Can you add remote start to a Ram 1500 that left the factory without it? On some trucks there is a route, either a Mopar kit listed for that truck or an aftermarket system, and the VIN decides which one fits. The first step is to ask our parts department with your VIN whether a Mopar remote start kit is listed for your truck. If the job involves programming key fobs, our service department does keys and key fobs, and you can book key fob work with our service team.

The same questions apply to a Jeep, and the answer starts in the same place: what the vehicle already has, what is listed for it, and what a Manitoba winter asks of it.

Key Takeaways

• Check what the truck already has first. The window sticker is the record, and a remote start button on the key fob is one sign the truck was built with it.
• The Mopar route starts with your VIN. Whether a Mopar kit is listed depends on the model year, trim and engine, so ask our parts department with your VIN.
• An aftermarket system can work, with trade offs. Before anyone splices a wire, ask how it would affect coverage on your own truck and how it ties into the truck's security.
• Remote start and a block heater do different jobs. Natural Resources Canada says a block heater warms the coolant, which in turn warms the engine block and lubricants; remote start runs the engine so the heater can start on the cab, but it cannot warm the engine before it starts.
• At minus 30, the two work together when each is used the way your vehicle's manufacturer directs: the block heater on a timer, then a short remote start before you walk out.

Check Whether Your Truck Already Has Remote Start

Before you price anything, confirm the truck does not already have it. A used truck can change hands without its second fob or its paperwork.

Read the window sticker. It is the record of how the truck left the factory. If you no longer have it, ask our parts department whether they can tell from your VIN.

Look at the key fob. A remote start button is one sign the truck was built with the feature. If the sticker lists it but nothing happens when you press the button, that is a fault rather than a missing feature, and our service department does diagnosis.

Check the connected services. In a July 16, 2026 release, Stellantis Canada said remote engine start and stop through the brand mobile app was added to the standard Connect One plan for 2027 model year Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, FIAT and Alfa Romeo vehicles in Canada. If your truck is a 2027, ask our team whether it is eligible and how to enroll before you shop for a kit.

Can You Add Remote Start to a Ram 1500 That Came Without It?

The Mopar route. A Mopar remote start kit is a Mopar accessory listed for specific vehicles. Whether one is listed for yours depends on the model year, trim, engine and electrical equipment. Rather than trust a fitment list from a forum, give our parts department your VIN and ask whether a kit is listed, what comes with it, whether it works from the key fob you already have or comes with its own, and whether a longer range remote is offered for your truck. The same first step applies to a Jeep.

Remote start has to work with the truck's keys and security system, so adding it can mean programming fobs or a software step. Accessory installation is work our service department does for running boards, tonneau covers and hitches. For remote start, ask our parts and service team whether they can install it on your truck.

A note for manual transmission owners. Factory style remote start systems typically will not start the engine unless the gear selector is in Park and the doors and hood are closed; your owner's manual lists the exact conditions. A Jeep or older truck with a manual transmission has no Park position, so raise that first.

The Aftermarket Route and Its Honest Trade Offs

An aftermarket remote starter can be the route on a truck no Mopar kit is listed for. It brings three questions to ask before anyone takes a panel off.

Coverage. An aftermarket remote starter is not a factory part, so ask how it would affect coverage on your own truck if something it is wired into fails. Our post on whether a lift kit or aftermarket part affects your warranty walks through how Ram Canada frames coverage for parts added after the factory.

Security. To start the engine with no key inside, a remote starter has to work with the truck's immobilizer, and an aftermarket system can do that with an added module. Ask the installer how their system handles it, how it keeps the truck from being driven off without the key, and whether it checks the hood is closed, since someone may be working under it.

The install itself. Splices under a dash live through minus 30 mornings and plus 30 afternoons. Ask who stands behind the wiring if a fault turns up in February.

Our read on OEM versus aftermarket parts covers where aftermarket is fine and where the Mopar part earns its place.

Remote Start or a Block Heater at Minus 30?

They do different jobs, and on the coldest mornings you want both.

Natural Resources Canada describes a block heater this way: "This device warms the coolant, which in turn warms the engine block and lubricants." It says you do not need to leave one plugged in overnight, that two hours is more than enough, and that "you can use an automatic timer to switch on the block heater two hours before you leave."

