Allading A-2000 in a 2001 Ford Ranger Edge

First of all, you guys are great. I've been researching and familiarizing myself with the procedures for a week or so now (and practicing soldering!) and you are by far the best source of info I've found.

I'm not afraid of wiring, or trying anything for that matter as I usually research it to the point that I know exactly what I'm doing by the time I dive in (again, that's where you all came in - 4 days of reading). However, the diodes have me a bit concerned as I've never messed with them much. How do I secure them? Are the wires in question going to be in close enough proximity that I can secure them to themselves, then to my 'under dash'.  Just a bit nervous about this step and would appreciate your expertise.

Might as well slip in a freebee while I'm at it, what are your thoughts on butane versus electric soldering irons, and what kind of temps / watts should I look for.

with diodes you can use butt connectors cut a little more than half off the metal wire  and then use a butt connector on one side the diode only works one way the side witht he line (grey stripe) is the side you connect to what ever your comming from and the other side of the diode is connected to the wire your going to

ex:::    from factory alarm bypass wire on after market alarm-------diode strip side|    to factory disarm wire in car.

any help email me at aol

Hey; 2001edge

Your on the right track with solder... don't stray away from this and go to connectors, NOTHING IS A MORE PERMANENT  CONNECTION THAN SOLDER. ( if done properly ). Solder the diodes in place and you won't have to mess around with them ever again. You have to wake up the GEM for the door lock system in order for the Aladdin system to work properly for keyless entry ( as you already know ). Personally I would use the butane soldering irons because they are cordless and also the temperature is hotter than that of the corded counterparts. You won't go wrong buying a cordless butane soldering iron... gaurantee this !!

Thanks to you both, I appreciate the help.

Thanks for the extras especially Jeff!

No problem... let us know how you make out with the installation or if you need more help.

Got a little tip for the diodes and for caps too....instead of cutting the wires short, strip off about an inch or so of insulation from a scrap piece of wire and slide it onto the diode or cap wire then made your connection.  this will save a lot of waste and can reuse it if you need to change the cap or have the diode in backwards..