Printer Friendly Forum Posts - Post Your Ultimate Remote Start Tips, Tricks

Looking for some remote start install tips / tricks / how to's.. One I learned recently from a thread here (that most probably already know) is how to test a tach wire.. I usually use the remote start brain and put it in tach finding mode but using a DMM to find it is MUCH easier..

How to test a tach wire using a DMM - To test your tach wire with a DMM you need to set your meter to Volts AC. Then ground the negative probe.... and hook your positive probe to the suspect wire. If you read between 1 and 7 volts AC then you have the correct wire and continue with the tach learning to get it done.

How to test the factory disarm / arm wires using a DMM - Using your volt meter, connect red to 12v and black to the the suspect disarm and arm wires you want to test. With the key in the door cylinder, turn the key to unlock the doors. This wire will go to NEGATIVE (-) and the volt meter should say 11-12.4 v DC. it will tell you what wire is the proper disarm and arm wires. (I pulled this from a thread as well.. Not sure if this is a universal test or vehicle specific.)

How to test if a vehicle has a factory alarm - Open a window. Close trunk, hood, and doors. Lock doors with factory remote. Wait 30 seconds minimum. Reach inside the window, unlock the door with your hand (as if you were breaking into the car), open the door, and see if there's an alarm or not.

Anyone else??

Always test wires, even if you have a wiring diagram.

You can almost always get a tach signal from the odd-color injector wire.

lanman31337 wrote:

Always test wires, even if you have a wiring diagram.

You can almost always get a tach signal from the odd-color injector wire.

It's where I usually grab it.. Sometimes I have a hard time accessing or even finding the injectors!

1) always test wires
2) if you are too lazy to solder the wires, at least solder the tach wire.
3) make sure the unit is tucked away and wires are hidden or made to look factory
4) when wrapping with electrical tape, dont tear the tape, this causes the tape ends to peel when the weather changes. OR use 3M Scotch 33+
5) i mentoned in your honda fit thread about factory disarm and arm. not all systems are negative trigger.
6) if installing a remote start on manual car. no matter what GET A MANUAL SAFE starter or auto with DEI 689m VSS unit.
7) when placing knee kick and panels back. test to see if the buttons and things still work. Sometimes you forget to plug things back in!
8) Roll down passenger side window and leave keys on a bench or table.
9) replace the fuse from the alarm or rs with a fuse that is equal or less than what the wire is rated on the car. example if the original 12v line allows up to 20amps max, and the rs unit has 30amps, replace the 30 with 20 amps or less.

10) uhh, ill think of something and add it to number 10 :)

1. Always Use wire loom on wires running into the engine compartment.
2. Always use grommets when going through a fire wall.
3. Always route the Tach wire away from any moving parts or anything that gets hot. A grounded out tach wire will ruin the customers day and cost you a tow bill.
4.Always put the hood/trunk pin on the inside of the hood/trunk lid gasket and never cut the gasket it will cause leaks. This also keeps the pin from rusting out and causing a return.
5. Scotch locks are evil
6. If it doesn't work right the first time start over from scratch its allot easier than trying to find your mistake.(Its usually faster too)
7. Always use care when removing trim panels and use the proper tools. No customer likes marks from hook tools or broken trim panels.
8. Keep bandaids in your tool box you will probe your fingers on more than one occasion.
9. Invest in a logic probe they are gods gift to installers.

10. If it came off the car it goes back on the car (no spare parts)
11. This grants mentioning again ALWAYS ROLL DOWN THE WINDOW locking the keys in the customers car is an embarrassing mistake.
12. Get at least one slimjim incase someone forgets rule 11.
13. Something I like to do is vacuum the car when I am done
14. Finally play with the install and make sure it works like its supposed to. Its no fun to deliver a car and find out the remote start doesn't work. Or the alarm doesn't go off when you open the doors.

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When testing tach wires use a DMM that will read frequency - its much more accurate then using the AC setting and you can actually tie the reading to RPM with a little math. Also, don't forget to rev the motor to make sure the reading goes up.

