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Remote Starter

7K views 8 replies 5 participants last post by  gbrown69 
#1 ·
Has anyone installed a remote starter in their Escape?

Was it factory/dealer installed or did you do it yourself? Which brand/model was it and how much was the install price?

I've installed a lot of stereos in the past and I was wondering if remote starter installation was harder to do, or if it is pretty similar.
 
#2 ·
I have a 1500ft away 2 way compustar remote start in my truck (paid like $400 installed). I put my very first remote start in my 2nd car, and it was a big pain in the ***, I dont reccemend doing it. I saw soo many wires, I truly didn't think my car would ever run again.. but it worked.

I really like my compustar, one biggi to it, is with my local store Audioplayground.com, to upgrade the system, was just adding the price of the system you wanted (no labor) so i ended up getting the 2nd best, without alarm for that $400 installed. but if i wanted to double my range i can upgrade for 90$, upgrade to alarm, and double range , 150
 
#3 ·
I had the Ford OEM remote starter installed by my dealer after purchasing my Escape. You can get new, sealed Ford units for well below MSRP on Ebay and other sites, but expect the average dealer to charge you between 3 and 4 hours of labor for the install. (Some dealers won't even do this work, but they will sub-contract it out to a local shop they trust and therefore Ford will still honor the labor warranty.)

Aftermarket options abound, but most of them have features I don't really need, and plus in the end I just trusted Ford a little more for a project like this. That being said, I do encourage you to look around at the competition.

Overall I love the remote starter. But what I DON'T like about it is the fact that, somehow, they wire it such that the circuitry of the rear cargo light is integrated into the starter's operation. Consequently:

Cargo light bulb burns out? Remote starter won't work.
Cargo light switch is in the "off" position? Remote starter won't work.
Put a nice LED bulb in the cargo area? Remote starter won't work. (Different resistance value.)

These characteristics may also apply non-Ford brand remote starters for the Escape. I'm really not sure. I did not discover these quirks until after the install. At first I thought something was wrong, but my technician confirmed that's just the way it works. I would have NEVER imagined it... In the end though, it's not a big deal. The only reason I even care a little is because all my other interior lights are LED, and now I can't have one in the cargo area. But at least it's not all bad; trying to find a solution to my LED dilemma is what led me to find Escape City in the first place! :thumb:
 
#4 ·
micmar07 said:
I have a 1500ft away 2 way compustar remote start in my truck (paid like $400 installed). I put my very first remote start in my 2nd car, and it was a big pain in the a**, I dont reccemend doing it. I saw soo many wires, I truly didn't think my car would ever run again.. but it worked.

I really like my compustar, one biggi to it, is with my local store Audioplayground.com, to upgrade the system, was just adding the price of the system you wanted (no labor) so i ended up getting the 2nd best, without alarm for that $400 installed. but if i wanted to double my range i can upgrade for 90$, upgrade to alarm, and double range , 150
I got the same alarm Compustar I paid $550 installed it goes up to 3000ft. It's a two way pager, it's a great remote start, alarm.
 
#6 ·
Ronin said:
Hi US Mariner 1!

So does your Compustar get along okay with the LED bulb in the cargo area? I remember selling you my bulbs...
I was never able to use them it would not work in my truck. The company send me new ones, but when I went to a shop to see why they were not working. I was told it was because of the polarity of the bulb. I would have to use a reciter for it. I still got them in my basement.
 
#7 ·
US MARINER 1 said:
Ronin said:
Hi US Mariner 1!

So does your Compustar get along okay with the LED bulb in the cargo area? I remember selling you my bulbs...
I was never able to use them it would not work in my truck. The company send me new ones, but when I went to a shop to see why they were not working. I was told it was because of the polarity of the bulb. I would have to use a reciter for it. I still got them in my basement.
Sorry to hear that. Were you ever able to find one that DID work for you? Or is your cargo area still lit with a regular bulb?
 
#9 ·
I had the ford factory installed on my 2010 and when i ordered my 2011, i kept all the little thing i've put on my'10.

i uninstalled the mud flaps, the bug deflector and the ford remote starter. The next day i recived my '11 scape, i reinstalled all these options myself, including the FACTORY REMOTE STARTER.

I admit that it wasn't really difficult to reinstall. In the steering column, you have a factory connector to plug as well as a ring that goes around the key spot (for antitheft system/coded key) and the horn wire. Near the driver seat, you have five wires to splice and connect and a hood switch.

The last thing is to learn your coded keys (you need at least two admin keys for that) and your remote is ready to operate.

I found the install diagram as well as the programming chart online.

good luck
 
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