Remote starter problems: cranks but won't start???

[gonefishing]

I bought my Honda Accord in March of this year. It came with a two-way AstroStart model 2205U. The salesman couldn't get it to work as the remote was missing the battery cover and none of the buttons responded. This wasn't a big deal to me at the time as they didn't advertise the car having a remote starter in the first place. I found that the remote was missing a piece that would complete the circuit on the negative end of the battery. I thought I would try to fix the remote before purchasing a new one. I proceeded to solder a piece in and the remote functioned (start and lock/unlock). Now that it's getting cooler I would like to use it. It's now acting really flaking and will crank the engine over but won't start. Lock/unlock still work but starting is hit/miss with more miss. Maybe the remote is the problem but I would think it would either work or not. I'll probably take it in to a local audio shop that installs them and see what they think. Thought I would ask on here first before paying someone to look at.

Thanks!

 

[Donald]

I am not sure where the problem is. When it does not start, if you keep trying can you get it to start remotely or do you give up and start it with a key?

Do you have a chip key?

Auto transmission?

 

[JimPghPA]

Over the years one of the things I noticed about our 2001 Impala with the remote start is that even though it runs well all the time and starts well manually, the remote start will or will not start depending on how clean the fuel system is.

If the fuel system is real clean it probably will start on the first try. And always by the third unless it is extremely cold, then it probably will start within the first 3, but if not probably on the next three. There is a time lock out for about five minutes if it fails to start three times. You can't even start it manually during that time lock out. It is an anti-theft idea of some kind.

Anyhow, if the fuel system is dirty, it will almost never start on the first try, and may not start on the second or third. The colder the temperature the harder it is to get it to start.

I used two cans of Sea-Foam in a full tank of gas to get it to come around to starting reliable the last time it was very hard to use the remote. The fuel filter probably was somewhat clogged, because the problem would come back and the Sea-Foam would work again, but each time the amount of time between requiring the Sea-Foam became shorter. I though that the Sea-Foam may have been opening up passages in the fuel filter some and they may be becoming clogged quicker each time. So I replaced the fuel filter, and it stayed good for a long time.

So a couple of things to try would be two cans of Sea-Foam in a full tank of gas, and run that till about 1/8 of a tank. Then try the remote start.

And it that does help, but it comes back in about 6 months or so, give it the Sea-Foam again and also change the fuel filter.

There were some miss fire codes that showed up during a couple of manual starts that suggested the fuel system. And the dealer suggested the Sea-Foam.

This is what worked for our 2001 Impala.

Good Luck.

 

[RiceCake]

If it has a transponder system it could be that.

IE: If you see "security" on the cluster lit up when it fails to start its possible its that. A lot of those systems will let the car start, then kill the engine. It might also just prevent the engine from starting. Your stock keys would have working transponders so the car doesn't feel like its being stolen.

Another possibility is that the command start has a blown fuse or a bad wire, meaning its not enabling the key-on position correctly.

A quick hack fix for everything is put your key in the ignition and try to command start it. Does it work? If it does its probably the transponder/security system.

If it still doesn't turn the key to the run position and then use the command start to start the car. Does it work now? Then its probably a bad fuse, wire, or relay in the command start module.

If it still doesn't start or run after that then I have no idea.

 

[JimPghPA]

One of the things to try is to use the remote start while you are in the vehicle and give the gas peddle a little gas while it cranks. If it fires up then think about cleaning the fuel system, and or the fuel filter.

 

[Donald]

Originally Posted By: RiceCake
If it has a transponder system it could be that.

IE: If you see "security" on the cluster lit up when it fails to start its possible its that. A lot of those systems will let the car start, then kill the engine. It might also just prevent the engine from starting. Your stock keys would have working transponders so the car doesn't feel like its being stolen.

Another possibility is that the command start has a blown fuse or a bad wire, meaning its not enabling the key-on position correctly.

A quick hack fix for everything is put your key in the ignition and try to command start it. Does it work? If it does its probably the transponder/security system.

If it still doesn't turn the key to the run position and then use the command start to start the car. Does it work now? Then its probably a bad fuse, wire, or relay in the command start module.

If it still doesn't start or run after that then I have no idea.


You do not need the key in the ignition. Just hold the key near the ignition switch and try the remote start. To test if its a chip key problem. Transponder = chip key.

 

[bepperb]

If it starts sometimes but not other times it might be in "tachless" mode. That was the situation on our Highlander, it would warm start fine but in the cold it was hit or miss. I was able to hook a wire to the tach lead to the OBD2 port and switch the remote starter to tach mode and it will crank until the engine is running.

 

[eljefino]

It's probably a bad relay in the remote start "box". Check for +12v on the coil wire (or ignition module equivalent) when it is activated remotely.

On the starter I installed, my ignition switch has two hot wires for "on", one for essentials and one for stuff like the blower motor that mutes when cranking. It was weird seeing the car start up without any/many dash lights come on.

Also the brake pedal is a part of use and programming. If you hit the brake before putting the key in and turning it on in your already running car, it should stall as an anti theft thing.

 

[gonefishing]

Thanks for the information everyone. I should have mentioned that the car starts juts fine with the key.

When I try to remote start, it will crank for about 5 seconds then give up. I can immediately get in the car and it will start up with the key like normal.

I just tried starting the car and go figure...it started. When I first repaired the remote and got it to start the car, it was summer and warm. After that I didn't even carry the AstroStart remote with me since I didn't plan on using it. The first time I had a problem with it was when it started to cool off. I don't know if the cooler weather would be the problem or not. I'll see what it does tomorrow morning.

 

[eljefino]

Find a pdf of the installation instructions. It seems like it might have been installed with the optional lack of RPM input: it just senses via the voltage drop and rise that the car actually started.

You've got to find the brain box, probably under the dash, and see what wires are capped off.

 

[MONKEYMAN]

I had a flaky remote start that did not want to respond when weather was wet. Checked the fuses on harness from professional install. One was partially blown. New fuse solved the problem.

 

[Vikas]

Logically there are few things which a remote starter does

1) It turns on the ignition
2) It verifies that the car is in P/N via safety switch signal
2.5) The car's ECM needs to know that security system's requirements have been met. The remote starter has to to satisfy this via some gizmo. If it is balky, you would have *exactly* the symptoms that you are having.
3) It starts cranking until -- It thinks the car has started. There are different ways of ascertaining that the engine is running. It could be via tachometer i.e. rpm signal or via increased alternator voltage
4) Once the engine starts running, it starts the timer.
5) It monitors brake light switch and if the brake is pressed, it cuts off ignition.

Usually in a car there are multiple ignition wires coming from the ignition switch. In most cases there are at least two which needs to have +12V. For example, one might provide signal for the coil and the other might for the fuel pump etc. Now if remote was installed with one of them being flaky, your car will not have correct "ignition on" while using the remote. This will prevent the car from starting under remote control.

Bottom line:- Lack of RPM input does NOT prevent it from starting. It might keep the starter engaged even after the car starts though

 

[bepperb]

Originally Posted By: Vikas
.

Bottom line:- Lack of RPM input does NOT prevent it from starting. It might keep the starter engaged even after the car starts though


That is the opposite of my experience. Whenever my unit loses power I have to reprogram the module to accept my remotes and change it from tachless to tach operation or it will turn over all the time, start about 50% of the time. Perhaps we're talking different brands.