Honda Remote Engine Starter II

4173 Views 19 Replies 10 Participants Last post by Dan Hintz, Aug 12, 2016

phineas

Discussion Starter · Aug 8, 2016

The accessories page of the Honda's owners website shows a new remote starter key fob that has some important benefits over the remote start system that comes with our Ridgeline. The first is that it's listed as supporting a distance of 400 feet. The second is that it has little LCD readout panel that shows you if the car started or not. I've been doing some research tonight trying to find out whether it can be installed in the 2017 Ridgeline, and it seems that the the last model year or two of most of Honda's cars may not be compatible with this remote start system. Either that or it came out a couple of years ago and its specs just haven't been updated. Does anybody know about this?

There's a section about it toward the bottom of this page. You may have to login as an owner in order to see it, I don't know.

Honda Genuine Parts | Honda Accessories | Honda Owners Site

There is also a 40-page PDF explaining how it works.

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Lifesaver1

· #2 · Aug 8, 2016

According to what Honda says about the existing fob, it will start from up to 60 yards away, so 180 feet. Would you want to pay for the extra 220 feet?

I did get a second Driver 1 fob so that I have a hide-a-key for the truck, but it's just the regular fob. I would suggest, if you do find this works and want to buy it, you get them to set it up so your existing Driver 1 fob will still work and you can do the same if you wish. This requires programming at the dealer.

phineas

Discussion Starter · #3 · Aug 8, 2016 (Edited)

Lifesaver1 said:
According to what Honda says about the existing fob, it will start from up to 60 yards away, so 180 feet. Would you want to pay for the extra 220 feet?

I did get a second Driver 1 fob so that I have a hide-a-key for the truck, but it's just the regular fob. I would suggest, if you do find this works and want to buy it, you get them to set it up so your existing Driver 1 fob will still work and you can do the same if you wish. This requires programming at the dealer.

I was thinking the same thing. In fact I may get two of them. One for the driver 1 and one for driver 2 and have them programmed as you describe. It depends upon the cost the new system, which should come with two key fobs, but it appears that it comes with only one. One place I saw it priced at $171 at Bernardi Parts but I presume that's without installation. And that was for the 2015 Pilot. So far I have not been able to find a SKU for any year of the Ridgeline. That's one of the things I was hoping to get help with if there's someone out there who's installed these.

Pure line of sight, this newer system is actually capable of over 1500 feet. Honda is just saying 400 feet to cover their butts. I'm sure that's somewhat true of the 180 feet too, although I've tested it and it doesn't go much beyond the 180. Yes the 400 feet makes a big difference to me. I work on the fourth floor of a building whose window glass faces directly onto where I park so I have line of sight to the car wherever it's parked, it's just between the three stories up, the distance between the building and the parking lot plus the distance in the parking lot, which is long and narrow, I need the 300 feet. Plus there is covered parking that my Toyota remote starter used to be able to penetrate part way. (It was rated to 400 feet.) I only care about the winter time. Two winters ago was brutal and I swore I would never be without remote start again.

The other problem I have with the existing remote start feature is that all the cars in the parking lot present almost perfectly broadside. As a result I can't see the low hazard lights blink when I press the remote start button. I can't tell if it's running. There have been many times when I thought it was, when it wasn't. I may be aided in that during the winter months by early darkness and the possibility that the exhaust will be visible. But I'd like to just have the thing work for me year-round.

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longboat

· #4 · Aug 8, 2016

We got an aftermarket remote start in my wife's 2008 Accord, don't remember the brand, though. It's range is something like you've mentioned, 1500' line of sight, 400' through walls, etc. She starts the car in the airport parking lot while her plane is taxiing in. The fob beeps 3 times if the vehicle successfully started.

It was around $250-300 installed, IIRC (was November 2007)...did require a second fob, though...

ToadVine

· #5 · Aug 8, 2016

phineas said:
... Pure line of sight, this newer system is actually capable of over 1500 feet. Honda is just saying 400 feet to cover their butts. I'm sure that's somewhat true of the 180 feet too, although I've tested it and it doesn't go much beyond the 180...

