[Alberta_Girl]

I HATE having a remote starter that's set so that vehicle will only run for 10 minutes. What a joke. Yes yes, I know that you can 'add' another 10 minutes to this but you're truly not going to get another full 10 minutes unless you wait until the first start is nearing 10 minutes and you re-start. That's just not convenient for some people such as myself in which you have to walk 10-15 minutes within your work building to get to the window (a few storeys up) to be able to use the remote starter to begin with. Some of us can't stand there for 10 minutes just waiting to add another 10 minutes. Does anyone know if someone at GM could reprogram it? 10 minutes is a waste of time, particularly when it comes to it being long enough for the heaters to help defrost the windows/windshield. With it running only 10 minutes today, all it did was melt the snow on the windshield and by the time I came out 20 minutes later, that melted snow was then ice that I had to scrape. Had I not bothered, all I would have had to do is just turn on the wipers and it would have brushed the lose snow right off. Nobody I know has a vehicle whose remote runs only for 10 minutes.

I also find the remote starter very finicky and it doesn't always work. Yesterday morning I tried it from within my house (have an attached garage), standing just inside the door to garage. Hit "lock" then the "start" button (and held the latter for a good 3 seconds) and nothing happened. Couldn't understand why it wouldn't start (didn't even attempt to turn over). I then went into the garage and tried it, still no luck. I had to finally climb into the vehicle and start it that way. Have no idea why it wouldn't start. After starting it manually, I turned it off and tried starting with the remote and it worked.

Today at work, it was also difficult to start. I hit the 'lock' button and could see my headlights flash.....then I held the "start" button for a few seconds and nothing...didn't see the headlights come on (as they're supposed to when vehicle starts). Had to try this several times before it worked and it started.

 

[bballr4567]

I think the 10 minutes is due to an impending national law where its actually illegal to idle for any longer than that.

 

[Roesterman]

I had the same difficulty. Turns out I was giving up too early holding the start button. Give it a second or two more time when pressing start.

 

[GARYD]

Like Roesterman, I too have to hold down the start button for about 5-6 seconds. Nobody should ever idle a car for 10 minutes let alone 20 minutes. That's not good for the engine or the pocket book.
I'm pretty anal about getting into a cold car and my wife is worse. What I do is start the car 2 minutes- 3 max before I leave, remove the windshield cover (if used), get in the car and drive somewhat slowly for about 1/2 mile, by then the heater is pumping out warm air. This is the first car I've ever had with heated seats....I'm beginning to like that feature.
My Aztek had an aftermarket remote (Astro Start) that you could program it to start the car every 15-30-60 minutes for 5 minutes each when a certain temp was reached, which you could also program. It was the best remote I've ever owned.
The one thing I would have loved to have on the remote is some kind of feedback for the buttons...a click or a light, just so I know it worked. I'm like Alberta girl I work on the 2nd floor rear of my building so I don't know if the car actually started or not until I get out to it.
I have also found that if the Terrain is facing away from where I'm at, it doesn't seem to receive the signal as strong as when it's facing me.

 

[Terrain]

I don't know where she lives, but just to advise the others that in a lot of places on the bald prairie that -40 CELSIUS is a warm day in the winter.

In fact, when I was last in Edmonton years ago it wasn't abnormal to see strip malls with plug ins for vehicles or to be at a shopping mall where more than half the cars were left idling in the parking lot while their owners went shopping.

Just pointing out that in those temperatures ten minutes of idling does not cut it. I've never had any issue with my remote start... I hold the lock for a couple of seconds then the start for another couple. Starts every time.

In the really cold weather here in Ontario I use a digital egg timer so I can add an additional time period to it.

 

[GARYD]

You Canadians are so rich, you can afford to leave your cars running for hours. ;D
I thought a lot of placed in the Great White North had electric outlets in the parking lots to plug in engine heaters. Is that a myth??

I use to have an electric dip stick heater here in Chicago for years. Don't see them advertised anymore.

 

[Terrain]

Again, GaryD, be careful of painting us with a broad brush. Our coldest days here in eastern Ontario near the lake only see a deep freeze of -20 *C for a couple of weeks in February. Some Canadians in Vancouver never see snow in the winter.

