to have it hooked up to be used as the key less entry system for my truck, since I do not have a keyless entry system, but it does have power locks. So, is that something I'd be able to do myself, or should I just have a shop do it?

 

also i found a wiring harness that is supposed to make it easier to install. the guy im gonna have install it tho worked as an installer (headunits and alarm systems) so im wondering if hed need it.

its description is 'saves time' (not required)...... i guess ill just ask him that


thanx for the help guys.


hey cvec, how much more does a two way system cost?

 

Well, to have a place install it, it'll run you about $500 or so. At least that's how it is here where the demand for studded tires, engine block heaters, and remote starts is high. The one I found on amazon was about $200. It's not the newest system, but o well.
http://www.amazon.com/Viper-Alarm-Re...&s=electronics

I do have a question about remote starts though, do they automatically sense when the engine has been started, and then cut off the starter so as not to 'over-start' it? Because when my truck has been sitting outside all night, it takes a bit to get it started, but when the engine is warm, it takes little to no time at all to start...

 

I was told for many years about remote starters. All the dealerships here said they would install one for me in my 98 Ram, but recommended not to do it because it may interfered with the electronics of the vehicle. They all said the same thing with my 2001 neon when I purchased it, a remote starter from the factory is the only safe way to go.
I had one in my plymouth aclaim years ago. It worked very well for a couple years, then all of a sudden, while driving the lights would flash on and off for half dozen times and then stop. My neighbour had problems similar to mine but a different brand. Sometimes his would run for 2 minutes then quit then restart it self and run for 20 minutes. His was programed to run for 15 minutes only.

Good luck with them, but make sure you check out the quality (not by price) of the unit. Try Consumer reports,..etc.

Cheers KayakMan

 

I had a Code Alarm (Audiovox) 2-way remote system installed in my truck a few months back and I love it. It ran me $360 installed. From what I have read from the specs in my alarm, there is a anti-grind feature that senses whan the truck has actually started to prevent "over-starting". I was concerned about that also in the mornings, here in the desert it can get cold!

 

ok can someone explain this overstarting thing to me, its goin over my head.......

 

Basically its when you go to start the truck and never let go of the key, it grinds the starter. The anti-grind feature on a remote start alarm "knows" when the truck has started to prevent starter grind.

 

i got a new jc whitney catolog yesterday and the have them for $49.99