Avalon Remote Starter Range

[Baystater]

I had a remote starter on my previous car, so I paid the extra to make sure I purchased an Avalon that had a Toyota, factory equipped, remote starter. The unit is awful. If you are more than 50 feet away, the lights flash, like it's working, but the engine never starts. Is there anything that can be done to improve the remote starter performance / distance range. Also, if the lights are blinking, as they should, why doesn't it start the car? I am very reluctant to have an aftermarket unit installed when I already have a factory unit on the car. Any advice, greatly appreciated.