JWorm:
First of all, my installer didn't tie the door trigger wire from alarm to the domelight. I ran the four wires from each door and dioded them for him. He didn't connect the dome supervision either.
Last nite I tried to duplicate the problem and I observed that, after turning off and pulled the key, I simply sat inside without opening the door, in 30 secs, it ARMED. I was so puzzled. Then I spent some time reading the manual and here is the clue:
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1-9: Automatic Engine Disable (AED) on/off: AED is a full-time, passive starter disable that works indenpently of the security system. When turned on, the orange, ground-when-armed output (H1/1) will activate 30 seconds after the ignition is turned off. The LED will flash at half it normal rate when the ignition is turned off to indicate hat AED is active and will interrupt the starter in 30 seconds. AED does not occur in Valet mode and can be bypassed using the energency override procedure. The transmitter can be used tto disarm AED, however, the system must be armed and then disarmed, using the transmitter to disarm AED.
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And it is ENABLED BY DEFAULT! So I turned it off to see what it does. Voila! It doesn't start count down until I open the door! That fixed my "wife runs out while I wait in car" problem!
But I am still puzzled what this feature does and why it is enabled by default and how many installer don't even bother turning it off and how many customers out there are bothered by these so-called feature!
When at least one problem is resolved and I stil have question about the remote start with auto-headlight problem. JWorm, you mentioned to use the factory rearm wire to pulse the door trigger wire to the ECU so that when the remote start is timed-out (or when I shut it off), it will simulate a door open+close so that the headlight will start counting down to shutoff. And you explained that the viper software (even the car is armed) will ignore the door trigger during the remote start shutdown (Can someone else please double-confirm this as I can't find this described in the manual??).
Well, before I invest an hour or so to do this modification, I have one more question.
We are rearming the factory alarm and that does lock the doors and enable the factory alarm and at the same time, we pulse the door wire (diode somewhere ?) so that the ECU thinks a door is opened. Won't that trigger the factory alarm as this would be considered a forceful entry (doors all locked and door open sensed)?
I wonder how many cars out there with auto-headlights and this Viper alarm with remote start (or any remote start) have this problem of headlights not turning off after remote start shutdown ? Isn't that a design problem?? There should many cars out there that have auto-headlights nowadays. I did search and search and it seems I am the only one.
I can't accept keeping the headlight switch in off as a solution from a consumer point of view. DEI, are you reading this? Will the next version of Viper remote start alarm be improved?? Or can the viper 791XV software (firmware) be upgraded?? And if I have you reading this, can you please explain what the AED is for and why it is turned on by default?
And I still have the problem of the ignition-controlled unlock ON sometimes unlocks driver door and sometimes unlock all doors but I will narrow down why when I have time.
Thanks for your time.
dc