I'm thinking about getting a remote start put on my 99 GS4. Should I be aware of anything with our type of cars before finding a shop to do this?

Also, how does our car do in the snow in chicago with all season 16" wheels?
I hate to say it, but the white stuff will be here too soon!

Don 99 GS4 FIRPK K&N, EVO Exhaust

 

You'll probably need to play with the immobolizer in our car. That device disables (by conventional methods) the starting of our car unless our key is in the ignition.

 

i've seen someone do it on the 98 GS and he said he'd never do it again. Its a complete PITA. I know one of the toughest things to get around is that our cars need to sense the microchip that is in our keys to start the car. You need some kind of relay to work around this problem. I think DEI makes a module but I'm not sure.

 

you know the grey extra key...
you need put that in in the security box and put it under the dash...
so it works as computer chip..
than it works...I asked prestige....with two page system .500 installed...

 

I would suggest NOT doing that as most audio shops would have to literally butcher your car to put it in. A remote starter is one of the worst after market mods to do because it involves really messing up the existing wiring.

 

Hameed, how ya been? I usually agree with ya but on this I gotta go the other way. My shop does all of Lexus of Northboros cars and suv's with no problem. All you have to do is a have a knowldgeable installer and they are no problem. You DO have to put the gray valet key in a module that bypasses the anti-theft chip during remote start.
I have the Viper 790xv remote start/alarm and it is awesome especially on the cold days we ahve here in the northeast. brrrr.
Goodluck, just make sure the place has done the Lexus before and there should be no problems.

 

great! Now the secret comes out!!! All theives take note, the grey key is in the box under the dashboard!!!

 

Ok, first let me tell you my background... i worked for circuit city for 2 years doing car security and stereo install. Then i was recruited by best buy and worked there for about 6 months. I quit both places.

DO NOT TAke your car to either best buy, circuit city, or ultimate electronics, UNLESS you know the installer personally and/or have seen there work. I worked with some very interesting ppl.

If you are going to get the stuff done, make sure you call around and see who works on what cars and what they do. Ask friends, coworkers, etc.

Otherwise your car may look fine on the surface, but you never know what your wiring looks like under the dash, hood, etc.

 

i got my remote system installed a place that knows their car audio, but not some wildly high-end car audio shop and things went smoothly. they used my grey key in a place i asked that isn't simply under the dash, and the wiring wasn't ugly at all.

never had a problem with it and will never have a car without remote start again...definitely one of the best things on my car in retrospect

and yeah, circuit city or best buy is not the way to go

 

I Been in the business for about 12 years or more ,listen I do the remote starter on these cars all the time with out no problem I got the viper 790vx and i tell you is to much money for this Alarm , i did mies for one reason and is that my buddy gets a promotional thing from what ever company once a year . but for the money and it does the samething is the prestige aps 996 ,and don"t pay more than $400 install and tell them to cut that valet ket.what i do i take the key thats going in the 555u and cut it or grind it your self . so that way if they ever find it ,will not work .p.s make sure they tap into the disarm no unlock for the remote starter that way when you put both alarms on and you remote start the car it won't trigger the factory alarm.they will have to take off the door panel for this.Check on BananasGS website he gives you pics and all.

 

I have a remote starter and its great. Just get a compustar. Its also a two-way pager that gives you info on the status of your car. It also x-mits 1 1/4 miles. My wiring is not messed up like someone said before. I couldnt live without it cause I fave a few mods. If you lived in the Philly/ NJ area I could hook you up with a good installer. Also about the key you need to keep in the car...It does not need to be cut to be programmed. The key that is in my car is not cut but it is programmed. I thought of that trick myself.

 

Is to cut the key in half. not to cut the key to start the car get it.That way if you find it u can't put in the igniton .

 

my brother owns a performance shop and he did the alarm on my wife 99 GS300. We used the prestige pager piece 996 but we did not connect the remote start becuase I was skeptical about using the grey key in the bypass box. He told me to wait becuase they were making a module for the Lexus GS 98-03 which allows us to remote start the car without using the extra keys. It was installed for three weeks now and so far no problems. If you guys need the number for the bypass box let me know and also once its installed by a qualified professional then there should be no problems

 

I have a Viper 800+ with all the mods incl. starter for the last yr and a half. No problems, just pleasure. Also, have great range and my window are tinted.......

S

 

No problems for me either. I had the new Clifford two-way paging alarm w/ starter installed last winter. It works flawlessly. It's defnitely all about having agood shop do the work 4 sure. Oh, and the key did have to be put in a box to make the system work.