I have to unlock the car before starting engine?

[CTScott]

Originally Posted by caineroad

I understand where you guys are coming from, but if I go to toyota dealership, they never have trouble starting my car. I was just wondering if this is a safety feature to prevent theft from starting the car even when they can get entry to the vehicle.

basically i have to press the unlock on my remote to trigger the engine start, otherwise the key will turn to START position and I can hold it there, all electrical works but engine wont start.

Is this really a tech error? I bought it from previous owner, was told it has an immobilizer? just want to confirm.

If you haven't locked the car after shutting it off, when you get in, do you still have to press the unlock to start it? If not, it may simply be a "feature" of the remote starter, which is why I said to figure out what remote starter you have.

This has nothing to do with the immobilizer though. The immobilizer authenticates the key. What you are seeing is called starter lock-out, and it is simply done with a relay in line with the starter wires on the key switch.