Even if you don't think the car has an OEM alarm make sure you arm the alarm, wait a few mintues, then remote start it. That one car that actually does have an OEM alarm will really upset you when it comes back.

Always hook up the tach wire. Always. Every time.

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Kevin Pierson

never use the 12v wires in the ignition harness to power the main 10ga power input wires on the remote start or relay satelite. if your unit has 2 12v inputs run 2 10ga wires under the hood and directly to the battery and fuse them. if your unit has 3 12v inputs, run 3 wires to the battery. use the power wires in the ignition harness for the smaller 18ga 12v input wire on the unit, bypasses, relays or any other goodies you need to power.

ckeeler wrote:

never use the 12v wires in the ignition harness to power the main 10ga power input wires on the remote start or relay satelite. if your unit has 2 12v inputs run 2 10ga wires under the hood and directly to the battery and fuse them. if your unit has 3 12v inputs, run 3 wires to the battery. use the power wires in the ignition harness for the smaller 18ga 12v input wire on the unit, bypasses, relays or any other goodies you need to power.

Wow! Really? Does everyone do this? I have a friend who is an ASE Certified tech / mechanic who has done hundreds of remote start installs and he always ties in the 12V line of the remote start to the 12v line of the ignition harness.. Being I learned off him I've done all mine like that too..

sneakycyber wrote:

9. Invest in a logic probe they are gods gift to installers.

What is a logic probe and what do you use it for? If you give it that high of praise (gods gift) then I must be missing out!!

Thanks!

i always use power at the ignition harness as well. no problems for me. if you decide to run wires to the battery, then it doesnt really serve a purpose for alarms now since theives canjust cut the power wire. Think about it. the 12vline at the ignition harness can draw enough current to start the starter solenoid which is loads of amps. so im sure using that 12vline is sufficiant. plus it loosk cleaner and easier for the installer

Logic probes remind me -

Get "bed of nails" attachments for your meter. You can test virtually any wire without actually cutting in to the wire - and you don't need to put tape over the small pin holes the probe uses.

Logic probes generally use LEDs and low current to test wires - they usually light a green LED and sometimes beep when they are attached to 12vdc and light a red LED and buzz when connected to ground. They can be useful, but need to be connected to power and ground in the car. I prefer just using a meter as it is more mobile and gives me numbers!

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Kevin Pierson

kpierson, you got a pic of the bed of nails attachment? i have never seen one for a DMM. i know what a bed of nails is, but attachment for dmm?

btw i like using a meter as well. there is actaul numbers like u mentioned.

tedmond wrote:

if you decide to run wires to the battery, then it doesnt really serve a purpose for alarms now since theives canjust cut the power wire.

What would stop the thieve from cutting the power at the battery in the first place? I've never understood this arguement. If they are going to go to the battery it doesn't matter if an alarm wire is there or not - if they cut the main power or ground it doesn't matter where you connected your alarm, its dead. If a thief goes looking at the battery he isn't even going to bother looking for an alarm power wire anyway, he is going to cut the ground and go.

I ALWAYS put fuses at the battery of alarms (not remote starts though). If you ever have a customer call from a parking lot and they can't get their car started you can have them pull the fuse. It is much easier then a road trip or a tow.

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Kevin Pierson

posted_image

The ones I have are similar to this, but probably cheaper. They have the "bed of nails" and the spike. For big wires I use the spike, little wires I use the bed of nails. The set I have has a round hole on the probe end of it that my meter probe sticks in. The meter probe has springy clips on it that holds the attachment, but you can easily pull it off to use the standard probe (and subsequently lose the attachment).

tedmond wrote:

kpierson, you got a pic of the bed of nails attachment? i have never seen one for a DMM. i know what a bed of nails is, but attachment for dmm?
btw i like using a meter as well. there is actaul numbers like u mentioned.

