I am in the process of buying a 2008 FEH. As my name suggests, it is very cold here (currently a wind chill of -5). I am a huge fan of remote starters, I swore I would never own a car without one living in the tundra. My problem is no one, not even the dealer, can tell me if or when I can have a remote starter installed! After market dealers will not touch it..... The dealer called around to try and get an answer from FORD and honestly said he has no answers!

I almost cancelled the deal. However, I am going to take a chance and hope someone can help me out! I found a new 08 FEH on a lot that had exactly what i wanted in options.....from what i've been reading here, that is not an easy feat due to the shortage......

I currently drive a Scion XB, love it. I wanted something a bit bigger that would not sacrifice gas. Everthing I have heard about the FEH is positive....So now there's just one thing, my little pet peave. I hate the cold!

 

Where do you live? I can probably find you an aftermarket dealer in your area. Get me a zip code and I'll dig around, I'll also ask around for what the issues are with RS on an 08'.

 

My local audio dealer installs many remote starters and asked if I wanted one last November when I had my Kenwood KNX7100 installed.

Do you have heated seats? If not, this can be installed by the dealer (Ford OEM) or aftermarket.

Frozen Tundra? Must be another Wisconsin resident. Welcome aboard.

 

Kim- I'm not saying it can't be done.

I am saying it SHOULD NOT be done.

#1 A remote starter is very counter-culture in regards to hybrid ownership. Remote starters waste gas.

#2 The Ford Escape gets warm air to the air vents in 30 seconds after starting, there is no real big advantage to the remote starter.

#3 For great results, even warmer air, even faster, and to save gas in the process ( about 30-50 cents of gas per day ) get a plug-in engine block heater.

Good Luck,
-John

 

Here is another thread where there is at least 1 that has actually had one installed in their 08:
https://www.greenhybrid.com/discuss/...starter-16225/

Enjoy when you get your FEH when it finally arrives! (but you may not need the remote starter until next winter )

 

I absolutely agree with John all the way.

Please don't do it!!!

Anyway you look at it, It is very a bad thing to warm-up idle for the following reasons (some of which John mentioned).
- It damages your vehicle. Emission control systems (O2 sensor, cats, exhaust, etc) among others, all suffer.
- The rest of the vehicle needs to warm up too but that wont happen unless you are moving.
- it wastes gas
- it wastes money
- it kills your fuel economy
- It pollutes
- It sets a bad and wasteful example (something like consumerist loitering)

Instead, consider installing and using a block heater. Grille blocking is also effective.

Whatever cold you are talking about does not justify the decision to idle your vehicle for warm-up purposes only. I and many others know what cold is too.


Please don't do it.

Cheers;

MSantos

 

... and will be offered as an option on the '09.

 

Wow! thank you for all the input!

I picked it up yesterday! LOVE it. My 11 year old son "Mom, this is the best car ever, and the butt warmer rocks!"

Ok, I have the heated seats, I think I have the block heater. It will be kept in a garage. so maybe I do not need the remote start.

This AM I had my first snowy commute, the 2WD handled fine. I felt a bit more secure than I did my Scion xb. When I leave work today, the car will be running, idling, while I scrape the ice off the windows. The defroster helps to get the ice off. Normally I would be watching it melt from inside, give it 5 minutes, then turn of the wipers and go. So isn't it a horse apiece? standing inside while the defroster does it's magic, or standing outside, while the defroster does it's magic? Either way, ice is ice. Or am I missing something?

Also, I am 5 feet tall, so to tell the truth, there is not way I can even reach the middle of the windshield to scrape off ice without the help of the defroster!

It has been snowing all AM, the ride home should be interesting!

Kim

 

The only comment I have is most of the time ice/frost forms in the night and early A.M. hours.... the time you will be in the garage.

Frost rarely forms in the afternoon hours. Even if it is very, very cold, it is not the time of day you see highest dewpoint.

So I think with a few exceptions per year, you will be fine.
I'm okay with you running the heat standing still 5 times a year.
-John ( spoken from a guy who wears coat, hat, and gloves inside his car to save fuel by leaving the heater off )

 

Congrats on your new FEH!

I live in CA now, but drove my '08 FEH from the Bay area of CA to Chicago and back (yes, long ride). This was through snow and frigid cold. Never once did I have a problem with start-up or felt the need to let the car "warm up". In frigid cold Wyoming, the seat warmers felt fantastic. In the snow, I was glad to have the 4WD (especially as I drove through the mountains as it was snowing - in fact, if I didn't have 4WD, either I needed chains or I wouldn't have been able to pass).

Now that I'm back in CA, I finally got my FEH up to 30 mpg (!) with a combination of highway and city driving! And this isn't even doing all the tricks (like over-inflating my tires). It's just better driving. My biggest problem is that I have a lot of short drives, which sadly does tap the gas (as the vehicle has to warm up at each start). When I do mostly short trips (2-3 miles, stop for a prolonged period, and another 2-3 miles), I still get about 26.5 mpg. Once I do a few tricks, I should get better mileage.

My point is that I saw no need for the remote starter. So you should be great without it. And having a 4WD SUV get 30 mpg is very exciting!