Remote starter and remote A/C

Thanks! Well that's cheaper than the remote AC option that one gets with the moonroof. Not a bad tradeoff if what one wants is remote AC..this is another way to get it, albeit not the most efficient method. But it'll work.

 

I think $529 is worth it for me because I would use it everyday that it is cold and/or snowing and to have only 1 key fob is so worth it!

 

So remote start keeps the doors locked but in ready mode. Is there anything (other than the locked doors) to keep the car from being driven off?
It would be useful in more than once cirumstance (with my 2007) to have the prius NOT shift out of park unless the key was present. Does remote start add that functionality?

 

I think it does! These operating conditions must be met for the remote start to work: shift position in "P" [Park], "POWER" switch "OFF", all doors closed, the hood is closed, the brake pedal is not depressed, and the A/C is not set to MAX HOT. The system will autmatically stop after 3 minutes, or, if any one of the above operating conditions is not met. [source: 2010 Prius owner's manual].

 

Toyota has posted a story about the Remote Engine Start:

@Toyota: Behind the Wheel

One interesting tidbit was that it turns the engine back off if it is not put into gear within 10 minutes. The story also details how you use the lock and unlock buttons to control it.

 

And, unless they have changed something, you CAN'T not put it in Park. It puts itself in Park when you push Power to shut down the car.

And (again if nothing has changed) the ICE will start about 8 seconds after the car enters Ready mode even if you don't start driving. It runs for about 1 minute after starting even when it is warm enough to go directly to EV (like maybe you stopped at the store for 2 minutes). I presume the Remote Engine Start will over ride the 'shut off if engine is up to temp' feature.

 

I have an unusual need in terms of being able to keep my car on/running. I occasionally in the summer need to stop into a store or run an errand and my dog is with me. Right now I keep my engine (and AC) running, engage the emergency brake, and lock my car doors with my physical key while I run said errand.

No, it's not the economical thing to do and yes, it wastes precious gas, etc, etc, but when it's 85 degrees outside the comfort/well-being of my dog trumps everything else.

I need to be able to run the full AC (no matter how I do it) in the car for up to 20 min, but usually no more than 15 min.

 

This shouldn't be a problem for you and your dog, as you would just leave your car powered on and locked with the physical key, just as you do now with your Saab 900. The A/C system will continue to work as normal. No worries about it shutting off after 3 or 10 minutes.

The discussion they are having is regarding the remote start and remote A/C features prior to getting in the car.

 

Ditto ... glad you said this ... now I'm feeling a bit better about having remote start!

 

I put this in another tread, but it is probably useful to include here as well:

The remote engine start only works if all doors are locked. After you remote start the car, it will run with whatever climate controls were set when you last turned it off, but only for up to 10 minutes. You can repeat the restart one time only, for a total of 20 minutes (after which you have to restart the car with foot on brake and pushing the start button). If you unlock the car, the engine immediately shuts down, and you have to restart the car with foot on brake and pushing the start button.

For me, the auto shutoff on entry is a pain, since it partially defeats my purpose for getting the remote engine start, i.e., avoiding the annoyance of my wife, who always wants the car cooled down ASAP.

You know remote engine start is working when it flashes the hazard lights for 20 seconds. Of course, you can't really see this very well in the daylight. A quick horn beep alert would have been better, IMHO.

 

It's too bad that it won't automatically roll down the windows (even a bit) in order to exhaust some of the hot air from the car. I always thought that doing so expedited the cooling of the interior. However, this feature still seems quite useful. I have to give it more consideration.

 

Ahhh, got it. Being a newbie, I keep forgetting about that extra rear venting. I have to ask dealer how much it would cost to add this option. I suspect it's too late to have it added at the port.

Off topic question -- Will a kid's booster seat interfere with that venting? I usually place a towel underneath the booster seat to protect back seat. I may have to change that practice.

 

I'm not sure this is true, but my impression is that the remote start accessory (not remote a/c that comes with the sunroof) would use recirc only if you leave it set that way when you get out of the car. Does the remote a/c that comes with the sunroof automatically go into recirc mode?

ggood and others who have remote start, can you share more experience with it such as how long it takes to make a noticeable difference? Also, am I correct in concluding that with this option, the ICE will run and the a/c will continue to run if the battery is low?

I am one of those that doesn't want to pay for nav in order to get the roof but I do want a remote cooling option.

Thanks, Roy

 

Yes remote engine start starts up the car in whatever mode you left it in. Seems like auto mode would be the best option. Honestly, this is turning out to be pretty useless for me, since (1) by the time I think to dig out my keys I'm already on top of the car anyway, (2) even if I do think ahead, it is very difficult to tell if the car actually started, since all you get is flashing tail lights that are hard to see in the sunlight, and (3) as soon as you unlock any of the doors, the engine immediately shuts down. The car seems to cool down to a tolerable level pretty quickly, say maybe 2 to 3 minutes?

 

Let’s ask the Prius Team if they can add chirp from the horn or something. Or can someone help us fix this. I think you should be able to activate FOB from inside the house or behind a door and listen for the horn. Prius Team any ideas on this one? I have seen demo of the new remote starter feature and it needs some love. If someone can escalate to Prius Team that would be great, not sure if they look at all post. I would like to get Prius Team and others thoughts on the issue. I would think this should at least be fixed up for the 2011 release. If I owned the accessory I would be willing to pay a little more if need to make it a usable option. Currently remote start is a teaser.

My Request would be:
audio signal for on:
audio signal for off:
audio signal for when time has expiered 10 min:
Increase range of FOB:
Disable auto off feature (when grabing door)
Just for fun make it cheaper