remote start viper 554r

kreg357 wrote: I don't have any install guide or documentation on the Viper 554R so I might be wrong in my assumptions. I'm guessing the Vipers relay with the thick Yellow wire is a Starter Kill relay.  It uses the vehicles Ignition as a control signal.  It also is the R/S's Starter Output path to the vehicle side of the cut Starter wire. The other relay is the Ignition relay.  The fact that it does not output +12V during a remote start or PitStop is the problem.  You have verified power at the relay and replaced the relay.  That would leave the Vipers (-) Ignition relay control signal as the probable culprit.  I'm guessing the the small gauge Pink wire in the 5 Pin connector is the control signal for the Ignition relay.  If this wires goes from the Viper to either Pin 85 or 86 of that ignition relay, use a DMM to verify that it goes to (-) during a remote start ( to turn on the relay & output +12V to the F150's Dark Blue/ Light Green ignition wire ).  DMM set up for the above test :  DMM set to +20V DC.  Red test lead to +12V constant.  Black test lead to thin Pink wire.  DMM should go the +12V during a remote start. The next test would be to apply a ground to this thin Pink wire during a remote start to energize the Ignition relay and output the +12V to the vehicles Ignition1 wire.  If that makes it start up normally then the Viper 554R has a bad output and might need to be replaced.

Thanks and I will check that next. Rain let up a bit and neighbor had me tracking down a short issue in his trailer and then it started pouring again. I will check this when it lets up and post what I find.

catback wrote: Great detective work, BUT be VERY careful of what you say has constant power. "constant" 12v comes from 3 places on these old buggers. Two large red wires supply the power that ends up feeding the ignition wires during a remote start. One small red wire from the alarm module supplies the constant 12v needed to activate the relays. This wire is in the ribbon cable that connects the RS relays to the alarm/rs module.

I meant constant power as it has red leads jumped over to a few relays in a row that shows power under normal or RS operation cycles. I pulled the 5 pin ribbon cable out of the RS box and checked it on a DMM earlier and it showed 12v on all pins but the yellow line. So its feeding 12v in 4 out of 5 to RS box but didnt check to see when in RS cycle or not. Thanks guys and when weather breaks I will check out some more.

When I put the voltmeter as stated: DMM set up for the above test : DMM set to +20V DC. Red test lead to +12V constant. Black test lead to thin Pink wire. DMM should go the +12V during a remote start. It DOES NOT go to 12V at all. I tried a direct power source with constant 12v for the lead. Next test I did: The next test would be to apply a ground to this thin Pink wire during a remote start to energize the Ignition relay and output the +12V to the vehicles Ignition1 wire. If that makes it start up normally then the Viper 554R has a bad output and might need to be replaced. It makes the relay trigger the second the negative lead is put onto the small pink wire from the ribbon cable. The truck does turn over but still wont fire.

That pink needs to be grounded throughout the cycle. Is there a pink/white on that loom? I've a feeling the low neg. trigger output for ignition might shot.

The truck actually has 7 relays wired in but the ribbon cables goes to the main bank of 4 First relay in that bank has Pink from 5 wire ribbon to 85 this then is jumped to relay 2 on 85 also First Relay in that bank has Yellow from 5 wire ribbon to 87 Red wires jumped across the whole bank to each relays 86 in the relay bank wiring I have 2 fused large red lines coming in and each one splits across two of the relays on 87 First Relay also has pink with white stripe on 30 going to the Grey with yellow strip on the ignition harness I have one large pink wire on relay 1 on 30 BUT I also have one large pink w/white stripe going to another relay bank of just two also coming from ignition bundle. Its also on 30 but goes to the Light blue with pink stripe wire in ignition harness. This relay also has a bright pink wire that comes back through wiring to first relay and is tied into the pink jumper wire of relay 1 and 2 on pins 85.

Correction.. Relay 2 has the pink with white wire not relay 1 one as written above. Relay 1 is only large pink on 30

The bank of 4 relays is the remote start relay pack: 2 Ignition, 1 Accessory, and 1 Starter relay. Of the other relays, one is the starter kill/anti-grind. The others could be parking light and dome supervision but no way to know for sure without testing. Since you have the relay pack in hand the tests to do would be: 1. With ribbon cable disconnected from alarm module, check voltage on both red power feeds to the relay pack. 2. Check voltage on the large pink (2) wires going from the relay pack to the ignition. Do this by cycling the key on and then off. With the key on these wires should show 12v IF connected and show no volts with the key off. 3. With ribbon cable connected, initiate a remote start. You should feel the relays click on. 4. Manually activate the ignition relays and check voltage on the pink wires and check against the vehicle's ignition powering up.

87 and 86 on the relays should show 12V+ constant. 85 should show NEG (-) on the pink and pink white thin wires until R/S is activated, then the thin purple should show NEG to activate start. Thin Orange should show NEG when running. The starter cut relay will have a 12V+ on 86 when ignition key is turned and a 12V+ constant at 87.

There's only one thin pink wire. And good luck with terminal numbers without pulling the relays out of the socket. The ribbon cable is made up of Red, Yellow, Pink, Orange, and Purple.

Sorry CB, no experience with this unit actually I don't need to pull the relays, I just look at the wire end, I'm sure Kreg feels the same. Look at the underside, with certain OEM exceptions. all aftermarket 5 pin and 4 pin (Bosch/Tycho cube type have the same pin configuration:- standard__cube_relay_configuration.png 85 and 86 are either sides of the coil ISO (and ALL motor manufacturers) mandates 85 as NEG and 86 POS. 87 is normally open, NO, 87a normally closed NC and 30 common. That means that in the "off" case, no voltage across the coil 87 is disconnected and 87a is connected to 30. When a voltage is applied to the coil 87 connects to 30 and 87a is disconnected. For practical purposes a diode is connected across the coil known as a "quenching" diode because when the relay shuts down about 200 volts "spikes" across the coil and this can feed back to the source and burn it out which is what could have happened here. Normally used is the 1N4004, band side to 86. Second diagram shows with diode:- FFC_standard__cube_relay_configuration.png

Indeed...this is OLD stuff, not what you young whippersnappers use today with built-in relays or even micro relays :D The relay pack doesn't have any quenching diodes or diodes of any sort. Just a fuse (10A I think) that connects the red 12v constant, for the ignition relays, to the 12v side of the relay coils (all 4) and the red wire in the ribbon cable. I have one of these oldies (554T) and I'm currently working on it myself, so I have the luxury of fresh hands on recollection.