“When I get a new vehicle can we move the remote starter into another vehicle?”  It’s a question that we are asked all the time.  It’s a great question but one without a simple answer. Lets look at all the things that need to be considered.

Removal

There is a cost associated with removing a remote starter. Depending on the original complexity and the quality of the installation, this can vary but is usually 1-2 hours of labor. Our shop currently charges $75 for this type of work so you will have $75 -$150 dollars for removal.

What Is The Starter Coming Out Of / Going Into?

This is the most important question. Remote starter installs varies greatly from vehicle to vehicle. Most newer vehicle will need some type of transponder bypass/interface to allow the remote starter to do its job. If the old and new vehicles both take the same interface, all is well. If they do not then you will need to buy a new bypass at a cost of 75-150 depending on the vehicle.

Reinstallation Harness Kit

Some shops might say that you don’t need this. And they are correct…. You don’t NEED it. But trust me you want it. When we install a remote starter into your vehicle, all wires are cut to custom lengths. We don’t coil up wires and you don’t end up with a rat’s next. The downside is that this harness is not going to fit properly in any other vehicle.  To re-use this harness would mean patching it up and extending this wire and that wire. It is not a good solution. The correct solution is to buy a reinstallation harness kit. This kit consists of the same harnesses that came with the original starter. We can now start over from scratch and custom cut every wire leaving a clean and tidy installation. Cost = $30-$70 (We now charge $50)

Reinstallation

This is a real hard one to gauge without knowing what vehicle it is going into. Assuming a super simple and straightforward install, our guys would be able to do the job in about 2 hours (This is soldering every connection and completing the job to our high standards). Other vehicles may take as long as 5 or 6 hours (Before all the “experts” jump on this, we do things to a very high standard at Mobile Edge. And yes it takes us longer to meet this standard. We don’t apologize or make excuses for this). It is important to keep in mind that it would take just as long to install a new unit so the cost here is kind of a wash… Cost = $150-$450

Warranty

Most remote starter manufacturers will only warranty the unit in the vehicle that it was originally installed in. Removing the unit from one vehicle and installing it into another essentially ends the warranty. Our vendor is no different. HOWEVER… Since we are a unique shop, we do things a little differently. If you have us handle the entire project from removal to reinstall and use a reinstallation harness kit, we will extend your warranty to your new vehicle.

Convenience

Many times, buying a car is a spur of the moment thing. You are “just looking” but we all know how that can work out. Next thing you know you are sitting at the F&I guy’s desk. If you want to transfer the remote starter, you’ve got to coordinate the removal and it just becomes a hassle. Sometimes a good approach is to use the starter as a negotiation tool. Ask for a couple hundred extra on your trade because of the remote starter. In many cases if you tell the dealer that you will make the deal today if they give you extra for the remote starter, they will.

Conclusion

We’ve provided you with the information you need to make an informed. Taking a look at the best case scenario, properly reinstalling a remote car starter into another vehicle may be as little as $250. I can tell you from experience that this is rarely the case. It is not unusual to need a different interface and labor is typically 3 hours or more. In most cases, if the remote starter in question is a lower cost unit, it generally isn’t worth the trouble. On higher end units, you can save a good deal of money by transferring the remote starter into your new vehicle.  Hope this helps!

A Bit of History

Two years ago in early November, Mobile Edge ran it’s first Coats For Kids drive. We made arrangements to have any coats distributed locally in Carbon and neighboring counties. We had hoped to collect a few dozen coats. Were we in for a surprise! By the end of January, we had collected close to 200 coats. We realized that we were on to something sweet! Last year, we ran the promotion again and by the time it was all said and done, we had collected nearly 300 coats. In addition, we collected dozens of beanies, scarves and gloves.

What Is Coats For Kids?

As the owner of Mobile Edge for nearly 20 years, I’ve always said that I’ve never once sold something that people actually need! Not one single time (Lets face it, neither has Apple!). I sell products that people want…. things that make them happy and things that make life more comfortable and convenient. One of the truest examples of this is remote car starters.

My store sells more remote car starters than you would believe. Good economy or bad economy… It doesn’t matter. We sell and install a LOT of them and we have since 1994! It stands to reason that if someone cares that much about staying warn, they must have some outdated children’s coats or know someone who does.

We decided to tie these things together. Bring us a new or gently used child’s coat and we will give you up to $50 off the cost of a new remote car starter! There is no catch. No hidden agenda. You have something that can help other people (coats). We have really great car starters that will keep you warm and comfortable and we have a means to distribute your coats to children who need them. Everybody wins! You save money and make some room in you closet. We get to make another happy customer and a child somewhere in our area will be warmer this Winter. Think about it… It make sense to me!

But I Don’t Have Any Kid’s Coats?

