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problems with remote car starter failures


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zippywonder 
Member - Posts: 5
Member spacespace
Joined: December 07, 2007
Location: Connecticut, United States
Posted: December 07, 2007 at 8:33 AM / IP Logged  

I have had 2 remote car starters installed on my 2002 Chevy Tracker (4wd, 4 cyl) within the past 2 weeks.  Both with the same problem, which leads me to believe it may be with the truck or something the installers have missed.  The first starter was a RAZ 5, the second, I'm unsure of, though the keychain button says Ultra. 

Bit of background info that may or may not be relevant.  Last year I had just the keyless entry (factory install).  One cold winter day at work, I started my truck with my key and took the button off the keychain and brought it inside with me after locking the doors.  When I returned to my truck, the doors would not unlock, even after changing the battery.  After I smashed the window (to get inside my running vehicle) and returned home from work, the buttons worked again.  I took a hammer to the button out of frustration.

So, this year, to prevent anymore smashed windows, I decided to install a remote car stater, with keyless entry.  This was done by a reputable company that offers lifetime warranty.  It worked great for the first 3 days.  On the fourth day, I hit to button to start the truck, and nothing.  No lights, no trying to start, no clicking, even the door lock and unlock buttons would not work.  The led buttons were not lit up, even though my doors were locked. Despite my temptation to get the hammer out, I brought it back to the shop.  They thought it was a defective Hood Pin.  Replaced that and it worked great for another 5 days.  Same thing.  After I manually start the truck and run it for a while, the remote starter will then again work.  But if I leave the car off for long periods of time, the remote starter will not work, but not always.  Sometimes I can leave the car off for hours at a time and it will work.  It's possessed.  I brought it back to the shop and they replaced the whole system.  The guy tried to tell me that I was holding the button down too long.   I tested his theory and held down the button continously until the car started.  So his theory is out the window.  Even with the new system, its having the same problem, but this "better" system is worse then the first. 

It always starts when I bring it into the shop.  I keep trying to tell them, of course, the car is still warm, it's going to start.  It's when it's been sitting for extended periods of time that it gives me heartache.  What could be causing this?  And how do I go about figuring out this problem?  The trucks dealership will not diagnios the problem until I remove the remote start, and the shop that installed this thinks I'm nuts.  If it is my truck, what would cause this?  Bad ground, electrical?   Is there maybe something about my truck that they may have overseen?  What should I tell them to look for when I bring it back?  The hammer is sounding very good right now, because my head is getting tired of banging it against the wall.  I have no idea how it's hooked up, as I know nothing about cars.  Sorry this is so long, I tend to ramble.

perly 
Copper - Posts: 155
Copper spacespace
Joined: April 24, 2004
Location: Canada
Posted: December 07, 2007 at 9:17 AM / IP Logged  
From what I understand it sounds like a cold solder somewhere. Because if it will not start when the truck is cold but it starts fine after the truck has been on for a while(ie warmed up) then I would definatley be thoroughly looking over the install for a cold solder somewhere(on one of the main wires ie 12v, ign, or starter - or even on the bypass wires)
As far as the factory keyless not working it could be like most imports where if the vehicle is turned on then the factory key faub is disabled. i know that some American cars or not affected by it but maybe yours is.
Regardless of the problem the shop needs to fix your problem or offer to take it completely out and give you a full refund and then you can try some place else.
splaudio 
Copper - Posts: 237
Copper spacespace
Joined: January 22, 2006
Posted: December 07, 2007 at 5:44 PM / IP Logged  
sounds like a bad tach learned. when they tach learn it tell them to turn on the heat,radio,headlights...
peterubers 
Silver - Posts: 706
Silver spaceThis member has made a donation to the12volt.com. Click here for more info.spacespace
Joined: December 29, 2006
Location: United States
Posted: December 07, 2007 at 7:22 PM / IP Logged  

You currently have an Ultrastart remote starter unit... and your hoodpin could not have been defective b/c if it was ... then you would have gotten a series of parking light flashes when you attempted to remote start the vehicle -- and based on your above information, you did not get that ... "no lights, no clicking, no starting...."

Sounds very fishy.... if it is voltage-sense, the ultra starters are pretty crappy under about 25 degrees farenheit... you need to make sure it's tach-learned ... and when and if it is, the Ultrastarter is a pretty bullet-proof unit (i.e. 1270TL and higher current generation units)

