FortinEVO-ONE - All-In-One Remote Starter, Security System, and Data Interface

(Update:) I removed 1 star from my review for the following reason. The information on how the flashlink (a mandatory item in installation) is supposed to work is limited, and it resulted in what would have been a small hiccup leading to me troubleshooting for almost 2 hours. I uninstalled the flashlink software from my computer and reinstalled it and it worked perfectly. I think a page or two in the instructions describing the flash process would have been highly beneficial and would have helped me diagnose a faulty programmer install much faster. The rest of my review holds true. The T-Harness was a breeze to install, and (once programmed) the module worked as advertised.Key things that I wasn't 100% sure on when I bought this. 1) This does have a built-in immobilizer bypass which DOES NOT need a key to be permanently installed in it. The immobilizer bypass will listen to your key's RF transmission and mimic it enabling your car to start. For me this was huge because I saved not only $20 in a stand-alone immobilizer bypass, but I also saved ~$100 on an extra key. On to my full review:I bought this, the T-Harness, and the programmer for around $200 (I paid extra for expedited T-Harness delivery). The installation was a breeze, with all but 2 connections already made within the T-harness (there is an optional third connection for hood deactivation switch, but that's independent of your factory wiring harness and optional). With your purchase you'll get an access key for the complete install instructions for your vehicle (one with T-Harness, and one without), but honestly I was able to find the instructions without the activation key anyway. The instructions are in color with pictures of the plug you're looking for, where in the car to find it, and arrows pointing to which wire you need to tap into. Additionally, the instructions tell you exactly which settings that you'll need to change with your programmer (in my case, D2 and C1), and what to set those settings to.All-in-all, this was much easier to install than my old Viper 5704. It is less capable, because the Viper 5704 is 2-way, but I hardly use that capability anyway. I do like that the Viper 5704 has a manual "off" switch, that I can turn off whenever I perform maintenance on my car, but other than that this is an great product, easy to install, makes for a very clean install, and does what it says it does.

This product was installed in a 1999 F-150, a vehicle that was never supposed to be started from almost 1/2 miles away (2500 ft due to the remotes that I purchased). However despite the 1990's technology my vehicle has now been brought up closer to the standard of today's F-150s. The TL:DR version of this reviews is: Great Product, Be patient on the install, Have some fun with a remote starting vehicle.I've always had a bittersweet relationship with these boxes. I have had a few times where it fails to start due to the anti theft system in my truck, and that is the only reason its not 5 stars. I recommend getting a second key with the transponder code but without the key cut and place it in the steering column. I give this project a 4/5 on difficulty because one wrong wire and its potentially game over.All that being said, Fortin does engineer these boxes to be the best on the market. When comparing side by side on the internals, it appears other companies just flat out copy the design, even though it is a simple one. This is also the smallest package out there, about the width of a iPhone 4, 2/3rd of the length of a iPhone 4, and the depth of 2 iPhone 4 stacked (sorry for the unscientific measurements, but I don't have a tape measure or the box with me at the moment).I recommend for installation you use Velcro on the box to easily remove it from the vehicle when needed because you will NOT get the software correct on the first try. Also Fortin requires you buy the flash link updater for the vehicle to program it. Give yourself the weekend to do the job properly.Fortin also has a superb customer service system. Now it takes anywhere between 5-40 minutes for them to pick up, but they have designed this product in such a way where it is easy to debug over the phone. The included wiring diagram is super comprehensive and you should save it for future reference on future projects. The wiring diagram is downloaded from a separate website, there is a card included in the package with a code and a website (just in case you were wondering).Just as a side note to complete my rambling, my truck is straight piped (no muffler) and is very loud on startup. If you time it right you can startle/scare people when they walk by and the truck starts up being very loud and no one is inside. Just for this the product is worth it.

I’ve installed many of these and they are amazing. This remote starter is super easy to install and offers a wide range of features, including the ability to start and stop the engine remotely, lock and unlock doors, and control other features of the vehicle such as the trunk and heated seats. There are great installation diagrams on their website, designed for almost every year make and model of car out there. There are many parameters with the app used to program it.Upon purchasing the remote starter you’ll also need the flasher which is made by the same company to program it. Super easy instructions on that too. Some care don’t need a remote for this remote starter as your personal key fob can be programmed to start the car remotely. I’d check the Fortin website and see which remote your car needs.

I had installed a couple of remote starts before - but, never on a manual transmission car. The concerns are significant as having a car start in gear could really ruin your day!The EVO-One let me use the factory remotes to safely and reliably remotely start the car whilst guaranteeing the car was not in gear. It does what it says. It is an all-in-one remote starter solution that interfaces well with the Factory Electronics. I purchased the THAR-FORT1 T-harness and the Flashlink4 USB programming interface. The software is a free download from Fortin.ca. Their servers held the newest software and install the latest firmwares without incident.The wiring was challenging because Ford made connector changes not reflected in any of the documentation or even the factory wiring diagrams. Ultimately, I completed this over the course of three evenings. It took two online questions and a single support question answered from Fortin in Quebec, Canada. My install was going to be long anyways because I soldered and shrink-tubed all my connections.The Dcryptor part of Fortin's software package allows you to program the bypass function of a single car key. It was also straightforward and worked seamlessly. The device completes key Takeover from your actual physical key, perfectly.Fortin's support staff knows their stuff! - and the online resources are extensive and people in the community have a lot of useful advice to share.The results are amazing. The MT scheme is bulletproof. The fortin gear interfaces fabulously with the existing factory remotes, lights, locks and alarm system.Stay patient and work methodically on the install - you will probably hit a bump, or two, because of the complexity of modern vehicles. Your efforts will be rewarded when it comes together for you!If you get frustrated quickly, it is best to pay a shop to do the work.Highly recommended for a person generally familiar with car wiring and has the skills to make reliable connections.

So, hands down this is the best upgrade i have done to my Jeep. I did it myself because I am quite handy with car electronics. It took me a couple hours for the install. I prewired the main unit for install. I bought the T-harness and a Drone Mobile unit as well with this. I installed everything at the same time. The only thing I recommend and this is why I only made it 4 stars. I think the programming of the unit could be explained more. The company has a great website and lots of information for it on there. The install instructions get a little fuzzy when you got to program it. There are two sides you have to program on the unit. There is the decryptor part and the starter part and they both have different firmwares that you have to update on the unit. They don't really explain that. So, I sat there for about 20 mins trying to figure out why the remote starter wasn't working. Then, I figured out I had to program the remote start side of the unit. If your planning on doing it yourself, I would see if there are any shops that might program the unit to save some time and frustration. It isn't that hard to program it yourself tho.