The installer used a bypass module which tricks the car into thinking the key fob is in the car, even though it's not.

 

compuStart has a demo up for its iphone app that is out now

 

I just spent a little over a grand getting the viper smart start and security system put in my 06 IS250AWD. Couple problems, when the security system is engaged the automatic door unlock when touching the handle doesn't work. so you have to disable and then it will. I have to unlock the door through my iphone, which is a pain. When locking the door it doesn't set the viper alarm unless hit lock through the iphone. Lastly and the most annoying is when I use my iphone/smartstart i get in the car after unlocking through iphone put my foot on the break and the car dies. The tech said he called dei and that's just how it is. I don't believe it, does anyone else have these problems?

 

Once in the car, have you tried just pushing the power button twice without touching the brake? That's how it works in our Nissan.

 

I stopped at the auto-remote start vendor's place to schedule the installation of Smart Start on my RX450x. Initially they indicated, as you have, the doors must be unlocked with the iPhone. I said, forget it I don't want that. They then got into DEI installation information and found some Lexus behave just fine with the Smart Start and some like yours do not play well together.

I neglected to ask about the engine stopping. I do know with the Lexus remote start, the engine stops as soon as you open the door.

 

If I use the SmartStart to turn on the car, to unlock the door I either have to use the phone application Or the Viper Remote.

Once in a started car, I have to push the start button twice and the memory button for my seats. To avoid this, I've turned off the feature which slides the seats back.. so I only have to push the start button twice and I'm good to go.

 

Your installer can install a pulse relay so that the seats and steering wheel go to their memory position.

This is the main problem with my 2010 IS 250 and we ordered the pulse relay today.

 

I was going to report today that the installation of the Viper Smart Start was a success, as it worked perfectly yesterday morning. Not so today....

I debated getting the Drone, but the Drone does not provide security. So I opted for the new, all-in-one, Viper security and Smart Start. Where I live I only have A T & T EDGE service, which the newer Smart Start modules do not play well with. So after two days of labor, my installer gave up the ghost and put in an older, non-security Smart Start. Still didn't work.

I had been emailing a Viper tech and he would try his magic and he insisted to the installer it was an A T & T network problem. However, my wife's Maxima has a Smart Start and works fine. To demo this, I parked the Lexus next to the Maxima and I stood outdoors near the cars. All three of us in the same cell phone service area. The Maxima responded properly to every command and the Lexus did nothing. I then drove the Lexus to a town 30 miles away with 3G cell service and issued commands to the Lexus and still nothing. Issued a command to start the Maxima 30 miles away, sitting in an EDGE service area, the Maxima started.

So the Viper tech in California or where ever he is, went to work and yesterday in the afternoon the Smart Start began to work properly. So after 20 hours by the installer, countless phone calls, and numerous emails, the Smart Start worked.

So last night I went to a basketball game, parked three blocks from the arena and at the 5 minutes left mark in the game, I issued a start command, the command was acknowledged on the iPhone and when I got to the the car after the game, NOTHING. Once again, the Smart Start in the Lexus is not working.

When working, remote starting the car locks the doors, starts the car and it runs for up to 20 minutes. I get into the car normally using the key fob, the car would stop just like the factory remote (which had to be disconnected). Starting the car normally, after a remote start, would sometimes cause the dashlights to blink like it was in panic/alarm mode. Driving the car for a minute or two or pushing the unlock button on the Viper remote would stop that.

Today nothing. Issue a command, I get the acknowledgement the command had been received on my iPhone, but nothing happens in the car.

The Smart Start works fine in my wife's Maxima, in the Lexus it is a worthless, expensive, non-functional piece of technology.

At this time, I wouldn't recommend the Viper Smart Start to anyone. Check out the Viper Smart Start Facebook page for other dissatisfied customers. As an alternative, investigate the Drone and good luck.

The factory remote start may be lame for distance, but at least it would work consistently at 75 feet.

Sorry for this long post.

 

Thank you for putting all of this in your post. Now I known to hold off for a long time on this until they get the problems worked out.

 

Sorry to dredge up this old discussion, but I had the Viper Smart Start removed from my car Friday. Stopped working altogether, I guess it really only worked one day. The only thing it would do Friday is lock and unlock the car, no remote starting at all. Even using the Viper key fob, the car would not start. I can't speak very highly of the Viper (DEI) customer service either. Getting a full refund was difficult and now my dome light comes on whenever like there is a short somewhere and my daylight running lights don't work either. Off to see my service advisor tomorrow. Bad experience all around.

 

Sorry all this has happen to you and your car. I going to have the compustar system put on my 2010 Camry XLE in a few weeks before I will try to have it installed on my 450h

 

I spoke to the Drone boys last week. They feel confident. I've read their web pages again, visited their Facebook page and still am not convinced. I've asked for an iron clad escape clause. If it doesn't work, they remove it at their expense.

Before letting Drone touch my car, gotta get it back to factory conditions so no one can point fingers about why it doesn't work.

Good luck.

 

Please let us know how things work out for you

 

Thanks for your interest and concern. Here is the final chapter of the Viper Smart Start installation in my poor RX450h.

I took the RX to my Lexus dealership this morning at 9:00AM. My loaner was a red, 2010 ES350 with parchment interior and touch screen navigation. Touch screen is nice, but I'll stick with the joy stick.

Anyway by 3:30PM I had gone to a movie, had lunch and shopped and was ready to go home, so I went back to the dealership. They weren't quite done.

I got to speak with the Lexus service tech and here's his story. AT is the name of the auto shop that had installed and removed the Smart Start. According to the Lexus tech, AT had just cut out the Smart Start and left a hanging cluster of hacked off and in some cases bare wires within the dashboard. In running the cables from the cell antenna mounted on the windshield to below the dash, AT had removed and reinstalled airbags. The airbag brackets we not properly installed and nuts and bolts were stripped. Some nuts were missing. AT had removed and reinstalled the glovebox and only used half of number of factory screws to reinstall it.

AT had conducted some of their connections on live computers and "confused" the BCU and factory remote start module. Which were reprogrammed and sync'ed up properly by Lexus tech.

Lexus cut me a break on the labor, but the bill was $567. I ended up with, I'm hoping, a fully functional RX at the end of the day. Have a 300 mile trip tomorrow and will test everything.

Oh, if only Lexus had remote starting like Chevy and the OnStar system.

 

Time to have a come to Jesus metting with AT and give them two bills the the $567 one that you had to pay to get it all back to were it all works or one for the MSRP of your car. They pay you for your lost from there screw up or they buy you a new car. Take nothing less than that from the bozos you also need to add in your time on the deal.