remote starter Brands

[swed173]

I was wondering what brands of remote starters are considered better quality. Is the commando Brand any Good?

Thanks

[MT-2500]

Factory installed is the best.
A lot of the others belong i n the trash can.
They give problems sooner or later.
But if your heart is set on one get the top of the line that is compatable with you car.
The ones that just plug in and go are the best.
A lot of them are messed up with slopy installations.
Wires half spliced in and hanging allover the place.
The best brand is remote start in the trash can for me.
MT

[tblake]

no, I have one and love it. It costed a little, but it was worth it. Its an ultrastart 1250, you can read up on it at ultrastarters.com. I have also installed a couple in customer cars that have bought them at places such as wall-mart, and they work, but suck. The range is terrably bad. Mine goes 1200 feet easily. I've heard that bulldog are pieces of crap, they are made by dei. All dei I've heard dont have the best range, compustar are pretty good, and so are ones made by ast. Ebay it up, and try to find a decent one for a good price.

[Manny_boy]

I can verify that bulldog remote starters are pieces of crap. I didn't know that DEI Manufactured them though.

[tblake]

yes, and boa are also pieces of crap, the ones from target. Also made by dei. Hmmmm, do I see a pattern here?

[happydog500]

Very important to NOT get a cheap one. I heard of a bulldog that without doing anything (pushing buttons) one guys starter started during the night and ran until the wires got hot. The car caught fire and it was a total loss.
Get a good one. Sorry, not sure witch ones are the better quality. just wanted to pass on that a cheap one can have very bad consequences. Chris.

[tblake]

install it correctly, if he had fused those wires, instead of getting hot, it would have just blown a fuse.

[93LT]

I'm not here to defend BullDog Security Systems, although I did just get through installing one (RS 1100) in my 1993 Chevy Blazer.

Before I began, I ordered the T Harness from their website, plus a spare remote. My Remote Starter system was purchased as a gift from Wal-Mart. If someone is looking at this system, you are just as well off to order direct from BullDog, for 5 bucks more than Wal-Marts price, you get an extra remote, plus if you have the newer PAS key style car, you get the necessary relay in the kit. My 1993 Blazer didn't require the PAS Key relay, so it was no big deal for me.

The installation was a breeze, especially since I utilized the T Harness. I only had to splice THREE wires, the Power Door lock/unlock, and the hatch. These are optional of course, but the system has the ability and this is really what I wanted in the first place.

As for the remote starter installation, if you utilize the T Harness, then you only need a bare minimum of wiring which is the Ground wire, and the Brake wire. I was able to dissect the Brake Wire plug to accommodate the Brake Wire (this wire is needed for programming). The Ground wire was simple enough, simply find a screw or bolt that the C clip will fit around and you’re set there. The Park Lamp wire is totally optional, but since it is rather easy to get too generally, it gives you a visual of what is going on when the remote is talking to the module.

I had the unit hooked up for remote starting in about an hour and a half, this doesn't include bundling up the wiring and module, and I left it loose so I could finish the keyless entry. The keyless entry portion took about another hour, my vehicle was really easy, YMMV. Programming the new second remote was about a simple as you can get. The range is rated at up to 400 feet with this unit, I found that with it sitting in my shop, in front of a glass window, I was able to get about 350 feet range when I went outside. The distance shortened considerably if I was trying to get the signal to go through a solid wall.

The unit seems to be very reliable. When I press the start button, the fuel pump pressurizes, then the vehicle starts to crank and starts.

My setup may have been overly simplistic as like I said, on a 1993 Blazer, I had no need for optional relays that other vehicles (mainly 96 and newer) might need. There is one feature I can't use without a 10.00 relay from Bulldog and that is the Dome Light. If your parking light system, Trunk release, or dome light utilizes a negative activation, you'll need the 10.00 relay for each system that toggles on and off from the negative side. IF they are a positive activated system, you need no relays.