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Kevin Pierson

tbird2340 wrote:

ckeeler wrote:

never use the 12v wires in the ignition harness to power the main 10ga power input wires on the remote start or relay satelite. if your unit has 2 12v inputs run 2 10ga wires under the hood and directly to the battery and fuse them. if your unit has 3 12v inputs, run 3 wires to the battery. use the power wires in the ignition harness for the smaller 18ga 12v input wire on the unit, bypasses, relays or any other goodies you need to power.

Wow! Really? Does everyone do this? I have a friend who is an ASE Certified tech / mechanic who has done hundreds of remote start installs and he always ties in the 12V line of the remote start to the 12v line of the ignition harness.. Being I learned off him I've done all mine like that too..

of course not every one does this. this is a tip to show you how to so something better than the "usual".

i thought this thread was to post tips and tricks? all ive seen so far is nothing more that common sense type things.

tedmond wrote:

i always use power at the ignition harness as well. no problems for me. if you decide to run wires to the battery, then it doesnt really serve a purpose for alarms now since theives canjust cut the power wire. Think about it. the 12vline at the ignition harness can draw enough current to start the starter solenoid which is loads of amps. so im sure using that 12vline is sufficiant. plus it loosk cleaner and easier for the installer

tedmond, thats a silly idea. alot of alarms dont use those wires anyway for the alarm brain. nearly 60% of stuff out there uses those wires for the remote start 12v circuits only and have another smaller 18ga right on the brain for powering it and not the remote start circuits. besides like that matters anyway. if someone is gonna get under the hood to cut those wires there gonna just cut the main battery cables anyway so in that case......what good is an alarm? any alarm?

another thing, i can tell from reading some of your other posts is, you seem to be a good installer and have installed for a while (probably not near as much as an old turd like me, i can also tell from your posts your a young buck) and anyone who has done this for a while like the two of us, or anyone for that matter, knows that if someone wants your car, it doesnt matter what alarm system you have, they can just back up to it and tow it away in a matter of seconds. the things we install are merely to discourage and to warn of people trying to break in a remove items from inside. as far as preventing an entire theft.......they only thwart a rookie thief who is not gonna look under the hood to try and do any thing anyway.

ckeeler wrote:

never use the 12v wires in the ignition harness to power the main 10ga power input wires on the remote start or relay satelite. if your unit has 2 12v inputs run 2 10ga wires under the hood and directly to the battery and fuse them. if your unit has 3 12v inputs, run 3 wires to the battery. use the power wires in the ignition harness for the smaller 18ga 12v input wire on the unit, bypasses, relays or any other goodies you need to power.

Unless it's a VW 2006 Golf. The battery wire at the ign. harness is good for about 110 amps.

(there are others as well... just be smart, most diagrams will tell you when the amperage is TOO LOW to use as constant, for a remote start)

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ckeller you do have a point. any car is stealable if you really want it. well you guessed right. i am a young installer. 17 to be exact and been installing for 5 years or so. so i got a decent amount of knowledge under my belt.

So, you were installing in a shop when you were 12? Wow, I think there were were some child labor laws being broke. I don't ever count the years when I was rigging up a deck... Or throwing some speakers in. I count the years after, I learned how to do those things properly.

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well i started around 11 and did almost everything with proper technique. But around 12 - 13 i started doing even more installs and i spent almost 1000 on new toys for my toolbox. some new tools, drills, differant gauges of wires, my Fluke meter(best investment so far) solder gun etc. from that point on, i been doing almost everything from HID retrofit, custom audio, alarms/rs, neons all that ricer crap. I helped out a friend that owned a shop in my area so i dot actual hands on experiance, but thing is i already knew about it. got too busy with school so left the forum and installing behind then now im back into it since semester 1 is almost over for me so just review and exams in january.

btw, Kevin

where can i grab a set of those? cant seem to find it on the net? maybe im searching the wrong thing.

to the original poster, sorry if i kinda hijacked your thread, but its a good discussion dont you think =)

i thought of number 10) please show your customer how to sue the remote and its features. If you installed a starter kill (ground when armed) remind them to unlock the doors before trying to start with the key !!!

ckeeler wrote:

of course not every one does this. this is a tip to show you how to so something better than the "usual".

i thought this thread was to post tips and tricks? all ive seen so far is nothing more that common sense type things.

