I believe in order to have this work with the key fob you first have to set up Connected Services on your phone. After the one year trial period you can decide not to sign up for the paid subscription ($80/yr) in which case you'll no longer be able to access/start your Highlander by phone but the key fob can still be used to remote start for an addition 9 years for free.

 

No true.

One of the dealerships showed off which of the new Toyota's months ago had the auto start feature and they didn't have the app installed for each of the vehicles.Then went on to say the difference between the vehicles that it did work on and didn't was that ones it worked on had the premium packages which included the JBL sound system.

Thanks,

 

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Thomcat
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Discussion Starter • #3 • 33 m ago
It is not a remote connect through the subscription through the iphone/android phone app....works with the cell phone turned off. It is a direct signal from the fob to the ECU controlling the door and alarm units, and will only work within the range of the keyfob.

I don't use the app downloaded to my phone which proves it, unless you think that the keyfob has enough power to contact a cell tower and can magically login to the account. Might only work on the premium sound system/Nav vehicles. There are videos on Youtube posted by dealer reps that describe the hidden feature.....may only be available on the 20s. See time starting at 0.57 on attached video


Works on my 20 Highlander Limited and works on my 20 Rav4 xse worth a try doesn't cost anything.

 

The feature is not really "hidden", but it's certainly not well documented either. It's on most (maybe all?) models with Entune 3.0 and the capability for Remote Connect.

It's correct that the key fob technically has nothing to do with Remote Connect, and of course the key fob is sending the command to the car directly - you don't need a phone app in-between. However, Toyota has tied their remote start capability to the data communication module (DCM) in the car, which is part of the Remote Connect service feature. That's why the two ways of starting the car are related, and that's why then the remote start from the key fob will stop working in a few years if you're not subscribed to the Remote Connect service then.

Based on earlier posts, I was also under the impression that you had to set up the Remote Connect service trial in order to activate the remote start from the key fob. Maybe you only need to do that for the Audio Plus models. According to this PDF, all trim levels above L should be able to use Remote Connect and therefore remote start.

I found this PDF below on Toyota's site a few months ago that talks about it. Now it seems to have disappeared. They do mention the process for remote start from the fob in their FAQ section of the site, but it's certainly not obvious. The PDF says that the expiration is 3 years for Audio Plus systems and 10 years for Premium Audio systems without the Remote Connect subscription.

 

Why does (Toyota) play these stupid games! If I pay 35+G's for a car I should be able to remote start it with the Key FOB just like any other vehicle manufacturer who wouldn't nickel & dime me to death! It's a good way to lose brand loyalty!

 

Clearly Toyota wants you to throw your money at them after 3 or 10 years. lol
I will be OK, I have a Platinum which will be returned in 5 years or less.

Thanks,

 

Came across this poking around Toyota's Web site. Not easy to find at all... had to go to Connected Services, then a small button for Connected Services Support, then Remote Connect.

I believe "waived" means asking to explicitly turn off the Remote Connect so it doesn't collect any data. I think it's different than simply not activating the Remote Connect service.

 

And now the plot thickens... here's a newer version of that PDF I posted above. (December 2019 versus July 2019).

It says any vehicle made after 11/12/2018 does not require any initial activation for the key fob start to work.

https://www.toyota.com/content/connectedservices/marketing/PDF/Remote_Connect_CFA.pdf

I wish Toyota would figure this out!

What I've really been looking for is something that says whether 2020 Highlander LE and XLE with Audio Plus are in the "select" models to have a 10-year life instead of 3.

 

There's nothing to figure out. It is a built-in undocumented function in most newer models (20s?)and they don't want you to think it is free. Works with, but does not require, connected services and nothing to do with Etune app either. Toyota who has a vest interest in selling that crappy Connected Services just like GM pushes OnStar.