The search function is your friend.
zippywonder 
Member - Posts: 5
Member spacespace
Joined: December 07, 2007
Location: Connecticut, United States
Posted: December 08, 2007 at 6:06 AM / IP Logged  
Thank you all for your advise.  They said yesterday it may possibly be my car battery, because it's reading low on the meter.  I know it's time for a new battery, and it certainly can't hurt anything but my wallet. Around my neck of the woods, the battery the truck calls for is dealer item. But I'm also going to ask them to try and re tach learn it and see if that helps.  Sometimes, when you go into a shop and you talk like you know the game, you seem to get a bit more help.  Shouldn't have to be this way, but what can the little guy do. I've started a log to see if I can pinpoint something that causes the no starts, but I can't pinpoint anything.  I'm going to try and put more info on the log, like did I leave the heat on, radio on, ect.  There has to be something triggering the no starts.  My heart tells me a loose connection somewhere.  I think what I may end up doing is taking it to another shop for a look over.  Sometimes a fresh pair of eyes can see something the others can't.  I know that's how it goes when I work on computers, sometimes it's the little things that trip me up.
Chris Luongo 
Platinum - Posts: 3,746
Platinum spaceThis member consistently provides reliable informationspace
Joined: May 21, 2002
Location: Massachusetts, United States
Posted: December 08, 2007 at 5:09 PM / IP Logged  
That hoodpin sounds like they misdiagnosed it.
You say that when it doesn't work, you get NOTHING at all, no doorlocks, no attempt to start, nothing?
---If it was a tachometer issue, the unit would at least attempt to start, and then fail.
---If the hoodpin "thought" that the hood was open, not only would you get multiple light flashes like peterubers said, but the keyless features would still work.
---Towing companies can easily unlock cars without smashing windows.
---Like others have said, that's a Japanese vehicle, so it's no surprise that the factory remote didn't work while the engine was running.
Do these problems always happen in the same place? It's very, very rare, but there are certain places.......I don't know if it's radio waves in the air or something.....but the remotes just don't work.
I do remember one customer who had the same complaint you did. We replaced remotes, alarm brains, checked over the whole install........finally she figured out that it was only at her workplace that the remotes wouldn't work........we installed something completely different, and all was well after that.
I would definitely make sure that the shop clearly understands what you said, that there's ZERO response when the problem happens.................they should be checking out the antenna, the antenna cable, the remotes, and maybe the remote-start brain itself.
Also, you did get two remotes, right? Next time it happens, try the other remote.....it's possible that just one is bad.
zippywonder 
Member - Posts: 5
Member spacespace
Joined: December 07, 2007
Location: Connecticut, United States
Posted: December 08, 2007 at 10:21 PM / IP Logged  

Both remotes will not work.  Happens in different places.  They thought it may have been the hoodpin because the truck would remotely start with the hood open.  But that just confirms my fear of a loose connection.  But wheter it's a loose connection due to their work, or a loose connection on something that's connected that was there previously to them installing the RS.  I don't park on a hill. 

I know Trackers aren't a very popular truck.  Maybe there is something about the truck that would make an install different than most normal vehicles that we may be overlooking.  I'm just trying to turn over every stone before giving up.  I just wish I can pinpoint exactly what causes it to not start, or make any attempt at anything.

The radio is not hooked up to the starter.  So when the truck remotely starts, the radio will not come on until I turn the key.  The heater and blower operates when remotely started.  The headlights are always on in my car (which makes hiding in a dark alley with the truck running impossible).  My inside lights will stay on for 60 seconds after shutting the doors.  If a door is accidently left ajar, the lights will automatically turn off after a certain amount of time.  No other changes has been made to the truck since the factory.  All original parts except for brakes and rotors , regular maintaince items ,and power window motor.  No alarm system.  (At this point in time, I'd probably be estatic if someone stole it) Not sure if it has any type of anti-theft like a passkey or anything,  I know it doesn't have those keys with the chip in it.

Chris Luongo 
Platinum - Posts: 3,746
Platinum spaceThis member consistently provides reliable informationspace
Joined: May 21, 2002
Location: Massachusetts, United States
Posted: December 09, 2007 at 9:33 AM / IP Logged  
Hmm, that is weird.
But it sounds like you're giving them all the information they could need to troubleshoot the problem, which is great. Many customers just say "it doesn't work sometimes" and can't provide any details, making troubleshooting very difficult.
When the shop switched you to a different brand, I wonder if they 100% did everything over, or just quickly connected the wires from the Ultra, to the wires from the RAZ unit that was already in there. How fast did they make the switch? I'm curious.
(You may not know, but virtually all remote starters use different wiring harnesses........you can't just unplug a RAZ and plug in an Ultra......it all has to be done over.
But someone who's in a hurry might just snip all the wires close to the RAZ brain, attach butt connectors, and connect the Ultra's new wires to the RAZ's old ones. And this means that if the original RAZ install had a poor connection to the car, it didn't get fixed.)
If you were my customer, I would say it's time to ask you to leave the car for a day, so there's no pressure to do it in a hurry.........I would 100% un-install the entire system, including un-doing all connections........and then start from scratch, with all new wiring, in no hurry, and do it all over.
And again, that hoodpin deal sounds like they're either not listening, or listening but not understanding, or not asking you enough questions............you've clearly said that when the system fails, you get no response from either remote whatsoever........that's PERFECT, because they should know where to start looking.
They SHOULD have began by replacing the antenna, the antenna cable, and maybe the brain and both remotes for good measure..........the hoodpin deal was definitely the wrong path.
I know most professional installers haven't worked on a lot of Trackers, but (electrically speaking) it's a simple, basic vehicle.
Also, I think if you set the parking brake before starting the engine, the daytime running lights won't come on.
zippywonder 
Member - Posts: 5
Member spacespace
Joined: December 07, 2007
Location: Connecticut, United States
Posted: December 11, 2007 at 7:03 AM / IP Logged  

Reading over my logs, I have found one thing to be consistant.  The only thing that is the same when the truck fails to start (do anything) is the weather.  It seems anytime it's 25 degrees or below, it fails to start.   Someone here mentioned that Ulra's have a bad rep for not working in cold weather?  Is that true, and is there anything that can be done about it?  Soon it will always be below 25.  This is the time of year I really want it to work.  Who wants to scrape a windsheild? 

xtremej 
Gold - Posts: 1,440
Gold spaceThis member has made a donation to the12volt.com. Click here for more info.spacespace
Joined: February 24, 2006
Location: United States
Posted: December 11, 2007 at 11:07 AM / IP Logged  
the ultras work fine in 25 degree or less weather when then tach lead is hooked up and its programmed properly. I am leaning towards installation error. I have a worked on a few of those and they are very straight forward easy installs.
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