I use the word “range” all though I do not want to. Manufacturers have no choice but to put “500-foot range” or “3,000-foot range” on their packaging. It is super important to keep in mind that these are perfect numbers – in environments with no interference, no walls, no windows & no buildings to go around. In other words: In the middle of the desert!
Range is not very important to most people. Not many of our clients need to start their vehicles from more than 1,000 feet away. But almost everyone wants to start a vehicle from inside a building. That is where transmitter power becomes important.
Don’t shortchange yourself with transmitter range (power). You are going to use your starter in more places than your home or workspace. You will want to use it from the mall, sporting events, parking garages, hospitals, restaurants, etc. If in doubt, pay a little more to get a more powerful unit. There’s no worse feeling than walking towards your car to realize it never even warmed up!
Professional installation is the key to a quality remote car starter experience. Don’t trust your vehicle to the lowest bidder! Remote starts involve complicated installs in today’s vehicles, so it’s important that the installation be done properly. One mistake can create thousands of dollars in damage not covered under your vehicle’s warranty.
I don’t say that to scare you off – a well trained professional can do the job correctly, avoiding costly mistakes & helping you maximize the enjoy ability of your new remote car starter. Also – a properly installed remote car starter won’t void your vehicle’s warranty, regardless of what your dealer says!
Don’t trust the install to your family or your local mechanic. You wouldn’t bring your vehicle to the local mobile electronics installer for an engine overhaul or transmission repair. Go to a specialist! Unless someone is a seasoned installer with real-world training & experience, they aren’t qualified to work on today’s vehicles.
You can buy a remote car starter at the local auto parts store for $79.99. It comes with an instructional DVD that claims you can install it yourself. Don’t believe it – you probably can’t! These remote starters are usually of lower quality than the units that you would buy at a specialty retailer like Extreme Car Audio. In most cases, a quality manufacturer of remote car starters will require professional installation & frown upon over-the-counter sales. They know that the odds of failure decrease exponentially when a professional does the work.
The problem is that most people don’t know a high quality brand from a low quality brand when it comes to remote car starters. A good rule of thumb is to search out the best shop in your market. It’s a fair assumption that they will sell & install what they perceive as a high quality brand. If you trust the stop, you can trust their choice in the products that they carry.
Think about it this way: If that’s a good shop, they probably sell & install tons of remote starters. Do you think they would choose an inferior product, knowing that is would create all kinds of headaches for them? Probably not. Compustar Remote Car Starters at Extreme Car Audio, we proudly offer the Compustar brand of remote car starters. We invite you to browse Compustar remote car starters here.
Remote car starters offer a lot of convenience options. Be sure to ask the right questions when buying your starter. Some models are simply what they sound like: a remote car starter, and nothing more. They start up and stop your vehicle from a distance. That might not be good enough for you. Others have multiple functions, ranging from keyless entry & trunk release to heated seats & rear window defrost.
A common mistake when considering options includes assuming that certain things might “just work” with the starter. For example, the rear window defroster will not just come on if you left it on. It’s on a latched output that resets when the power is shut off – that is, every time you turn off the vehicle. This feature has to be specifically added to almost all installs.
Another common mistake isn’t adding keyless entry on newer vehicles. On most new vehicles, the factory keyless entry doesn’t function when the vehicle is running. This mean that, when your vehicle is remote started & you walk up to it, the factory keyless won’t unlock the doors. You would have to use the key in the door (old school) or shut the car down with the remote starter, unlock is with the factory remote & then restart it with the key.
The solution is to choose a remote starter that incorporates keyless entry. A remote starter quipped with keyless entry will allow you to unlock the vehicle without having to shut down the car.
A quality shop can talk you though these options & make recommendations based on your needs. If you find a shop you trust, the rest is easy.
NEVER EVER buy a remote starter at one shop and have it installed somewhere else. That is the BIGGEST mistake you can make. You always want to have your starter installed at the very same place where you bought it. Most quality shops won’t install a remote starter that was purchased elsewhere. You will be left with the second & third-tier shops that might agree to do this.
If the place you are considering buying a remote starter doesn’t offer installation, don’t buy it from them.
