remote start time out issue

[rundrave]

so its super cold here today (yes i know it is everywhere)

My wife works out in the middle of no where with nothing to shelter the wind. I told my wife to go start our van with remote start today over lunch and let it run a bit just to be safe. She started it with remote start, she verified it started fine and then let it run for 15-20 mins and then it turned off by itself. (probably some time out feature built in)

Now it wont re-start via key or the remote start. I had her describe to me the sound it makes when she tries to start it with the key and she said it just clicks. She couldn't tell me if it had dash lights or not so who knows.

Is it possible that something stays on and drains the battery? Could it drain a battery that fast (an hour) when its this cold? Is it possible by letting it run long enough to turn off by itself that its not resetting something in the system all the way? I am pretty sure the battery is good but I am not physically there to test myself to see if it got drained.

I told her to go lock all of the doors with both the fob on the remote start and the one that comes with the vehicle and try to start it with the remote start but she said it didn't work.

Anyone have any ideas here before I go tinker? We had this same thing happen last year and I ended up getting it to start buy jumping it with another vehicle.

If it matters its a 2004 Toyota Sienna XLE

[aanderud]

I've never dealt with remote starts but .... if you had the same thing happen last year and a jump got it started, I'd be willing to bet that something drained the battery.

As to what is draining the battery, the only real high-drain devices that I can think of that'd drain the battery that fast would be the starter (which I doubt would be sitting there cranking away for no reason) and the headlights. Is it possible that the remote starter is somehow tricking the car into thinking the vehicle is still on after it does the "time-out auto-stop" thing? And if that's the case, maybe the headlights stay on? Just guessing, as I said. I've no real experience.

[Macgyver55]

Its possible that if several accessories were on (heater on high, headlights, radio and such) that the alternator is not putting out enough at idle to charge the battery especially if the battery is marginal. Not as likely, but also possible is the engine never reached a high enough RPM for the regulator to kick in and never began charging.

You would have to test this in a similar situation once you get it running to find out.

[yoppdk]

I have a 2000 Tundra with Viper remote start. When i remote start it, it turns the lights on to whatever the light switch is set to. When I use the remote start to stop the engine, the lights stay on until the driver door is opened. I'm not sure of the logic with this, but I suspect there is a reason. I've nearly killed my battery a few times doing this, not realizing the lights were left on. Perhaps yours does the same ...

[Finns]

so its super cold here today (yes i know it is everywhere)

My wife works out in the middle of no where with nothing to shelter the wind. I told my wife to go start our van with remote start today over lunch and let it run a bit just to be safe. She started it with remote start, she verified it started fine and then let it run for 15-20 mins and then it turned off by itself. (probably some time out feature built in)

Now it wont re-start via key or the remote start. I had her describe to me the sound it makes when she tries to start it with the key and she said it just clicks. She couldn't tell me if it had dash lights or not so who knows.

Is it possible that something stays on and drains the battery? Could it drain a battery that fast (an hour) when its this cold? Is it possible by letting it run long enough to turn off by itself that its not resetting something in the system all the way? I am pretty sure the battery is good but I am not physically there to test myself to see if it got drained.

I told her to go lock all of the doors with both the fob on the remote start and the one that comes with the vehicle and try to start it with the remote start but she said it didn't work.

Anyone have any ideas here before I go tinker? We had this same thing happen last year and I ended up getting it to start buy jumping it with another vehicle.

If it matters its a 2004 Toyota Sienna XLE

Might talk to the person what installed it.

[rundrave]

Got it jumped tonight with no issues. Still had some battery left but not much. Heater was turned on full blast as well as lights and radio blaring lol......

Next time I'll tell her to not be lazy and turn it off correctly after a few minutes if she is gonna warm it up mid day. Of course she wasn't willing to help troubleshoot this afternoon either or tell me what all the symptoms were. And we all know who got the privilege to not only jump it but drive it home while the other got to sit and drive the warm vehicle home. But hey the van at least has heated seats!

Good times lol

[Jeremy airjer W]

I have a 2000 Tundra with Viper remote start. When i remote start it, it turns the lights on to whatever the light switch is set to. When I use the remote start to stop the engine, the lights stay on until the driver door is opened. I'm not sure of the logic with this, but I suspect there is a reason. I've nearly killed my battery a few times doing this, not realizing the lights were left on. Perhaps yours does the same ...

My wife learned that the headlights don't shut unless you open the drivers door at a boat launch this last summer!