Common sense to someone isn't always common sense to another. :D

Regarding the 12V line.. The starters I install all have two 12V lines coming from the brain.. I always just tap them into the same 12V line at the ignition harness..

Would it be OK (because it would be easier) to just tie them both together (the brain ones) and then tie one of them into the 12V at the ignition harness? I've never done it this way but if it's safe to do, it would be easier. Thanks

Hey Teddy.... you should post up a copy of your birth certificate.....

YOU are without a doubt, the smartest young man I have ever not met, yet sort of known!

Keep up the good work, and I'll defend you any time! (just don't correct my spelling OR grammer) posted_image

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tedmond wrote:

btw, Kevin

where can i grab a set of those? cant seem to find it on the net? maybe im searching the wrong thing.

to the original poster, sorry if i kinda hijacked your thread, but its a good discussion dont you think =)

i thought of number 10) please show your customer how to sue the remote and its features. If you installed a starter kill (ground when armed) remind them to unlock the doors before trying to start with the key !!!

No problem man.. I'm glad this thread is getting this many replies.. I would have just bumped up an old thread but they get locked so fast...

Here are some bed of nails.

I got ones similar to these: these

The ones I got work pretty good. I have to squeeze them pretty hard while the wire is in between them in order to pierce it but other then that, it's better then splicing to test..

tbird2340 wrote:

ckeeler wrote:

of course not every one does this. this is a tip to show you how to so something better than the "usual".
i thought this thread was to post tips and tricks? all ive seen so far is nothing more that common sense type things.

Common sense to someone isn't always common sense to another. :D

Regarding the 12V line.. The starters I install all have two 12V lines coming from the brain.. I always just tap them into the same 12V line at the ignition harness..

Would it be OK (because it would be easier) to just tie them both together (the brain ones) and then tie one of them into the 12V at the ignition harness? I've never done it this way but if it's safe to do, it would be easier. Thanks

oh yea, sure its ok. dont take me wrong either guys, im not saying thats how it has to be done or done that way because the 12v supply lines at the switch arent enough, im just saying........you know, a little something I always do and its no big deal anyway because i have to go under the hood anyway for tach and siren, hood pin you know. so, while im there i just run a couple of 10ga wires, fuse and hide and split loom them.

now here's some food for thought: The ignition switch is a switch that "typically" uses that thick gauge power wire in most cars to direct power to the ignition circuits in the car, and then the start circuit correct? Well, a remote starter just replicates these functions in order to start the car without an actual person with a key, turning the switch.. the remote starters I install have 3 power wires typically, one serves as in input for the starter output, the other as an input for the accessory circuit, and the other for the ignition circuit. Now I can definitely see 3 separate inputs being justified if there are 3 separate 12v wires at the switch, of course if they indeed are only there to power up their own isolated respective circuit.

So in theory, if the remote starter is replicating the switch that gets it's input for all of the circuits it completes from one input wire, the three input wires on the remote start can meet at one point no?

I'm not saying it's a dumb idea to run 10g power wires to the battery, but again, the car starts by turning the key, so by replicating each click and turn of the key, the car should start. whether the switch applies 12v to acc, ign, and cuts acc at start, or just powers on ign and acc and cuts acc in order to tell the computer it's time to start the car, we're simulating the turn of that key.

I've never run separate 10g wires to the battery, not because I don't believe in it, but because in the many vehicles I've installed in, that has never been required to simulate the turn of the key.