I tested the 3 click fob remote start on my Highlander before I bought it with no Etune app downloaded on the vehicle, no connected Services registration, and no cell phone. In fact the salesman claimed it was only on the Highlander and some selected models and not on the Rav4 Hybrid until I started it on on his parking lot using his key fob. Tricky at first because you have to get the 3 click cadence correct and he laughed until the gas engine kicked in on the second try.

Simple logic confirms it operates through the keyfob and not the Iphone/Etune app. Remote start with the cell phone, assuming you have the username & password stored so you eliminate time for and it takes up to 30 seconds for the signal relayed to Connected Services, validated, signal sent to vehicle WiFi and ECU remote starts vehicle same delay for door lock/unlock. Remote start, lock or unlock with the keyfob, 3 clicks and starts or works doors or alarm in under 5 seconds because the fob connects directly to the vehicle ECU without going through Connected Services.

Dealer salesman in the attached video demonstrates it on a new unsold vehicle at the dealership.........check out after 0:56 min

 

This is bull shit ,that the Highlander won't stay running 😤
Complete nonsense. If the damn car is locked at start-up. How can anyone get in ? But it shutdown for the owners really? WTF.

 

This is just regarding the remote start on new 2020 Toyota's...
Watch the sales person using the fob and not having to enabling the subscription feature.
Note what he says about the JBL speakers too.
Note that he says at the end dealerships can add the remote start if you don't have it.

 

Yes, it works from the key fob, and yes, technically you don't have to do anything with a phone app. The key fob does not communicate with a phone or an app - that's obvious. Just saying that it IS associated with Remote Connect probably for marketing reasons so Toyota can charge you for it someday. Inside the car it is using the same ECU as Remote Connect uses. That's the connection to Remote Connect.

It would be nice if Toyota would figure out how to communicate this feature more clearly and the parameters such as when it stops working without a subscription. It's not undocumented, just not broadcasted either.

 

I totally get that you need a subscription to use the app to auto start your Highlander, and I knew this when I read or watched the informational videos the dealership gave me when I purchased my Highlander. There just seems to be a lot of disconnect between using the Fob vs using the app. I guess Toyota is trying to get more people to use the app so that maybe one day they don't have provide the functions their Fob's offer without requiring the app. IDK just my guess.

Thanks,

 

Maybe you're right... Toyota may be trying to downplay the fob just to discontinue the feature. People have complained about the short range of the fob for years. You could have added Toyota OEM remote start through some plug and play components (no splicing or cutting) for years, such as with the 3rd Gen Highlander and many other models. However, it worked in conjunction with the keyless entry fob and was limited to that fob's range. I don't believe they sold many of those systems because the range is just too short for why many people buy remote start. After all, what good does it do to have to get within maybe 100 feet of the car in order to start it? That's OK if the car is in your driveway or parked in front of your house and you're in the house, but it often doesn't make much sense if you're at work and where you're parked isn't real close to your desk or even the building you're in. Aftermarket remote start systems have continued to be very popular as a result, for either longer range fobs or their support for cellular-based solutions. (Anything cellular means annual fee, of course.)

My car is garage-kept, so I don't have any use for remote start at home. At work, forget any kind of fob solution - the car is too far away. So I welcome the OEM cellular data-based remote start (Remote Connect), and I'll pay the annual fee.

Anyway, for now, 2020 Highlander offers both the fob and Remote Connect. The fob works, no problem. It's just that how long the fob works may be artificially limited to a certain number of years unless you start paying for Remote Connect down the road. And who knows - maybe that will change. When Entune first came out, that was intended to have free app updates for only three years, and then they actually envisioned people paying for it! Well, the Entune Apps are pretty useless in reality, and were mostly removed in Entune 3.0. When the first Entune systems were on the road for almost three years, Toyota changed course and decided Entune Apps would be free forever. Since remote start from the fob should have nothing to do with online services, maybe they'll have an easy software patch to extend its life.

