2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission ReMoTe StArT & BIG Businesses

[DieselMinded]

Well finaly decided i wasnt going to frezze my rear off this year and starting hitting up remote start vendors , I have a attached garage but My truck wont fit ... . STUUUPID sence i built my house after i bought my truck



All these prices include the extra stuff for the diesel and anti grind and having just one remote for keyless entry and for the starter . . ,... . and for complete install



Auto Illisions -Viper - $325



CVZ - Valet - $350



Auto Restylings - Auto Page - $325



Offeys -Crime Stopper - $280



And unbelaveable the one i picked



Best Buy - Viper - $209



Being installed tuesday



I cannot beleave that best Buiy would win this show down ..... I like supporting small local bisness but ... . the diffrence is just to much !



Maybe Ill stop by wal-mart on my way back and spend the money I saved :-laf



Its kind of reached the point in the US where your better off snubbing small Businesses and going main stream



Its Sad but True







DM

 

[SCox]

As a Car Audio store owner I've gotta chime in... first my shop would put a crimestopper autostart in your truck for $ 200 plus tax, your truck like mine, is very easy to do (some other vehicles can go as high as $400, I price according to difficulty). Second, for the small guys alot of what you are paying for is the service after your install. Autostarts are not perfect, things do go wrong... . not always but when they do you need service quickly. 90% of the time I can take care of my customers on the spot, best buy, appointment only.

The installers at best buy are usually the ones that are learning, striving to make it to a smaller shop, I know, I've hired a few of them. They know if they make a mistake, they have a huge company to back them, or worse if they mess something up bad enough they can just quit, my guys know its their ***** if they mess something up so they take the time to do it right and with pride. The worst wiring nightmares I have seen have come from chain stores, I've fixed many of them. Not downing the chain stores, just keep in mind they best buy guy is trying to get your truck finished so he can collect a check, most small shops are trying to establish a relationship with you based on quality workmanship and service, big difference. It goes back to you get what you pay for. Not trying to start a argument, just my point of view.

Steve

 

[DieselMinded]

Great Point of view , and I do agree .



But 50% of the little shops around here have went south and if i had a remote start installed by one of them i would now be SOL atleast Best Buy is going to be there still .



Ive been researching and the Viper is suppose to be one of the best so hopefully I dont need service but we know how that goes.



If you was local I would be there :>



Im sure Best buy picks the starters up for about 1/2 what a small shop can get them for So it would be hard to try to compete with BIG Businesses



Ive seen the kits from 60-300 Dollars but you void the warentee if you put it in your self from what I read.



DM

 

[SCox]

Viper is an excellent system, you shouldn't have any problems, our trucks tend to be easy to install the systems on, and they don't come back for adjustments. Make sure they tie the doorlocks into the system. One of the features that is really cool is being able to hop out of your truck, leave it running while going for a short trip into the store if it's super cold out, while taking your keys with you. You wont want to be without one once you have it, better be prepared to get the signifigant other a autostart as well!

 

[KDillard]

I'll never let a chain store do anything for me!!!!!!

Scox



I totally agree. I worked for circuit city for 7 years. 4 of which was in the install bay. Just recently I resigned due to poor management. Most chain stores hire people with little or no experience and put them on a computer to take E-learning courses. Believe me I was the shop supervisor and had to clean up all the newbie mistakes. I had absolutely no control over who worked in the shop and had to train what loosers the retarded store management sent me. Most chain stores do not concentrate on quallity. They treat their workers like scum and expect them to do 10k a month in installations. CC had a bonus that was merely unobtainable due to the limited hours they were giving the installers. I know alot of small shop owners and installers and most of them quit from the chain stores and opened their own businesses. The only good thing is the large chain stores have big insurance!!!! also a nationwide warranty.

 

[SCox]

KDillard,

You probably learned alot fixing mistakes. The warranty thing is good, so is big insurance, one mistake can take down a small business... . no room for error. I have seen some quality installs from tweeter, but have still fixed a few. It's hard for the small guy sometimes, but it's rewarding

 

[CLamb]

So how does the remote start stuff work with a standard shift truck? Do you just have to be damn sure you don't leave in in gear or??? I would love an autostart but its not an automatic.

