viper 5901, canmax400dei on ’07 rdx

Hi everyone! I recently purchased the above-mentioned products for my RDX and had them installed at Bestbuy. When I was looking up for a module for the viper, I checked xpresskit.com for a compatible module that will work with viper 5901 and my car ( Compatibility wizard). The wizard showed Canmax400 and Canmax400DEI as compatible with my vehicle, so I went ahead and bought it. Since I was not going to be doing the installation myself, it never occurred to me to read the installation manual, which indicates that "the doorlock will not work if the engine is operated by the remote starter" for RDX, CSX, Civic, CRV. (I still don't understand why they'd include a compatibility issue in the installation manual instead of product specifications.) Anyway, so bestbuy installed the viper and the canmax400dei for me, and told me that doorlock doesn't work when I went back to pick up the car. So right now I have to r/start engine, disarm using remote, then unlock the door manually with key. Does anyone have any experience with this and know a way to work around it? I called Directed and they weren't being too friendly. They basically told me to just do a hard-wire the door lock. Would this be a very troublesome procedure that requires taking and re-assembling many parts? If it's as simple as hooking up a wire or two I'm thinking of asking bestbuy to do it for me. If it's any more than that I'm thinking of just getting another module that will actually work with RDX and viper 5901. Can anyone comment on which modules will work 100% for sure? Thank you all in advance for the help. I was referred here by one of the forum members, and I look forward to your advice/comments.

baboola wrote: (I still don't understand why they'd include a compatibility issue in the installation manual instead of product specifications.)

You're not the only one! I've been saying the same thing for years. I'm sure these companies would greatly reduce their product-return rates, as well as tech-support calls, by making their websites more clear. We profesionalls often face the same problem---a manufacturer's website with a list of various products to choose from that have a similar feature set, but no easy way to know which module makes for the easiest install or the best operation for the customer---like you, we have to read through the install guide for each one. Anyway, to your problem. I've never installed the Canmax piece, but I did read the install guide you linked to, and it appears that the installer is correct. I'm shocked they would put something like that on the market, but it does seem to be correct. Anyway, though, it should be an easy fix. I'm also surprised your installer wasn't able to figure this out on his own. It should just be a simple matter of connecting the Viper's lock (green) and unlock (blue) outputs to the corresponding lock/unlock wires in your RDX. Those wires are in one of the two wire harness bundles that are above the driver's kick panel (where your left foot is while driving); these wires come in from the driver's door. NOTES: --No matter what you do, the factory RDX remote isn't going to work while the remote starter is running. --You're no longer going to have driver's-priority unlocking...that is, all five doors of your SUV are going to unlock on the first press of the Viper transmitter. --The Viper does have the necessary outputs to do driver's-priority unlocking, but a relay and extra labor are required.

Thanks for the quick reply guys. I meant that the viper remote is unable to unlock the doors after I use it to remote start the engine. I will check with bestbuy guys to see if they can do the wire2wire as you suggested. Doesn't seem like it's too much of a job for them to do. Hopefully it's an easy fix they can finish in just minutes. And I'm not too concerned about driver's-priority unlock because I usually end up pressing unlock multiple times on factory keyfob to make sure i did unlock the doors anyway I do have a quick question though. Would it be easier to do the wire2wire as suggested? Or to simply install an XK01 on top of the Canmax400DEI to handle the doors? I have read that people use PKH34 to handle the transponder bypass and XK01 to handle the doors. Link. I never really understood why 2 modules were necessary in that TL cuz I thought that either unit is capable of unlocking as well as bypassing transponder. But I guess it wouldn't be such a bad idea in my case where the Canmax fails to do one of its supposed functions.

No, they are separate modules with specific functions. All late model cars will require a bypass module of some kind. Door lock modules are not required, but in many cases make it an easier installation when the car has a bus system. In the TL, if you don't use a door module you have to get into the door panel to direct wire the door wires to the alarm. Running the wires out of the door is a major PITA in that car, hence most folks opt for using a door lock module for that car. The canmax is a combo unit that does both the bypass function and door lock function (via the car's bus) in a single module. There are a few other combo modules (I think the Fortin Blades are combo modules).

joebubba wrote: No, they are separate modules with specific functions. All late model cars will require a bypass module of some kind. Door lock modules are not required, but in many cases make it an easier installation when the car has a bus system. In the TL, if you don't use a door module you have to get into the door panel to direct wire the door wires to the alarm. Running the wires out of the door is a major PITA in that car, hence most folks opt for using a door lock module for that car. The canmax is a combo unit that does both the bypass function and door lock function (via the car's bus) in a single module. There are a few other combo modules (I think the Fortin Blades are combo modules).

so in my case would you recommend installing an XK01 on top of the Canmax (since canmax can't unlock rdx's doors)? Or directly wire to wire since as Chris Luongo suggested, the wires are under the kick panel as opposed to being in the door? Thanks a lot for the input guys. I'm starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel here. I can't wait to have the viper working 100%.

No. Why spend the extra money if only connecting two wires from the viper will solve the problem? Also, I'm not sure it would even work. You already have a door lock module docked to the viper. Adding a concurrently active door lock module sending signals to the bus at the same time may cause strange things to happen, maybe not. I'm not even sure the D2D plug on the viper is still active when you have another module internally docked as is the canmax400dei. I'd take it back to Best Buy and ask them for a good will fix. It shouldn't take them 30 minutes to fix this.

okay. thanks for the advice. I will talk to the bestbuy guys and will keep you guys posted.

Hi guys, got a quick question again. How much work is involved in connecting viper to control defroster and turbo timer? The installer promised me he'd do the turbo timer, but I'd like to have the defroster enabled too if it's not too much trouble for him. Thanks in advance for your response!

Turbo timer should be easy. The H1/10 wire needs to receive a "ground when running" signal and the turbo mode needs to be programmed to on, and the turbo run time need to be programmed. Probably about 30 minutes labor. Rear defog may be easy or a bit involved. On my Acura TL, the signal from the switch is a bus signal, so wiring behind the switch wouldn't work. I assume the RDX is probably the same way. So I'm guessing they will either have to run a trigger wire to the coil of your rear defog relay or run a separate power wire (with in-line fuse)to the rear defog power wire beyond the relay and install a separate relay. (The relay is probably in the engine compartment). The defog circuit on my TL is 40A, so I had to use 10 gauge wire from the battery through the firewall to the relay with an in-line 40A fuse near the battery. I used the blue wire (pin 5 of the remote start auxillary output harness) to trigger the coil of the extra relay (I put the relay in the left kick panel). I programmed the output on that wire to latched (turns on the defog for 10 minutes when activated from remote). Probably about 1 hour labor plus $10 for the relay.