If you ever listened to that wonderful show, "Car Talk," which was a Saturday morning staple on NPR for about a quarter century, you may have heard "Click & Clack" hilariously discussing/debating/arguing about extending the range of a car remote by holding it near your open mouth. Listeners called in with varying results and points of view.

Who could resist trying this out, when searching for the car in a crowded lot and hearing no chirp in response to the first few clicks on the remote? My own experience, and some others, was that it actually seemed to work -- but not always.

Some postulated that proximity to the head somewhat reshaped the radiation pattern of the transmission. Others said that the slight increase in height when raising the remote up near the face added a bit to the range. I have also tried holding the remote at arm's length above my head.

I don't recall anyone actually spending any time performing a serious study of this "phenomenon," since interest usually waned as soon as the car was located. But, with all this discussion of remote range, I thought I'd bring it to the group's attention.

Good luck the next time you're trying to remember where you left the car. >

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sonicpips

· #6 · Aug 8, 2016

How bout world wide range, Get this and you can do everything with your phone with all the answers your looking for.

DroneMobile | Smartphone Remote Starter, Security System, and Car Finder | DroneMobile.com

Lifesaver1

· #7 · Aug 8, 2016

phineas said:
I was thinking the same thing. In fact I may get two of them. One for the driver 1 and one for driver 2 and have them programmed as you describe.

In that regard, here is my experience: I happened to be in Nebraska and worked with the dealership in Lincoln to get an extra Driver 1 fob. My only reason was for a hide-a-key setup.

They charged $60 for the fob, $25 for the key, $5 for the key cutting, and $50 for the programming. So about $140 (plus tax). This is actually about what a replacement of a regular key cost for my G1.

On the hide-a-key part: I bought a pouch on Amazon that shields the radio transmitting of the fob. I took the key out of the fob and put it in a magnetic key case hidden on the car. I hid the fob in the pouch and hid it in the car. So this way the extra fob stays in the car, but doesn't interfere with the other one or prevent me from locking the car. If I lose my original Driver 1 I can open the car with the hidden key, then use the fob in the pouch to start the car.

Here's the pouch I bought. Works fine:

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B010VK9ZLI/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

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donski

· #8 · Aug 8, 2016

There are several aftermarket remote starters that start from your smartphone. Viper is one that comes to mind. I need to look into one for my vehicle

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

dru500a

· #9 · Aug 8, 2016

So the current remote start fob does not indicate whether the engine start was successful or not? You have to have a visual on the truck to determine if the remote start was successful?

Lifesaver1

· #10 · Aug 8, 2016 (Edited)

dru500a said:
So the current remote start fob does not indicate whether the engine start was successful or not? You have to have a visual on the truck to determine if the remote start was successful?

Yes. The running lights and tail lights flash.

See the following short video:

http://owners.honda.com/vehicles/information/2017/Ridgeline/features/Remote-Engine-Start

dru500a

· #11 · Aug 8, 2016

That's disappointing that there is no confirmation whatsoever from the fob when the engine remote start is succesful.

Lifesaver1

· #12 · Aug 8, 2016

dru500a said:
That's disappointing that there is no confirmation whatsoever from the fob when the engine remote start is succesful.

Perhaps. I think most people who do a remote start would do it for a truck in their driveway (not a garage because there's no need in that case). I think most would thus be able to see the vehicle and get confirmation visually.

A question I would ask (and I don't know the answer) is, what additional cost and technology is required for the confirmation option and do most users want it? Would it require the fob to be larger to accommodate the notification?

I suppose on the good side, there is now remote start, which was not available in my G1.

phineas

Discussion Starter · #13 · Aug 9, 2016

Lifesaver1 said:
In that regard, here is my experience: I happened to be in Nebraska and worked with the dealership in Lincoln to get an extra Driver 1 fob. My only reason was for a hide-a-key setup.

They charged $60 for the fob, $25 for the key, $5 for the key cutting, and $50 for the programming. So about $140 (plus tax). This is actually about what a replacement of a regular key cost for my G1.

