I can't figure out why I would need to start my truck from a mile away. As long as I can start it from my house (so it warms up inside while I get dressed for work) I am happy.

 

Cant answer who uses that range but what i was getting at was you would have an alarm/theft deterrent product and it would be installed by someone who makes their living installing alarms

 

We call those guys butchers , most of the time if you seen the work they do to your qwiring you would never let them touch your truck , I see it all the time bundles of wires under the dash with no regard to placment , they use scotch locks wich is about as unprofesioal as it gets , pros solder and heat shrink all wiring, The facorty remote start requies no cutting its plug and play its a hood swich the wiring is there its a new WIN module and a antenna that plugs into teh win, These vehs have SKIM they cant be stolen with out the key.

you can do what you want but be aware if they tie into the bus system and cause you to have electrical issues chrysler is not going to cover it under warrenty and then see if the alram guy will fix it , he will run like a sissy.

The dealership mechanic is a factory trained tech that has years of knowledge , most of these allarm guys are kids that read the instructions and install it .

 

I get your point, it's choosing the right shop that will make or break your experience. I owned a car audio and alarm shop for 6 years and my shops workmanship was exceptional but that was because of my personal work ethics and that was a standard i held for all of my employees. Just over half of my alarm work was fixing the butcher jobs other shops had performed. Viper and Clifford understand this and will only sell to and certify shops that have trained individuals installing their systems, this is why the alarm is $200 and labor can run $300-$400.

I understand the "dealership mechanic is a factory trained tech that has years of knowledge " but he's still a mechanic installing a car alarm, in this case it does not matter because of it's plug and play properties. These "kids" usually know more about electronics than people who have been in the business for a majority of their life, technology is constantly evolving and the younger generation is adapting with it.

 

1. Remote start is awesome. I love it. Whether you go with the factory setup or aftermarket, you'll love it.

2. If the factory setup is plug & play (& program), it might be worth going that route. I, personally, wouldn't want to have to carry a separate FOB for an aftermarket remote start.

3. With an alarm shop it's hit & miss unless you've had work there done before (or know someone who has). Even if they're a good shop, there could be a bad apple of a tech who takes shortcuts. And if they mess something up with the wiring, Chrysler will not cover it. When installing a stereo, or amp, there isn't as much to mess up. Remote start can be a little different.

4. As a side note, C&D ran an article in their latest magazine on factory remotes. The new Dodge remote apparently has one of the best ranges both unobstructed and in a car parking lot. It also has the most expensive battery replacement cost, but at least the key replacement fee was reasonable.

 

It comes with 2 new keys , and you can still have your old keys work also just have to program them to the new module, no cutting of wires , 1 remote and it works 100 yards away installed by a factory trained tech that knows your Ram in and out and it carries the factory warranty , I love mine.

 

My remote start came on my truck. I thought it was gimmicky (is that spelled right), but I find myself using it all the time. Think warm truck in winter, cool in summer. I learned last week that the truck will shut itself off if you use the remote start with the low fuel light on. That is a pretty smart system to not leave you stranded especially if you accidently hit the start button and didn't know it.

 

The range comes in handy when you want to start your truck up before you walk out the door at work. This will depend on your place of business and parking lot setup, but it came in handy for me, well, before the economy struck...

 

Gotta watch it now, dam tree huggers again.....no idling for more than certain times. So you could get a ticket in your driveway for leaving your locked vehicle running.

 

WTF are you talking about? Glad I don't live there. I can leave my truck running as long as I want and nobody's going to say a damn thing to me....

5 minutes is usually good during the summer.

And yes, it will shut off if you have low fuel, it's been running for 15 minutes, or you push the remote start button again.