general remote start

Perhaps someone can give some more info on Remote Starters. Basic alarm systems and obvious connections like + and - are fairly straight forward. What seems to be complicated is the "multiple ignition, battery and starter" connections. For example most RS system instructions point to connections for Battery Ignition Starter Some are done via relays and some with internal brain module relays. I assume without the RS the normal system current goes from the Battery - Ignition - Starter which in turn starts the engine. Complication starts when vehicles have more then one starter, ignition or battery wire that needs connection. So I assume that if a vehicle has (2) starter wires we need to connect power (battery) from the RS module to both starter wires. One can be directly through a module (RS Brain) that has interior relays and the second can be done via an outside relay. That covers the starter. Now the ignition, one wire can go via the interior relay of the RS module. The other via a relay? So am I assuming I always need to make both connections, both starter wires and both ignition wires? BASICALLY MY QUESTION IS: So when using a Remote start system (with vehicle with dual starter and dual ignition wires) do I need to connect BOTH Ignition wires and BOTH Starter wires? I understand this to be true for the starter but not the ignition? Also what is the basic procedure for Remote Starting? You make sure the parking brake is on, the transmission is in Park. Then you activate the RS from a distance which starts the car. My question is when you get to the car and it's running, the ignition switch (key not in ignition) is not on and no key in the ignition. You then want to get in the car and drive off since the motor is already running. So do you just put your key in and turn the ignition to on (not all the way to start) and put it in drive and go? Or does the system shut down first when you put it in drive? Just wondering how Remote start actually works once it's installed? And what you're suppose to do when you get to the car with the engine running and want to drive off? Do you turn it off and then re-start with the key? Sorry for such a simple or stupid question. Thanks

OK, thanks for the info. In a nutshell, both starter wires and both ignition wires (if your vehicle has more then one starter or ignition wire circuit ) need be used to get a remote starter system to work properly. When using the the system and remote starting you must (when you arrive at the car with the motor running) insert your key and turn to "run position not start" to drive away. Inserting the key stops the engine from shutting down when the foot brake is depressed while in the RS mode.

One of the finest most intelligent question and answer posts I've ever seen. Congrats to you both; now let's stumble over transponders, turbo timers etc! Joking aside, what's key sence? I see it mentioned but no one this side of the pond appears to have heard of it. The comment arises because yesterday I alarmed a Mk IV Golf (Jetta) with no air or power windows. Instead of having to go into the driver's door to pickup lock/unlock close, I puled lock and unlock from a control module adjacent to steering column (right hand drive) and this gave me alarm deadlock/unlock with (factory) door LED flashing AND ignition  lock/unlock without deadlocking. Wish I could do that all the time!

key sensing? If I am not mistaken, I think it has to do with passlock and other anti theft systems. I know my car has passlock and if someone tried to hot wire my car, it wont start. In other words, you need the correct key to start it. And when installing a remote start in a vehicle that has something like this, you need to purchase a bypass module for it (i know your car would need one). And all this does is make the car "think" that their is a key in the ignition when you remote start it. Just correct me If I am wrong.

To audioman, thanks for your comment but I think key sence (sense?) is different from from transponder systems, I think it simply overrides the locking system such that some vehicles e.g. Toyotas won't lock with key in ignition unless you ground it. With a transponder you can't simply cut or loop or bridge wires, this will f***k the engine management. (So much for gone in 60 secs. the only right thing about that movie was obtaining keys from a villainous stores manager!) You have to emulate the key in the ignition, hence 556U etc.

As far as I know, on certain models like late bmw's you would have to use key sense on the 556u.  The golf is pretty cool that you didnt have to go to the door but its a pain in the behind for those panels.  like 3 million tork screws.  For proper integration the "key" to it is to simulate exactly what the key does while turned on the run position.  For that reason the starter connection and IGN connections are a must.  Only thing I can adivse for installing any remote start/alarm system is to plan out the install and see what wire are a must for the car and tech tips.  Plus now a days its getting easier to integrate into cars because of CAN systems.  An earlier post about the 07 jetta howie mentioned the clifford CAN whicn connects directly to the alarm.  You would still connect your relay pack(DEI) but is safer and easier.

The problem is that that's the first Golf IV without power windows and was a 1.4! It looks like "they" are deserting the '95 Civic! Privately I think since DEI took over Clifford build quality has gone backwards. In UK Italian opposition has Can conversion for a multitude of manufacturers rather than VW (We haven't seen GM/Honda yet). If like me you have a late model laptop with only USB, where is the Wizard USB lead? Why are the door/hood/trunk contact leads so sensitive? I'm sick of diode blocking everything going back to a body computor so the shutdown(sleep/wakeup) circuits don't trigger the alarm and as for the terrible lock outputs on concept models the less said the better. N.B. If we think VW is hard you should try the Audi equivalent, every panel is a little bit nastier and as for getting at ignition loom-ha ha. Then try a Peugeot every 3 weeks they change the colour codes or lock triggering system. Then there is Alfa Romeo, one panel =2 xt20 torx, 1 Phillips and 1 posi!

And all this time I thought the "Keysense" wire was a wire that showed current when an ACTUAL KEY was in the ignition. Thus the name KEY SENSE, or sensing a key.