1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Remote Start on Prius Prime

Discussion in 'Prime Accessories and Modifications' started by HappyJuice8000, Jan 6, 2017.

  1. HappyJuice8000

    HappyJuice8000 Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jan 1, 2017
    6
    4
    0
    Location:
    New Jersey
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Premium
    I recently purchased a Prius Prime Premium. To get me to sign on the dotted line, the dealership offered to install a remote starter for free. I live in the frosty cold Northeast, so I could see using it every once in a blue moon during subzero, icy conditions. Since it will be a free accessory, should I get it installed? Are there any downsides?
     
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    107,571
    48,861
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    will you not be plugging in and pre heating?
     
    Inspectorman likes this.
  3. MNdriver

    MNdriver Senior Member

    Joined:
    Dec 7, 2016
    549
    577
    0
    Location:
    Minnesota
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Advanced
    The dealer bribed you to buy a Prime?

    I'm living in the wrong state.
     
  4. HappyJuice8000

    HappyJuice8000 Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jan 1, 2017
    6
    4
    0
    Location:
    New Jersey
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Premium
    I will be plugging in.

    There is a "Remote AC" feature on the key fob. Does this activate just AC, or this is a misnomer? The car manual says is "when the outside heat exchanger becomes frosted over, heating performance may decline due to automatically switching to the frost removal operation."

    I tried it, and nothing shows up on the dash. But I can hear the car make clicking and whirrrrring noises. The interior doesn't feel much warmer, but it's 15 degrees and windy outside.

    Does this "Remote AC" feature make a remote starter redundant for pre-heating the Prius Prime Premium (not Advanced)?
     
  5. bhtooefr

    bhtooefr Senior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 4, 2016
    1,396
    1,489
    0
    Location:
    Newark, OH, USA
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    Remote AC will precondition the vehicle to the climate control setpoint, so yes. (The caveat being if the vehicle is extremely cold, it may be too cold for the heat pump to work, and remote AC will not start the ICE to heat the vehicle. If that's the case, remote AC won't work.)

    Here's the manual's documentation on it: http://www.toyota.com/t3Portal/document/om-s/OM47A88U/pdf/OM47A88U.pdf#page=509
     
    sfblue, Zec and bisco like this.
  6. HappyJuice8000

    HappyJuice8000 Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jan 1, 2017
    6
    4
    0
    Location:
    New Jersey
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Premium
    Thanks for the clarification! So the whirrrring sound that I hear under the hood is just the heat pump?
     
  7. bhtooefr

    bhtooefr Senior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 4, 2016
    1,396
    1,489
    0
    Location:
    Newark, OH, USA
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    Most likely, yes.
     
  8. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    107,571
    48,861
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    sounds right. people have had remote starter issues here, but i don't know if they are oem. i think you need a separate fob, but if it's just from your house in the morning, no big deal. i don't have personal experience.
     
  9. sakozar

    sakozar Junior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 16, 2008
    9
    15
    0
    Location:
    Grand Rapids, Minnesota
    Vehicle:
    2023 Prius Prime
    Model:
    XSE
    I just got the only one in the state!
     
    Inspectorman and Prius from Dad like this.
  10. Prius from Dad

    Prius from Dad Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 5, 2012
    724
    1,115
    0
    Location:
    Toms River, NJ USA
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Premium
    Congrats, don't forget to change your vehicle in your details. :)
     
  11. MNdriver

    MNdriver Senior Member

    Joined:
    Dec 7, 2016
    549
    577
    0
    Location:
    Minnesota
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Advanced
    Congrats, sakozar! Although it's not the ONLY one in the state. I've seen John's in person.

    Mine is about 2 weeks away now. What color is yours and do you ever come down to the cities?
     
  12. sakozar

    sakozar Junior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 16, 2008
    9
    15
    0
    Location:
    Grand Rapids, Minnesota
    Vehicle:
    2023 Prius Prime
    Model:
    XSE
    Thanks for the reminder!
     
  13. sakozar

    sakozar Junior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 16, 2008
    9
    15
    0
    Location:
    Grand Rapids, Minnesota
    Vehicle:
    2023 Prius Prime
    Model:
    XSE
    Yes, I get down to the cities a couple of times per year. I have the gray metallic premium and I just got a red advanced. Sorry I didn't answer you sooner, I haven't been on chat for a while.
     

