General
We cover all of our labour for as long as you own your vehicle. All product warranty is covered according to the manufacturer’s guidelines. We will install products purchased from other places but there is a testing surcharge to make sure we are not installing dead equipment new or used. There are also some brands that we will not install because of known quality issues. Also on that note, if a product fails after installation we cannot warranty the product and as long as the failure was not installation related you will be charged to replace the failed product.
Remote Starters
The easiest way to describe a 1-way system is that it functions the same as a factory remote but with much greater range. When you press a button the remote starter will execute the command and the vehicle will respond with parking light flashes. A 2-way system does the same but it also sends a signal back to the remote to notify you that the command has been executed. Notification is done by LEDs and a series of audible beeps on a 2-way LED system or by the LCD screen and audible beeps on a 2-way LCD system. 2-way systems generally have a greater range and are typically more desirable since you do not have to be within eyesight of the vehicle to know that the command has been executed.
In brief – NO. This is probably the biggest remote car starter question clients have and the one with the most misunderstanding and misinformation around it. The simple answer is that having a Remote Car Starter will not void your warranty. The Consumer Protection Act is in place to allow you to have devices like remote starters installed in your vehicle. You should ensure that the quality of equipment you choose and the quality of installation is such that warranty concerns do not come into play. The best method is to select a reputable remote start system manufacturer and have it installed by a professional authorized dealer for that product. They have been trained to work with those systems and a quality manufacturer will support both you and the installing dealer (us) in the event there are any concerns or obstacles to overcome. In fact many dealers will use the same products and often have a specialist like ourselves install remote starters in vehicles at the time of purchase when they were not factory installed in the vehicle!
Installation time can vary greatly from vehicle to vehicle. We do ask that you make arrangements to leave the vehicle with us for the entire day. If the “guy down the street” says he can do it in 30 minutes we can’t speak for him but we do solder every connection and do thorough testing after installation to be sure you have years of trouble free service.
Most newer vehicles have a factory anti-theft system (not to be confused with a proper security system) in them. Sometimes these are referred to as “Chip Keys” or Transponder Keys. In order for a remote starter to start the car, an Interface Module or “By-Pass” is used so that when the Remote Start is activated the system will allow the vehicle to start. The important part is to ensure that the device used does not totally disable your vehicles anti-theft system! Interface Modules are also increasingly required to work with newer vehicles computers and start sequences, beyond the basic Power and Start wiring that was needed 30 years ago when we started doing remote car starters!
Vehicle electronic systems and wiring have become a lot more complex in recent years. Installing a remote starter today involves programming modules to the specific software and features of your vehicle and wiring them into various systems in your vehicle. Our clients have found that when trusting their vehicle to someone, choosing a trained, experienced technician who is up to date on vehicle systems, installation methods, has full access to factory level vehicle wiring information as well as direct access to the manufacturers for any technical support is best. Why would you want to trust the 2nd most expensive purchase most of us make – our vehicles – to anyone else. The added benefit of choosing a facility like ours is that should your remote start system not work, you simply return to us and have it fixed, no waiting for your friend (or his friend) to have time to check it out.
Yes we can. We have remote starters designed to work with manual transmission vehicles. They do require a specific shutdown procedure to ensure that the vehicle is not started in gear.
Yes you can. We can interface with most push-to-start vehicles made today. Most times the end function is identical to that of a vehicle with a key.
The default runtime is 15 minutes. All remote starters have additional settings for different runtimes. If you would like something other than 15 minutes, feel free to ask.
Car Audio and Navigation
You bet! We have Interface Modules available to not only retain steering wheel controls but in many cases we can also retain factory satellite radio, factory amplifiers, back-up camera’s and sometimes even factory Bluetooth. You’re in luck! We have many integration pieces available to add amplifiers and subwoofers to factory systems. Changing out the speakers for better aftermarket units is no problem either. We can retain the full function of you factory head unit and still make you stereo sound like you at a concert. We usually have a demo vehicle on site if you would like a demonstration. Your factory speakers should be able to handle the output from an aftermarket head-unit, but there are limits to their performance. Turn up your new radio with the car sitting still, make a note of the volume level at which your factory speakers start to distort and avoid cranking the radio up past that point. You bet! We have many different options to integrate with a factory head unit. Typically we would add a USB or 3.5 mm jack. Some times due to price, it may be more cost effective to replace the factory radio which adds many new features like this. Aux connections tend to transmit background noise, plus you have to control the tunes from the phone itself — not the safest thing when you’re driving alone. The USB connection on the other hand, transmits no background noise, gives you receiver-based control (some applications) and also charges your phone. In many cases the receiver also processes the sound, something it’s designed to do better than your phone in an amplified system. Most likely your phone needs to be re-paired with the Bluetooth device. We would be happy to assist you with this.
Speaker performance is critical to listening enjoyment, so we recommend adding quality, aftermarket speakers as soon as you can. A new set of speakers will let you take full advantage of the big, rich sound your new receiver has to offer.
Mobile Video
Unfortunately there is no definitive answer. There are vehicles that can be done and vehicles that can’t. We recommend that you stop by the store and one of our experienced technicians will have a look at the vehicle to determine what can be done. While we generally order all flip-downs and headrests with DVD players, they also have RCA, USB and HDMI inputs. These allow a variety of ways to entertain the children from hooking up an old game console to streaming Netflix from a smartphone. The manufacturers we use ensure that all headrests have perfectly matching cloth or leather right down to the stitching so they will look like they were installed at the factory.
Safety
We have many options to add a back-up camera from a stand-alone monitor, to rear view mirrors with integrated monitors, to having the picture show up in a factory radio screen or aftermarket head-unit. Yes it is. We have a system called Mobileye that adds lane departure warnings, pedestrian alerts and frontal crash warnings to any vehicle. This depends on the vehicle and the options you would like. We have multiple ways we can add Bluetooth phone and audio streaming capability. We recommend you swing by and we can discuss which option will work best for you.
Marine, Powersport and Motorcycle
Marine or Powersport rated equipment is designed to stand up to a much harsher environment. Circuit boards are coated to resist corrosion, speaker and sub surrounds are UV stabilized to slow the deterioration of the rubber and connections are usually gold plated. Circuit boards are the brains of all electronics. Marine and other outdoor rated electronics commonly have a coated circuit board to help protect against the elements. The coating is commonly called conformal coating, since it is flexible enough to effectively cover and protect the many nooks and crannies of a complex circuit board without interfering in its operations. These coatings can come in any number of materials from acrylics, to epoxies, to the ever-popular silicones. Some coatings are hard, some are soft and all offer a different cocktail of uses and protectants, such as abrasion-resistance and temperature balance. In the marine environment, coatings are primarily used for moisture-resistance. Try to make sure that any electronic equipment you purchase for your boat has a coated circuit board — it’s worth it! No problem. There are many ways we can add components to your boat. We have years of experience customizing boats and adding gear. We recommend you bring your boat by the shop and we can discuss and show you what options you have. No problem. There are many ways we can add components to your ATV. We have years of experience customizing ATVs and adding gear. We recommend you bring your ATV by the shop and we can discuss and show you what options you have.