’06 honda pilot remote starter

Good Afternoon,

I am looking for suggestions on a remote starter.  My G/F just bought a 06' Honda Pilot.  I was hoping that some of the major vendors (like Viper) would have a website where I could put in make/model and it would spit out the best starters and accessories (I.E. alarm bypass etc) for my vehicle.  Unfortunately they don't seem to do that.   I am a electronic Engineering Technician, so there won't be any system to complicated for me to install. I just would like input on what are the best remote starters out there and what specifically I need to make one work with a Honda Pilot.   Doing a search in yahoo produced some hits where people were complaining about the alarm going off after the vehicle was started, having to shut the vehicle off with the remote in order to get into the Pilot etc etc. I want to be prepared when I tackle this project.

Thanks!

Hondas can be a pain until you get used to them- then they are straight forward- if not using a module for door locks- then you have to go inside the driver's door to pulse the lock and disarm wire at the same time - both for unlocking (while car is running) and for remote starting- to avoid that nasty OEM alarm.  You can install and test all day long- think you have it done (with door open) and then let it sit for thirty seconds with doors closed (including hood and trunk) so that it arms itself- then just try to remote start it-  that nasty OEM alarm goes off unless you double diode isolate the disarm signal from your R/S and the unlock wire at the same time- I spent over an hour trying to get the locks to work and the R/S to not set off the alarm on the first Honda Accord-2008 that I did.  Finally got it to work- you just have to think it through- which should be really easy for an electronics Guru.

My biggest problem was that I did not know the car- first time I saw it , it came for the install-- My bosse's son's yet.  I did some research- just like you did- searched the forums here to learn that Hondas won't let you unlock the car remotely when it is running- that you need to go inside the driver's door to use the key in the door lock wiring (not the electric switch inside) to get it unlock while running and not set off the alarm.  Same with the remote starter- you must send a neg disarm signal to the same two wires right before you remote start- otherwise the alarm sounds- car starts but who likes the alarm going off while it is running.

Also, those orange and brown wires in the driver's door (at window switch) are more like tan and peach - right next to each other, pin 28, 29, and the white wire you need is pin 31- so that makes it much easier- ran three wires inside the door and did all my diode isolating at the brain box- the plug in the window switch need to be plugged in while you are testing.

Other weird things- like I was soldering in the diodes and the sunroof opens- had my spare keys up there- they fell into the vehicle- Hopefully that was just a freak data signal from me soldering- never happened again.

One thing nice about Hondas is that they do give you that spare grey Valet key that you can put in a box under the dash to feed to the ignition switch- instaed of using a module or buying a new key

It's not the R/S system that's ever too complicated,  it's the car- knowing how it is controlled is the biggest battle- you have the ability to control with most any brain boxes- knowing exactly which wires and what effects it has on the car is the challenge-  Any complaints of alarms going off, or doors which will not open are purely ignorance or laziness on the installer's part....  It can be done.

Great thanks I appreciate the feedback on this.  I look foward to the challenge, though this Pilot will hear its share of swears out of my mouth in the process.   I will probably go and get the wiring diagrams for it and study study and study some more.   A couple things:

Do you have a recommendation on a remote starter for this? From what you wrote it must at least have a negative pulse to disarm the factory alarm PRIOR to the vehicle starting? And to disarm the factory alarm, the goal is to duplicate the signals with the remote starter that would normally occur in the door.......just as if I were disarming it by installing and turning the key in the door keyhole?

Can you explain a little more about the spare key.   Do you mean the valet key must simply be in the vehicle (maybe up close to the steering column?)  I'm guessing there's some type of handshake between the key and the car that has to happen?  That valet key doesn't appear to have any type of battery in it like the main key so I was wondering how that handshake would work.   Will the vehicle refuse to lock if the valet key is left inside?

Hi there,

I only use Audiovox remote starts & that's what I reccomend. The APS-57a is a great low cost unit. It'll do everything you want it to do in any car. And it will do that car, because I've done them.

As far as the valet key, you need to use a DEI 556u or equivilant, to mate that key with the ignition switch during remote start function. You are right-there is no battery in the key. A coil placed around the key excites the information in the transponder key & sends it to the ignition cylinder via another coil of wire.

The car doesn't know that key is in the car except while the remote start is being used to start the car. It will not intefere with locking the car.

So I guess I need to find out whether the Pilot takes a single pulse to disarm and a double to unlock or if it all happens on a single pulse.  Ideally it seems that if it only takes a single pulse to disarm that would be the best cause' the vehicle would stay locked.