ex-installer needs help-97 explorer

Hey Folks, great site..

Trying to install a Crimestopper RS900ER remote starter in a 97 explorer / mountaineer (the same right?).  I used to do installs in the early 90's, but I am hopelessly out of date (and a bit rusty).  Here is my question - the remote starter has connections for OEM DISARM, and OEM ARM.  The wiring diagrams all list a green / purple in the drivers kick for the OEM DISARM (which I found, but Im not sure is right), but what about ARM?  I want to interface the remote starter with the OEM keyless entry, so that I only have to use the remote starter to set the alarm and work the doors.

Am I missing something?  Or do I need to install an alarm and ditch the OEM keyless entry?

And the OEM keyless entry system is in the rear drivers side cargo area, next to the rear washer fluid tank, right?  Is there a wire in that bundle for ARM / DISARM?

Thanks for any help!  Enjoy the holidays!

-Alex

My suggestion is to get rid of the OEM remote and use a full function alarm/remote starter. This way you get the longer range ans also you won't have to dicker around with the integration of the OEM remote control to the aftermarket starter. Here is a detailed wiring diagram for the truck:

|       ITEM      |     WIRE COLOR     |POL|       WIRE LOCATION        |
|              12V|yellow              |+  |ignition harness            |
|          STARTER|RED / lt. blue        |+  |ignition harness            |
|         IGNITION|GREEN/ purple *1     |+  |ignition harness            |
|        ACCESSORY|gray / YELLOW *1      |+  |ignition harness            |
| SECOND ACCESSORY|BLACK/ green         |+  |ignition harness            |
|       POWER LOCK|pink / YELLOW         |-  |driver's kick panel         |
|     POWER UNLOCK|pink/green          |-  |driver's kick panel         |
|       LOCK MOTOR|pink/black          |   |driver's kick panel         |
|     UNLOCK MOTOR|RED / orange          |   |driver's kick panel         |
|    DISARM DEFEAT|pink/orange *2      |   |driver's kick panel         |
| PARKING LIGHTS +|PURPLE / white *3     |   |driver's kick panel         |
| PARKING LIGHTS -|WHITE/ purple        |   |driver's kick panel         |
|       HEADLIGHTS|RED / yellow          |+  |light switch                |
|     DOOR TRIGGER|BLACK/ lt. blue *4   |+  |driver's kick panel         |
| DOME SUPERVISION|BLACK/ lt.blue       |+  |driver's kick panel         |
|  TRUNK/HATCH PIN|common with doors   |   |                            |
|         HOOD PIN|tan/lt.green        |-  |driver's kick panel         |
|  FCTRY ALARM ARM|arms on lock *5     |   |                            |
|FCTRY ALRM DISARM|dk. GREEN/ purple    |-  |driver's kick panel         |
|       TACHOMETER|tan / YELLOW          |   |PCM *6                      |
|      SPEED SENSE|gray/black          |8  |PCM *6                      |
|       BRAKE WIRE|lt.green            |+  |driver's kick, brake switch |
|     HORN TRIGGER|yellow/lt. green    |-  |steering column             |
|           WIPERS|wht & dk.blu/org *7 |+  |wiper motor or relay        |
|  LF WINDOW UP/DN|wht/blk - red       |A  |at motor in dr door         |
|  RF WINDOW UP/DN|wht/yel - tan/lt.blu|A  |sw dr door or dr kick       |
|  LR WINDOW UP/DN|gry/org - yel/lt.blu|A  |sw dr door or dr kick       |
|  RR WINDOW UP/DN|yel/blk - RED / blk   |A  |sw dr door or dr kick       |
|    POWER ANTENNA|ORANGE / lt blue      |+  |power antenna module *8     |

Notes:NOTE: Some models of this vehicle are equipped with PATS (Passive Anti Theft System). *1 Two wires each at switch, both are common, only need to power 1 each during remote start. *2 You may also use the pink/green power unlock wire. *3 Also found to be WHITE/ black at the rear of the switch. *4 To avoid the dome light delay and dome light time-out use the separate door triggers. In the drivers kick panel find yellow/black for the drivers door, lt. GREEN/ YELLOW for the drivers rear door, and WHITE/ purple for the rear hatch. In the passengers kick panel find gray/red for the passenger front door, and pink/lt. blue for the passengers rear door. All five wires are negative trigger and must be diode isolated together. *5 Arms on lock only with door open. It is necessary to send a signal to door trigger as well as lock to arm factory alarm. *6 The PCM is located at the top of the firewall towards the passenger side, the tan / YELLOW tach wire is also found at the back of the instrument cluster. *7 Also found yellow/white (-) at the firewall connector. *8 The power antenna module is in the right rear quarter panel.

Great info, thanks everyone..

That makes sense- I think I have an alarm or two kicking around, just no remotes, I can hook the Crimestooper into one, as long as it has an arm / disarm wire..right?

And if I could trigger the door pin, (pulse and trigger the dome light) I could use the OEM system, right?

What is the best way to bypass the OEM keyless entry, just unplug the unit from the harness?

Thanks Jeff, BrianH, Jworm, and nexttelonline

-Alex

I struck out with using an old alarm, the Clifford Polaris II I dug out of my box of install stuff doesn't have ARM / DISARM.

What are everyone's thoughts if I just ditch the alarm piece and just use the Crimestopper remote start to operate the doors and the remote start?

As long as I don't set the factory alarm / keyless entry with the remote, it isn't used, and I can leave it in place, right?

Thanks again!

-Alex

Not all keyless-equipped Explorers actually have a factory alarm system---you should check.  1.  Open a window.  2.  Close all doors and hood.  3.  Wait at least one minute.  4.  Reach in the open window and "break into" the car----does any alarm go off?

If it has no alarm, forget about all the disarm/rearm stuff, as it is pointless.  But if you can show your customer that all he has is keyless, he might want to buy an alarm from you---good opportunity to make a sale.

If there IS a factory alarm, pulsing the "disarm" wire while unlocking, and just before remote starting, should take care of you.  (You test the disarm wire by inserting the key in the driver's door and twisting to "unlock;" the disarm wire should show a ground.)

If you read *5 up there, you should be able to split your remote starter's lock wire with two diodes-----send one to the car's lock wire, and the other to the car's driver door trigger wire-----you'll "fool" the car into seeing an open door while it's being locked, and this should arm the alarm.

P.S.  Even if you install an aftermarket alarm for added security, it is still good technique to arm/disarm the factory alarm at the same time----two alarms are always better than one.