OK, I've been reading here and through google until I'm numb and I still don't know the best way to do this.
From what I've read, if I use the BLACK/ blue domelight wire as the trigger for my doors, the alarm WILL NOT ARM AND PROTECT THE DOORS for 20 seconds after I close them because the stupid truck keeps the domelight on that long. This is NOT acceptable in any way, I've been hearing stories about people watching for this in parking lots and cracking doors before the alarm arms. For this reason, I need to use INDIVIDUAL DOOR TRIGGERS.
I purchased the DEI 452D diode module so I can do the individual door triggers without messing with diodes (I prefer circuit board mounted, those leads on diodes just seem to like to break on me). This module will be here Tuesday and I'm positive it will handle the door trigger issue just fine with respect to "no delay after arming". Considering the issues I had with an intermittant domelight in my last truck, it makes me more comfortable to know that the individual doors are covered for that reason as well.
So what's the problem...I read in another post on this site that when using the individual door triggers it becomes a problem to keep the alarm in programming mode. Since programming mode requires a door open the entire time, and since the ford ONLY PULSES + ON THE DOOR TRIGGER WIRES FOR 5-10 SECONDS (whatever the time, it's short)...HOW DO I GET INTO AND STAY IN PROGRAMMING MODE? Do I have to wire in a switch of some kind to fool it into thinking the door is staying open (there has to be a better way)??? I suppose I could jumper the dome light to the door trigger with a switch so that if the switch accidentally got left on it would still "mostly function properly", but again, that doesn't seem like the right way.
I have tried to find ways to reprogram the GEM/VSM so that the domelight just goes off when I arm the alarm...no luck. I found a post on this site that said to pulse ground on 2 wires in the "C" connector of the VSM (red and yellow) which would simulate pushing the last 2 buttons on the keypad and shut the domelight off, but since my truck never had that option the VSM isn't programmed for it (and it left me wondering how I'd disarm the factory system if it did work).
This is the one and only area of this installation that is causing me problems, I just don't know how to get around either the 20 second domelight delay or the fact that the stock door triggers only stay active for 5-10 seconds (verified several times on my truck just to be sure). My preference is to stay with individual door triggers and just leave the domelight alone.
HHHEEEELLLLLPPPP!!!!!!!
Thanks a TON!
Dennis