I called the tech support for a couple of Qs before beginning and they were helpful both times. This is how I found the bare minimum wiring required for the remote starter when using the T harness. The online FAQ is semi helpful, and so is the info in the installation manual. They both gave me the impression that the info was written for older units, units that didn’t have features of the newer units. The manual doesn't explain why a wire needs to be hooked up, if it did so, you could determine on your own if it was necessary to use a particular wire.

Overall I'm very satisfied with the system. I choose to ask for it base solely on the looks of the remote It looks very similar to modern GM remotes and has a good solid feel.

Hope this review helps. If I was installing in a newer vehicle, such as my Silverado or Yukon, I'd definitely do some research on other systems prior to buying one.

[Manny_boy]

Installation is easy. Longevity is the real issue - Bulldog seems to get alzheimers and multiple sclerosis - it loses its mind and cant properly control its functions.

The trunk pop feature pops the trunk, whenever, and wherever it feels like (without you pressing the remote) sometimes consistenly, until you smack it on the cranium.

The parking light circuit eventually burns through the controlling wire, right at the brain, even if you have it relayed into the cars light circuit.

If you were generous enough to the company to purchase their alarm and remote starter, the fun really begins... the brain sometimes starts the car at will; sometimes will lock and or unlock your doors and the most inopportune moment (like sitting at a stoplight in a bad neigborhood), or it will enter what I like to call "silent alarm mode" - after you press the remote and disable the alarm, the starter disable still keeps your car at bay.

[93LT]

Mine doesn't have an alarm feature, wouldn't own another alarm system for any amount of money in the world. However, I know when one of those goes haywire, it's unpleasant. I had a GM brand in my 1990 Formula that decided to malfunction the moment I pulled onto a car to see about trading the car for a pickup. The siren wouldn't shut off, I couldn't unlock the car to get in a pop the hood. Had to crawl under the car to cut the siren wire, then disconnect the module power. Needless to say, I moved on to another lot before attempting to make a trade.

The parking lamp circuit on the unit is rated at 10 AMP and they include a fuse to install as a precaution in case the system draws more than 10 amps, if it does, the fuse blows and you know you have an alternate route to take.

Why anyone would have a single problem with the unit, and not return it is a question I couldn't answer, the problems you mention are not tolerable, let alone allowing multiple instances to continue to occur. This is where purchasing from Wal-Mart has it's benefits.

[tblake]

ok, and the range? 400ft, thats good? My Ultrastart made by AST will go 1200 feet to a quarter mile easily. I can push the button inside of a brick building, parking a city block away, and come out to a nice warm car. Also, it has all the lock, unlock, trunk/hatch, and panic that honks the horn. I would totally recommend this unit to anyone, ultrastart 1250 http://www.ultrastarters.com I did need some relays for door locks/ trunk/ vats passkey bypass. Took my a while to get it all installed, but its well worth it. The remote also resembles the GM one to the T. Just a side note, you dont have to buy bulldog relays for 10 bux, you can get 30 amp auto relays from anywhere for 5 that will work totally fine.

[swed173]

Tblake:

I am going to take your advice and go for the ultrastart 1250. Since you
have installed it in a car much like mine I was wondering if you have any suggestions ie. where to give the relays there home etc.. Thanks for directing me towards this company. I looked around on the internet and only hear good things about it.

[93LT]

Originally Posted by tblake

ok, and the range? 400ft, thats good?....

Wow, like I said, I wasn't defending the Bulldog Remote starter, just providing my person experience input in a clear and factual manner. I believe I also said if I was putting a system in a newer vehicle I'd be checking out other systems.

But if you prefer, please, pile it on.

[tblake]

im, sorry. Didnt mean to. If you take off the kick panel by the drivers feet, you should find sufficient room there. Also take a gander over to bulldogsecurity.com, and click on vehicle wiring diagrams at the top. I know I said bulldog security. You can use the vehicle specific tech sheets to install any remote car starter. Also watch ebay for a good new ultrastart 1250, thats where I got mine for only 60 bux shipped. You will also have to get the vats/bypass module, perhaps as k the ebay seller to includ it for a small fee. It should run between 20 and 30 bux more. Any more question's I'd be happy to answer.