Retroplay

Greetings all, I just purchased a 2007 AWD IS250. I also own an SC430 which doesn't have the Smart Key feature, so I am unfamiliar with it. Hopefully some of you can help.

A. How does it work for warming up the car? In other words, I would like to start the car, brush it off in the winter, and maybe even go back inside with the doors locked while it warms up. What is possible?
Yesterday, I had it running while I was brushing off the car and as soon as I got out of the car, it was chirping warnings at me. I didn't know if the alarm was going to go off.

B. Adding a remote starter. I did a search and it looks like you will lose some key features of the smart key and need to carry around another fob. Has anyone found a better way? I looked at RES+ and the price isn't bad except for the subscription.

Any help is appreciated.

ponteley

2-way remote start with paging.
Yes, you'll need both fobs.

BlckGhst

When I let mine warm up while being out of the car, I just remove the door lock cover and lock it manually with the actual key and take the remote with me. The car stays locked as it warms up. That warning noise wont set off any alarms

Retroplay

Perfect. I wasn't even aware of the cover. That is an acceptable solution until I decide what to do for a remote starter. I did find some units that claim to be Smart Key compatible, but the reviews on them aren't so great.

https://www.amazon.com/EasyGO-AM-UNI...remote+starter

P128sniper

No need to let ur car warm up before driving. Start it, wait 30 seconds and go, it'll warm up faster that way, and idling ur car is not really that good for it especially with the 250 as I heard it can contribute to the carbon build up. Older cars you wanted to warm up but not modern ones. They don't have carburetors. Obviously you don't want to stomp on the gas before it does warm up but regular driving is fine. You are just wasting gas and oil life.

Retroplay

By 'warming up', I mean the interior of the car. In sub-zero temperatures in which the windshield is covered in a sheet of ice, you most definitely cannot simply get in the car and drive off. not to mention cold joints in your body, and the inability to feel your fingers, don't control the car very well, nevermind the spasms from shivering.

So while the car itself is perfectly fine, the warming up procedure is for proper running operation of the driver.

tomiv9

The black button on the outside door handle is used to lock the car. I believe you can use this while car is running, but I've never tried

BlckGhst

I just tried, and the black button does not lock the door with the engine running

Retroplay

So, the other day, I tried walking away from the car at the store and the doors locked. But I tried that at work this morning and they didn't lock by themselves.

Do they normally lock if you walk away from the car after you get out? Maybe I'm crazy and hit the lock button out of habit or something at the store the other day.

BlckGhst

Does not lock, but I wish it did. I drove a new Ford product the other day which did lock when I walked away

Bichon

No, the car has auto-relock, so if you unlock the doors (from the key fob) but never actually open a door, the car will automatically re-lock in around 60 seconds. Other than that, there is no automatic locking function.

flowrider

iTrader: (9)

It also must be added, that if the car is running, and the driver does not have the fob, he (or she) can drive as far as they wish, but once the car is turned off, it can not be restarted without the fob.

Lou

Retroplay

Hmm, seems a bit quirky and an overlooked feature. All the right sensors are there to manage auto-lock on walk away. It can tell if the keys are still in the passenger cabin. It can sense whether or not a passenger is in the car. If you have the fob on you, it can tell when you are out range.

I had the techstream cable hooked up the other day to look at the customizable options, but I don't remember if there was something like that in there.