Car won't start using viper car starter if it's hotter than 85 degrees outside

[2talll]

My 99 Explorer Sport will not start using the Viper Remote car starter if it's hotter than 85 degrees outside- it just keeps trying to turn over with no luck before it eventually stops trying. I checked the gauges inside while trying to start it and the battery guage will go up a little at first and then nothing- none of the other guages move at all. When I use the key- it starts with no trouble at all.

Any ideas? You guys helped me fix the problem with the car starter not starting right when it was too cold outside, so I thought I'd come here first before going to Ford and the Viper installer.

Sorry if this is in the wrong section- the site has changed since the last time I've been on here and I wasn't sure where to put this. Fell free to move if necessary.

 

[ExplorerDMB]

Where did you get it installed? I would think Viper would have a lifetime warranty on it; atleast my autopage does.

-Drew

 

[Blee1099]

Do you have anything turned on when you attempt to start the truck like the AC? Maybe the load is too much..

I'm not a automobile accessory specialist but I did stay in at a Holiday Inn Express.

 

[2talll]

Yeah, it doea have a lifetime warranty. The reason I came here asking was because last time I had a problem with the car not starting using the remote starter (when it was too cold outside) and someone told me to go to Viper to get it replaced someone on this site told me about a Ford re-call that fixed the problem. It was a Ford problem not a Viper problem- I'm trying to see if anyone knows of any simple solutions for this problem before I go to Ford or Viper.

 

[2talll]

Blee,
It wasn't running when I tried to start it (just the stereo)- but wouldn't that defeat the purpose of having thr car starter to cool off the car if it couldn't handle the AC being on. It has no problem running the stereo and the heat in the winter.

 

[2000black&gold]

2talll, what's up buddy. i have the viper as well. as you said, it has the lifetime warranty. well, i had the same problem you had... mine would not start in cold weather. so far, it's done fine during warm weather. i ended up taking it back to the viper dealer and they made it so that it tries to start it for like half a second longer before giving up. after they did that, it starts fine. by the way, what was the recall you were talking about? i might have to look into that.

anyway, i don't know how your remote start is, but mine will start the car 90 to 95% of the time. the rest of the time it does it on the second try. like i said, before i had it fixed back during the winter, it would try three times and not get it. it's weird. hope this helps!

 

[Blee1099]

Could there be an issue with it not getting enough fuel? Sometimes it takes a good second or two of the fuel pump to prime to kick the motor over.

 

[2talll]

Off-hand I can't remember the recall- I found it by doing a few searched on cold start problems, so you can probably find it there. It was something about seals leaking.

Anyway, I went today to the Viper dealer to have him look at it. Of course it started fine when I was there although it wouldn't yesterday or at all today- he said it was probably because it did cool off by the time he looked at it and he did have me park it in front of his garage which was in the shade. From my description and the fact that the anti-theft light on my dash blinks while it's trying to start he said it's most likely the starter not ready the anti-theft chip correctly. Only problem- he needs the car for an entire day to move the chip around in the morning before it gets too hot and then to let it sit all day in the sum to see if it works OR I can spend the $50+ for a Ford Key to get a stock chip put in rather than the programmed "generic one" that is in it now.

Your comment on having it try to start an extra half second is interesting- how long does it try before it stops? Mine goes for about 20-30 seconds and then I have to hit the buttons again to stop it. I'm afraid to let it keep running.

 

[2talll]

Blee, thanks but I can almost gaurantee that isn't if even if it isn't the chip thing. It'll try for 20-30 seconds like I said before and my brother also just put in a new fuel pump and all that stuff for the cold start problem thinking that might be causing it.

 

[2000black&gold]

As far as making it turn over for a little longer... the Viper dealer can do it. As I'm sure you're aware, on the Viper alarm from the factory it comes set to try and crank the car for a certain amount of time. If that doesn't work, it will wait for a little while, then try again. From the factory mine would try three times and then quit. I'd have to push the button on the remote to make it start again. Back in the winter when I took it to the Viper dealer, he changed all of that. He made it so that it would try and crank it for a longer period, and so that it would not wait as long between cranks. So now, if it doesn't crank it the first time (which is rare), it will almost immediately try again. So I don't know... your problem is unique. Even if it's not allowing it enough time on the cranks to actually turn the engine over, I would think the second time that it most certainly would. Like I said, now, if for some reason mine doesn't start the first time, it definitely will the second. That wasn't the case before I had the settings changed.

As far as the $50 bypass module you were talking about... when I had mine installed, I HAD to install a $40 bypass module in order for the remote start to work. I got it from the Viper dealer at the time of install. Not sure if that's what you're talking about or not. It allows the alarm to get past the Ford factory alarm and the coded key and crank it anyway.

 

[2talll]

My problem is it doesn't get to the second try to turn the engine over- it just keeps going and going. I had the problem in the winter and it would stop and the re-try, but it doesn't stop until I hit the buttons to stop it. I don't know. Guess I'll wait until it gets hot again and just leave the car with him for a day.

As for the bypass, two of the places I went to looking for the starter said I needed to pay for the extra key to put in for the bypass- they were already more expensive the dealer I ended up going to (he's also much more reliable and well-known in the area doing work for rappers, etc in the CT/NY area). He does it by getting a regular computer chip and copying in the info from the key onto the chip to "simulate" it so the bypass thinks the key is in. He said it might be too far away and not "strong enough" where it is so he wants to try moving it around and playing with it. Only problem is after it stopped being 90+ on Tuesday it's been struggling to get into the 70's so I have to wait for it to get hot again.

 

[2000black&gold]

If I'm understanding what you're saying, it continually tries to crank it until you tell it to stop? It never stops unless you tell it too? If so, it definitely shouldn't be doing that. I would definitely let him have a look at it!