A remote starter for your car can be a convenient feature, whether you live in a cold climate and want your car to warm up before you step outside or in the tropics and want the air conditioner to cool down the car's interior before you get in. While installing a remote starter is usually a job for professionals, you can save a significant amount of money by doing the job yourself if you are mechanically inclined and comfortable with the idea of digging into your car's electrical system; cutting, splicing and soldering wires; and following instructions carefully.
Find a good location in your car for the control unit; you must not install it under the hood due to the engine heat and vibration. Find a location close enough to the wiring harness in the steering column so you will not have to extend the wires coming from the control unit.
Remove the cover on the steering column below the steering wheel. Use your electrical meter to identify the wires attached to the key switch as follows: The power wire, usually a larger gauge wire fed directly from the battery, will show 12 volts when you have the key in the "OFF" position. The accessory wire will show 12 volts when the key is in the "ACCESSORY" or "RUN" position. The ignition wire will show 12 volts when the key is in the "RUN" or "START" position. Some vehicles have more than one ignition wire; in this case, you must connect all the ignition wires to the remote starter module. The starter wire will show 12 volts when the key is in the "START" position. You must also identify the tachometer wire, which the remote starter uses to sense that the engine has started.
Attach the remote starter wires to the vehicle wiring according to the installation instructions. Work carefully, and solder the wires together to ensure secure connections. Secure the control unit in the location you selected. Use cable ties to bundle the remote starter wiring to the vehicle's wiring harness, and check to endure that no wires are rubbing against any sharp metal edges. Replace the cover on the steering column. Test that the vehicle starts and runs normally with the key in the ignition, then test the remote starter for proper operation.