Bring us one of your own. As one of the ladies from a local charity told us: Mommies and daddies need to stay warm too! (We honor the discount for any coat)

I Really Don’t Want A Remote Starter?

No problem. We will happily take all of your unwanted coats, beanies, gloves, and scarves. It might be 17 degrees out the day that you drop them off, but I promise you will leave our shop feeling all warm and fuzzy inside!

Help Us Reach Our Goal!

Our goal this year is a lofty one. We want to collect 500 coats. Plain and simple. So if you are reading this and in Carbon or surrounding counties, why not share this on your Twitter feed or Facebook wall. We’re making it simple for you to make a difference in local children’s lives. Spread the word!

Press From Previous Years Promotions

TV13 coverage from 2009

WNEP Coverage from 2009

2010 Times News Article

 Late 2010 Times News Article

An Automatic car starter is one of the most useful products that you can have installed on your vehicle.  Once you have one, you will never want to be without it. When a quality unit is installed properly into your vehicle, it will keep you warm in the Winter and cool in the Summer for years to come.  But you need to be smart when purchasing an auto starter.  This is certainly one case where you do not want to trust your vehicle to the lowest bidder.

Buy A Quality Auto Starter And Have A Pro Install It

The key to enjoying your automatic starter is making sure that you get a top quality unit and a first class installation.  Not one or the other. BOTH!  The best automatic starter installed in a sloppy way will be nothing but headaches as will a poor quality unit installed to perfection.  A good rule of thumb is to find a great shop that is known for quality installations.  Preferably a shop that has been in business for at least a few years.  Chances are good that a shop with a great reputation will carry only reliable products.  The better shops are sought out by the great manufactures.  As a comparison, you typically do not have shade tree mechanics working at the BMW dealership.

Another good piece of advice is to ALWAYS have your automatic starter installed at the same place that you buy it.  If you do not have confidence in the installers, buy the unit somewhere that you do.

Once you have settled on a shop and a brand, take some time to go over the many options that they will undoubtedly offer.  These options can be daunting, but we can help with that.

Automatic Car Starter Options

An automatic car starter can do a lot more than just start your car and heat it up.  We have covered many of these in an earlier post about remote car starter convenience features, but the following list will give you an idea.  With most automatic car starter installations you can add the following:

• Keyless entry
• Rear window defrost
• 2 way communication
• Smartphone integration
• Heated seats
• Trunk release
• Add vehicle security
• Many more features are available

It is also important to mention that automatic car starter transmitter range is very important.  Never underestimate the range you will need.  If in doubt, alway opt for the unit with more range.  Remember that you will want to use this at other places than work and home.  You will need much greater distance at a sporting event, the mall, or parking garage just to name a few.

Will An Automatic Car Starter Void My New Vehicle Warranty?

In a word: ABSOLUTELY NOT!  Maybe that was 2 words, but we want to make the point clear!  Installation of an automatic car starter will NOT void your warranty. To learn more about this and to equip yourself when the dealer tells you otherwise, please check out our post on the Magnusson-Moss Warranty Act.  If your car dealer tells you that your warranty will be voided simply by installing an aftermarket auto starter, feel free to have them call Mobile Edge at 610-377-2730.  Tell them to ask for Mitch!

Here are some other myths floating around about automatic car starters.

Why Mobile Edge For Your Automatic Car Starter?

Mobile Edge has been in business since September 6, 1994.  We have installed thousands and thousands of automatic car starters.  All of our installations are done to an exacting set of standards.  We solder EVERY connection.  Our installers do not use crimp connectors on any wire to wire connections.  All modules are securely fastened out of sight and all wiring is loomed and secured to look factory.  We have a detailed check in and check out procedure.  Before a vehicle leaves the install bay, it must be checked out by the installer and a manager.  Only then will you be called to pick up your vehicle.

We also do not promise specific completion times.  We never have.  We only promise to have your vehicle done on the day of your appointment (99% success rate!)  We do this to protect the integrity of every job.  If the job before yours runs late, we do not want to be rushed to meet a deadline for your vehicle.  This is how avoidable mistakes are made. By committing your vehicle to us for the day, you are insuring that we will be able to spend as much time as necessary to get the job done right.

Since opening in 1994, Mobile Edge has won many awards within our industry.  From 2008-2011 we were named one of the top retailers in the nation and in 2010, we were awarded the coveted Single Store Retailer of the Year Award.  Another big honor came, not in the form of an award, but from a customer. In early 2011, we had a customer who drove nearly 1300 miles JUST to have Mobile Edge install an automatic car starter in their vehicle.  We don’t mention these things not to brag, but to illustrate the level of quality that we bring to the table.

