Just wanted to put out a little teaser that I've ordered the MidCity Engineering SmartKey Remote Starter system for my C... the car audio shop just received it and I have an appointment in about a week to get it installed... can't wait, cause a black car in the summer is HOT.

Anyone else on here have this starter yet?

- Eric

 

How much are you paying for this? Im really interested in doing this too i agree you can blast the air and walk into a crispy cool car.

 

the module is $350-$400
install is around $200

I think there's an annual fee too

 

so we don't have to have keyless go?
And why is there annual fee for?

 

the fees is for the application on your iphone

 

not for the mid city one...install and module is around 1000

 

Yep... its approx $1,000... can't wait! :-)

 

My local shop charge $1600 ( parts and labor)
Midcity eng parts and viper gps, viper gps to start the car from iPhone

 

I got mine installed about a year ago. It is perfect for when it is cold or hot outside. It cost me about $940 and there is no annual fee.

 

Pay $1000 start the car only from remote, pay $600 more, can start either from remote or from iPhone, but you have to pay subscription from Viper, another $80. for a yr , or 3 yrs for $200.

 

So total outlay for remote + install + 3 years of iPhone control should be about ~1800? Is there any long term effect on the engine? My parents insist that using remote starters damage the engine.

 

Just got this (Drone and firstech data controller) installed today and so far so good with the exception of the two auxilary functions (not programmed for anything) and the horn.

Like to ask other people who have this installed, what have you programmed on the aux buttons and were additional parts required?

Also the car horn/alarm works but not while using the drone mobile?

 

I don't see how there could be any truth behind this as the engine is just simply being started by remote, if anything in the winter its better for the engine as it gives it time to warm up. I may be missing something because after all Benz doesn't offer such an option from the factory, but it still seems like a perfectly fine system.

 

Not going to harm the engine. If anything, better to warm up your engine on a very cold winter day (although not technically necessary either).

 

This is an age old argument - to warm up or not.

I'm from the school that it's not necessary/not efficient to warm a car up. It warms up faster and gets into closed loop mode for efficient running quicker if it is being driven gently. From a green perspective, a cold engine idling in open loop mode belches unburned hydrocarbons.

That said - being a midwest transplant I can understand the need to to help remove ice and such from the windows.

 

I agree with you - certainly not technically necessary to warm up. As long as you are keeping the RPMs within limits it is fine and certainly more efficient to drive without warming up. I still think it is better for the engine if you are going to be getting into mid to high RPMs before it is warm. I mean specifically when it is very cold out, below freezing for sure. You can hear the lack of oil at the top of the engine if you rev too much without warming up, and that is certainly not good for your engine.