Rant: Remote start is useless! (maybe not after all)

Temp in the teens this morning. Remote started truck for about 10 minutes. Open door, of course I know it shuts the engine back off. Dumb! Leather seats, and steering wheel ice cold! How come if I leave the heat on full blast, and seat heaters on, turn off the truck, then start it again all those function kick in where they left off. But nooo, not if you remote start it, all stays off. Most useless remote start system I've ever owned!

Edit: drink coffee first lol. I guess it does work....
https://www.tundras.com/threads/rant-remote-start-is-useless.117344/#post-3018075

 

I'm not sure if all of the remote start systems work differently.

Mine doesn't retain the settings I previously left either, but goes to an automatic "middle-of-the-road" setting, which IIRC is 71 degrees, half-way blasting, and blowing towards feet/defrosters. I'm guessing this is a safety precaution, but I don't see it being high risk considering the truck turns off after 10 minutes anyway.

But yeah, it's almost worthless to me and I rarely ever use it.

 

You need yourself a Viper Remote Start! Had one in my 2016 Tacoma for 6 years and now had on in my 2020 Tundra for a year and they are absolutely the best out there! Can start it from my watch or phone or keyfob! Doesn't shut off once you open the doors as well!

 

Will definitely look into that. Do you have the push start button in the 2020 also?

 

I get that it is annoying feature and I see many many people complain about it…

However, whether it was intentional or unintentional, it serves as an excellent system to protect your vehicle. Where I live the newer Toyotas that use that system have much lower stolen rates (when vehicle is left RUNNING with NON aftermarket auto starts) compared to especially Honda but most other manufacturers as well.

There are advanced systems that can start and operate your vehicle without any key fob present but most criminals are not that sophisticated. Basically if they can jump in your running and drive off they will. Toyotas system doesn’t allow that.

Personally I have found that the key fob can be much further away when running (yes the vehicle will start a bunch of high pitched audible warnings BUT it’s still operable for a time) vs when you want to physically start the vehicle. Key fob has to be much closer.

 

I get safety aspect of it, kinda. Every remote start system I've used still requires the doors to be locked in order for the remote start to enable. So that should prevent anyone from just jumping in and trying to drive off

 

I have the same one and its awesome !

 

It's likely a trim level issue.

My SR5 has a physical switch for the heated seats and a rotary dial for temp setting. They stay on whatever setting is last selected, next time you start the truck.

 

To add to this, I've noticed that the Recirculating Air button always goes back to outside air after the vehicle is turned off. Which is another annoying thing to me. Idk if leaving the Tundra with the outside air flaps open makes the interior any colder than if it were shut, but sure seems like it does

 

I have a 2013 Platinum, so I'm thinking this feature got some upgrades over the years.

 

Same. On my 22 Ram 2500 when I start the vehicle remotely I have to unlock the car via the fob to get in and then if I want to put it into a drive mode the fob has to be within the cab. If someone wants to and can steal the car after all that then well they've done their homework and are likely professionals at it. Not much I can do to prevent it that at that point.

 

Yeah I agree. With all the electrical engineers the world has Toyota makes it so the truck shuts off when you touch the handle.

Im not buying any safety security nonsense. We have the technology, and skills period.

 

It's odd that your climate settings change. When I remote start my truck, the seat heaters go back to whatever setting I had them on when I turned the truck off. I make sure they are on when I shut it down the night before so the seats are warm in the morning when I remote start it. Same with my climate settings, which I leave on 70 degrees and Auto mode.

 

Sadly it has nothing to do with electrical engineers; all to do with lawyers.

It only takes one person absentmindedly getting into a started vehicle, put it in gear and run over someone, and then claim they did not realize the engine was running. Sad but true reality.

 

No push to start, I have an SR5 so I have a key. But you can install a Viper system with push to start or key!

 

Or lock your grandkids in the car, windows rolled up after the remote start finished running and spare key locked in cab (not me).

 

I consider getting off my dead a$$ & walking out to start my truck part of my workout program. That way I don’t miss remote start since I am getting my steps in.

 

We’ll have to agree to disagree, lol. We still have a vehicle that starts remotely and any safety feature could fail and cause an accident. Other vehicle manufacturers or add on remote companies have no issues with this.

 

Truck setting rarely change year round. 68 degrees auto and the heated seat on high. Literally never have to touch it. If the ac wants to come on or the recirculate mode I just let it do it’s thing. That’s why I got the limited trim

 

Same with my 20 Pro. If I know it's going to be cold the next morning and I'm going to remote start, I will set up my truck to full blast defrost heat and put my seat heaters on high before I shut down. It saves the settings.

The 10 minute run is enough to get it warmed up a bit and get the windshield clear of frost. A couple minutes of driving later, it's nice and toasty.

 

This. You simply have to remember to turn on your defrost, seat heater, etc. when you park it the night before. If you leave it all as you want it in the morning, it works as advertised. If not, then you're out of luck. I'm not disagreeing that it would be 1,000x better if the truck knew to turn on the defrost, or at least provided the ability to do that remotely, but the system just isn't that sophisticated. Put a sticky on the dash if you have to. It sort of blows to remote start and still have to scrape ice off the windshield.

Question -- Do the seat heaters function if no one is in the seat? In other words, do they have any sensors, perhaps by occupant weight, to detect that the seat is unoccupied and therefore, the heated seat is not actually on despite it being turned on?

Been remote starting here for the last 6 weeks. I usually remember to leave my seat heater on but the seat itself is usually still quite cold when I get in. But I've attributed that to the 10°F air inside the vehicle, and less to any problems with the seat heater, which works fine when there's a butt in the seat.

 

Ok y'all, I guess I was just extra cranky this morning lol

Tested, I was wrong and I just need to make sure everything is set to max when I turn it off!

Took pic from outside truck, after remote starting it

 

The seat heaters are not tied to any occupant sensors in the seats. My seat is usually nice and warm after a few minutes with remote start, but I'm working with 30-40 degrees ambient to start with, so not too bad.

 

My 21 Limited does not greet me with HI like that. Usually, it's more of a FU for leaving it outside in 10°F weather.

 

My seat heaters also take a while to get warm.

 

I can just see the cross-examination now, "Am I correct in understanding that you consciously put the vehicle in drive but were surprised when it advanced forward?" "I see here that you completed a driver training course and hold a valid drivers license, could you please explain to the jury, the difference between park and drive?" The lawyers would have a hay day with this

 

Is yours a DIY heated seats? I'm still thinking of adding heated seats for mine and wiring mine to a always hot 12 volt access.

 

The one that annoys me is that the window/mirror heater does not turn on even if left on when shutting off. It would be nice if it could be programmed that if the vehicle is remote started, turn on the window/mirror defrost. Or since there's an abundance of technology in the vehicle, IF temperature < 35 & Start = Remote THEN turn on with remote start.

 

Mine actually does that. The other morning I remote started the Tundra. Because of this thread, I peered in the window before unlocking, to view the climate settings. I had left it in auto mode. To my surprise, the truck had turned on the mirror heat/rear defogger and switched the main climate control from auto to front/side defrost. When I got in and restarted it, it went back to auto mode.

Ambient temp was 16 degrees when it did this.