    Attached Files:

    MNdriver and priuscatprimeguy like this.
  14. MNdriver

    MNdriver Senior Member

    Joined:
    Dec 7, 2016
    549
    577
    0
    Location:
    Minnesota
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Advanced
    Another Minnesota 2 Prime family! And I have yet to see one in the wild.
     
  15. PriusAdmirer

    PriusAdmirer New Member

    Joined:
    Nov 8, 2017
    8
    4
    0
    Location:
    11426
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Premium
    I was reading through your post recently, and noticed that you have both the gray and the red prime's. I am deciding between the two colors and wondered if you have any comments?
     
  16. hollyrik

    hollyrik Junior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 20, 2007
    7
    4
    0
    Location:
    Bellevue WA
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Plug-in Advanced
    It took me a while reading through the Owners Manual to figure out that "Air Conditioning" means both cooling and heating in Toyota-speak.
     
    bisco, pilotgrrl and priuscatprimeguy like this.
  17. JamesBurke

    JamesBurke Senior Member

    Joined:
    May 19, 2009
    1,222
    493
    27
    Location:
    Morgantown, WV
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    Toyota means HVAC. Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning.
    (Humor) The not included "R" for refrigeration-freezer accessory you supply locally and is only available in selected regions.
     
    pilotgrrl likes this.
  18. pilotgrrl

    pilotgrrl Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 23, 2017
    891
    1,796
    0
    Location:
    Chicagoan in TX
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    It's a Japanese thing and should be translated a little better for non-Japanese speakers.

    エアコン (eacon) = air conditioning is more specific than クーラ (ku-ra) = cooler, which is what most people in the US would call an air conditioner.

    エアコン is typically a wall-mounted unit used to cool a room in summer and heat a room when it's cold outside. In the Kansai area (western Japan, Nara-Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe), the summers are very hot and humid, but winners are relatively mild and it doesn't snow. Almost all heating/cooling is done in a room by room basis since power is really expensive.

    Toyota City is not far away, it's in Aichi Prefecture, just outside of Nagoya.

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
    MMBH and Insighter like this.
  19. Suds

    Suds Member

    Joined:
    Feb 27, 2018
    30
    30
    0
    Location:
    Wichita
    Vehicle:
    2021 Prius Prime
    Model:
    XLE
    The above owners manual applies to a Prime.

    The owners manual for my 2012 Prius Plug-in Advanced does not have these instructions. But does operate the AC no Heat pump that I can see.

    "Before leaving the vehicle Check the temperature setting of the air conditioning system. The Remote Air Conditioning System will operate in accordance with the temperature settings of the air conditioning system."

    https://www.toyota.com/t3Portal/document/om-s/OM47818U/pdf/OM47818U.pdf
     
  20. Flagmaster

    Flagmaster Junior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 26, 2014
    70
    12
    0
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    Model:
    I
    The built-in factory remote start that comes with the prime will start your car in HVAC mode. It has a very good advantage if you do this while plugged in at a public of work charger, as it will heat/cool your cabin on that plug work, and won't touch a much more then a tiny drop of your changed EV battery power.

    The factory key fob has a limited range, so it is not great for trying to remote start your car from your office. Its also only a 1-way remote, meaning you will have no idea if you were in range or not. Or if the car successfully started or not.

    Getting a 3rd party remote start solves both these issues, but brings its own list of side-effects. The worse being that if your car is plugged in and you try to start it with the long-range remote, it will likely report a successful start, BUT you'll get to your plugged-in car only discover that remote start did not activate the HVAC mode, or the engine, or the heat pump, or the EV battery and only served to drain your 12volt battery for no good reason. If you are not plugged in, however, it will work fantastic and some even offer up to 3 miles of RF fob range. You can even go so far as to add on the cell phone extension, allowing you to remote start your car with your smartphone from anyplace so long as you and the car both have a cell signal. One big pisser tho, when you go out to your nice warm or cool remote started car, it will turn off when you open the door. Letting out your heat/cool with the door open and the car off kinda moots the point a bit. Plus you have to carry both your factory smart key fob and the 3rd party one at the same time.

    Someone should invent a solution for all this nonsense, shouldn't they? Well, it's a good thing I did!

    https://youtu.be/C0Y_tmcuLzI
     
    Jessica L Barman likes this.