 

Anyway, for now, 2020 Highlander offers both the fob and Remote Connect. The fob works, no problem. It's just that how long the fob works may be artificially limited to a certain number of years unless you start paying for Remote Connect

The keyfob remote start ability on models with upgraded systems does not work through remote connect or have a limited lifetime without a subscription service. How do I know? Because I tested the Highlander and Rav4 in the lot before I bought them and keyfob remote start both worked on both. Lack of a remote start would have been a deal breaker if the upscale models like their competitors' upscale vehicles unless the dealer installed it for free after the sale. And, I have not installed the remote connect software for either Toy and the keyfob remote start works on both vehicles.

SOS & Etune my a$$! At least for $5/month with GM's basic OnStar, the vehicle contains a built in cell phone with it's own phone number and 30 mins/mo. and I was able to leave my cell phone at home and still make calls.......not some crapo SOS system requiring you to use your own cell phone to make and receive calls. With built in GPS I don't need their map assistance, plus I don't want any "SOS" system to know where I am or have control over the ECU including the starter motor and ignition in my vehicles. Over 50 years driving and locked keys in the car exactly 0 times and can't lock the driver's door if the keyfob is accidentally left in the vehicle anyway.

SOS stinks, at least with with GM's OnStar your initial free startup registration information including the cell phone number assigned to the vehicle remains in the system even if you never paid a nickel to continue the free subscription. So in a pinch minus a cell phone you could hit the button and activate the account and use the vehicles built in cell phone or get emergency services at least for a month. ......so in an emergency the added convenience always having access to a in cell phone is worth it.

 

With doors already locked, three presses on the door lock button and hold on the third press....after a few seconds the front directions will flash and the engine starts. Range is a bit limited. Opening the door will turn off the engine.

I finally verified remote starting with the fob works.

And surprised me when it stopped running when I opened the door...UGH, my old car would keep running.....

How annoying that was.

Ditto the engine starting in auto stop putting the car in park.

Is it me or do others find this annoying (and eating away at the starter cycle count?)

 

Correct, the fob isn't sending any sort of signal that would go through the Remote Connect service, and you don't need to set up Remote Connect in order to use the remote start from the fob. However, the remote start function is part of the computer that's used for Remote Connect. That's how the fob functionality is associated with Remote Connect and can be controlled by Toyota long after the sale.

As shown in the pictures above, Toyota states that you'll have remote start from the fob for up to 10 years without a Remote Connect subscription. It's not perpetual, although 10 years from now a lot of things could change and Toyota may decide not to turn it off. At first the old Entune Apps were not going to be perpetual and require a subscription after three years. When that time rolled around, Toyota decided to forget about subscriptions for that and just let it go.

 

As shown in the pictures above, Toyota states that you'll have remote start from the fob for up to 10 years without a Remote Connect subscription. It's not perpetual, although 10 years from now a lot of things could change and Toyota may decide not to turn it off. At first the old Entune Apps were not going to be perpetual and require a subscription after three years. When that time rolled around, Toyota decided to forget about subscriptions for that and just let it go.

I talked to one of Toyota's Remote Connect service person to set up my remote connect. She said the Entune app is now incorporated into the Toyota app. With the service person on the phone, I had to hit the SOS button to make the Remote Connect through the Toyota app to work.

 

I don't understand. As others have stated... With my 2021 XLE I can remote start using the key fob, with or without Remote Connect. Remote Connect gives me the option to use the app to remote start.

Key fob remote start is a feature listed on my window sticker. It's not going away.

 

Mine worked fine up until the day I decided NOT to subscribe to the service.

 

Just picked up my 2020 HL LE and can confirm that Remote Start DOES NOT work with the LE trim line. Not even with the connected app installed. This after the service rep, prior to pulling out of the dealership here in Canada, told me to download the app and it would work. Simply cannot access the remote start part of the app, only the Safety Connect.

 

It was initially thought last year you had to have the JBL technology package to get the remote start option. Look in the first page of this thread I believe the dealership in the US mentions this in his video when checking which Toyota's have remote start.

