I want to put a remote start on my 04 CF, does anyone have any advice on what brand to get? I would like to have one that is 2-way, so that I know the car has received the signal.

 

Haven't heard anything good about remote starts on these cars with all their funky sensors and voltage sensitive problems....maybe someone has had some success will chime in...

 

If you have children, send them out to start it for you..........

I have remote start on 2 of my other vehicles and I have to say, I love it. My XFire lives in the garage for the most part so remote start isn't as important so I haven't ventured down that road for it yet. Let us all kinow what you find out.

 

It appears that adding a remote starter to a Crossfire cannot be done. From what I understand, in order for the remote starter to work, you have to be able to bypass the security system, which no one has come up with a way to do that yet.

Bummer!

 

Take a look at this, maybe it will help.
I have been looking at this but still not 100% sure if it will work on ours. It will work on 2002 SLK though

http://http://www.fuzikint.com/pke-100pf-professional-push-start-remote-start-system/#.VC9pnfnF98E

 

Exactly what I have been told, and those who have tried it, had serious problems until returned to normal. But, I wanted those who have tried it to chime in. I haven't heard of one working yet. But, it would be nice.

 

Just had a remote start put on my CF. Wow, what an ordeal. I had to take the car back on 3 different occasions to get everything working correctly. I was told that the normal install for remote starts is 3 to 4 hours, this one took 12.

I purchased the Viper Smart Start, so that I could use my smart phone to operate the remote start. This will allow you to basically start, lock, unlock or monitor your car from anywhere,where as a regular FOB will be limited by it's max range.

Apparently these CF's are well over-engineered and have multiple redundancy's. Wiring is very difficult to access, as well as, under the dash.

It is nice to finally have it operating, but if I knew then what I know now, I probably wouldn't have had done it.

Bottom line is that it can be done, just make sure you have a qualified tech to install it.

 

I have yet to meet an install tech of anything admit he has no clue..

 

Me niether, now that you mention it.

 

I installed a remote start on a 99 SLK manual trans. It's not exactly easy to do but not impossible. I've seen wiring diagrams that make it harder than it needs to be - for example, wiring up to the parking lights directly rather than to the relay that activates them. I came up with a number of shortcuts like this. I was able to use the flat key on the SLK for the bypass which is less expensive than the fob. Too bad it appears difficult r impossible to get for a Crossfire.

Documentation here: SLK Remote Start

Even if you have an installer do it, printout the schematic and give it to them.

 

Yea, you THINK it was an ordeal.

Wait till the day the SKREEM, PTCM, RCM or other module acts up and the car wont start or run. Who are you going to get to diagnose the problem now?

My advice: You want remote start? FINE. Go buy a car with it engineered into the system so that the dealer and garages can go to ONE PLACE to find ALL of the service information. Tearing into a car's electrical system and doing mods on it is FINE if you are going to maintain it yourself - but to hand such a modded system to a shop and expect them to be able to proceed as if nothing had been done is a path to frustration and cost.

But, it's your car. I just make these remarks (now, read this carefully) as one who diagnosed, fixed, repaired and maintained complex electronics very similar to the modern (post 2000) automobile.

The purpose of my post is not to criticize or belittle your passion for your car. Why take a car that is KNOWN to be a total pain in the *** when the electrical system acts up - and add some poorly documented device to it? Of course, I work in electronics - the only electronics I saw for 30 years was the BROKEN electronics. Maybe you will luck out and never have an issue.

 

Last month I did my own Bulldog Security remote starter installation on my wife's Ford Escape. I generally do all my own car work and repairs, but had never done this before. As I know two people that had problems with their aftermarket remote car starters I wanted to know how it worked, and how to undo it if necessary.

It took me most of a Saturday to do it. The hardest part was finding all of the correct wires to splice into. Bulldog’s website has a download section providing instructions on where to find the wires. As no existing wires were cut, the remote starter module can easily be completely unplugged from the car if there are problems. Since it hooks up to the exterior running lights which blink when it gets the start signal, and also stay on when the car is running, We didn’t need a two way system, as we can see the car lights in the driveway.

The Escape has a security chip key, so I had to use a spare programmed key and place it in a bypass module. From that module a wire with a loop goes around the cars ignition switch where the car’s existing security pick up loop is located. The bypass module passes the chip code signal through the wire loop to the car. You would have to do the same for the Crossfire using a spare key, but the Crossfire key would not fit into the bypass module. The Bulldog website lists a Universal “Learning” bypass module that works with “any vehicle. I’m guessing it can learn the security chip code in the Crossfire key.

I’m very happy with the Bulldog system and would recommend it. I would not add remote start to either of my Crossfires because they are both manual transmissions, and I don’t need it on them. I would also have some concerns given the finicky Crossfire/Mercedes security system. I share Pizzaguy's concerns. In my twenty's I repaired, and maintained, complex electronic equipment. It's very easy for a short or loose wire to really mess things up.


If anyone is considering doing this I checked and the Bulldog website includes Crossfire wiring information to hook up their system.

http://www.bulldogsecurity.com/bdnew/vehiclewiringdiagrams.aspx