General Motors has been offering a factory remote start option on select models for a few years now. Here in sunny Scottsdale, AZ, I have seen precious few of these systems pass through my installation bay. However, we are told that in colder climates many consumers have become irate at their dealership due to the paltry transmit/receive range of the factory remote start systems.
The Astroflex RI-GM-1 (www.astroflex.com) has been designed to interface with the factory GM remote start system and to extend the range to the tune of 1,500 feet! In order to test this product, I obtained a 2006 Chevrolet Malibu test car, kindly loaned to us by Bill Heard Chevrolet, and began by examining the contents of the Astroflex RI-GM-1 kit.
Inside the box I found a small control unit (little black box) along with the required wiring, a window-mount antenna, an installation manual and two remote controls. The manual indicates that the RI-GM-1 will exactly duplicate the functions of the GM system, and the wiring instructions clearly point the way towards the critical body control module that controls the OEM system. The Astroflex kit requires a grand total of three connections: power, ground and one serial data wire. The serial data wire connection in the 2006 Malibu required access to the right side of the center console, as indicated in the installation manual. I located the discreet window antenna at the top left corner of the front glass to avoid the black coating behind the rear-view mirror and the job was finished! I estimate about an average of 30 minutes is required to do this job neatly.
In order to begin testing, I simply confirmed that all of the factory remote functions were indeed working on both Astroflex remotes. Once assured that all was right with basic operation, I took the vehicle out on the road and tried the remote range from different angles and approaches. The RI-GM-1 worked flawlessly and we physically ran out of testing room at just about 1,100' with the system still working to perfection.
If the limited range of the GM factory remote start systems is causing you grief, it would appear that the Astroflex RI-GM-1 is a simple and reliable solution to extending the range while duplicating all factory remote functions. Installation is far from complex or invasive (although Astroflex strongly recommends that their products be installed by an authorized and factory-trained dealer) and the product's performance certainly stands up to the documented specifications. Although the Astroflex RI-GM-1 may not be sought after in droves here in the warm desert, I can imagine much greater success for this device in cold-climate areas.
Don Ciardullo is general manager of Soundwerks (www.soundwerks.com) in Scottsdale, AZ.