If you choose to have us install your automatic car starter, you can rest assured that you will be thrilled with your purchase and think of us every Winter morning while your neighbor is scraping their windows!  If you would like to request an estimate for your vehicle, please click here.

It’s not always the size of the sale that makes it special. This was hammered home very clearly this week when Mobile Edge had perhaps its coolest sale ever!  It all started in late February when we got a call from a gentleman looking for a remote car starter for his 2010 Lexus RX350.  He said that he had found us online and proceeded to ask a bunch of questions.  When asked where he was from he replied “Indiana.”  We are used to getting a lot of out of state calls since our website shows up well in a lot of searches.  Readers think that we are a manufacturer or a chain.  Most don’t realize that we are a small store located in Eastern PA!

I mentioned where we were located and he said he knew…. and that he was ready to set up an appointment for early May.  WHAT!????!! I asked if he had family around the area.  Nope.  Were they taking a trip that would lead them through the area?  Nope. Doing some quick geographic math in my head, I said that we had to be at least 500 miles away from him.  ”648 to be exact,” was his answer!  Apparently he had already Google Map’ed us!  He went on to say that he enjoyed driving and this would be a little getaway for him and his wife.  I wrote up the invoice, took the deposit via credit card and said goodbye.

William and Sara Tracy from Greenwood Indiana along with Mobile Edge owner Mitch Schaffer. The Tracy's made a 1300 mile round trip just to have Mobile Edge install a remote car starter in their 2010 Lexus RS350.

At this point I was really happy, but logic prevaled in my head and I suspected that this sale would probably get cancelled when they really thought about how far they were driving to get a car starter. I was 100% wrong.  On Monday evening, William Tracy from Greenwood, Indiana stopped in around 5pm.  His appointment was for Tuesday morning and he was just making sure that he had found us!   I couldn’t believe it!  We chatted for a while and I had to ask him why he was willing to drive 1300 miles round trip to have us put a starter in.  ”You had a lot of great information on your site and you really seem to be the expert at remote car starters.  I want the best to work on my vehicle.”  What could I say to that except “Well thank you very much.  We appreciate it!”

At 10am the next morning, the vehicle was dropped off and William and his wife Sara took a ride to Jim Thorpe in their rental car.  They spent the day touring the area while Bob meticulously installed their car starter!  We try to be perfect on every job but this particular job had to be spot on.  They dont live around the corner after all! After about 6 hours of surgical quality installation, Bob had the Compustar remote starter professionally installed and we called the Tracy’s.

They arrived shortly after and we went over the workings of their new remote starter.  Of note is the fact that this 2010 Lexus had a factory remote starter in it already!  William didn’t like it.  He complained of poor range and sporadic function.  We chatted for a while and the Tracy’s were on their way back to the Hampton Inn to rest up for the long drive the next day!

On a personal note, I have to say that this is one of the most special sales that I have ever made.  The fact that our website and a phone call instilled this much trust and confidence in this customer is a great feeling.  I estimate that they spent about $225 on gas, $200 on motels, $75 on a rental car and who knows what else just to make the trip.  They did this because they viewed Mobile Edge as the premier destination to have a car starter installed.  We’ve had customers drive a couple hundred miles to get to us in the past, but this takes the cake!  We are truly humbled!

It happened again!  In January, we had a customer call to talk about remote car starters.  When I asked them where they were calling from, he said the Sterling, Virginia (DC area).  I let him know that we are about 5 hours from DC but that didn’t seem to bother him.  Apparently, he had found our remote car starter buying guide online.  He said that he liked what he saw so he did a little research and found that a lot of people had good things to say about us online.

Turns out that this starter is for his daughter’s 2010, Honda Civic.  She really wanted a remote car starter, but was concerned about having the installation done.  It is a brand new vehicle after all with a warranty.  Her dad said that he felt confident that Mobile Edge was where he wanted the work done and didn’t care about the drive.  We set up an appointment for February 21, he gave us a deposit over the phone and we said goodbye.

“The entire experience with the remote start installation has been the very best service I’ve ever had.”

The 21′st rolled around and our customer was waiting in the parking lot when we opened!  He had left his house at 5am and drove over 200 miles to get to us.  We chatted for a bit, he left us the keys and then went for a stroll around town. We completed the job a few hours later and trained the customer on the workings of the new starter.  He was very happy with the whole process and with the installation. He hopped in the Civic and back to Sterling, VA he went.

