Vehicle: 2016 Forester 2.5i Premium, Standard Key, No Factory Alarm
This past weekend I installed remote start in my Forester and I was happy with how the install went and the results, so I thought I would make a post in case anyone else is interested in adding this feature. Shortly after buying the vehicle I did some searching around and found the OEM remote start kit and while it seemed like it would be the easiest install, I was turned off by the price. Other options I found were aftermarket alarm/remote start kits made by Viper and the like, but I didn't find any that had pre-made harnesses to make install easier. I gave up on my search.
Recently I installed remote start in another vehicle so I thought I would look again for the Forester. The price had come down a bit on the OEM kit (I recall finding it for around $200 on a sale but most places it is ~$300), but after reading about it some more I found the biggest complaint to be that the engine shuts off once you open the door after remote starting. Not a huge deal, but kind of annoying. Another thing is that the OEM kit has to be activated by the dealer. I wasn't sure how big of headache this would be and if they would even do it since I would be doing the install myself.
I almost gave up again but then ran across a lone post on here talking about the Fortin EVO-ONE. It is an all-in-one immobilizer, security system, and remote starter module. The best part is that a t-harness is available AND that I could continue to use my OEM key fobs. Sounded great, so I ordered everything I needed. Came out to around $180 which included the EVO-ONE kit ($100), the t-harness ($35) and the Flash Link Updater ($45) which is used to program the EVO-ONE. Kind of sucks you have to buy a separate programmer but for a complete kit under $200 I was happy. I also plan to install EVO-ONE in a family member's car so I can reuse the programmer for that as well. The EVO-ONE is a universal module and you simply flash your vehicle specific firmware to the EVO-ONE.
The install went smoothly but can definitely be intimidating to someone that is not experienced with vehicle wiring. Fortin does provide very good instructions on wire/pin locations and colors. The only interior panels I had to remove was the lower steering column cover to gain access to the ignition plug (for the t-harness) and the lower left dash panel that covers the fuse panel. You do have to drop the fuse panel to gain access to the BCM connectors/wiring where all your connections are made, but that wasn't a big deal. All in all, gaining access to the wiring was easy and straight forward.
The t-harness is worth every penny since it takes care of the bigger gauge wires at the ignition. The remaining wires are smaller gauge and easier to work with. There are a total of 7 wires that you need to access on the BCM wiring. You have to tap into 4 of the wires and bypass the other 3 (i.e. cut the wire and splice into each cut end). So a total of 10 connections. I decided to solder all my connections because I wanted the extra confidence that the connections were good compared to using a t-taps. I shrink wrapped the spliced connections and taped the tapped connections. There is also a ground connection that needs to be made, but luckily there is a nearby ground bolt on the kick panel and the supplied ring terminal fit. Later, after ensuring everything was working correctly, I taped back up the BCM harness and everything looked nice and clean.
Before starting on the vehicle I flashed the EVO-ONE module with the correct firmware. Then, after making all the wire connections you have to follow the instructions to program the immobilizer. This involves using the programming button the EVO-ONE and connecting the wires in a certain sequence, followed by starting the car. Then, you have to connect the EVO-ONE back to the computer for the software essentially generate a digital key. After that you're all set. The entire process went smoothly for me.
I should also note that while you have the EVO-ONE unit hooked to the computer, you can go through various options within the software to turn functions on/off. This can be daunting if you want to understand what every option does, but Fortin has good documentation. For only doing remote start I only needed to mess with a few options. The rest apply more to the security system.
After programming the EVO-ONE and setting my options, I was able to test it out. The one downside is that you can't program the EVO-ONE with the computer while it is connected to the vehicle. I had to remove it a few times and go back to the computer to get my options correct before I got it working, so I did this all before I organized all my wiring and mounted the module. But, it didn't take long before I had the remote start working correctly. Simply press the LOCK on the OEM fob 3 times in a row and she starts right up. Unlock, open the door (vehicle remains running), insert the key and turn to start and you're ready to go. If you kit the brake pedal before inserting the key the engine shuts off.
I took my time with the install and probably spent 4-5 hours making all the connections and messing around with the programming, then another hour or so to tie up the wires and put the car back together. If I did it all over again it would probably take half the time or less. Even though the instructions are great I was still overly cautious about making the correct connections...last thing I wanted to do was fry something.
It has been working great and I am happy with the result. One thing I did notice is that I can't shut the car off remotely after starting it. I did read that I should be able to do the 3X LOCK again and it would shut off, but it wouldn't work for me. I need to call Fortin to see what they say. Its not really a big deal though. Also, I would like to take advantage of the security system but I wasn't able to get it to work with the OEM fob...I think it might only be possible with an aftermarket remote system. I'll have to ask Fortin about that as well.
Speaking of an aftermarket remote, you can hook up an various aftermarket RF kits to the EVO-ONE. This opens up more functionality. For example, there are auxiliary outputs on the EVO-ONE that you can use for various functions. I read that the rear defrost on the Forester is not controlled on the vehicle's CAN-bus, so you could use the aux output to turn the rear defrost on. The security system is another thing that, like I said above, you can take advantage of with an RF kit. Also, this opens up a lot of options for remotes, such as two-way remotes with super long range.
Anyways, if anyone is looking for a remote start kit they can install themselves, I recommend the EVO-ONE. Let me know if you have any questions and I'll do my best to answer.
