At present iDATA link and Fortin has Lexus specific RS system which is easiest to install with various choice of remote fob for different range. 3000' to upto 1 mile.
Installers at the shop love this two, just one module with minimal wiring and programming.I did it myself since my back is in electronics it was not difficult to do it.
But if one does something wrong you can damage car electronics big time.

 

No you are wrong Htony mine is a 2016 ES300h with Enform and Lexus disabled the remote start function with my key along with the Enform and its 359.00 a year or 259.00 just for the remote only not 200.00
I would like to ask any lawyers here about any legal rights that have been abused about this I just don't think Lexus has a right to disable the Remote start function with my smart key on the car I bought and paid for and own. it requires nothing from them to work by the remote key. I don't believe they have any right to mess with what I own. Like I said before I understand the Enform app and all the s.o.s. and notification's and emails etc and all the things that require Lexus to make work But disabling something on my car that requires no effort from them and is my property. My wife has a NX300h and she feels the same way
I want it re enabled Lexus do you hear me?
Philip
2016 ES300h
2015 NX300h
and upset only because of this dirty trick Lexus is pulling here
I love my cars otherwise
anyone else feels the same pm lets talk to a lawyer

 

I'm not 100% certain but I think that Volvo does the same thing and requires a subscription after 6 months...

Lexus should be ashamed of themselves for requiring the payment for a key related RS system and disabling it after one year.
Numerous manufacturers offer a key RS as standard equipment.

 

Lexus changed the deal again then. For the money after market stuffs are more attractive. Compustar has
Enform equivalent pkg. called Drone. If you just need remote start, best option for now, I already mentioned.
Up here in Canuck land Enform is not available.

 

Hi All,

I am not sure whether or not I read this from here or somewhere else, if you disable your WIFI on our phone, the remote start app is suppose
to work more quickly, however I thought it needs the WIFI for communication to the cell tower.
Waiting on an RC350.

 

Consider cell phones have two radios. On for cellphone itself communicating to cell tower. WiFi is another radio to connect normal computer network. They operate on different radio spectrum. WiFi does not communicate with tower. One guess would be if WiFi is turned off, cell may have better signal to cell tower. Even if WiFi is not being used, when it is on it draws current from the battery. I am a HAM(extra class) for more than half a century, know a thing or two about radios.

 

This only makes sense if you're on a bad wifi network. If you're not in a wifi connection, it would make no difference. Also, some outlying areas still don't have updated cell data capabilities, like 4G LTE. HSDPA, GPRS and Edge are much slower and may not work as well as a wifi connection.

 

Even a "slow" cell phone tower, like a 3G tower shouldn't make much difference because the commands sent from your phone to the car and back are ones that would only include a very small amount of data. If you were talking about transferring a file for an HD movie via a 3G connection, that would take a very long time, but, for a command, say, to start the engine on your car, the difference in time that it would take with a 3G network, compared to a 4G network, would be very small.

 

If one is interested, take a look at Drone module from Compustar. It does what Enform does at lower cost. When I pick up my RX dealer said to have after market remote starter installed which has much better range. I ended up installing one myself. About 4000' range. I can start my car parked on the parking lot from inside Costco store. OEM one can't do it. I don't have a need for remote starting with cell phone. OEM remote can't even start car in the attached garage from living room. Acura OEM remote starter has a poor range too. They say newer version has improved range but I never tried it.

 

Great replies everyone thanks very much. Ok so, when using the Lexus remote app via your phone, how exactly does the communication take place
that actually starts the car?
Thanks

 

The phone communicates with a server on the Internet. That server can "poll" your car, or send commands - once your car is registered on the system. Those commands are sent through what amounts to a cellular modem in the car (just like a cellular enabled Kindle). For this reason, both the phone and the car have to be in range of the cellular network (no idea which carrier is used for the car). This is also part of the reason for the annual fee - to cover the cellular access for the car. Once the car reports back to the server that it has started, the 10-minute countdown begins on the phone.

Did this answer your question?

 

Hi yes this does answer my question and I thank you very much

 

I think Lexus froced peoples money for remote start. I don't think anyone want to pay $300 a year just for use remote start. They think is new technology for customers, but I think it's their new way to forced people to pay every year for remote start. If I know it earlier, I will not choose Lexus anymore!!

 

I agree 100% this is a very bad move on Lexus part its makes unhappy customers
I did not renew my 2016 es300h. my wife's 2016nx300h Lexus gave second year at no charge because app worked so poorly sometimes not at all
and they want money for it!!!

Philip

 

Well, just to play devil's advocate here... the enform subscription does give you more functions than just remote start.

That said, on the other hand...

The cell subscription (which requires very little data traffic) can't be costing Toyota more than say $5 a month per vehicle (and probably less given the volume of cars they sell) and as such I am sure they're making a killing off of selling enform subscriptions to people.

On the 2016 and later ES you can also remote start the car using the key fob without any additional equipment installation. That said, the way remote start works on all Lexus vehicles is so stupid that I personally wouldn't use it anyway.