when you say push the start button twice, you mean the Start engine button inside the car? it starts by pushing it once, just like normal. what does pushing it twice do? I have the lexus installed Remote starter.. you hit "lock" twice and then hit it a third time and hold it for a few seconds and it starts. the instant I tough the handle, the car shuts off. so I have to get in, press the brake and hit the engine start button as if nothing happened.. its really frustrating. what's the purpose of hitting "start" twice" is there a work-around to the annoyance that i dont knwo about?

 

I guess we are looking at different features that are important to each of us.

Living where I do, it gets cold in the winter. I want a remote starter to start the car so it has a bit of a chance to warm up while I am making my way too it. Having a 30' distance is useless to me. I am already at the car and therefore might as well push the start button myself. Having a 1 mile distance is ideal. If I am leaving the office or the mall I can push the button while still inside the building, and in the 2 minutes it takes me to get to the car it has warmed up a touch or cooled off in the summer. Even as I get older I can cover 30' of distance in just a few seconds so that amount of time really wont let the car warm up at all.

That being the need I expect my remote starter to fulfill, I could care less if when I get to the car I have to push the button to start it. The warmth is already building in the engine block and hopefully inside the cabin.

 

a remote start from a mile away? hahaha. all I need is 20-30 seconds of uninterupted cooling of the seats and A/C while I put groceries in the back of the car. why is that too much to ask of lexus? at least make this a feature that can be customized, and quit baby sitting your customers. the same is true of changing the navigation touch screen (2nd generation lexus).. if the seat can detect someone sitting in the passengers seat, then ENABLE the GPS programing while the car is moving.. again, the air bag can detect if an adult is sittiing in the passenger seat, so enable the GPS when someone is sitting there..

 

With the Smartstart or Drone you could theoretically start your car from anywhere in the world there is cell service. I agree with the fact that lexus should have a way better system as far a the range goes, but just as we have different needs and uses they are stuck trying to be everything or at least someting to everyone.

 

well cooling your car is easier. the main point of me getting the viper 5902 system was for winter starting. my car takes about 2-3 minutes to warm of slightly which makes a big difference. as soon as i know i will be leaving in about 5 min i simply go to my keys and start the car of, no matter where i am; i love that. going to work at 3am in the morning in winter. i start the car up as soon as i know ill be leaving in 5 mins, i get to the car and the engine is warm enough for me to actually not worry about anything happening in the long run or having shifting issues. honestly there is no point to having a 30 feet auto start because most of the time it will require you to actually go somewhat near the car. a good example for me is when i go pick up my girlfriend from work. most of the time my car has been parked and not started for a good day so its cold and everything. as soon as she calls, i start the car up and by the time im in the car i can put the heat on and enjoy the nice warm ride. in summer time i dont really use the remote start but i do use the window down function. i have my window module to work like this: first click makes it go half way. both front windows and then click again and go all the way down.

 

There is the Lexus way of safety/security and other auto manufacturers of safety/security:

Lexus way - remote start the car. At some point, you the person with the fob, walk up and unlock and open the locked door. As soon as you open the door the engine stops. No way, I know, of preventing the engine from stopping. Stopping the engine is the Lexus means of safety/security. Once the engine stops if you don't have the fob, it's unlikely you can start the engine again or take it out of park.

Some (not all) other manfacturers' way - remote start the car. At some point, you the person with the fob, walk up and unlock and open the door. The engine continues to run. You get in the car WITHOUT touching the brake and push the START button twice. The engine will now continue to run and you can put your foot on the brake, put the car in gear and take off. The engine has not stopped. The safety/security feature is that YOU have the FOB and you push the start button and you drive off. A person without the fob cannot (in most cases) unlock the door.

Keeping in mind the above is not entirely accurate for a hybrid, as a hybrid gas engine will cycle on and off based on the settings of the automatic temperature control, dial settings of the heated/ventilated seats and battery charge. Some remote starters (people) will turn the temperature up (winter) or down (summer), turn the seats up or down and force the engine to run based on those settings when they got out of the car prior to remote starting.

InRBigness, Lexus does not have to be everything to everybody concerning remote start. Make it work from 1000 feet and those people who use it closer than that will be happy. Although it's unlike any of us would be happy with a larger fob (larger battery, larger transmitter, larger antenna or whatever).