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MECP Master Certified Technician
ASE A6 Certified Technician

hurleyloser wrote:

now here's some food for thought: The ignition switch is a switch that "typically" uses that thick gauge power wire in most cars to direct power to the ignition circuits in the car, and then the start circuit correct? Well, a remote starter just replicates these functions in order to start the car without an actual person with a key, turning the switch.. the remote starters I install have 3 power wires typically, one serves as in input for the starter output, the other as an input for the accessory circuit, and the other for the ignition circuit. Now I can definitely see 3 separate inputs being justified if there are 3 separate 12v wires at the switch, of course if they indeed are only there to power up their own isolated respective circuit.

So in theory, if the remote starter is replicating the switch that gets it's input for all of the circuits it completes from one input wire, the three input wires on the remote start can meet at one point no?

I'm not saying it's a dumb idea to run 10g power wires to the battery, but again, the car starts by turning the key, so by replicating each click and turn of the key, the car should start. whether the switch applies 12v to acc, ign, and cuts acc at start, or just powers on ign and acc and cuts acc in order to tell the computer it's time to start the car, we're simulating the turn of that key.

I've never run separate 10g wires to the battery, not because I don't believe in it, but because in the many vehicles I've installed in, that has never been required to simulate the turn of the key.

obvious guy^^

KTM you really want to see my birth certif? i wouldnt mind posting a pic of that, just i will cover up some things. dont want identity theft :) btw if no1 beleives i am 17, you just watch, i will blow your mind away !

Ted, NO I don't want to see your birth certificate..... I'm on your side!

Just like I know Howie's nearly 80... posted_image

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Ted's first about checking;- that applies even when you have a crib-sheet, did an 04 Ram 5.7l recently, I thought great, other side of the car, make a nice change from the Beemers, Golfs Foci and Japs, directechs this sight and Audiovox all agreed on everything and guess what? Ignition no1 was a different colour! My most important tip would be when you've set it up REMOVE CAR KEY FROM VEHICLE BEFORE TESTING. Failure's cost me a fortu ne over the years. Frankly running main R/S lines to batt ign switch or even fusebox input doesn't seem to make any difference, except some German cars even shut down the ign feeds on a sleep circuit nowadays so check everything. Thanks to the usual guys for the good ideas and I know how old Ted is because I've seen his picture after my daughter introduced me to facebook.

hi,

for the vehicles that have lower current requirements at the ignition switch...replace the heavy (12) gauge wires that come on the main connector (if i can call it that) with smaller (18) gauge wires. these would be the ignition, accessory and start outputs. still keep the heavy (12) gauge battery feeds however. reduce the values of the fuses in power feeds if doing so. try to always use negative triggered parking lights (if available in the vehicle). may need to leave fuse values at as delivered values with positive lights. on modules with multiple battery feeds, determine which feed powers which high current outputs. if vehicle has multiple feeds at ignition switch determine the same.

mark

m

KarTuneMan wrote:

ckeeler wrote:

never use the 12v wires in the ignition harness to power the main 10ga power input wires on the remote start or relay satelite. if your unit has 2 12v inputs run 2 10ga wires under the hood and directly to the battery and fuse them. if your unit has 3 12v inputs, run 3 wires to the battery. use the power wires in the ignition harness for the smaller 18ga 12v input wire on the unit, bypasses, relays or any other goodies you need to power.

Unless it's a VW 2006 Golf. The battery wire at the ign. harness is good for about 110 amps.
(there are others as well... just be smart, most diagrams will tell you when the amperage is TOO LOW to use as constant, for a remote start)

most Volkswagen's actually have a lead to the fuse box that goes directly to the battery under the driver side dash. you have to be careful with it when undoing the nut though, too much torque can break the surrounding plastic, but hell, talk about a factory looking install.

Well I suppose I haven't chimed in yet...

As far as running the 12 gauge wires to the battery I think it's kind of overkill on most cars (also since I use a coathanger, it can't pull 12 gauge very well). If you have one ignition switch constant 12v wire rated at more than 10 amps, and it's not going to be powering driver's priority unlock, (+) parking lights, trunk pop, or anything else high current, I think it's allright(though you should reduce the remote start fuses accordingly).

