Does the remote start activate the heated seats when it is cold? If so, does a setting control that? Thanks.

 

I've noticed the remote start turns on the heated seats, heated steering wheel, heated windshield, and "I think" the cabin heat was set to defrost. I didn't notice if the side mirrors or rear defogger was turned on. The heated windshield depends on how cold it is outside. I keep everything in Auto mode. I don't if the seat heaters will work if you have them in manual heat mode?

 

it definitely starts the heated seats when it is cold. If my memory is correct, at the high settings

 

Does heated/ventilated seat comes on automatically if you leave setting in Auto when you don't use remote start, just start car normally? I'm in SoCal it doesn't get cold enough I guess for it to kick on. Don't have ventilated on the MDX Tech so I don't know.
Moose - did they fix your RLX with deer collision damage yet? How did repair turned out? Wish our RLX had auto heated/ventilated seats.

 

I don't believe it warms up the seats, but it for sure it heats up the steering wheel, rear defogger, and front windshield defrost, not sure about the windshield heater going on and heat, depending on the temperature. The AC comes on in the warner weather,

 

This is what has been reported back to me by the Mrs. It is her daily driver. She was more interested in the heated seats part of the equation. I have not been able to get out and test on my on. Figured I'd come to the knowledge tank. Thanks to all for your contributions.

 

I did not even know my MDX had remote start until I had to change battery in the FOB and looked more closely at the buttons. Wasn't a big deal when I lived in the SF Bay area, but now that I moved east of Sac, it has been useful a few times

 

That means wherever you bought your MDX, didn't do their job. Provided you purchased new from a dealership. They are supposed to explain all of the key features. Remote start is one of those.

 

Agreed. Bought it new from Dealer. I also did not know about the heated steering wheel

 

Reminds me when I purchased my RLX. After all the paperwork was done, salesman was walking me to my car, he asked "So do you need me to go over all the tech?" I said "No, thanks" and got into car drove off. Much to his relief as I can see he was tired from long work day and just wanted to go home like I did. Besides, I already owed MDX and both cars have very similiar technology. It's very easy to tell keyfob have remote start, as it is very heavy and substantially sized to fit all remote start components and radio.

 

The guy the dealer assigned to deliver the car and show the car’s features knew half of what I knew by owning an older MDX. He was basically clueless from anything other than the super basic

 

^^^For the most part, I had already researched the vehicle to no end and probably knew more about it than they did. Since it already is an ordeal to buy a car, I skipped the “tutorial”. If I can’t figure it out, I know where to come!

 

The hardest part about the remote start is when it doesn't work and you can't figure it out after troubleshooting the possibilities. Then, it works the next day with no problem. Still a little bummed out the Acuralink smartphone remote start feature isn't available on the 3rd Gen MDX and RLX.

 

The only reason it will not work is that you need to lock the doors 1st before you press and hold the auto start button. Works everytime.

 

I would add even if they are already locked, you must press the lock button first

 

yup, my experience as well. and it may take a few seconds for the remote start to work, so keep holding down the button.

 

That's what I meant. Thanks for clarifying that. It makes all the difference.

 

Unfortunately, I've done all the troubleshooting like unlocking/locking doors, get closer, trying both fobs, pressing and holding looking for fob light when I have issues with my remote start. I haven't had this issue with my 18 RLX hybrid (yet). It has only happened twice since Mar/19. Both cars are garage kept and I don't use remote start that often (mostly use when traveling; whenever, we can get back to that).

 

I use remote start way too frequently than I thought, but its a nice feature since my MDX becomes an oven. Going to look a tinting the windshield, sunroof and making the front windows darker. When cold, I never seen my MDX turn on heated seats, and its probably due to my HVAC settings not being on Auto at all. I manually set the seat warmers to high everytime I drive.

I thought it would have that feature since my previous pos econobox had that option for the phone but no button on the fob (somehow magically the following MY got the button on the fob).