A remote starter is an awesome addition to any vehicle. Use the tips in this blog post & the vast amount of information on our site about remote starters, & you are sure to make smart decisions. It’s not that difficult a decision when you are armed with the right information. Good luck!
Nothing is worse than your car not starting leaving you stranded in the middle of nowhere.
You think to yourself: maybe I can call someone up so I can get a jumpstart. The only problem is, your phone doesn’t have a signal, and there is no car in sight.
You may think this is a rare occasion, but the reality is, this situation can happen to you. Do you know what would be handy to have in a situation like this?
A portable jump starter. Having one would be great, but buying the right one is another story.
Curious about how to shop for the best jump starter? We reveal nine tips you need to ensure you’re getting the best bang for your buck.
Jumper Cables -This will be Your cheapest option. Jumper cables are cables that can connect the batteries of two cars. With jumper cables adequately connected, it can help start a vehicle with low batteries.
Battery Charger – This is a device that you charge before use. A car battery charger usually charges at around two amps, so it would take a full 24 hours to charge a 48 amp hour battery fully.
Portable Jump Starter – Also known as a booster pack is what we’ll be focusing on in this article.
A portable jump starter gives power from its own battery bank and transfers that power to a vehicle’s dead battery. They are equipped with their own jumper cables and have enough cranking power to jump-start a vehicle.
Before use, you must charge the portable jump starter for a full 24 hours so it can have a reasonable charge. Place the red and black connectors to your car’s battery on the color-coordinated terminals labeled + and-.
Place the red connector on the positive terminal of the dead battery and place the black connector on a clean unpainted metal surface such as a bolt or metal struts.
Set your portable jump starter to RUN, and the vehicle with the discharged battery should turn over.
Several factors will ensure you are getting the best car jump starter. Let’s go over these factors.
The first thing you want to ask yourself is, how much do you want to spend? Generally speaking, the more you spend, the more features you get, and the quality of the craftsmanship tends to be better. Higher-priced jump starters tend to have more cold cranking amps (CCA), which is needed to power more substantial vehicles such as SUVs and trucks.
Spending less equals fewer accessories such as a flashlight and an air compressor, and the quality of the build might be lower, which means you may need to spend more time with routine maintenance.
You’ll want to make sure when you buy your portable jump starter that it can fit in the space of your car you want it to go. Some portable jump starters can fit under your seat, while some can only be placed in a spot with adequate room, such as the trunk of your car.
Be sure you find one that is the right size that suits your needs.
Jump starting power is measured by peak amps (PA) or cold-cranking amps, as stated above. Generally, the higher the number, the more power the unit will provide. Small cars will take about 150 to 200 CCA.
SUVs and full-size trucks will need around will need about 450 CCA, and commercial vehicles will require 1500-2000 CCA.
If you live in a climate that can get below 50 degrees, you’re going to need to find a car jump starter that operates in cold weather situations. A portable jump starter can discharge half of its power in cold weather, so be sure to find a brand that can handle severe weather situations.
It’s always good to have a portable jump starter that has extra accessories. These accessories can include a flashlight, air compressor in case of a flat tire, USB charging ports, and charging outlets.
Aside from looking at the technical aspects, see which one has a good warranty. Check with the manufacturer to see what their process is for returning the unit and getting it replaced. Most jump starters have a decent warranty, but there can be ones that have short warranties along with bad quality and designs.
You’ll want to see what the reviews are when buying a jumper. Customer reviews will give you clues on whether or not the product is of good quality and reliability. Make sure you read both positive and negative reviews so you can determine for yourself the unit’s strengths and weaknesses.
You also want to look for any safety features. When cables are connected improperly some units will have a feature where an alarm will sound to inform you about the problem.
Some units will have circuit protection, overheating protection, and over-voltage sensors.
The design of the unit will clue you in on its durability. Remember, you be using this outdoors, possibly in harsh conditions. If the booster pack is made of cheap plastic, it’s best to expect an average level of durability.
Choose units that are made of metal and have some weight to them.
Answering this question depends on what your specific needs are. Take a look at all of these factors when choosing the best jump starter, and make your decision from there. If this article helped you, make sure you give this a share!