I was wondering if anyone know if it is possible to install a remote engine starter.. The weather is getting chill here in NYC...and my ass is freezing in the morning. Thanks

 

Moved to electronics sub forum.

 

Yes, it is possible. I know people who have done it with the LS430 even though it has a keyless entry and start system similar to the one we have in the RL. I would check around for a reputable shop (or ask some dealers, perhaps Curry Acura) and find out what shop is reccomended.

 

I am searching for the same. My dealer had a sale on remote startes and took the car in. They returned the car to me the next day embarassed that they couldn't do it. I haven't been able to find any information on the internet yet.

 

It is possible to install a remote engine starter on an RL - I have it on mine. The dealer has a local electronics shop install them although I was later told that the installation took over 20 hours of shop time because of the complexity of bypassing the keyless entry/start. I'm sure that once they have done a couple of them, the installation would be pretty routine, but the first time was apparently a real bitch. It has been so warm here this winter, that I haven't even used it yet. The unit that I have is a compustar 2W8000FMR (3000). The benefits of this particular unit is the two-way communication - ie the remote tells you if the car has started. It believe it has a range of 3000 feet which is hopefully just enough for starting the car from my seats at the hockey games.

 

Your experience is simimlar to what I was told when I thought about installing one. I decided against it because it seemed like a high likelihood that someone would screw something up.

 

Did you have to provide them with a spare key? What did they charge you overall? Do all of the other functions still work (i.e. keyless start, recognition of user1/user2 seat settings)? Thanks.

 

The installation of the remote starter was arranged through the dealer (an attempt to have less of a problem should there be issues with the car later). I believe the final bill was around $1600 Canadian. I don't believe the dealer was charged for all of the labour time to install the unit because the dealer regularly sends all of it's remote start installations to this particular shop and they had worked out a deal before hand. The keyless start etc has worked flawlessly since - I think the only functions that were lost are functions of the remote starter - ie some of the security functions of the remote don't work since the car still relies on the Acura security system rather than the system that comes with the remote starter.
Again, my recommendation would be to phone around to find a dealer who has had remote starters installed in the RL before and then use the same installation shop. If it would help, I can give you the name of the place that did my car, but I can't guarantee how cooperative the technicians would be in describing what they had to do to bypass the keyless ignition etc when they installed the starter. As Vik had mentioned, the other option is to find a Lexus dealer who has had a remote starter installed in a GS or LS and use the installer that they used since bypassing the keyless system may be similar to the RL. If it ever gets cold around here when I'm going to go to a hockey game, I'll let you guys know how well the remote starter works. Until then, my RL lives in a heated garage 95% of the time and I don't really need the remote at all.
For those of you who don't know, I bought my RL used (2 months old with 600 miles on it) from a Lexus dealer who had an older gentleman trade it in on an LS. This fellow had bought an LS for his wife and an RL for himself and he liked the seats in the LS better so traded in his RL. Lucky me bought the RL and saved over $10,000 in the process since at the time the local Acura dealers were being total jerks charging full MSRP without budging a nickel. I was so poorly treated by the Acura dealers, that I was actually at the Lexus dealership looking at buying a GS when I spotted the RL. This is the reason my RL has a remote starter when I don't really need it.

 

I went to the hockey game last night and even though it wasn't cold enough to actually warrant it, I took the remote starter fob along to check out the range. What I forgot to do was check the battery in the remote because it was dead - DOH!!!!!. When I got home, I changed the battery and did a little playing around with the starter. As suspected, none of the alarm functions of the remote starter are active, but it does start the car (I still can't report the range since I was just testing it in my garage) and the two-way signal does work to tell you that the car has indeed started. What was interesting was that, when the car is remotely started, the engine would stop when the door was unlocked (ie when you arrive at the car with the key fob and touch the door handle). The engine would then have to be started again normally. This is probably the best they could do when they had to bypass the keyless entry/ignition. Restarting the car is a minor inconvenience and wastes a little gas but otherwise still allows the remote starter benefits to be enjoyed. I'll report back on the range when I get a chance to use it.
Your technicians may be able to get more out of your remote starter systems, but with all of the time the local guys here spent installing this thing, this may be as good as it gets when bypassing the keyless ignition. Just FYI.