 

We get pretty hot also in the southwest with interior temps +130 degrees and road tar turning into molasses if you step on it (reason for all weather mats in summer). The interior summer temps killed my Blackvue dash cam in 2 years. I've did front window tint, sun shade, and keeping sunroof cover closed. Big advantage we have is low humidity in the low 20s to teens in summer. It can be 10-20 degrees cooler in the shade or with a breeze. I used to live in Phoenix and that is on whole another level of heat plus humidity with all the golf courses and irrigation. There is absolutely nothing you can do about that heat other than finding shade when parking, super dark tint, try not to burn yourself on the steering wheel or metal seatbelt clip, and have a remote start to get the interior under 120 degrees. Only lasted 2 summers before I decided to GTFO of there.

 

I was born in Phoenix of all places

My previous car, it was a living hell, without the option to roll down the windows via the unlock button and not having remote start (I still don't understand half the decisions that Nissan makes when designing and producing their vehicles). I had to travel from SW Miami where the main campus is (where I stayed) to the North Miami Beach campus multiple times during the week. After classes, I came to an oven, and I think the inside temps were like over 130 degrees. It was a blue on black color scheme. Every single touchable thing burned my skin since it was sooo hot. Even at work, when I was a delivery driver for PHut, that thing burned like mad. The only thing that did work was the sunshade, but that cooled off a bit in the interior. IF I rolled down the windows while driving, and because its Florida, the vehicle gets humid and muggy.

I learned just to keep the vehicle in the garage if I was ever going back to campus if normality ever returns completely again. There is barely any shade parking on campus, especially for housing students. I actually got my previous car booted once because lack of parking (university admins thought its perfect to build another dorm instead of building a parking garage dedicated for ALL housing students). I am not a fan of dark colored vehicles, but our MDX and my 2016 Rogue are dark colors, which played a huge role in being an oven. I just wished ventilated seats was standard for vehicles with leather interiors.

 

Have you tried using your head as an antenna...sounds crazy but it works! Just put keyfob under your chin. Only drawback is you can't see the LED lights.
I've done this sitting back of Church at least 1500 ft away from car. It starts up every time.

 

When it didn't work, I was standing beside the MDX locking/unlocking the doors and pressing the remote start. I haven't use the remote start for over a month when I tried and it failed that night.

 

You may want to check the hood and door sensors. If either are reporting correctly or falsely that the door is open, the remote start won’t work.

Ran into this myself. My BMW has the soft closing latches so if the door isn’t closed all the way, it itself latches and then locks. The Acura doesn’t have this feature and I found myself confused why the Remote start was not working. When I walked up to the car, I then noticed the rear passenger door was not fully latched. Open and closed that door and the remote start worked.

I know have the settings for the lock when walking away. So I listen for the first beep when I get out and also for the second beep wheee it auto locks the doors when your farther than five feet away. No beeps, I go back and check the doors.

After using this method, never had the remote start not work for me.

 

I usually do the auto mirror fold in when locked feature. I always listen for the confirmation beep and hear the auto fold as I walk away. I'm just assuming my doors/hatch are closed and locked when I see the side mirrors folded in.

 

I don't have the heated steering wheel or heated windshield options, only heated seats and my remote engine start does NOT turn them on. I leave them in auto and in sub freezing temperature, they did NOT turn on. My heat and windshield defroster turned on though.

 

heated seats with auto start needs to be enabled in the MID setup. at least on my 2019 advance hybrid. And then they will only turn on if it is cold enough to trigger the turn on, I don't think heated windshield or heated steering wheel will turn on with auto start. At least I don't recall mine ever coming on.

 

Really. I haven’t found that option in the MID in any of the setup pages.

 

This morning with temperatures in the mid 20’s I started my 2019 sports hybrid with the remote and it automatically started both front seats on max heat, the HVAC with fan at or close to max on heat/defrost. Not sure about rear defroster.

 

I wonder if the seats can be added to a setting as mine do not come on, but the heated steering wheel does.

 

I just checked the owners manual and it says the heated seats are activated in the cold weather. Mine does not heat up.