Anyone have a Viper SmartStart system?

[Kaido]

Basically it's remote start over the cellular network, so you can remote start your car from anywhere instead of a certain distance:

http://www.viper.com/smartstart/

Looks like the parent company of the technology is Directed:

http://www.directed.com/smartstart/

I was looking into this because I'm usually far away from my car at work/school/home and would have to trek to start it up. However, the reviews on iTunes are pretty discouraging:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/viper-smartstart/id333400981

I'd imagine most of the issues would be due to no cell phone reception where their car is parked. Just curious if anyone actually had the system & cared to share their experience.

 

[xSkyDrAx]

why would you have to start your car but not need to be near it?

 

[Ferzerp]

Remote start (done correctly) is wonderful. Cold day, turn on the car from the house or the office, the heated seats and steering wheel come on, and the auto climate control starts working (or at least the engine starts warming to help in). On a hot day, the AC comes on.

Being able to do this early enough when far away from your car (but headed towards it) would be neat.

 

[Kaido]

why would you have to start your car but not need to be near it?

I work in a large metal & concrete building, so the regular keyfob units would only work if I went up to the front office and blasted it from there. Or school, before evening classes let out...or at home, since I'm in a rental & don't have a garage. It'd be nice to have it heated up in the winter (it's been down in the 10-20F range for months, and that'd also help melt the ice & snow off the windows) and cooled off in the summer (got up to 103F last summer!). So with an cellular-based starter, you can do it anywhere in the world...or just decently far enough away to make it worth it 😉