Aftermarket Auto Start..

I was curious if anyone has added an after market AutoStart to their Newer model Tundras? You know since Toyota has that so call safety feature and the truck turns off when you grab handle. LMK what’s a good brand for my truck. Thanks.

 

Drone Mobile works flawlessly. Best Buy has specials from time to time on the remote start package. I think they use Compustar then you set up a Drone Mobile account with phone app. I have it on my wife’s Avalon and it works so much better than Toyota’s. I plan to get a quote for my Tundra and run the numbers compared to 15 a month from Toyota to see how long payback will be. At 8 a month I’d keep Toyota’s system for convenience. At 15 I will compare to others. Drone Mobile is 3.99 a month.

Addendum: Ran the numbers and payback is about 32 months at $11 difference in monthly cost. If Toyota raises monthly above $15 payback is faster. If you trade vehicles every three years Id pay the $15. I keep my vehicles a long time so will likely go aftermarket.

 

toyota $15 plan @ 5yrs = $900

drone mobile will vary over the 5yr roi.

basic plan (no gps) $6 monthly, 1yr plan $5 month, 3yr plan $4 month, 5yr plan $3 month
prem plan (gps) $12 monthly, 1yr plan $10 month, 3yr plan $8 month, 5yr plan $6 month

they have higher plans but usually only commercial entities use it for the gps bread cumbs

parts/install will vary so adjust accordingly

if you go with the basic gps plan across 5yrs + install cost of $550 = $910 for 5 yrs

if you go with the basic NO gps plan across 5yrs + install cost of $550 = $730 for 5 yrs

 

You dont need auto start all year ...... just subscribe for the months you use auto start and shut it off for the spring / summer / fall. Its a monthly subscription, so subscribe in October, shut off in April .....so the Toyota $900 5 year plan plan could be 1/3 of that dependant on usage

 

well we use ours winters and summers so in the long run its cheaper to do the 5yr plan on drone

but the 4-6 months you pay for the toyota plan will cover the cost of a 3-5 yr drone plan

 

I guess that makes sense you need the air to cool it. I never really thought about that because us Canadians just need HEAT in the winter

 

Remote start including install at Best Buy


I have three of these and highly recommend

 

the $550 price was including install and the LTE module for the guy that has installed all our remote starts.

 

I'm considering going with Accesorides for my 2022 Tundra when my Remote Connect subscription expires. Had them on my 2015 Tundra and my grandfather 2019 4Runner and worked great. I've seen they're more popular in the 4runner/Tacoma community

Accesorides kit for the 2022 Tundra include "Takeover" so your vehicle won't shut off when you open the door, which is why I'm considering them. Little more expensive than other kits but for the takeover, it maybe worth it. Also have to DIY but that's not an issue for me. They currently have a St patty day sales right now on their kits. 15% off.

 

Nice breakdown…imma stick with Toyota and just sign up for the fall/Winter months quite honestly (assuming my fob start still works) as I don’t need my remote start year round.

 

I installed the Accesorides setup (with the 4G LTE antenna that goes under the dash) about 6 months ago and it works great. I mainly did it for the takeover feature, and will not renew the Toyota service once the included subscription expires. It is worth noting that both services can work simultaneously without causing any sort of interference between each other. I.E. you are subscribed to Toyota's connected services but also have the Accessorides setup.

Mine came with a year of service included, and I would imagine they still do. If you renew with the 3 year plan it comes out to $99.95 ($2.87 per month)

If you chose not to renew the 4G LTE side of the subscription, you can still start the truck using the factory remote by pressing the lock button 3 times. Similar to the factory function, except the factory remote start via key fob does not include take over AND only works if you have an active Toyota Connected Services subscription (BS, but that is a whole different story..)

Last, the not so great part. The install is a bit tricky and not exactly plug and play. There are a couple plug and play harness' that will help speed things up, and If you follow instructions well and have some basic wiring skills, it wont be an issue. Just remember, you're making a handful of splices into various control modules that if not done properly, could potentially cause a serious issue with your truck.

 

Don't think any 3rd party remote start bypasses this feature. I have a drone on the 4runner and the engine shuts off anytime you open the door.

 

This has changed for the 22+ Tundra and an aftermarket takeover solution is now available. See my post above.

I went with accessorides solution, but considering they use the same general equipment you get with Drone’s products, I’d imagine you could find something similar I’d not the same from Drone at this point.

Not exactly plug and play, and you do have to send the module off for a final program after reading the immobilizer and which will add about a week to your install time. Aside from that it works exactly as described and I have zero complains. Tonight I’ll see if I can dig up some pictures I took during the install.