 

[SCox]

Don't do it on a stick, I don't have one on mine, have it on my dd and wifes dd both autos, had it on my 97 auto. I can honestly say that every one that I have installed on a standard has at one point or another "driven" into various stationary objects because someone forgot to put it in neutral. Almost always happens when a friend borrows it, "I swear I left it in neutral". I autostarted my rockcrawler into my installers civic..... not a pretty sight, can laugh about it now!

 

[Fishin Guide]

Which Viper model remote start is this?



Dave

 

[DieselMinded]

Dont know ?

 

[KDillard]

manual trannies

You can do it but unless you put some sort of a nuetral safety switch on it then your risking someone elses life. A cummins will literally drive off. The smaller vehicles will just jump most of the time. I had one on my old 88 mustang and it jumped once. Soon as it did that I made a nuetral safety switch out of two magnetic switches and a few back straps. I am waiting on getting a new job before I start to monkey around with my 05. Got most of the parts just not the funds for the rest and want to do everything all at once.



Scox





I have learned alot fixing others negligent mistakes. Trouble shooting an alarm system can be a real PITA. Especially when the owners add accesories to their systems. Just remember the more you add the more problems you can have regardless of the install job. I hate window mods with a passion. Ive seen so many dei and other brands go out stranding a customer with a wet azz :-laf

 

[CLamb]

Yeah I think the load sensing idle would be a bad thing for sure. Only saving grace would be if the park brake was stong enough to hold the starter back. But if you had a 4. 10 truck and left it in first gear it would probably go ahead and come in the house with you .

 

[DieselMinded]

Aargghhhhh !!!!!!!!!

#ad




Couldnt of went worst !!!!!!!!!!



Got up at 8 am made the cummute to Best Buy in heath (about 40Mins) waited 30 mins before they would let me in the install bay ,,,, got in the guys starts feeding me BS ... . well we will have to use this thing here ,,,it was a key box that reads the chip in the key and bypasses the start system thing,,, I told him NO YOU DONT HAVE TO USE THAT MY KEY DONT HAVE A CHIP !!! he tried to feed me some BS and I Got right back to him ,,,,,,, Then he brakes DOWN ,,,,,, and says look man ill be honest with you i have no idea how to install this on your truck !!!!! WTF !!!!!!!! I said dude I called you yesturday and verified the appointment and talked to you and now you dont know how to do it WTF !!!!!!! He said i can bring it back tomarrow for the master tech to do the install I said no way I cant CALL HIM IN today !!!! he called no answer ,,,, I asked him to call the Lancaster store about 20 miles SW ,,,,they said they can do it ,. ,,,,, I told my wife (WAITING IN THE PARKING LOT ) to follow me , commuted over ,,,, and talked to the install guy and he said 2 hrs and it will be done 5 hrs later I get the call I show up and get the truck and he tells me he had some trouble getting the GLOW PLUGS hooked up WTF!!!!!! I dont even have glow plugs there intake heaters but they may be wired the same and what not ,,,,,,,, I pull out and whats this CEL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! STEAMMING i call him over and tell him my CEL is on he said he didnt have a clue ,,,,m OH MY GOD IM GOING TO KILL SOMEONE !!!!!!!!!!! HE said Best buy will cover any expences ,,,,



I drop by Auto Zone and the code was intake heater malfunction or something close !!!! had the dude clear the codes and He didnt even do it right case it didnt go out for a second !!!!!!!



Got home All Pizzed off and disconnected the neg termelals for 5 mins then put them back on and the CEL is still on ... .



