Hello,

I am having a hard time understanding the initial air blower startup conditions of the remote starter. I have the factory intsalled version. On a cold morning, my car starts with the front and rear defroster blower, even though these were not in use when I turned the car off the night before. My initial experiments suggested that it always does this and the temperature of the air depends on the heat setting used when the car was turned off previously (so cold in summer if using cold air, hot in winter if using hot or hot in summer if using hot etc).

However, when I tested today, during the day after having driven the car, the remote start started the car and used the same air blowing settings that I had when driving (e.g. to the feet and body)and they were not the defroster setting.

I am most confused

Does anyone understand how this works?

Many thanks

 

It might be related to which Fob you were using just like the seat settings.

 

mswilsonuk, there's a chart in the RES manual. The settings are based on what you last left it on. The windshield and rear defroster sometimes turn on when I start the 450h in the winter. And I know I don't have them on when I turn off the RXh. It's almost like it knows when it's needed. I don't put much thought into it.

 

If you were using the Auto setting for the HVAC when leaving the car it will perform as you described. It takes ambient temp, coolant temp and your settings and tries to make it happen. It will run for 10 minutes if you don't arrive and touch the door, shuts off. Officially it can only be used twice, 20 minutes total. I have seen quite a few start more than that however.
Couple of other tips, if you want to shut it off remotely and keep the doors locked...press and hold the Lock Button til it chirps once. If you want it off with the doors unlocked for (the default) 60 seconds then press Unlock.

 

Slightly off topic, but related to remote start. Is there a way to change the time that the RX engine will run for? If so what are the different options and procedure to do so. I find that mine runs like 5 minutes and in that time cabin heat is not even blowing. I mean car is still cold. Thanks

 

With remote start, the engine is supposed to run for ten minutes. That can't be changed. But you can restart it for an additional ten minutes. Crank up the heat too.

 

Thanks.

My latest experiments show that in non-auto mode, the car always starts in defrost mode, regardless of how the car settings were left. Even if you drive the car to warm the engine, turn off then immediately remote start, you get defrost settings (with the previously set temperature).

When in this condition, no other climate buttons can be selected, the system is fixed on defrost (I was in the car when remote starting). I have not been able to reproduce my earlier observation of it keeping the settings after driving.

Is this the behavior seen by others?

 

When I remote start with the vehicle left in auto mode, the defrosters come on too. I know for the auto setting at temps around 74 and above, the warm air typically routes to the feet and vents directed towards the windows located near the doors. Sometimes I'd rather have it coming out the central vents so I have to manually change it. But the majority of the time I just leave it in auto mode.

 

I have 2010 RX and it only stays on for like five minutes. So I think there isn't enough time for the engine. That's why I wanted to change the on time. Is that something I can do my self or the dealer has to do it.
Thanks.

 

As Anita said, it's 10 minutes, plus a second start of 10 minutes. Maximum of 20 minutes.

Only the dealer can change that and I'm guessing they may not be able to change it either, if it is hard coded into the the car.

Third party remote starts can be set for longer run times.

Now your 5 minutes sounds wrong, hope they can fix that for you.

 

I'll have to dig into the technical manual and see how this works. Not sure how the memory settings by key fob work with the remote start function.

Wonder if the technology guys know at the dealerships?