will i be first with remote start?????

I miswrote something on that post, I ll correct it, and repost. thanks

 

Yeah I get that, but my impression was that whatever settings you left when you got out of the car on the A/C, the remote start would fire those up. Am I wrong on that assumption?

 

Corrected part in bold letters. Sorry for the confusion

 

That would be correct for both the remote engine start and the remote air conditioning syste. Differece is when you use the remote engine start, your A/C is relying on engine power. When you use remote air conditionin system, your A/C is relying on battery power, thus the 3 minute limit.

 

Yeah, well said. I forgot to say the gas part. This is why I believe the remote engine start is a waste of money unless you have a Prius II or absolutely do not want solar roof.

 

Who said remote starting is new!!! The only reason to "warm up the engine in really cold places" is to generate heat to warm up the interior. It is also useful for running the A/C to cool down the interior. Again, nothing new there either.

They are the only two reasons that I can think of to remote start a car (well, I guess unless someone is concerned about a bomb wired to the ignition). Anyway, my intent was to help clarify your confusion about operation of the remote start.

By running the remote A/C works off the traction battery its operation may be limited due to the available charge. Also, the solar ventilation system may not work well on hot humid (cloudy) days or late in the afternoon, which could limit the effectiveness of the 3-minute A/C burst. IMO, the remote start is therefore a more useful accessory and would be useful on a SR model.

 

Prius II or III. At least in my area, solar roofs are only being shipped with the IV, or so I have been told.

 

I absolutely do not want, and certainly do not want to pay for, the NAV, therefore I choose not to get the solar roof package, therefore I have a IV on order without Nav/solar but with remote start. I do not consider it a waste to spend $530 to get remote cooling and not spend $3600.

I agree with you that it would be a waste to get remote start if you are getting the solar roof. I don't think that anybody disputes that. People who are talking about getting remote start are people aren't getting the solar roof.

 

For A/C, I suspect the ICE will run as needed to keep the traction battery charged.

The remote A/C with the SR ONLY cools the car for 3-minutes. It will NOT heat the car. The remote start will.

So why again is the remote start a waste unless you have a Prius II? Why don't you think it would be useful on a Prius V?

 

Sorry if this was mentioned already, but it seems like remote start would be great for those times you'd like to defrost/defog the windows before getting in, instead of having to sit there and wait several minutes.

 

Good point.

Depends on your climate. Because there is nothing in the SR model to pre-heat the interior, those people in colder climates may want the remote start even with the solar. And in more humid climates, the 3-minute A/C might not be enough for everyone. We'll have to wait for more reports.

 

I have remote engine start in my car:

1. It's difficult to tell if the remote sequence to start the engine has worked in the daylight (it just flashes the lights).

2. By the time I think to use it, I'm usually near the car, so not much cooling will have occurred.

3. It instantly shuts off as soon as I open a door. Whoops, here comes another warm up cycle.

 

$500 for remote start vs. $3600 for solar roof is a good reason why many people won't consider the remote start a "waste".

 

Ditto. I ordered it with plans to install myself, but unless I can bypass that little quirk, to ebay it will go.

 

I don't have the car yet to confirm this but my understanding is that the remote starter will start the car, not the engine per se (as it would when you press power inside the car). If the car was preset on heating, remote starting the car will engage the engine. If the car was preset on A/C, the A/C will engage.* Being electrical, it could/should not start the engine (need to be confirmed but that would be the logical thing to expect), unless the traction battery is too low, in which case the engine will start to provide power. The remote starter is limited to 10 min, after which you can restart it only one more time for another 10 min.

For the solar roof, the remote A/C button specifically starts only part of the car and starts the A/C for 3 min. It is designed not to start the engine. I'm not sure what it does if the traction battery is too low (refuse to start the A/C or start the engine to provide power).

So the two can provide remote A/C (probably without starting the engine). A difference would be that the solar roof would keep the car at ambient temperature at all time, rendering the A/C job easier.

Could someone owning the car confirm this? I'll only get mine in 1-2 weeks.

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*Setting it to Auto would achieve both depending on heating/cooling requirement.

 

Does anyone know if the remote start is a port installed option? Seems like almost all of the 2010 models that I have seen have had this option added. When I asked a salesman about it, he thought it was a standard feature until I pointed out the line item charge. He said he would look into getting me a Prius without this, but he had not seen one at his dealership without it.

 

1. I doubt if the a/c can run for 10 minutes without starting the engine, no less the second 10 minutes.

2. "at all time"? You might want to review this thread: http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii-2010-prius-main-forum/62988-solar-roof-vs-5-pm-sun.html Reportedly, even in AZ during the first week of summer, the solar fan stops working by 5 pm due to the angle of the sun. I wonder what time it will stop in August up north? So saying the fan will work at all times is not realistic, even if you have a clear sky. The fan also won't lower the humidity. I would want to know how well the 3-minute a/c will work at 5pm on a hazy hot and humid August day. I know it will be better than nothing, but will it work well enough to be worth the cost of the package?