AstroStart Defect

I'm back !!!! My AstroStart R/S worked fine for 8 days then started acting up & now died. I had to unplug the unit, just to be able to start the car. I think this unit is defective & it's only a year old. I think I'm going to look at buying something better. Manufactured Oct.\03CementBrain

Define acting up, and died . . .

It started on the 8th day(worked fine till then): when I remote started it, it worked no problem. When I took over with the key, heater quit,(was midnight). The next day, I was going to pick up a friend, and the remote start just flashed the lights and that's it. When I tried to start the car with the key, it wouldn't start either, just crank, so I unpluged the R/S and the car fired right up. Now I don't know what to do with it. It's been a real headache.CementBrain

Check your connections & don't give upMO

Don't Learn from Others Mistakes

You Might Be the One That Knows.

blown fuse, perhaps? Gus Wherever I go, that is where I end up......

CementBrain, At this point I would have to really suspect the installation. And how it was done. How did you affix the wires to the vehicle?? If you crimped anything during the installation process, I would urge you to do the tried and true method of tug and pull. Anything which comes out with as little as 2 lbs of force, is something you need to consider changing your installation process. Tried and true method is strip, poke, and solder the connections to the target wire. Follow up the process with 3M 33 Speed tape and wrap all the primary and secondary ignition wires with multiple wraps of tape to replicate what was there before. As Gus1 and Mo12V have already stated. Check the basics first. The unit will not work for 8 days and simply die from a unit defect. It happens, but it is rare. I would urge you to go over every connection again. You will find that something is either loose, shorted, broken open, or otherwise not affixed securely to their respective target points. Break out the DMM, and have good light and a fresh brain with alot of Ice Cap, and go at it again. Regards EVIL Teken . . .

Tried and true method is strip, poke, and solder the connections to the target wire. Follow up the process with 3M 33 Speed tape and wrap all the primary and secondary ignition wires with multiple wraps of tape to replicate what was there before. This is exactly the way I connected everything. It is all poked and soldered, with heat shrink and taped. All connection where tuged on, with more than 2lbs, all solid. Fuses all check out. I'm troubleshooting the R/S unit in my shop.CementBrain

I dont know the Astro brand at all, but I would ask you to check inside for any signs of burnt traces, or blown resistors, diodes, etc. Simple visual and smell test will let you know what is going on. Ensure you turn the unit over to see both sides of the unit PCB board. Once again, assume nothing, and follow the basics first. Is there power to the unit?, is your bypass module still operating, learnt, and powered? Start from the engine bay area first, verify the primary connections first, then the ignition(s), and so on. If at the end of the day it is the unit, then buy something else, and move on. Bottom line is that the next install you will have learnt very well as to what wire goes where, and what not to do. Cheer up, if money can fix a problem. Then it isnt really a problem. If money cant fix the problem, then Sir, you definately have a real problem. Life lesson 101 . . . Regards EVIL Teken . . .

These lessons R killin' me...........MO

Don't Learn from Others Mistakes

You Might Be the One That Knows.

And, when all else fails... there are people who get paid to do this for a living.... we don't charge much. Here's the way I put it to customers when they are hell bent on doing it themselves..... "Your time is also worth money... let's take a rough figure of $7/hr (minimum wage-ish for fun). You have spent maybe 10-15 hrs of your time to put this unit in. This is not including x number of hour doing the research, etc. Taking the high figure... $105 worth of your time, plus the time without a vehicle, and so on. Most shops, you are looking at around $150 to put in this unit. It will take them roughly 1.5hrs(realistically). You will have an installation warranty, and if something goes wrong, we can fix it." I'm not trying to come across as a d*ck or anything, however, some things are just best left to the people that do it for a living. Gus Wherever I go, that is where I end up......