I cant tell if the starter is waiting for my WTS light or not the motors hasnt been cooled off yet ,,,,



I came in the house and Im waiting for the motor to chill and ill try to see if the heaters are working ,,,,



then ill check and see if the Remote start is waiting on the light .



and go from there ...



maybe he crossed some wires at first then got them right but the code allready set ,,,Im hopeing



If not Im not sure what to do other than taking it to CVZ or some other shop to fix the install ,,



I should of listened to you guys in the first place



Now my truck may be Down



BTW he didnt even hook up the turbo timer control switch or the valet mode but its pretty strait foward ill do that my self



WHAT TO DO ??????



DM

 

[DieselMinded]

I really want to call both store managers tomarrow but i dont want to cost anybody there job . .



A rock and a hard spot it is



?????





This Sucks!!!!



NOTE TO TDR MEMBERS !



Listen to the guys on this thread that told me not to have Best Buy do the install they are exactly right !



I got the Viper 160xv Installed for $179 out the door... ... ... ... ... ... and right in the shop



As per my research it would of cost in excess of $325 for the same work the diffrence of About $149 ... ... . For the same Starter . . I found it hard to not pick Best Buy ... but to anyone who is concidering a remote starter and install . . price all of them and go to who ever charges the most evidently !



DM

 

[tp0d]

I really want to call both store managers tomarrow but i dont want to cost anybody there job . .

If they couldnt do the job right, they shouldnt have attempted it in the first place. Reporting the problem is the -only- way to do it. Think of the next poor schmuck that uses BB for their install. (sorry bout the schmuck comment, but 'we told ya so')



Complex installs like yours are best done by an expert that has time to investigate what he needs to get done. BB is lax on the expert side of things, and rushes jobs out to keep costs down. You found out the hard way. I feel for the guy that has to troubleshoot the spaghetti mess BB made. . sigh. . I`ve seen their carnage more than once.



Personally, I would have installed the system myself, and have been my own warranty station. I dont typically trust ppl with my truck. (case in point).



Sorry to hear about the blood-pressure-elevating incident. Hope you can work with BB to get something resolved. I hope the installer didnt fry anything.



good luck



-j

 

[SCox]

Diesel minded,

More than like likely he reversed the ignition and accesory wires on the autostart when he first put it in, if you power up the acc wires before the main ign wires alot of times it will throw a code. Get it cleared properly and you shouldn't have a problem. Does it autostart fine? I'll do some looking tomorrow & see if I can find anything for you. KDillard. . any ideas? About the intake heater, the autostart simply has a delay that waits a predetermined time to start the truck called a 'diesel mode', it does not monitor the grid heater. He should have made no attempt to wire anything to the grid heater, he's feeding you more bs -imhop. Honestly I don't think you have a major problem on your hands.

I'll get back with you in the am.

Steve

 

[TRCM]

I installed mine in my car myself... took about 3 hrs... most of which was fighting the wiring. notenough room to easily tie into the wires.



I'm also looking at doing it for my truck... which is a 5 speed.

 

[DieselMinded]

truck started by itself every 2 hrs all night long !!!!!!!!!!



Calling managers today



I just called off work !



The dude didnt even hook up the starter kill , so i cant flip that to keep it from starting and im not re/disconnection my battery cables a hundred times either



Im hoping lead techs are in either BB if not I will have to OK a cutom shop through the best buy manager to fix it



:<

DM

 

[JGK]

DM, don't let your frustration go to waste. It may sound mean, but you have a legitimate beef. BB should not allow any of these guys anywhere near the shop. They profess to know what they are doing but in reality they don't. Don't let them get another victim. Sloppy business practices should be dealt with appropriately. If you don't get it fixed TODAY, contact the Better Business Bureau. You can usually lodge a complaint on-line.



Truck starting every 2 hours all night... THAT'S NUTS! But just a little tiny bit funny



-Jay

 

[SBettencourt]

DM,

Starting every 2 hrs is probably a setting that can be shut off in programming but it sounds like they botched the job.

At minimum they should refund the installation costs. Or they should remove the system and refund everything. I would not let them do it unsupervised though. You never know what they'll ruin next.

I hate to let anyone work on my stuff but sometimes it is unavoidable. This is a good plug for the local merchant that does good, quality work even if it costs more.

Hopefully you can get it staightened out today.

Steve