3 Ignition Wires, remote start

hi, i'm trying to install a remote starter to my 1996 Dodge Caravan.  I've gotten the wiring diagram for my car and it says that i have 3 ignition wires but my remote starter only comes prepared for 2 ignition wires.  Am i supposed to use a relay? and how would i wire the relay? thanks

ishinc

Hi ishinc, use the second ignition output from your remote start to energize the coils of two relays to supply 12V+ to the second and third ignition leads respectively in your vehicle.

the12volt

...connect the second ignition output from your remote start to #85 on each relay, connect 12V+ to #87 on each relay, connect #86 to ground on each relay, on the first relay connect #30 to the second ignition lead in your vehicle,  and on the second relay connect #30 to the third ignition lead in your vehicle.

the12volt

thanks for the help! i think i am almost ready to do it.  another question is which 12V positive do i use? do i just wire one from the battery? or do i just use the one bundled with my ignition wires?

ishinc

The relays serve 2 puposes, 1) It ensures each ignition wire is getting enough current(up to 30 amps each) , 2) They keep each wire isolated from each other.

Are you refering to the 12V wire from the additional relay? if so, you can use the power in the steering column harness(Use a fuse holer w/30 amp fuse).

If you are refering to the 12v supply to your remote start unit, I recommend using the battery for power (Use a fuse of course).

Hope this helps.

thanks install_tech, to see if i fully understand this....

so i shouldn't use the 12v supply from the harness to power my remote starter unit and get the 12v directly from the battery.

Next, off the unit, the ignition wire should be split, then use 2 relays for the 2nd and 3rd ignition wires on the harness, for each of the relays i can get the 12v from the harness. right? why do i need a fuse? isn't that wire fused already?   

next! i bought some 40amp relays, is that okay to use?

thank u!!!

ishinc

Hey ishinc;

install_tech was referring to fusing your main power wire coming off the battery not the ignition wire for the 2nd and 3 rd  relays. If you haven't already fused this wire then you will need to as this will prevent any damage happening to your vehicles electrical system and a 20 cent fuse is cheaper than a $ 500 BCM or $ 1200 ECM  The 40 amp relays are good as well if you want to use them for the installation.

Here's what I have for the 1996 Dodge Caravan, hope this information helps you out:

Thanks jeff! this will come in very handy!

3.3L & 3.8L Tach Wire Is GRAY/RED, DARK BLUE/TAN And RED / YELLOW At PCM (Each Wire Is A 2 Cylinder Signal).

what is the PCM? how would i attach the tach wire if there is 3? thanks!

ishinc

You did not tell us what remote car starter that you were installing, but most car starters have a auto tach learning feature that all you will need to do is attach your TACH wire form the RS to one of the 3 wireslisted in the diagram. The PCM is the power control module or ignition coil. It will be easy to find because it is near your distributor and if once you find all three of these wires, you know you have it.

thanks alot for all the help!

i am installing a omega au-rec-4lx remote starter!!

Any else i should know about this?

The info I have on that truck shows just one ignition wire and one accessory...... two ignition wires are very possible...... but I've never heard of any Chrysler product of that vintage having three accessory wires.

There's no need to go to the battery for power.  Get all of your constant power from the thick pink/black at the steering column.

|       ITEM      |     WIRE COLOR     |POL|       WIRE LOCATION        |
|              12V|red or pink/black   |+  |ignition harness            |
|          STARTER|yellow or blu/yel   |+  |ignition harness            |
|         IGNITION|dk. blue            |+  |ignition harness            |
|        ACCESSORY|BLACK/ orange        |+  |ignition harness            |
|       POWER LOCK|ORANGE / purple       |5wi|light blue plug in          |
|     POWER UNLOCK|pink/purple         |5wi|drivers kick panel          |
| PARKING LIGHTS +|BLACK / YELLOW        |   |yellow plug drivers kick    |
|       HEADLIGHTS|lt. green           |+  |steering column             |
|     DOOR TRIGGER|yellow              |-  |same as park lights         |
| DOME SUPERVISION|use door trigger    |   |                            |
|       TACHOMETER|gry/blk, blk/gry    |   |ignition coil *1            |
|       BRAKE WIRE|WHITE/ brown         |+  |brake pedal switch          |
|     HORN TRIGGER|dk. GREEN/ red *2    |+  |relay at fuse box           |
|           WIPERS|RED / yellow          |+  |wiper switch                |
|  LF WINDOW UP/DN|lt. blue - white    |A  |drivers door switch         |
|  RF WINDOW UP/DN|brn/wht - pur/wht   |A  |drivers door switch         |

Notes:
*1 Also located as gray/blue at large plug through firewall on driver's side at highest point of firewall, also gray/blue at cluster.  *2 Also BLACK/ red (-) at column or relay.

thanks for all your help!

my next question is. do i really need to connect to all 3 ignitions? i just need the a/c/heater to work, i don't care if the radio, wipers, and cruise to work or not. do you guys know what each of the ignition/accessory wires do? thanks

Ish

IF you have 2 ignition wires it is important that you connect both as the second ignition may control the transmission computer and if this is not energized, you may damage your transmission as well, in some GM's if the second ignition wire is not hooked up you get a check engine light on the dash.

Hey, I gave you the wrong tech information!  I'm terribly sorry; that is for an older Caravan.  (This is a good example of why you always test each wire.  Use what we tell you as a guide, but don't hook stuff up blindly; always verify first.)