On the hide-a-key part: I bought a pouch on Amazon that shields the radio transmitting of the fob. I took the key out of the fob and put it in a magnetic key case hidden on the car. I hid the fob in the pouch and hid it in the car. So this way the extra fob stays in the car, but doesn't interfere with the other one or prevent me from locking the car. If I lose my original Driver 1 I can open the car with the hidden key, then use the fob in the pouch to start the car.

Here's the pouch I bought. Works fine:

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B010VK9ZLI/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Thanks for the detail on the pricing. You had posted some of this info in another thread a while back and I've had the faraday bag in my Amazon cart ever since. This new Honda remote start system addresses all my squawking about the the system that came with the truck. If I can go with that I'm going to. My last three remote start systems were third-party and I'm done with that. I'm sure the expensive ones like Viper etc. are quite good.

dru500a

· #14 · Aug 9, 2016

Lifesaver1 said:
Perhaps. I think most people who do a remote start would do it for a truck in their driveway (not a garage because there's no need in that case). I think most would thus be able to see the vehicle and get confirmation visually.

I had an aftermarket remote starter on my 03 Accord which has a fairly long range and audio, visual (lcd screen), and haptic feedback. It was sweet being able to start the car from the office on a really cold/hot day.

I'll be able to live with the factory one, but damn, I wouldn't think it'd be much to add an audio confirmation to the fob, a quick beep or something.

Reactions: 2

Rick2456

· #15 · Aug 10, 2016

I have found that wrapping the key fob in aluminum foil works just as well.

Lifesaver1 said:
In that regard, here is my experience: I happened to be in Nebraska and worked with the dealership in Lincoln to get an extra Driver 1 fob. My only reason was for a hide-a-key setup.

They charged $60 for the fob, $25 for the key, $5 for the key cutting, and $50 for the programming. So about $140 (plus tax). This is actually about what a replacement of a regular key cost for my G1.

On the hide-a-key part: I bought a pouch on Amazon that shields the radio transmitting of the fob. I took the key out of the fob and put it in a magnetic key case hidden on the car. I hid the fob in the pouch and hid it in the car. So this way the extra fob stays in the car, but doesn't interfere with the other one or prevent me from locking the car. If I lose my original Driver 1 I can open the car with the hidden key, then use the fob in the pouch to start the car.

Here's the pouch I bought. Works fine:

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B010VK9ZLI/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

phineas

Discussion Starter · #16 · Aug 10, 2016

Lifesaver1 said:
Perhaps. I think most people who do a remote start would do it for a truck in their driveway (not a garage because there's no need in that case). I think most would thus be able to see the vehicle and get confirmation visually.

A question I would ask (and I don't know the answer) is, what additional cost and technology is required for the confirmation option and do most users want it? Would it require the fob to be larger to accommodate the notification?

I suppose on the good side, there is now remote start, which was not available in my G1.

There is a bit of a catch 22 going on h.ere. I wouldn't need the confirmation so much if the key fob was capable of going 400 feet. Assuming that it was strong enough to reach that goal through a single pane of glass with line of sight, then I think it would be reliable enough that it would start most of the time. It's precisely because it doesn't have much range that it needs the confirmation. Having both is really what I would prefer, but my last third-party remote start product did not have confirmation on the fob. What it did do was flash the headlights, so it was relatively easy to see that the vehicle had received the message.

Also: at 15°, I feel no compunction about starting my truck and letting it warm up in the garage. To be sure I open up both garage doors and the back door, which opens on the backyard. That creates an excellent cross breeze. Finally I don't dawdle in the truck while it's in the garage. I back it out first thing. FWIW.

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Dan Hintz

· #17 · Aug 10, 2016

ToadVine said:
If you ever listened to that wonderful show, "Car Talk," which was a Saturday morning staple on NPR for about a quarter century, you may have heard "Click & Clack" hilariously discussing/debating/arguing about extending the range of a car remote by holding it near your open mouth. Listeners called in with varying results and points of view.

Who could resist trying this out, when searching for the car in a crowded lot and hearing no chirp in response to the first few clicks on the remote? My own experience, and some others, was that it actually seemed to work -- but not always.

Some postulated that proximity to the head somewhat reshaped the radiation pattern of the transmission. Others said that the slight increase in height when raising the remote up near the face added a bit to the range. I have also tried holding the remote at arm's length above my head.

