how long do headlights stay on after engine stops? remote start starter

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

84runner

84runner

10 Year 15 Year 20 Year
Joined
Mar 23, 2005
Threads
52
Messages
423
Location
Arroyo Grande, CA
Slightly trivial I know. Just had a viper remote start unit installed, (had best buy do it, I was too chicken), on my wifes 99 100 series. Works great. But as I'm showing her how it works, she starts it and then stops the motor with the remote without getting in the vehicle... and of course the headlights stay on. Like we all know until you open a door the headlights stay on. Well, I left it for over 5 minutes and the headlights never turned off. The manual also says nothing about this feature, let alone if there is a timer.

So my question is... is there a timer? Will the headlights turn off after a certain amount of time. (Besides when the battery dies. :rolleyes: )

As far as the remote start goes, this could kill your battery since the remote start is on a timer, so after a certain amount of time, (12 minutes for ours), the engine will shut down. So the headlights would remain on. The worst potential is the remote start activating accidentally and then after shutting off the headlights would stay on indefinitely!

*ok this only pertains to when the headlight switch is in the ON or AUTO position, obviously. In the OFF position this will not apply. Of course my wife wants it in the AUTO position...:rolleyes:
 
Last edited:
My LC and 4R have a second timer that shuts down interior and exterior lights after I think an hour. I think the normal timer only works if I open and shut the driver's door, not sure how the remote start will deal with that. My 4R seems to get confused if I open the rear doors or hatch before the timer times out, and they stay on 'till I open and close the driver's door again.
 
84runner said:
Slightly trivial I know. Just had a viper remote start unit installed, (had best buy do it, I was too chicken), on my wifes 99 100 series. Works great. But as I'm showing her how it works, she starts it and then stops the motor with the remote without getting in the vehicle... and of course the headlights stay on. Like we all know until you open a door the headlights stay on. Well, I left it for over 5 minutes and the headlights never turned off. The manual also says nothing about this feature, let alone if there is a timer.

So my question is... is there a timer? Will the headlights turn off after a certain amount of time. (Besides when the battery dies. :rolleyes: )

As far as the remote start goes, this could kill your battery since the remote start is on a timer, so after a certain amount of time, (12 minutes for ours), the engine will shut down. So the headlights would remain on. The worst potential is the remote start activating accidentally and then after shutting off the headlights would stay on indefinitely!

*ok this only pertains to when the headlight switch is in the ON or AUTO position, obviously. In the OFF position this will not apply. Of course my wife wants it in the AUTO position...:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Waking up an old thread here. I am having the exact same issue as noted above. Additionally, while the switch is in the "Auto" position and the key is on, the headlights are on, whether the remote start was used or not. In this scenario, the lights turn off normally, as if they automatically turned on because of darkness, they just turn on as soon as you turn the key to "on" whether it is dark or not. The panel lights dim properly with ambient light, it is just the headlights that are on all of the time.

I have considered disconnecting the remote start portion of this unit and leaving the keyless entry in place as the main intention of this install was to get away from the Factory Toyota Keyfobs. They are prohibitively expensive and my wife loves to lose them. The remote start however, is really nice to have for heating up/cooling down the LC and I would like to keep it if I can figure out a workaround. Auto headlights are more important to me than remote start.

Any help is appreciated. Thanks in advance.
 
On my '03 LC, when I lock with the factory key remote the headlights stay on. If I hit the lock button a second time the headlights turn off. I have a Viper on my '03 4R, the headlights stay on with a timer when I lock it, and hitting the lock button a second time doesn't turn them off. I'm not sure if the difference is the Viper vs factory remote, or LC vs 4R.

Try hitting the lock button on your Viper a second time, see if that turns off your headlights.
 
I have a factory remote and my lights stay on for a very long time as well. Apparently a dealer can hook up a laptop and change the timing for you so that the lights go off when the engine shuts off. Perhaps doing this will then work with your Viper remote.
 
I have viper smart start on my wife's 06 100. Leaving the auto headlights on is fine unless you accidentally start the car and don't actually open the door to get in or out of it. The timer to turn the countdown on is tied to one of the doors being opened. Ask me how I know. One of my children started the cruiser from my phone one night and she ran for 15 minutes and then turned off. Had a dead as a doornail brand new battery the next day. Lots of head scratching on that one.

Oh and on a separate subject: the factory key-fob is useless when the viper system is active.
 
So after 2.5 years of owning the '99 100 series with the viper remote start, it works great.

On the downside if you do start and then stop it, both by remote, my headlights will stay on indefinatelly.

Also the "cranking time" was an issue. I believe vehicles with stock remote starts it can tell when the vehicle starts. The viper apparently just cranks for a certain time if it doesn't start then it waits 12 seconds and trys again. This only happens every once in a while and unfortunatelly I've gotten use to it. I brought it back to Best Buy a couple times for this and they tweeked the time a bit.

The other issue is that if u start it with the remote then drive somewhere and say just shut off the engine but don't remove the key, (like getting gas)... When you go to try and start it the starter judge cranks and cranks. This happens 100% of the time for me. The cure... just take the key out and reinsert. Never did ask Best Buy about this.

About Best Buy, I believe they give you a lifetime service with the install, and they've always been great. The remote start has been perfect for us too many times to count in extreme hot or cold starts or just cooling/heating the car prior to my wife getting in! I'd get one again, but ideally I'd prefer a factory option.
 
84runner said:
So after 2.5 years of owning the '99 100 series with the viper remote start, it works great.

On the downside if you do start and then stop it, both by remote, my headlights will stay on indefinatelly.

Also the "cranking time" was an issue. I believe vehicles with stock remote starts it can tell when the vehicle starts. The viper apparently just cranks for a certain time if it doesn't start then it waits 12 seconds and trys again. This only happens every once in a while and unfortunatelly I've gotten use to it. I brought it back to Best Buy a couple times for this and they tweeked the time a bit.
The other issue is that if u start it with the remote then drive somewhere and say just shut off the engine but don't remove the key, (like getting gas)... When you go to try and start it the starter judge cranks and cranks. This happens 100% of the time for me. The cure... just take the key out and reinsert. Never did ask Best Buy about this.

About Best Buy, I believe they give you a lifetime service with the install, and they've always been great. The remote start has been perfect for us too many times to count in extreme hot or cold starts or just cooling/heating the car prior to my wife getting in! I'd get one again, but ideally I'd prefer a factory option.
Click to expand...

Hmm mine does not behave this way. I wonder: On your 99, do you have to continue to hold your key in start position until it starts up or can you do the start and then back off and let it crank till it starts on it's own?

I have however had the cranking time issue on my 2000 4runner which does not have that feature.

Also if your alternator ever dies the remote start will continue to start and then turn off your car every 5 or so seconds. I guess it waits for 14v before it knows your vehicle is started. That's how it behaves on mine anyway. I also had it installed at best buy.
 
jhrrld said:
Hmm mine does not behave this way. I wonder: On your 99, do you have to continue to hold your key in start position until it starts up or can you do the start and then back off and let it crank till it starts on it's own?

I have however had the cranking time issue on my 2000 4runner which does not have that feature.

Also if your alternator ever dies the remote start will continue to start and then turn off your car every 5 or so seconds. I guess it waits for 14v before it knows your vehicle is started. That's how it behaves on mine anyway. I also had it installed at best buy.
Click to expand...

Mine ignition is the old fashioned, "hold on start, until it starts" ignition.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Back
Top Bottom