BMW 2008  X-5    6 cylinder......Taking CHEMO...need to start car remote to 'warm etc....Dealer no have....local avail tells me that this model/year is very difficult to install and very "tricky" unit hard to get and new changes taking place...would be available in three weeks???!!!.....asked about price? Estimate excess of  $900.00..is this guy jerking me around or a pushy"sales-person"  told him it was more than I expected...he then related horror tales of dealing with other seller/installers   HELP any advise...    (harryneum@aol.com)

 

 

Have you looked at other prices or just the price a this one "local"? This sort of work is typically very specialized and it does sound like a custom job, expect prices and installer "talent" to vary widely.

Screwing up the wiring or ECM of a '08 X5 would be really unfortunate and could be extremely costly to repair. As a consequence, part of what you'll be paying for is the assurance that the job will be done right the first time.

If anything, the $900 sounds very reasonable, IF the installer has a reputation for excellent work.

Edited: My comments reflect my general impressions of aftermarket services and are not an endorsement of this modification. If your X5 has a remote key (as suggested in this Bimmerfest thread http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=189467), this project would be of high complexity and could potentially undermine important security systems in your car. I consider this modification undesirable from the standpoint of complexity.

Do yourself and your car a BIG favor. Forget it! Idling an engine to "warm?" it is the WORST thing you can do. It causes washdown of cylinder walls, oil contamination with moisture, on and on. The FASTEST way to warm ANY car is start it, idle perhaps 30 seconds, drive slowly not too hard of acceleration and than drive normal after a few minutes.

And yes if I could count how many and how much damage I've seen from this practice and the garbage aftermarket stuff well.........

I'm guessing you want to warm up the car to avoid those first few minutes of biting cold before the heater is active. I'm also guessing that your chemo effects inhibit you from going out to start the car, and coming back in. ( putting aside the fact for a moment that leaving a car running unattended is never a good idea)

Before getting as exotic as a remote starter, have you considered a heated seat? It's kind of seat-shaped pad and you can get them from places like Sharper Image; they just plug into the lighter.

I have to agree with Larry, you could do more damage than good with an after market remote starter. My father recieved a professionally installed remote started as a gift several years ago. It worked fine at first but all of a sudden the car would shut off after a few minutes of running. Other times it wouldnt start at  all. I believe a heated seat would be better.