I just wanted to point out that in SOME parts of this huge country it is VERY cold for extended periods of time and that it's totally unreasonable to chime in with a comment that "three minutes of idling is sufficient" in these places.

And I believe fuel IS cheaper in Alberta than the rest of Canada. I myself am super-jealous of their extremely low sales and provincial income tax rates.

 

[GMCdriver]

I know farmers who leave diesel 1 ton trucks running for days at a time in the winter.
They won't shut them off at the end of the day's work, they just pull up beside the house and let them idle all night long if the daytime high isn't getting above -35ish and the overnight low is expected to be below about -45.

Two years ago when we went to Disneyland for a week in Feb it was -45 here when we went to the airport to catch out flight and 22 in LA when we got off the plane a few hours later. My dad was working in Edmonton that day and they set the record as the coldest place on earth that day for a temp in the -50s.

To the OP:
No, there is no way to re-program the remote start on these vehicles to run longer through any of the user menus, you would need someone who has the knowledge & equipent to hack the vehicles computer if you wanted to have any success wth this.

 

[GARYD]

Terrain, I was only commenting on what I do here in Chicago....and 3 minutes is plenty of time....at least for me. I didn't mean that everyone should only do 3 minutes. I know diesel trucks usually leave their engines running all the time in extreamlt cold regions.

The remote I had for my Aztek was programable. As an example I could program it to start my car every 15 minutes for 5 minutes each at 10* or any time frame/temp I wanted depending on the temps.

 

[Terrain]

Sorry... didn't mean to single you out. I think it might have been inadvertently directed at BBallr as he seems to be fond of broad generalizations. In fact, my good friend in Edmonton told me they are at -17 *C today with snow. Brrrr. We don't see cold temperatures and snow around here until December and actual accumulations much later. Lake Ontario keeps us warm!

 

[GARYD]

That reminds me of back in 2005, I went to Sturgis for the HOG rally because the Canadian HOG rally was just north of there in Saskatoon and they were giving a special pin to anyone coming from the rally in Sturgis(did I mention I am a pin collector). Well, I left Sturgis (1st week of August) and the temps were around 110*F. Three days later when I left Saskatoon it was 32*F and drizzling. Talk about temperature shock. Thankfully it got warmer as I headed south toward Chicago. Luckily I packed my electric vest in at the last minute. I will never forget that trip. ;D

 

[Alberta_Girl]

You Canadians are so rich, you can afford to leave your cars running for hours. ;D
I thought a lot of placed in the Great White North had electric outlets in the parking lots to plug in engine heaters. Is that a myth??

I use to have an electric dip stick heater here in Chicago for years. Don't see them advertised anymore.

Electrical outlets in parking lots? Maybe some places but most don't have these. I work for a company that has 1700 employees in our corporate office and there must be acres of parking lots. Definitely not plug-ins. When your vehicle is parked all day, 10-12 hours, it's -45C with the wind chill (or more), you have to pray your block doesn't freeze from not being plugged in such that your battery will be dead when you go out at the end of the day and if it is, you're screwed because you'll wait hours for a tow-truck to come and boost you. It's not a matter of Canadians being rich such that we can leave our vehicles running for hours. That's a cheap shot at Canadians. Come up here and live through the winter, in some parts of Canada where we have near-arctic temps and see if you still run your mouth off. Most of you Americans couldn't hack a day of our cold.

 

[IceMan]

Electrical outlets in parking lots? Maybe some places but most don't have these. I work for a company that has 1700 employees in our corporate office and there must be acres of parking lots. Definitely not plug-ins. When your vehicle is parked all day, 10-12 hours, it's -45C with the wind chill (or more), you have to pray your block doesn't freeze from not being plugged in such that your battery will be dead when you go out at the end of the day and if it is, you're screwed because you'll wait hours for a tow-truck to come and boost you. It's not a matter of Canadians being rich such that we can leave our vehicles running for hours. That's a cheap shot at Canadians. Come up here and live through the winter, in some parts of Canada where we have near-arctic temps and see if you still run your mouth off. Most of you Americans couldn't hack a day of our cold.

