Oh... Like I said, the dealership told me mine had it from the factory and just gave me the wrong KeyFob. Why would it have an option, just not programmed? Do all trucks come with it, and the dealership just has to program it to start? This would be a new one for me... Let us know what you find out. I love learning little stuff like this.

 

No, not all trucks can simply be programmed for the remote start. Only vehicles with RPO AP8 have the remote start prep package (extended range remote). Those with the standard remote door locks are not AP8 trucks and cannot be simply programmed for the remote start. That's all I know; I do not know whether it is the DIC or a reflash that enables the remote start. Hopefully DIC, that way if the dealer won't make things right I can do it a lot cheaper than the $128 on GM Parts Direct.

 

I hope so too. It would suck to have to pay for something that is already there.

 

You have to buy the package and the truck has to be reflashed. As far as I know there is no way around it.

 

They want to charge $195 for the parts (2 fobs plus the code) and $114 for labor. What a joke. $309 to program 2 remotes to workwith existing hardware. I can't catch a break lately.

 

195 is retail. I recommend you speek to the service dept and offer to pay retail and as a trade off they wave the labor. Alternatively they could give you the pkg for 150-165 and reduce the labor rate (these things are within there power).

 

Yeah, I talked to the service department. I told him that if it was 195 for parts and 114 for labor, I'd be better off getting the remotes at GM parts direct for 128 and then having them program them. He said I can do whatever I want, but they might sell me the wrong remote, and somebody has to pay them for the remote and labor, and he told me how hard it is to hook up the Tech 2 and yada yada yada. Forget them. I thought they were cool there, and they are...before you buy your vehicle. Then they're done with customer service, apparently.

 

What a drag. You could get an aftermarket alarm with remote start for less than that installed...

 

Yeah, I talked to the salesman who sold me my truck, and he tried to help me figure out a way around it. That dealer gets a ton of customers, so he told me to try to take it to the service department at a smaller dealer who might work harder for a customer. I'll just wait until after my vacation this summer, then maybe I'll do it. I still haven't found an exhaust place willing to do what I want for under $100, so I'll just concentrate on that and my tune and come back to the remotes in a few months.

 

Oh and to the OP: if you are planning on enabling the factory remote start, get with the dealer now, they may be able to cut another couple hundred off the vehicle and use it to pay the service department to setup the remote start for you, like they did for smrr1. It is much easier for the sales department to take $300 off your truck and pay the service department than it is for the service department to lower the price to reasonable levels. The only reason my salesman couldn't do that for me is because my truck was a loss for them (GMS + extra discounts) so the dealership wasn't going to take another $300 loss on the sale. Oh well; if I would have known before I would have gotten it and never looked back. Sorry for the thread-jack