viper 5501 '94 volvo 850

Aside from the possible bad "Re-Furb" Viper unit, found this info that lists a second Ignition wire.  Sounds like you

already throughly checked the vehicles ignition harness properly with a DMM and would have found it.  These wire guides are usually lacking in accuracy and testing everything with a DMM is always the best way to go.

Constant 12 volts       RED   IGNITION SWITCH HARNESS

Ignition          BLUE/RED   IGNITION SWITCH HARNESS Ignition #2   BLUE / YELLOW         IGNITION SWITCH HARNESS

Starter          GREEN/ RED IGNITION SWITCH HARNESS Accessory    YELLOW/VIOLET      IGNITION SWITCH HARNESS

The Viper comes factory defaulted to Flex Relay Output ( Pink/White ) = Ignition1, so no programming required.

Another possible "dumb" thought :  Are the Vipers RED, Red, RED / White and RED / Black wires all connected to +12V

constant?

Think I would go with Tach Mode and connect to the Blue wire at the vehicles coil.  More reliable starts in all

weather conditions.

Soldering is fun!

And what does the throttle position sensor go straight to? Oh look engine management (ECU). No way could the alarm if correctly wired have done that. Why don't you try hot wiring from your connections to see if it starts, you should only need a constant feed, ignition 1 and then flash it to the starter, key out, parking brake on and vehicle in neutral. That should ascertain if your wiring is OK. You aren't getting 7 flashes are you when you try the R/S?

@Kreg - I hadn't found the second ignition so thanks for pointing that out! As far as the wires to constant...all but RED / white are as RED / white was for ignition 2 and I wasn't aware of a second ignition. I'll meter that wire and connect it. @Howie - Yes it does, however, you said damaged engine management...the engine management was fine, it was a part connected to the engine management that was faulty. Slight difference. The remote start has been wired correctly since I first connected the wires. I metered first and nothing was connected incorrectly. The only thing apparently missing is the second ignition which wouldn't have caused damage either by not being connected. Hence why I think the Viper brain is hosed.

Kreg - Just to clarify...RED / White goes to constant 12 volts and the Pink/White (Ignition 2 / Flex Relay Output) goes to the second ignition wire (Blue / YELLOW)? Thanks again guys!

Yes, that is correct for the Viper H3 harness. Soldering is fun!

When I said engine management ECU that was where to start looking and I was proven right as usual wasn't I. If there was a management problem you'd be going nowhere and I'm sure Kregg and Soundnsecurity will back me up here so don't try to score points. We gave you advice without prejudice.

If you want to get technical...No, you weren't right....the ECU was fine. AND the Viper was wired to all the correct wires in the first place (save not connecting one ignition), though I do appreciate you offering up suggestions... All that aside, since everything is wired correctly (and has been), there must have to be something messed up with the Viper brain...no?

i think you missed my point, which was that a faulty brain still wouldnt cause any physical permanent damage to the car unless something was not wired right to begin with. you missed a whole ignition wire which could have been powering up any number of vital functions like the fuel pump, ECM, BCM, etc. trying to run the engine without these can cause physical problems. if it was powering the fuel pump then that explains why your engine ran on the first try because the pump was still primed with gas, but when you tried to start it again you started having problems.

All valid points...Right now I'm just thinking that the throttle position sensor dying was a coincidence. What I forgot to mention (I apologize) is that after unplugging the negative terminal on the car for 1-2 minutes, plugging it back in and attempting remote start...the car remote started. I stopped it, and waited a 30 seconds or so and remote started it again and stopped it. Waited another 30 seconds to a minute and started it with a key, backed it up and down the drive way, pulled back into the garage and shut it off. Waited another 30 seconds or so and remote started and stopped it again without problems. I disconnected the negative terminal again for 1-2 minutes, made no wire changes, plugged it back in and the Viper brain had lost its programming. Fine, so I reprogrammed and attempted remote starting. This time it failed. Only change I made was from Manual to Automatic transmission mode. If it is my wiring, OK. If it is the Viper brain, alright. But why does it start and work fine one minute and then cause problems and do weird things the next? Also, is it normal for the Viper brain to forget its programming after losing power? The last few I've installed haven't...maybe they changed something?? Seems like not a wise thing to do, but I have no idea.

most alarms will do strange things when they lose ground but still have everything else hooked up.  so i guess its possible for it to lose programming. are you using a bitwriter to program or the valet button?