 

REMOTE START FUNCTIONS THROUGH THE DCM. If you disable the DCM, no remote start via key fob. If you cancel your Toyota subscription, no more remote start through the key fob. The key fob does not “communicate directly to the cars cpu” as someone claimed above...

Its true no active subscription is required for remote start in the beginning, hence it working on the lot. HOWEVER, if you do get a subscription (or trial) once it is over and you don’t renew, the DCM will no longer allow remote start via key fob. If you choose to waive ever getting a subscription, no remote start via key fob. This is by design.

They are doing this on purpose to sell subscriptions. It is well documented on the Tacoma forum that key fob remote start ends when the subscription ends.

It has nothing to do with phones/apps or cell towers lol, it’s about greed. They are using the DCM as a kill switch to remove the key fob remote start.

 

hey Bud,
Prime G15 model (2 way) from Compustar pro series will work just fine for you as did for me (2020 Le Hybrid)
all install approx 500C$
Cheers!

 

I have 3 question for my 202 Highlander Limited (USA) w JBL package and 12" screen. Not a hybrid
1) It does remote start with the key fob, even after having the car for more than 1 year. BUT the engine stops as soon as you open a door. Is there any way to edit this in the Toyota settings or even getting into the ECU to fix this to stay running? My 2017 RAM 3500 starts and stays running, but it locks the doors, once they are opened with the key fob, you do have to press the start button and the brake pedal to move to regular run mode
2) Is there a way for the climate control setting to default to heat on and the seats to be in high heat mode too? Obviously for winter use only. Although for summer/desert use, it would be nice if the car would remote start and have the cooled seats and A/c on.
3) how long does the car stay running with remote start? has anyone tested that?

 

1) No. That's been asked and debated a lot. Toyota considers that a security feature.

2) It will go back to whatever the settings were when you turned off the car. One exception to that is S-FLOW. By default, if the car has been off for more than one hour, then the next time you start it (either normally or remotely) then it will only activate the main HVAC for the driver's area, and not the rear HVAC unless it detects that there are passengers (front seat weight sensor, or opening a rear door to theoretically let passengers in the back). This S-FLOW thing can be changed by the dealer or Carista so that it does not default to being on when the ignition is turned on.

3) 10 minutes.

 

One way to defeat the S-FLOW default is to put something that weighs a few pounds on the seat.

 

My L didn't come with remote start so I out this one in. Took about 20 minutes to install and only had to splice one wire. All the rest of the connections were t-harnesses. Well worth the $160.

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Stiil a brain dead option.

Engine still stops when you open the door.

They could do better!

 

That would only work for the front passenger seat, as that's the only seat with a sensor. And that still wouldn't turn on the rear HVAC system; it would only split the front system between driver and passenger. To get the rear HVAC to come on, you'd have to open a rear door or else turn off the S-FLOW with the button.

 

Well my 2020 Limited 2wd USA does display a check rear seat warning after stopping, when I have opened the back doors at the start of the trip. Not sure what it is checking other than a rear door was previously opened ? Or is there a rear seat sensor?

 

There are no sensors in the rear seats. It's going by whether or not you opened the back doors.

 

Yeah they've been that way for years. (Engine shutting off upon entering) My 2005 Avalon was the same way and NO I never liked it either! Even worse now, is my 2019 Avalon, they told me I cannot use the remote FOB start at all unless I subscribe. I heard they discontinued this practice in the late 2019 models but mine is an early 2019 and I'm stuck with NO remote FOB start at all on a $35K vehicle no less!

On a related question as to why the short FOB distance... I can see why they do this since the "push-button" start feature is HIGHLY prone to hacking by just cloning a the FOB signal with an inexpensive device, they probably think that this shortened distance would cut down on that cloning practice.

Even with all these shortcomings, I still think that Toyota makes the best, most reliable and long-lasting vehicles out there, at least until now with the change from V-8's to all this turbo-boosted crap!