Greetings to all,
I have just purchased a 2005 s40 t5 with an automatic transmission. I live in Alaska & do not have a garage. I took the car to a local autostart shop hoping to have one installed. They had the car for hours & came to the conclusion that they could not install one & that it was very unlikely that anyone could. Is this true? Does anyone have any idea of brands that may be adaptable? Is it even possible?
I bought this car for my wife & was hoping that she wouldn't have to go outside in the dead of winter to start it & let it warm up.
Please advise,
Many thanks for your time & consideration,
Scott
aka crmnal on many forums
PS. I initially tried the search feature but couldn't find any applicable information.

There are many different brands of good remote starts. Mostly they will break down into features that you would like on your car.

Question 1. What brand and model were they installing on your wife's car?

Question 2. What brand and model bypass module were they installing? This is the box that bypasses a factory immobilizer.

Question 3. What exactly was their excuse when you showed up and the car was not done? eg. " This car can not have a starter installed because of ...."

When installing remote starts it comes down to how good your installer is for these newer cars. Features that will be a deciding factor will be

1. range to start the car, 1.5 miles I believe is approximately the max capable range of some brands.

2. How the remotes look and feel, if you integrate keyless entry, trunk pop, factory alarm, domelight supervision for entry, women are big on this feature.

3. Timer box or temp sensor, exactly how the sound a timer box such as the DEI 556T will start your car when you program a certain time and date, it also acts as a temp sensor and starts it when the interior gets to a particular high or low or both.
Most remote starts have a timer mode though that will start the car every so often for colder climates.

4. Be sure to have the installer hook up your rear defrost to the unit, it is a nice feature to have.

So try to remember your installer's exact wording when you picked up the car. This will either come down to equipment error or installer error unless his reason is a very good one.

www.directedelectronics.com

DEI is the leading car secruity company with excellent support service etc.
I install these alarms and own them as well. great products. your car might require additional parts to interface properly. this increases price and difficulty in interfacing any alarm system. for instance, if your key has a chip in it, then you may need an extra key to be placed in the immobilizer bypass unit in order to remote start. the key alone will cost $??? and the bypass unit may be another 50$.

Just wanted to update any S40 owners on remote start options. I stopped by my local stereo shop and noticed a 2006 S40 in the bay. They had just installed a remote car starter. Since no one makes a bypass module for this vehicle your installer will have to make one with a programmed key. I give props to the installer who was very creative with his immobilizer setup. The setup retained all factory functionality, IMHO it would be extremely reliable and problem free. Being told by the dealer or shop it can't be done is nonsense.

I have a 2006 S60 and I just got remote start put in. Love the remote start, but it was a bit of a hassle. A key bypass is defninitely required. I was told initially that it wasn't because there isn't an obvious chip in my key, but it is programmed. The bypass will bump the regular price $75-$100. Also, the aftermarket shops may not be familiar with volvos so time estimates may not be accurate. My installation required a lot of extra time (2hrs turned into closer to 6hrs).

The bypass requires you to actually keep a key inside of the steering column so you are left with just one key. Getting a new programmed spare key from volvo will cost $150 when all is said and done, but the key itself is only $42. I would suggest just getting the key at $42 and skipping the $100 programming since the bypass serves the same function...you have to use the remote start, but isn't that the point in getting it? The extra work is worth it!

any good locksmith can program a key. Mine was done by a local locksmith. give your vin # and they can program one. the responses here are correct, with any good electronic shop they can retrofit these units. otherwise they wouldn't be made. it is just that the volvo dealerships want you to purchase one from them and only them.

I have an 06 S40 and I am told only dealers can program a key.. am I being told wrong by both the dealer and locksmiths?