Remote Start...Won't!!

[martyo]

I have a Ford (dealer installed) remote start. Today it stopped working. When I try to start the car, it locks the doors and flashes the lights, and the Climate Control system cycles, but the car does not start.

I disconnected the battery to try to cycle the system with no luck.

The car will start with the key.

Any thoughts??

[LincMercLover]

Did you try hitting the lock door button instead? :lol:

No, I dunno... I have no experience with those things. BUT, if it's dealer installed, I see no reason to take it to them and let them figure it out. Did it ever work before, or did it JUST start doing this?

[martyo]

I tried pressing every combination of buttons on the remote key fob (I even tried the other fob), all with no luck.

I agree that this may become an issue for the dealer to repair, but I was trying to avoid a trip to the Black Hole.......

[Bigdogjim]

martyo: Hey I have that system in my MM. No problem like you are having. Just call the dealer and get it in the shop ASAP. These things can cause a spike and damage other systems. This will happen only if it was installed wrong. Should be an easy fix. Keep posted..
Big Dog

[MMpridenjoy]

Hope it gets straight for ya Marty!

[martyo]

Dealer gets the car on Thursday. I get a loaner. Stay tuned......

[RCSignals]

If it's a Ford accessory installed by the dealer it may get covered under the bumper to bumper warranty for the full three years I was told

[martyo]

That's my understanding as well. Let's just hope that the dealer agrees!! In any event its all of six weeks old; they "should" cover it.

[prchrman]

quote,
Dealer gets the car on Thursday. I get a loaner. Stay tuned......

Maybe you will get a fast car...Sable wagon...:rolleyes:

[martyo]

Here's the latest: Took my MM to the dealer today for repair of the faulty remote start and to deal with some minor, but annoying paint issues. Dealer called and advised that they are "looking at" the remote starter issue and "hoped" to have it fixed today but that the body shop would need to have the car overnight to fix the paint issues.

Uggghhh. How many of the mechanics are going to have a spin behind the wheel?????

My garage seems so......empty. Somehow the dirty white Mountaineer that they lent me doesn't make me feel as good as the MM.

I will report back tomorrow.

[Billatpro]

Is there a "remote" possability that you were using the garage door opener?

[LincMercLover]

martyo,

Moutaineers won't even do burn-outs! I know it's gotta suck.

Oh, BTW, I read that in a book somewhere... :D

[JohnnyB]

i hate leaving ther car overnight at the dealer. Did you record your odometer reading

[martyo]

Yes, it is killing me too, and someone will be driving it to the body shop which really worries me. I can feel them punching it out now.......

[martyo]

OK, here is the follow up. At the outset, let me say that I am not happy.

First, the remote start apparently had a blown fuse and is now fixed.

Next, I am a key nut. I like having spare keys around. So, while the car was in I asked them to make me two new keys (you have to bring the dealer all of the existing keys (including the valet) and all of the RKEs (remote clickers). The keys cost about $30 a piece (ouch!!) and then they charged me $80 labor to program the keys Now that hurts. I know own a pair of $150 keys. If I lose one I will need a second mortgage on my home to replace it. Is it me or does this seem like a lot of $$$ for keys??

Next, while my MM was in for the remote start repair, I figured it would be a good time to get a couple of minor paint issues cleared up. There were clear coat drips on each of the rear wheel wells. I wanted them cleaned up because they had the potential to be problems in the future. Well they kept my car over night to resolve this. They did one side and it came out great. They forgot to do the other side, so the car will have to go back again!

My car was spotless when it went in and came back dirty. That just makes me even madder! I wish I could run my business like the dealership. Not a worry in the world. I would get more sleep.

On a final note, The best part of the whole process was after belatedly telling me that the car would have top stay overnight, they told me I could pick the car up anytime before 6:30 p.m. on Friday. I planned my day around that (I work late a lot). Then on Friday afternoon, they call me and tell me "come get your car, it has to be out of here by 3:30 pm." WTF??? I was smack in the middle of the work day and had about as much a chance of getting out early as Rf has of getting early parole. Sooooo, my GF agrees to go get the car (she's nice to me, sometimes!). Unfortunately she does not have as big a mouth as I do and so she didn't raise the stink with the dealer that I will on Monday.

I'll be the first to admit that no one of the things I am complaining about is a big deal, but taken together they make me very unhappy. Especially in light of the fact that this was my first trip into the service department and you'd think they would want to make a good impression.

Customer satisfaction??????......

[RF Overlord]

marty:

All of your comments simply reinforce the fact that NO ONE gives a darn about you after they've made the initial sale, not car dealers, or stereo stores, or computer places, or the guy who sold you your stove, not even your cable company (D'OH!)... NO ONE...!

All they want is to fatten up the bottom line and say: "Look how many _______ we sold last month!"

"What, your______ is broken?....Yeah, well, we're kinda busy, here..."

RF Overlord, awaiting parole for busting up smart-aleck, big-mouth NY lawyers...

[jgc61sr2002]

Marty - It's all about $ once some dealers have yours they could care less. John

[TripleTransAm]

My dealer offered me a remote starter from an aftermarket company. Being a distrusting bastard, I verified alternate pricing from several other companies offering such installations and found the dealer offer to be very competitive with them.

So my final reservation with going with an aftermarket starter was my impression that a Ford product would better integrate with the Ford electronics on the car. I've never been a fan of hacked-together alarm or remote starter systems.

Their response was that they experienced too many problems and warranty issues with the Ford remote starter. I was surprised (and again, distrusting) and asked about what kinds of problems. Shockingly enough, the symptoms described here match exactly the details provided by the dealer droid. While I don't know the details of their resolution (ie. a fuse in this case), they did say they experienced a failure rate of about 80%, and this prompted them to stop offering it.

One could also conclude from the wording he used that the Ford system is more complex and more difficult to install and/or repair. Perhaps this difficulty serves to increase chances of installation-related failures. I dunno...

Just thought I'd throw this out in the open... I have no opinion on the matter, myself.

[Effster]

triple TA,,even though its a ford part,,its not a factory plug in item...some stereo monkey will be in there chopping harnasses with blue butt connectors.sorry but unless its either a plug-in deal,,or i solder it myself,i wont let them touch it...just my opinion

[RF Overlord]

Eff:

I agree with you 100%. From what marty said in his other post, the stereo monkeys didn't even USE splice connectors, they just wrapped black tape on everything...I can't IMAGINE why a fuse might have blown :rolleyes:

Then dealers wonder WHY their shops have bad reps... :shake:

[martyo]

I am back and I can't remote start my car (again!).

I am hoping that is not going to be a recurring theme - a once a month blown fuse. That would NOT be acceptable!

[martyo]

Car goes back to the dealer at the end of the month: repair remote starter, change oil, fix (second half of) paint problems..... I miss my car already. This time it better not come back dirtier than it when in or heads are gonna roll!

[jgc61sr2002]

Marty - Why are you waiting , thats two weeks away. I'd be at the dealer Monday AM and wait for the repairs to be made. Just bring your laptop and you can work from there. John

[LincMercLover]

Now now... you don't need to be representing yourself in court...