If you own a brand new Honda, chances are that you’ve been told about this cool new feature known as ‘remote start’.
It’s not exactly something new, and its implementation is more of a novelty over anything, but it has been a staple for any luxury cars out there back then, and it’s only until now that it’s being trickled down into more civilian models as standard. Your car is a valuable asset which is why you should consider protecting it.
What it is, in essence, as the name suggests: remote start. It allows an individual with the appropriate key to start the vehicle from a distance just by using the key.
As you might reckon, it’s a feature that is designed for comfort, and further primes the car for the driver before the driver even gets in the car.
Remote Start Honda
With that said, how do you actually use this feature that’s built-into your new Honda? As you might expect, it’s really rather simple and straightforward, with only two steps to it.
- Press the lock button on the key fob.
- Within 5 seconds press and hold the remote start button on the fob.
Give it a few moments, and your Honda Accord remote start system should get the car started promptly. Understandably, this may be hard to recognise from a distance, which is why the signal indicators will flash 6 times as further reaffirmation.
There are also some useful features regarding Honda’s remote start. If the car is starting via remote start and is left running, it’ll shut off automatically after 10 minutes.
Hence, if you wish to continue operation, just repeat the remote start procedure again: lock the car, then press and hold the remote start button.
If you wish to kill off the engine after remote starting, simply press the remote start button once and it’ll stall out. The signal indicators will flash once more as a confirmation too.
To drive the car, enter the vehicle as usual with the keyless entry, and push the push start button while depressing the brake pedal, just like how you’d start the car normally from behind the steering wheel.
Have no need to worry as well, since security isn’t compromised during the procedure.
If one without the key attempts to break into the car while it’s remote started, the car will immediately stall and remains locked. Imagine that it’s basically a parked, locked vehicle that just happens to have its engine running.
On the surface, such a feature might seem rather superfluous, but there are definitely situations where you’ll appreciate Honda’s remote start.
How To Remote Start Honda Civic
Technically, the same guides apply to a Civic, Accord, CR-V, or any other compatible Honda. This video guide here would be pretty handy to show you how to use Honda’s remote start function:
Advantages Of Honda Remote Start
One of its most obvious advantages is the ability for the car to prepare for any passengers. This is especially useful when winter comes, or if the weather is cold out, as it not only pre-warms the engine to operating temperature, but it can also preemptively adjust the onboard climate control to warm or cool the interior for the passengers.
Of course, ensuring passenger comfort is important in uncomfortable climates, but pre-warming your engine up to operating temperature is important for engine longevity.
It’s particularly important for diesel engines which fundamentally requires heat to function accordingly, but internal combustion engines in general benefit when it comes to driving with warmed up oil.
Certainly, car owners of cold climates would also appreciate Honda’s remote start, as it is quite a pain when it comes to defrosting your car. Just remote start your Honda Accord, Civic, or CR-V and continue to sip on your coffee from the comfort of your own home and the car will defrost on its own. This is perfect for wintertime.
Verdict
Honda remote start is quite the innovation to become increasingly commonplace in the automotive world, and it’s quite impressive to think that even Honda is beginning to incorporate remote starting as a standard feature on higher trim levels.
FAQs
If you’re still puzzled by the Honda Remote Start feature in your car, our FAQs here might have some answers…
How Does Remote Start Work
From your perspective, remote start functionality is pretty simple… You press and hold a button on your remote or key fob (or even a smartphone these days). And in a moment, your car will crank the ignition and startup remotely, without you needing to get inside. While its operation is straightforward, the tech inside of it is anything but. There needs to be all the right wiring going through the many components that allow you to operate the ignition. These include a bypass module, a control module, and a transmitter. These work in conjunction to mimic you pressing a button on the key fob as if you’re starting your car up the old-fashioned way, with a key. This sequence of events bypasses the need for a key to be physically inserted and twisted.
How To Use Remote Start
While the tech within might seem complex, using it is pretty simple. To use the remote start function on your car (in particular, a Honda), you’ll need to be within a set distance from your car. With Hondas, this distance is around 100 unobstructed feet, allowing your key fob to communicate with a transmitter in your car. Then, find the remote start button on your key fob, which in a Honda, appears as a near-complete circle. In this instance, you’ll first have to press the door lock button a few times until you hear a beep. After that, simply press and hold the remote start button for a few seconds. On a Honda, your car’s lights will flash as an indication that you’ve remotely started your car. Inside, the bypass module and control module will mimic the actions of inserting and twisting a key to (remotely) start up your engine.
What Is HondaLink
If you own a newer Honda model (from 2013 and up), you would most likely have access to something called HondaLink. This is a unique smartphone-based connectivity service that you can use to interconnect with your Honda car. All you need to do is download the app, and make sure that you have a HondaLink subscription active. Depending on how high or low you are on the subscription tier, you might have access to different services. For example, HondaLink allows you to remotely start up your Honda, or lock and unlock the doors from your phone. You could even activate the AC to pre-condition the interior. Higher-tier packages offer you extra features like getting notified if your car is being stolen, or even tracking its location from the app.
How To Program Honda Key To Start Car
If you bought a replacement key fob from a third-party (i.e. not a dealer), you’ll have to program it first before you could use it. To do so, you’ll first need to have the original Honda-issued key with you. Start by inserting the old key into the ignition and twisting it into the second position. Now, press the lock button on the old key. Once you’ve done that, immediately switch off the car. Next, turn the car back on (to the second position) and press the lock button. Once again, press the lock button and turn your car off immediately thereafter. You’ll have to repeat this step four times. On the fourth attempt, however, press the lock button twice on the old key fob. Then, press the lock button on the new key fob. Turn the engine off once more, and this should authenticate the new key.
How Much Is A Remote Car Starter
For most new cars, a remote starter is often included. Not usually by default, but at least as an optional extra. For owners of older cars, you too could have one installed onto your car. The downside is that it won’t come cheap, but it’s still somewhat attainable. Searching online, you can find remote starter kits on Amazon selling for $100, or at times, as little as $50. Although, do bear in mind that this is only the cost of the kit itself. It doesn’t include the cost of installing it, nor does it come with any warranty. Although you can technically install a remote started yourself, it’s a complicated process that’s best done by professionals. Take this into account, and installing a remote starter (both the kit and a professional installation) could cost you between $100 to $500.
