Car starter for Toyota Prius?

Can you install a car starter for a 2007 Toyota Prius? With the cold weather coming up, I'd like to get one, but was not sure if it could be a problem with the battery.

Hi,

actually, it is not needed and will be costly for a couple reasons.

The 1st question is if you have a Smart Key for your Prius or the regular key unit you must put in the dash to start.

To install a remote starter in a car with a security / closeness key, you have to give one of those keys to be mounted inside the starter unit. This lets the vehicle's closeness sensors to let the car to start because it believes you're in and want it to start.

The smart key systems for the Prius and any car with a smart key system aren't an inexpensive unit. Expect to pay about $250.00 for an extra Smart Key just to have it hidden in your Prius inside the starter unit.

If you have the regular key, than you'll still have to give one up. So you'll most likely have to have a 3rd key made nevertheless and that will run about $125 or so.

So, figure in a decent remote starter for $250 300, a second key for $125 250 and you'll be at about $375 550 down.

Now, due to way this must be wired in, assume you'll be voiding your warranty. You may not alter the power delivery system of the Prius without voiding the warranty, and an electric starter could alter the electric drive. Read your owner's manual carefully and call Toyota direct if you have any questions on that regard. Ignore whatever a remote starter installer has to they will not pay for your Toyota warranty if something goes wrong.

The other big issue is who does the work? there aren't remote starter installers that have been trained and certified by Toyota to work on the Prius. there's really a specific training that Toyota mechanics have to go through to work on Prius and they become certified to do so. Call your local dealership and ask them how much is involved for these guys to get there. The local dealership in the next town has spent over $70,000 this year alone to have, keep, or improve the certifications of their team of techs.

Besides that, as other people pointed out, you have an insulated thermos container under the driver's side headlamp that will keep the coolant hot for up to three days. That, plus the auto temp that does not blow air on you till it warmed up, are two of the ways you'll have a faster warm up in the AM.

Finally, your Prius starts using the electric system, not the gas engine. it's much easier for an electric drive to start up than for a gas engine to turn over. Toyota tests all their vehicles from Mexico through Alaska to insure they'll start in all conditions. that is why you have a button to switch from English to French or Spanish and from miles to kilometers easily. They want it to be as simple as possible for people in Canada or Mexico to operate their Prius.

My advice is do not do it. it is not neccessary and you will save lots of money.

I teach about hybrids and advanced tech for Toyota.

You can have one installed. I favor not to have anything aftermarket added to a car although. I have many years experience with Field Engineering for Manufactureres .
Only because you're cutting, modifying the car electronics and surely will void your warranty on anything they cut into.
I also found most times, panels end up loose, or broken tabs, etc from taking things separately.

One of the things that a Prius has is a thermal tank to store the temperate water from the cooling system when you shut the car off. That little humming sound you hear just after you shut off the car is a pump moving the coolant into to the thermal tank. Not say it'll stay hot over night, but the car will warm up pretty quickly.

PS two reasons to purchase a Prius, you either want the gas mileage or you want to be "green". In either case warming the car up is counter those objectives. as well, the Prius uses a closeness key, I am not sure it'll start without the key inside the vehicle?

If you live in cold climates and want to "winterize" your Prius for better interior Combustion Engine mileage, you can:

1 block the grilles so the engine will warm up faster.

2 install an aftermarket electric block heater EBH .

These are non permanent mods covered in great depth at Prius forums like priuschat.compriuschat.com">priuschat.com .

A remote starter will not help the Prius warm up, because our Prii aren't intended to have the ICE running when you turn on the car, unless it needs to charge the HV battery.

Hope this helps.

As far as I can find out, Toyota doesn't offer remote start for the Prius, although our region do not know if it's nation large does offer it for Camry HV. I could not recommend any aftermarket system for use in a Prius. There are WAY too many things involved with starting one, particularly if you have a SmarKey system. And as was pointed out, you must defeat the Immobilizer system which nullifies having it on the car.

The thermos is intended to hold coolant at 180'F for three days. it's an emission device, but does help to increase the temp quickly. The interior will get warm sitting still, because with the heater set to high, the engine will run to warm up the coolant. But also, I know some Prius are equipped with PTC heaters in the heater core and channel work, so it starts to blow warm now. I'm not clear if that's for all packages or not, and toyota.com does not shed any light on that part. Blocking the grills won't help the car warm any faster, because one that could onlly restrict air flow across the radiator, and if it's sitting still with the radiator fan off, there's no air to restrict, and two the themostat in the engine keeps the coolant from circulating through the radiator till the engine reaches a set temperature, about 180'F. In cars, if blocking the radiator grill succeeds in raising heater temp, then there's a problem with the thermostat or coolant system.

So.warming it up will assist with the temp, but I could recommend you do it manually, not remotely.

Good Luck and God Bless.