Remote start does something else. It runs the engine before you get in, so the heater can start on the cab and the glass, depending on how the system and the climate controls are set. It does not warm the engine before it starts. On idling, Natural Resources Canada says that "even on cold winter days, no more than two to three minutes of idling is usually enough warm-up time before starting to drive."

So at minus 30 in Portage la Prairie, the sensible order is the block heater on a timer, then a short remote start while you finish your coffee, each used the way your vehicle's manufacturer directs. Our service department installs block heaters, and our Manitoba block heater guide covers how long to plug in.

What a Manitoba Winter Makes It Worth

The value of remote start depends on where the truck spends its cold hours.

A truck that sits all day with no outlet. Think of a Winnipeg office lot, a job site or a rink parking lot during an evening hockey game. With nowhere to plug in, the block heater cannot help on the drive home. Remote start lets you warm the cab before you get in, and it can get the defroster working on a frosted windshield before you walk out.

A truck that lives at an acreage or farm yard with an outlet. The block heater does the engine's job before you leave. Remote start is about the cab: a few minutes on a minus 30 morning before chores, so the glass is clearing when you climb in.

Two safety lines, every winter. Never remote start a truck inside a closed garage, because exhaust carries carbon monoxide; your owner's manual's warnings for your truck come first. And after a storm or a night of drifting snow, clear the snow from around the tailpipe before you start the engine from the house.

Shopping for a newer truck instead? Check the window sticker of any truck in our new Ram 1500 inventory for remote start.

Getting Remote Start Sorted in Manitoba

At Dunn Ram Trucks in Portage la Prairie, the question starts at the parts department with your VIN. Our service department does keys and key fobs and does diagnosis, so book a fob or remote start check if a fob needs programming or a factory remote start has stopped working. For the installation itself, ask our parts and service team whether they can install it on your truck.

If the answer for an older truck is no kit and a list of compromises, you can see what your current truck is worth and apply for financing online. Any approval, rate or term is on approved credit.

FAQs

Can you add remote start to a Ram 1500?

Remote start can be added to some Ram 1500 trucks that left the factory without it, through a Mopar kit where one is listed for that truck or through an aftermarket system. Which route fits depends on the model year, trim, engine and electrical equipment, so give our parts department your VIN and ask whether a Mopar remote start kit is listed for your truck.

How do I know if my Ram already has remote start?

The window sticker is the record of how the truck was built, and a remote start button on the key fob is one sign the truck has it. If you have neither, ask our parts department whether they can tell from your VIN.

Does an aftermarket remote starter affect my warranty?

It can, depending on the part and what goes wrong, because an aftermarket remote starter is not a factory part and it is wired into the truck's electrical and security systems. Before it is installed, ask how it would affect coverage on your own truck.

Is remote start a replacement for a block heater?

No. Natural Resources Canada says a block heater warms the coolant, which in turn warms the engine block and lubricants, while remote start runs the engine so the heater can start on the cab. At minus 30, use the block heater on a timer and a short remote start, each used the way your vehicle's manufacturer directs.

Can I start my truck from my phone?

You may be able to, depending on the model year and the vehicle's connected services. In a July 16, 2026 release, Stellantis Canada said remote engine start and stop through the brand mobile app was added to the standard Connect One plan for 2027 model year Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, FIAT and Alfa Romeo vehicles in Canada. Ask our team whether your vehicle is eligible and how to enroll.

Where do I get a Mopar remote start kit for my Ram or Jeep?

Start at a Mopar parts department, ours included, with your VIN. Ask whether a Mopar remote start kit is listed for your vehicle, and ask our parts and service team whether they can install it.

The Bottom Line

Can you add remote start to a Ram 1500 or a Jeep that came without it? Sometimes, and the VIN decides. Check the sticker and the fob first, ask about a Mopar kit before an aftermarket one, and keep the block heater on its timer, because it warms the engine before it starts and remote start cannot.

Before the first minus 30 morning, bring your VIN to our parts department and ask what is listed for your truck.

Tyler Dunn, Dunn Ram Trucks, Portage la Prairie