This past weekend I installed remote start in my Forester and I was happy with how the install went and the results, so I thought I would make a post in case anyone else is interested in adding this feature. Shortly after buying the vehicle I did some searching around and found the OEM remote start kit and while it seemed like it would be the easiest install, I was turned off by the price. Other options I found were aftermarket alarm/remote start kits made by Viper and the like, but I didn't find any that had pre-made harnesses to make install easier. I gave up on my search.
Recently I installed remote start in another vehicle so I thought I would look again for the Forester. The price had come down a bit on the OEM kit (I recall finding it for around $200 on a sale but most places it is ~$300), but after reading about it some more I found the biggest complaint to be that the engine shuts off once you open the door after remote starting. Not a huge deal, but kind of annoying. Another thing is that the OEM kit has to be activated by the dealer. I wasn't sure how big of headache this would be and if they would even do it since I would be doing the install myself.
I almost gave up again but then ran across a lone post on here talking about the Fortin EVO-ONE. It is an all-in-one immobilizer, security system, and remote starter module. The best part is that a t-harness is available AND that I could continue to use my OEM key fobs. Sounded great, so I ordered everything I needed. Came out to around $180 which included the EVO-ONE kit ($100), the t-harness ($35) and the Flash Link Updater ($45) which is used to program the EVO-ONE. Kind of sucks you have to buy a separate programmer but for a complete kit under $200 I was happy. I also plan to install EVO-ONE in a family member's car so I can reuse the programmer for that as well. The EVO-ONE is a universal module and you simply flash your vehicle specific firmware to the EVO-ONE.
The install went smoothly but can definitely be intimidating to someone that is not experienced with vehicle wiring. Fortin does provide very good instructions on wire/pin locations and colors. The only interior panels I had to remove was the lower steering column cover to gain access to the ignition plug (for the t-harness) and the lower left dash panel that covers the fuse panel. You do have to drop the fuse panel to gain access to the BCM connectors/wiring where all your connections are made, but that wasn't a big deal. All in all, gaining access to the wiring was easy and straight forward.
The t-harness is worth every penny since it takes care of the bigger gauge wires at the ignition. The remaining wires are smaller gauge and easier to work with. There are a total of 7 wires that you need to access on the BCM wiring. You have to tap into 4 of the wires and bypass the other 3 (i.e. cut the wire and splice into each cut end). So a total of 10 connections. I decided to solder all my connections because I wanted the extra confidence that the connections were good compared to using a t-taps. I shrink wrapped the spliced connections and taped the tapped connections. There is also a ground connection that needs to be made, but luckily there is a nearby ground bolt on the kick panel and the supplied ring terminal fit. Later, after ensuring everything was working correctly, I taped back up the BCM harness and everything looked nice and clean.
Before starting on the vehicle I flashed the EVO-ONE module with the correct firmware. Then, after making all the wire connections you have to follow the instructions to program the immobilizer. This involves using the programming button the EVO-ONE and connecting the wires in a certain sequence, followed by starting the car. Then, you have to connect the EVO-ONE back to the computer for the software essentially generate a digital key. After that you're all set. The entire process went smoothly for me.
I should also note that while you have the EVO-ONE unit hooked to the computer, you can go through various options within the software to turn functions on/off. This can be daunting if you want to understand what every option does, but Fortin has good documentation. For only doing remote start I only needed to mess with a few options. The rest apply more to the security system.
After programming the EVO-ONE and setting my options, I was able to test it out. The one downside is that you can't program the EVO-ONE with the computer while it is connected to the vehicle. I had to remove it a few times and go back to the computer to get my options correct before I got it working, so I did this all before I organized all my wiring and mounted the module. But, it didn't take long before I had the remote start working correctly. Simply press the LOCK on the OEM fob 3 times in a row and she starts right up. Unlock, open the door (vehicle remains running), insert the key and turn to start and you're ready to go. If you kit the brake pedal before inserting the key the engine shuts off.
I took my time with the install and probably spent 4-5 hours making all the connections and messing around with the programming, then another hour or so to tie up the wires and put the car back together. If I did it all over again it would probably take half the time or less. Even though the instructions are great I was still overly cautious about making the correct connections...last thing I wanted to do was fry something.
It has been working great and I am happy with the result. One thing I did notice is that I can't shut the car off remotely after starting it. I did read that I should be able to do the 3X LOCK again and it would shut off, but it wouldn't work for me. I need to call Fortin to see what they say. Its not really a big deal though. Also, I would like to take advantage of the security system but I wasn't able to get it to work with the OEM fob...I think it might only be possible with an aftermarket remote system. I'll have to ask Fortin about that as well.
Speaking of an aftermarket remote, you can hook up an various aftermarket RF kits to the EVO-ONE. This opens up more functionality. For example, there are auxiliary outputs on the EVO-ONE that you can use for various functions. I read that the rear defrost on the Forester is not controlled on the vehicle's CAN-bus, so you could use the aux output to turn the rear defrost on. The security system is another thing that, like I said above, you can take advantage of with an RF kit. Also, this opens up a lot of options for remotes, such as two-way remotes with super long range.
Anyways, if anyone is looking for a remote start kit they can install themselves, I recommend the EVO-ONE. Let me know if you have any questions and I'll do my best to answer.