Here's the correct information for a 1996 Caravan. 

Blue is igniton; mandatory hookup. 

BLACK/ orange is second ignition, and also powers the heater; mandatory hookup. 

BLACK/ white supplies the radio, wipers, power windows, et cetera.  Don't hook it up.  You wouldn't want the radio to disturb your neighbors early in the morning.

|       ITEM      |     WIRE COLOR     |POL|       WIRE LOCATION        |
|              12V|red                 |+  |ignition harness            |
|          STARTER|yellow              |+  |ignition harness            |
|         IGNITION|blue                |+  |ignition harness            |
|  SECOND IGNITION|BLACK/ orange        |+  |ignition harness            |
|        ACCESSORY|BLACK/ white *1      |+  |ignition harness            |
|       POWER LOCK|WHITE/ green         |*2 |left plug at bottom of fuse |
|     POWER UNLOCK|same wire           |*2 |box under cover (1 of 3)    |
|       LOCK MOTOR|BROWN / white         |   |*3                          |
|     UNLOCK MOTOR|BLACK/ pink          |   |*3                          |
|    DISARM DEFEAT|violet/white        |   |*3                          |
| PARKING LIGHTS +|do NOT use          |   |                            |
| PARKING LIGHTS -|grn/wht or grn/red  |   |at light switch *4          |
|       HEADLIGHTS|lt. GREEN/ orange    |-  |at light switch             |
|     DOOR TRIGGER|BROWN / lt. green *5  |-  |dome light on/off sw.       |
|  TRUNK/HATCH PIN|tied in with doors  |   |                            |
|         HOOD PIN|pink/black          |-  |underhood light             |
|  FCTRY ALARM ARM|arms with lock      |   |                            |
|FCTRY ALRM DISARM|disarms with unlock |   |                            |
| DISARM NO UNLOCK|see directfax #1081 |   |                            |
|       TACHOMETER|gray or gray/red    |   |ignition coil               |
|       BRAKE WIRE|WHITE/ tan           |+  |brake switch                |
|     HORN TRIGGER|BLACK/ red           |-  |steering column             |
|           WIPERS|pink/purple         |-  |steering column             |
|  LF WINDOW UP/DN|lt. green - white   |A  |drivers door switch         |
|  RF WINDOW UP/DN|brown - purple      |A  |drivers kick panel          |
|  LR WINDOW UP/DN|dk. blue - red      |A  |drivers kick panel          |
|  RR WINDOW UP/DN|gray - dk. green    |A  |drivers kick panel          |

Notes:
*1 Not required for remote start.  *2 Use relays and set up for negative trigger.  Place a 4020 ohm resistor inline on the lock output, and a 665 ohm resistor inline on the unlock output.  If you don't have a factory security system use a 1500 ohm for lock and a 250 ohm for unlock.   *3 The door lock motor wires are located in the top left plug at the relay/fuse box under the drivers side of the dash.   *4 If the van has "auto lamps", see direct fax document # 1080  *5 For dome light supervision, use BROWN / white at the dome light on/off switch on the dash.

thanks!!! you guys are extremely helpful

this really clarifys things because since my remote starter already has 2 ignitons i don't need a extra relay.

next, i was reading the notes in the above post and why do i need resisors inline the lock and unlock. do i really need it?

finally, will my keyless entry still work when my car is remote started? i read some posts and they say the factory keyless is disabled when engine is started. true?

thanks

Hey Guys, The Diagram in the  Message by Velocity Motors on  May 24, 2002 at 3:18 AM  is the one you need to use. The 16 gauge DARK GREEN/ RED wire must me connected as a 2nd ignition or the Check engine light will stay on and the electronic transmission will give you problems when shifting.

Hope this helps.

next, i was reading the notes in the above post and why do i need resisors inline the lock and unlock. do i really need it?

 The single wire lock/unlock system of the Dodge requires resistors to activate the function of lock & unlock via one wire. Look at my post from May 24, 2002 at 3:18 AM   and use the resistor values along with this wiring diagram for the relays : https://www.the12volt.com/doorlocks/page2.asp#dc

finally, will my keyless entry still work when my car is remote started? i read some posts and they say the factory keyless is disabled when engine is started. true?

Your keyless entry will still work if the remote starter has started the vehicle unless you took out the OEM keyless entry module?

thanks

since my remote starter is a add on to my oem keyless entry. that means i don't have to put in resistors into my keyless wires, correct? thanks!

thanks for all the help!

Yes, that is correct. If you are using the OEM remote control then you are using the OEM keyless entry module.

thanks everybody!

Does anybody know where my oem keyless/alarm brain is? also a while back i when i lock my doors the horn would honk once.  but it was turned off. does anybody know how to turn it back on?

thanks

ish

I make it a habit that before doing ANYTHING on any vehicle to roll down one window. When I firsted started installing professionally my boss was showing off the first remote start we did and he locked the keys in it. DOH!

Ive never had a problem using the B+ at the ignition switch (except with crimestoppers starts) if the start you are using has a seperate B+ feed for the ignition and accessory outs...use the RED B+ at the switch for the ignition and the PINK/BLACK B+ at the switch for accessory (heat) and start. Mixing these will overload the ignition feed when the blower is set on high. Otherwise its a simple install.

Good luck!