Having a hybrid, I don't care if the gas engine stops when I get in. It cycles 50 times a day anyway. A little less wear and tear would be nice though.

 

I agree completely which is why i stated they need to make more of a range on thier remote start. I postulated that they are trying to be everything to everyone and what happens when you strive for mediocrity is that you achieve it.

 

Okay gentlemen, I read the entire thread to ensure I wasn't repeating a question already put forth.

This is how I believed remote start to work, even though this is the first time I've had it installed (added as a dealer option). So, say I've started the vehicle from inside the house. A proposed car theif approaches the vehicle. He attempts to open the door. Since he does not have the key fob, the door remains locked, and the car remains running. 5 minutes later I leisurely walk out to my vehicle from the house, unaware of said car thief. It detects the key is in the vicinity, and unlocks the door for me. I get in the car, depress the brake pedal, put it in gear, and off I go. Unless of course, the car thief is waiting in the bush ready to pounce. But at that point we're talking concealed carry permits, not remote start.

This is not rocket science, and apparently it's not a joke either. Has Lexus really not fixed this?

 

As soon as the door is opened the engine turns off and can not be restarted unless the keyfob is in the area of the car. You then have to restart the car with the button. Lets say the doors were not locked. Anyone could drive away your car if there was not a protection built in.

It works this way on both the factory and the after market starters and the same way on almost all push button start cars. On a conventional car with a key, if you dont put the key in the ignition and turn it on the car stops as soon as you touch the brake which you have to do to put the car in gear.

 

My point is, the car should remain locked while running from the remote start. If someone approaches the vehicle and attempts to open it, the doors would be locked. This prevents them from getting in because they don't have the key. I don't understand why this is so difficult. It seems so clear to me. I don't care if this is how all other remote starts work. If there is a sensor in place to detect the key, the problem should be easily solved by Lexus engineers. If you don't have the key, the door doesn't open.

 

Folks, almost everyone has made one or more points at least once. I'm starting to sense this thread is going from discussion to arguing and we can't have that. Arguing doesn't serve the purpose of our forum.

Please, on your own help to keep our RX Gen III forum one of the best on C/L by looking at your posts/replies as if you're on the outside looking in. Do you see people with like car interests helping one another or quibbling over insignificant points they have no control over? Our RX Forum has an excellent reputation and I know we'd all like to keep it that way.

As long as the discussions have merit and stay civil then (us mods) won't have to work on the 'DARK SIDE'. I'm just asking that you take pride and ownership of your posted words.

That being said.... I don't have the remote start either from Lexus or a different vendor so the only comment I'll make on that issue is "I'M HAPPY"

All the RX moderators are listed at the bottom of the forum. If you feel someone is overstepping then please PM one of us before airing it on the forum.

Thanks for being the great group of folk you are

 

Jim,

I'm happy too.

No one's called me a "remote-starting, corn-fed, country hick" yet. Oh wait, I am. No wonder I'm happy.

Now calling me a "miss-counting caucus official" would be hurtful.

 

All do respect, I'm dissatisfied with the way the dealer presented it to me. Not once was it mentioned that the vehicle would turn off upon opening the door. This is our 7th Lexus, and I've loved all of them. I am a constant advocate for them, and have sold many of their vehicles through referring my friends to them. I praise everything they do right. Now, I see they've obviously overlooked an important issue to me and others, and I'm criticizing them for it. Yes, I called the dealer today, and will be in touch with the regional rep sometime soon also. I am voicing frustration. Not at anyone here; at Lexus.

 

Jonas, as you climb the corporate ladder with your frustration, be sure and report back. I'm interested in what they tell you. Thanks.

 

jonas, good luck with the regional rep. I wasn't aware of the limitations either when I added remote start to my special order. Would it have changed my mind if I did? Maybe, but to me it's better than nothing. I wasn't crazy about going aftermarket based on previous experiences. As an RX owner since they came out in '98, I have seen the enhancements Lexus has made to the RX with each generation. I will agree, there is room for improvement with the OE remote start. I'm confident Lexus will address the issues and make it better. In the meantime I would suggest asking the regional rep for a refund and investing the money into another remote start system that better suits your needs.