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Factory Push Start button and keyless entry on Toyota
A Toyota with a conventional ignition lock can get what the higher trims come with from the factory: starting from a button and unlocking the door by touching the handle. I build this using factory parts and StarLine logic.
What you end up with
- A factory Push Start button instead of turning a key.
- Keyless entry: walk up, take the handle, the car unlocks. It uses the stock sensors in the handles, not stick-on buttons.
- The key stays in your pocket — no digging it out with bare hands in the cold.
- Soft handover comes built in: after a remote start the engine does not cut out when you get in. It does not have to be ordered separately.
It looks and feels no different from a factory-equipped car: factory button, factory sensors, no universal panels glued to the dashboard.
How it is done
The logic is written on the StarLine unit. I was building these installs before the matching functions appeared in StarLine firmware — back then the logic had to be written from scratch. Some of it now comes out of the box, but the fit to a specific car is still manual: I read the factory messages on CAN/LIN and tie the system’s behaviour to them.
No factory wiring has to be cut for this: it is all built on flexible logic and factory connectors. That is where a Push Start retrofit differs from a soft handover, where cutting into a factory circuit is unavoidable.
Which cars this works on
My main experience is Toyota and Lexus. Whether it is possible depends on whether your car has stock sensors in the handles and how key authorisation is built: on some trims the retrofit comes out completely factory-like, on others there are limits.
Send the model, year and trim — I will tell you before any work starts what is realistically achievable and what is not. If it cannot be made reliable on your car, you will hear that up front, not after the dashboard is already apart.
What else I do
FAQ
Is the button factory or universal?
Factory. An original Push Start button is fitted, not a universal stick-on unit.
Do the door handles need replacing?
No, if your trim already has sensors in the handles. If it does not, you will hear that while we discuss the job, before any work starts.
How long does it take?
It is part of the custom install: 5 to 12 hours, 8 on average.
Will the dealer warranty hold?
An honest answer: it depends on what we do. Remote start, alarm functions and a Push Start retrofit connect over CAN/LIN and through factory connectors — nothing needs cutting there, it is all built on flexible logic. But a soft handover on a car that came with a Start/Stop button from the factory always means cutting into a factory circuit; there is no other way to build it, and on some cars a diode is added on top, spliced in as well. The exception is a key-ignition car being retrofitted with Push Start: there the soft handover is already part of the system and nothing has to be cut. I tell you this before the work starts, and joints are soldered and insulated. And separately: a dealer can raise a claim about any aftermarket equipment, even when the fault has nothing to do with it.
Will the car have soft handover?
Yes, and it does not need ordering separately: with a Push Start retrofit the soft handover is already part of the system. This is exactly the case where you get it without cutting into a factory circuit.
Can I have keyless entry only, without the button?
It is worth discussing — it depends on the car. Send the model, year and trim.
What does it cost?
The price depends on the car and the set of functions. Send the model, year and trim — I quote an exact figure before the work starts, with no surprises later.
Let’s talk about your car
Send the make, model and year — I’ll tell you which functions can be wired on it, how long it takes and what it costs.