remote start viper 554r

How do we pass on our diagnostic experience?

howie ll wrote: Can I ask one question of Mike? Remove key from vehicle, does it start? Insert key, now does it start? If no to the first and yes to the second it's the immobiliser bypass. If no to both it's relay 4 though all should be checked back from the output. That simple. Bloody hell 7 effing pages and the OP hasn't done any real diagnostic testing.

No key in and no it doesnt start Key in ignition but only sitting in off...doesnt start Key in ignition in accessory position...doesnt start Key in ignition in Run position it starts Have taken ohm meter to every wire in the harness I could and no breaks Took a meter to each connection made to be sure signal was present before and after and through the connections that were made in truck Tested every 12v circuit and tested and then replaced every fuse with new ones as they can show good but be bad. Re-grounded all the leads to make sure they were getting good contact at ground. Installer actually sanded small spot clean where grounds connected. Replaced all the relays now with all brand new ones Tested ever circuit I could before coming here with the very limited knowledge I have of these kind of electronics before I asked for help. Pats connections and being in the ring was one of the first things I checked before coming here as well as a few others as mentioned. Like I said before I have very limited knowledge of this stuff and saying I had done no real diagnostics on my own is a little harsh seeing I have tried things on my own. I even had to guy buy a good DMM to try and start checking this stuff before getting on the forum. Don't forget you guys know this forward, backwards and can do it in your sleep and have been doing it for years, I dont and admit it openly. Its frustrating to you guys as the comments last page have shown and apologize for such. I`ll back off on the repair and let you guys get back to helping people that know what they are doing. I DO appreciate all the help that was given to try and help fix it with my limited knowledge of such.

1) This is quite complicated for a beginner if you've never done this before. You'd have been better off going to a specialist. 2)In this instance an incandescent test light, Snap-On, MAC, sears would have been totally adequate. 3)Elimination, during the R/S and (attempted)cycle the first thing you have to test is whether the relay outputs (30) test live (12V+). If so we're looking at the bypass. But first not check thin inputs which should all go to ground (85) Then we test the live side (86) either constant or ign live. Last check the 12V+ inputs (87).

Actually all of the above proves my old saying, testing a non-working unit that was someone else's install takes on average 4 times the original install.

Don't be discouraged by others frustration. It sounds like you know what the relays should be doing and how to test for it so if you question any of that just ask. It also sounds like you understand the 555f and how it generally works and how it's connected up to be activated. I say check the blue wire from the 554R that goes to the 555f, ensure it grounds out during a remote start. Your thin pink ignition in the ribbon cable went out, perhaps the blue status did the same. Essentially, all the areas that we would go over have been covered. It's just a matter of going over the same areas with a finer tooth comb and spotting the missing link.

catback wrote: Don't be discouraged by others frustration. It sounds like you know what the relays should be doing and how to test for it so if you question any of that just ask. It also sounds like you understand the 555f and how it generally works and how it's connected up to be activated. I say check the blue wire from the 554R that goes to the 555f, ensure it grounds out during a remote start. Your thin pink ignition in the ribbon cable went out, perhaps the blue status did the same. Essentially, all the areas that we would go over have been covered. It's just a matter of going over the same areas with a finer tooth comb and spotting the missing link.

Sorry it took so long for update on system. Truck has been out of commission due to engine rebuild ( Motor top end issues all of a sudden) two days after my last post here. Truck is back on road with motor rebuilt and was sent to shop to have 554R looked at. Seems that all the connections check out one one round, they try a remote start and then some wont read any readings and then all of a sudden do. They narrowed it down to a bad brain box that send signals like its supposed to one cycle and then the next it wont. Kill power to unit and then re-power and it sends again and then next cycle it wont. So the remote start part of the brain box is faulty. All of the alarm side functions work fine as well as the 555F They said they have a older NIB system of a Avital 5303L that will be pretty much a easy swap mostly wire for wire and eliminating most of the relays. They will let me have for $50.00 if I want it to install or they will install for a few hundred more since they have to take out old system and install new system. I can also use the PKALL I already have for this install and hook in D2D eliminating the 555F Is it worth it to change over or just let it be and have just working alarm part for now and look for something else.

Change it.

howie ll wrote: Change it.

Thanks Howie 11 and I may just do that. I may have a question or two on swapping over relay banks but pretty sure from playing with this one now I can swap it out. Thanks for all the help above even as frustrating as it got on both sides by page 8.

howie ll wrote: Change it.

I started the swap over today and have all the alarm side components swapped and wired in and am down to the the PKALL and Relay side questions. My truck had 7 relays running before that are all taken out with the install of this new system. This is how they had it installed. Old system had relay banks of 1=Primary Ignition -------connects to Dark Blue/Light green + IGN 2=Secondary Ignition------connects to RED / Black + IGN 3=Accessory Relay---------connects to Gray / YELLOW ---Fan 4=Starter Relay-----------connects to starter RED / Light Blue 5=3rd Ignition Relay------connects to Blue/Pink trace wire? 6=Additional Accessory Relay--connects to BLACK/ Light Green Radio 7= Starter Kill/Anti Grind--connects to starter RED / Black also New Avital System has the DEI XCRS 500M I'm hooking up as follows 2 Reds each to 12V Positive --------------Light GREEN/ Blue RED / White------------------------------------Yellow Purple---------------------------------------RED / Light blue starter Green----------------------------------------RED / Light Blue Starter Pink--Ign 1----------------------------------Dark Blue/Light Green Pink/White Ign 2-----------------------------RED / Black Orange--Acc Heater Blower-------------------Gray / YELLOW So if I want Anti Grind I will need to add Relay into Starter circuit lines and can tap that in easily using the Orange ground when armed output from other harness as trigger I can add a relay for the secondary accessory Radio circuit although not sure if needed. I can use the orange trigger from ribbon to 500m for trigger and feed the BLACK/ Light green in harness **I can not figure out what the other relay fed with the Blue with pink tracer wire in ignition harness. It was triggered off the First/ Second Ignition relay in 554 so could I use the 200ma programmable trigger off the 5303 line to feed this? Not sure if I can feed off the ribbon cable going to the 500M to trigger? I can get power for bot additional relays above off the yellow 12+ wire in harness. If above is wrong please feel free to correct me in any way. Also on the PKAll I can use the D2D for connection to alarm but have questions on it. I have TX and RX wires already but want to be sure what to tap the rest into to be sure. Not sure which Pink to ignition source or which blue/white to - when running source is best for this. Thanks for any help guys.I was able to test the rest and get it all in but not sure if these additional relays besides starter grind are necessary but cant even find the color code for the blue with pink line one feeds. I was able to add in a dome light output relay in the system so it now powers interior lights with alarm off/on off the dome light output of alarm. Didn't have that before.

Ok, I found out what the blue/pink wire is in harness. Its the lt. blue/pink (with rear wheel ABS only) Why would the ABS need to be tapped into or is it to keep fault codes from resulting? Bulldog site has it labeled as second ignition so I guess I will need the additional relays for this as mentioned. Is the ribbon cable to DEI XCRS 500M sufficient to tap into for trigger lines for relays or am I asking for trouble? Any better method?