Originally Posted by jmerrow

Ford has a "factory" remote start kit out for the '07 MMH. Does anybody know if this is a prewired plugin module or if this requires the dash wiring to be hacked up.

The reason I ask is that I have had mixed luck with remote starts. A long time ago I made and installed my own remote starter in my new '91 Geo Metro and it worked fine but it was a homemade amateur job. When I moved up to a '88 Mercedes I didn't trust my cobbled together electronic project packaged in a tupperware bowl so I paid $800 for a "professional" top of the line Clifford remote start installation. My Mercedes thanked me by setting itself on fire a month later!

So, I was sour on remote start for over a decade. But hey the systems are cheaper and better than ever before. So I had one installed in my wife's '03 Dodge Grand Caravan. Within a week her computer went out and it just died in traffic. Luckily the Dodge warranty covered the computer but I know it had to be because of the remote start.

With this Hybrid, it could only be a signal level (99% chance active low) coming from the key switch with no real amperage involved. There still could be major amperage involved in turning on the ACCessory circuits. And, I still don't like the idea of hacking the key switch cables or even worse letting someone else hack the key switch cables.

Anybody know if this is just a receiver that talks to the computer and lets it do the work, or maybe just a plug in module? Or does it involve some serious dashboard hackin'?

Any thoughts on this???

Jeff