The next morning, we send him and email to see if he made it home ok and if he and his daughter were happy with everything.  This is the response that we received:

“Mitch,
Thank you for the follow up, outstanding customer service.  I made it home fine.  I got home at 6:45 pm.My daughter is quite happy. She has already checked the remote start out.  I did again this morning as I shoveled the snow in our driveway.  The engine cutoff after about 15 minutes like you said it would.  I restarted and moved the car and shoveled under it.  Aside from the antenna, the installation was completely transparent.  Customer service, the very best!!I’ll check your facebook account out this morning and become a fan. The entire experience with the remote start installation has been the very best service I’ve ever had.  You can count on me posting a review in a few days.  You and your team has done an outstanding job, you should consider franchising what you’re doing.Thank you so much for this experience and your follow up.”

It truly is jobs like these that keep us going.   To have a customer put that much faith in us really hammers home the fact that we just might be doing something right!

Click on any of the pictures below to read more about what it is about.

This time of the year rarely a week goes by that we don’t get a call from someone stating that their remote car starter stopped working.  Nearly every call is the result of one of the situations below and is easily solved.  While most of the  situations below apply to any good remote car starter, we will be specifically discussing the causes and solutions for the Compustar brand.

Remote Starter is in Valet Mode

The back of the Compustar remote control shows you how to get your vehicle out of valet mode. Click the photo for a larger image.

Symptoms: Lock and unlock buttons work as normal.  Pressing start does not produce any response from the vehicle.

Causes:  Accidentally pressed the combination of buttons to put car into valet mode, usually when in purse or pocket.  Also, many remote car starters will revert to valet mode when the vehicle is disconnected for service.

Any good remote car starter should have some form of valet mode.  This is a condition that the remote car starter can be put into to prevent the vehicle from starting remotely while allowing keyless entry and certain other functions to work.  You would do this when having service done to the vehicle.  Most of our remote starters are put into valet mode by  pressing a combination of 2 buttons on the remote control for 1/2 second.  Look on the back of your remote for the proper buttons to press to enter and exit valet mode (Usually Lock+Trunk).

When you press these buttons, the parking lights should flash 2 times.  Press the start button and your car should be warm and toasty!

Please note that certain other brands will have a “kill switch” under the dash that will accomplish this also.  Many times customers will accidentally bump this switch during day to day driving, causing the remote starter to go into valet mode.  This is easily corrected in most cases by simply flipping the switch in the other direction.

Please refer to your owners manual for instructions on how to get your particular starter in and out of valet mode.

Hood Pin Has Broken or Has Failed

This is what a properly installed hood pin looks like. The location of the hoodpin can vary from vehicle to vehicle. Note that in some cases, a tilt switch is used in lieu of a hood pin.

Symptoms: Pressing start results in several flashes of the parking lights but no start.  If equipped, lock and unlock will still function.

Cause: In most cases, the under hood pin switch has been broken or is corroded.

ANY remote starter must have a method of preventing the vehicle from starting when the hood is open. Without this, a mechanic could be seriously injured if the vehicle was remotely started while they were working on it.  In most cases, this is accomplished by a hood pin switch or a hood tilt switch.  Both of these devices will tell the car starter when the hood is opened.  These devices can fail over time or be broken if a mechanic leans on it accidentally.  Replacing the hood switch is a simple matter and can be done at most mobile electronics stores.

Remote Control Loses Programming

Symptoms: Pressing ANY button on the remote results in no response from vehicle.

Cause: It is rare, but does happen. In most cases, this is caused by a dead battery in the vehicle or having the battery disconnected when being serviced.

Remote starters usually have some type of non-volatile memory to retain things like programming features and remote control codes.  Like any “computer” device, sometimes they will lose their memory.  When this happens, simply call the store that installed it for you.  In some cases, they may be able to tell you how to reprogram it over the phone.  Other times you will need to return to the store for a technician to program it.  In any case, this is rare with higher end remote starters.

Remote is in 2nd Car Mode

Symptoms: Pressing ANY button on the remote results in no response from vehicle.

Causes: A combination of buttons were accidentally pressed and put the remote in 2nd car mode.

Again, this is very rare, but happens from time to time.  Many remote car starter remote controls have the ability to start 2 vehicles.  If the remote is accidentally placed into 2nd car mode, it will not start or operate vehicle #1.  Simply read your owners manual or call your installer for directions on how to revert the remote back to car #1.

Summary

There are a lot of myths surrounding remote car starters.  Most are simply untrue.  If you get a quality remote car starter installed by a professional installer, you will minimize your odds of having problems.  Most of the time, any situations that do come up can be solved by following the advice above.

Some final advice:  When you are choosing a remote car starter and installer, do not trust your vehicle to the lowest bidder and be sure  to get it installed where you bought it!

We hope that this helps and we welcome your feedback in the comments section below!  Please keep in mind that requests for technical support must be accompanied by the full name of person who originally purchased the starter at Mobile Edge or the original invoice number.  We do not have the resources to provide technical support for starters not installed at Mobile Edge.  Thank you for your understanding.