Wow..wonder what people like you did before remote starters were available on cars? Sounds like a tuff life up there. Seems like Canadians would have these problems figured out by now. Surely most do...or many do. Maybe they all drive older Ford Escapes...?

 

[GMCdriver]

I just heard that Ford's factory remote start system shuts the vehicle off as soon as you open your door and makes you restart the engine after you get into the vehicle. While I realize that GM's factory system has a few limitations when compared to some of the aftermarket options that are available, I'm still much happier with it then what Ford is doing now.

 

[Bigdog9586]

I just heard that Ford's factory remote start system shuts the vehicle off as soon as you open your door and makes you restart the engine after you get into the vehicle. While I realize that GM's factory system has a few limitations when compared to some of the aftermarket options that are available, I'm still much happier with it then what Ford is doing now.

Not true on wifes 2010 Fusion Hybrid.

 

[GMCdriver]

Not true on wifes 2010 Fusion Hybrid.

Strange, I found this on my first Google search to check it out a few seconds ago.

To:

All Ford and Lincoln Mercury Dealers

Subject:

New 2010 Model Year Security Enhancements for MyKey or Intelligent Access (push-button start) and GFA Remote Start

PROPER OPERATION – GFA REMOTE START AND MYKEY OR INTELLIGENT ACCESS ENHANCED SECURITY FEATURES
New 2010 model vehicles equipped with GFA Remote Start and the new MyKey feature or Intelligent Access (push-button start) have enhanced security features.

Once the vehicle has been remotely started, the enhanced security feature will turn the vehicle engine off in the event of the vehicle doors being unlocked or opened.

Only vehicles with the combination of the MyKey or Intelligent Access (push-button start) feature with GFA Remote Start will have these enhanced security features designed to operate in this fashion.

Dealerships should not attempt any repairs to the MyKey or Remote Start systems if the customer is bringing in their vehicle for concerns relating to these enhanced security features.

SALES DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL


Review the new security features since they are different than prior models with remote start without the MyKey or Intelligent Access (push-button start) features.
Prepare to explain to customers these enhanced security features on vehicles being sold with remote start and the MyKey or Intelligent Access (push-button start) feature.
SERVICE DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL


Dealership service personnel should be familiar with these new security features since they are different than prior models with remote start without the MyKey or Intelligent Access (push-button start) features.
Dealership service personnel and specifically service advisors who may have customers return to the dealership for concerns about the remote start and MyKey or Intelligent Access (push-button start) functionality should be prepared to explain to the customer these enhanced security features.
Important: Dealership should not attempt any repairs relating to this functionality if vehicle is equipped and exhibits correct functionality as described in "Proper Operation".

WARRANTY COVERAGE
If a remote start repair is required but is not related to the enhanced security features described in "Proper Operation" then the claim MUST be submitted utilizing the special program code "ACC" for reimbursement.

 

[GARYD]

Geez, Alberta-girl, lighten up, I was only joking. Didn't you see my smiley face? It was all tongue in cheek.
I was born in Manitoba so I know very well about the temps there.......and the snow.
I was talking about some smaller private company's parking lots....not huge lots......that's what I was told, that's why I asked if it was a myth. Please read my posts a little more closely before flying off the handle.
I have no problems with cold weather...I ride my Harley all winter here in Chicago. When people see the Canadian flag on my Harley they tell me no wonder I ride in the winter, it's warm for me. ;D see...another smiley face.

Stay warm and healthy.

 

[gearhead]

Geez, Alberta-girl, lighten up, I was only joking. Didn't you see my smiley face? It was all tongue in cheek.
I was born in Manitoba so I know very well about the temps there.......and the snow.
I was talking about some smaller private company's parking lots....not huge lots......that's what I was told, that's why I asked if it was a myth. Please read my posts a little more closely before flying off the handle.
I have no problems with cold weather...I ride my Harley all winter here in Chicago. When people see the Canadian flag on my Harley they tell me no wonder I ride in the winter, it's warm for me.[/color] ;D see...another smiley face.

Stay warm and healthy.

Way cool!
8) ;D