There's SOME scientific basis here (I'm an EE). For those who care, keep reading... for those who don't, nothing more to see here :grin:

Keyfobs (and other handheld antenna systems) are designed with the antenna frequency to be slightly out of alignment with the desired frequency when sitting all alone. Human bodies are giant capacitors, and the idea is to design the antenna such that holding it in your hand "detunes" the antenna back into the desired frequency range.

Of course, keyfobs are commodity items... they are manufactured in the 10's to 100's of thousands, and manufacturers strive to cut costs wherever possible. This translates into some variability between each one. So while one may be +/-'x' in frequency, the next may be +/-'y'... and every meatbag holding the remote will be a bit different, too.

So, when the fob doesn't work as expected, people hold them up to their head. The "science" behind it is you are adding more "meat", and therefore "detuning" the antenna slightly more. The question is, are you detuning in the proper direction (i.e., more towards the desired frequency, or farther away)? That can only be answered on an individual fob-to-fob and meatbag-to-meatbag basis. Holding it to your chest gives you more meat, but it can also block more of the (now hopefully improved) signal. Holding it to your head gives you the meat without blocking too much (open mouth or not is irrelevant). There is a slight change to the radiation pattern due to your body, but that's negligible. Also, holding it 1-1.5' higher by putting it near your head instead of your waist is also mostly negligible.

But the short and skinny of it is, it can (and does) work in many cases. Hope that helps satisfy people's curiosity...

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dru500a

· #18 · Aug 10, 2016

phineas said:
Thanks for the detail on the pricing. You had posted some of this info in another thread a while back and I've had the faraday bag in my Amazon cart ever since. This new Honda remote start system addresses all my squawking about the the system that came with the truck. If I can go with that I'm going to. My last three remote start systems were third-party and I'm done with that. I'm sure the expensive ones like Viper etc. are quite good.

Let us know what you end up finding out/doing. If it's not a huge investment I'd definitely be interested in getting the "upgraded" remote starter.

Reactions: 1

rxitrxit

· #19 · Aug 10, 2016

Dan Hintz said:
There's SOME scientific basis here (I'm an EE). For those who care, keep reading... for those who don't, nothing more to see here :grin:

Keyfobs (and other handheld antenna systems) are designed with the antenna frequency to be slightly out of alignment with the desired frequency when sitting all alone. Human bodies are giant capacitors, and the idea is to design the antenna such that holding it in your hand "detunes" the antenna back into the desired frequency range.

Of course, keyfobs are commodity items... they are manufactured in the 10's to 100's of thousands, and manufacturers strive to cut costs wherever possible. This translates into some variability between each one. So while one may be +/-'x' in frequency, the next may be +/-'y'... and every meatbag holding the remote will be a bit different, too.

So, when the fob doesn't work as expected, people hold them up to their head. The "science" behind it is you are adding more "meat", and therefore "detuning" the antenna slightly more. The question is, are you detuning in the proper direction (i.e., more towards the desired frequency, or farther away)? That can only be answered on an individual fob-to-fob and meatbag-to-meatbag basis. Holding it to your chest gives you more meat, but it can also block more of the (now hopefully improved) signal. Holding it to your head gives you the meat without blocking too much (open mouth or not is irrelevant). There is a slight change to the radiation pattern due to your body, but that's negligible. Also, holding it 1-1.5' higher by putting it near your head instead of your waist is also mostly negligible.

But the short and skinny of it is, it can (and does) work in many cases. Hope that helps satisfy people's curiosity...

Hmmm, just for purely scientific reasons, does a large busted woman have a potential advantage here? If the answer is maybe, I am not suggesting trying it out everytime such a woman is seen, you know, just for the science.

Dan Hintz

· #20 · Aug 12, 2016

rxitrxit said:
Hmmm, just for purely scientific reasons, does a large busted woman have a potential advantage here? If the answer is maybe, I am not suggesting trying it out everytime such a woman is seen, you know, just for the science.

If she's all real... silicone is a good signal blocker, sooooo.... >

Of course, I make no guarantees trying this out will not result in a restraining order. YMMV...

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