Some late model Toyotas with multiple ignition feeds fused at 7.5A/30A or mid '90s-mid 2000s Chryslers fused at 20A/40A require special attention(you must make sure that your remote start is using the specific 12V input to power the same wires that the ignition switch would with that input) if you don't want to run direct to the battery

'01-up Chrysler minivans I've run 18-gauge to the battery since the BCM's a PITA to connect to.

Many Fords and GMs have either a BCM or fusebox with high current inputs when the ignition switches don't.

Also something that I don't think wiring info suppliers take into account: The driver's kick harness to the rear of the car almost invariably contains (+) parking light and brake light wires, and often doorlocks, trunk release, door trigger, trunk trigger. On most cars it's very easy to access and run wires to discreetly.

Additionally the steering column is often a good place to access wires. Obviously the ignition switch, but parking lights and horn are there a lot. Also on some GMs(the brand new ones have moved away from this) there is a white brake wire in the main harness on the steering column.

When using an RF-based bypass for an immobilizer, I've found that the best position for the transponder pellet(on bypasses that use that style) is as far away from the end of the antenna ring as possible. The same applies to a bypass with a ring loop - the 2 wires should go away from that end. I'll try to post a picture of this since I don't think I've described it adequately.

Also, keep any kind of RF transponder bypass away from direct contact with a metal surface, as this dissipates the RF signal.

Honda Accords with factory alarms are a pain. Best to use a data module to control them and forget about wires in the doors.

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C Renner's Auto Electronix
My service is cheap, quick, and good - pick any two

1. on GM cars with "sleepy" locks you can wake them up with a short pulse to the ignition wire before unlock.

2. not really an alarm tip but some new chrystlers have a heavy gauge ignition in the DKP that can power extra stuff
3. long zip ties are awesome for running wires through a tight dash or under carpet
4. always test your wires even if you've done the car a thousand times before
5. i dont like to mummify my wires with tape, rather, you can camouflage wires by running them with factory wire bundles and tape them to the side that you cant see. this makes it look like there is nothing installed at all. and hide the brain as high in the dash as possible.
6. T-taps suck
7. i like to take the everything apart that needs to be removed Before i connect a single wire. this usually lets you see more places to hide the brain than just looking up into the darkness and you can actually reach those places easier. it might take a little bit longer to do but it makes the install easier on you

8. black strip caulk works well to fill small holes in black textured plastic

9. pre wire your alarm specifically for each vehicle and cut the wires you dont need, but not too short. this makes everything very clean
10. as a common courtesy to other installers that might come behind you write the location of the brain and any settings that were changed from default and WHY(really important)

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I like number 10 on soundnsecurity's list. Good to do, and not only for other installers but for yourself if you ever have to get back in there and you don't remember exactly what you did.

As for my tip...I left this on another thread but, with GM trucks and SUV's from 98/99 to 06/07, the driver vent with the light and dimmer switches pops out pretty easily. Once you get that removed there's plenty of room for hiding alarm brains back there, also relatively easy to run your wires to the appropriate spots.

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...half of the truth can be worse than a lie. <----Roger Russell said that..

KPierson wrote:

Always hook up the tach wire. Always. Every time.

Just curious as to why. I absolutely agree that voltage sensing really doesn't cut it, especially when it can get real cold. However, the reason for a remote start to have a tach hookup is so the unit knows when the engine is running and to shut off the starter output. Lots of newer cars have "built in anti grind". Setting the remote start to send a 1.5 or 2 second output to the starter works without the need of tach.

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Think. It's not illegal yet.

wrenches wrote:

KPierson wrote:

Always hook up the tach wire. Always. Every time.

Just curious as to why. I absolutely agree that voltage sensing really doesn't cut it, especially when it can get real cold. However, the reason for a remote start to have a tach hookup is so the unit knows when the engine is running and to shut off the starter output. Lots of newer cars have "built in anti grind". Setting the remote start to send a 1.5 or 2 second output to the starter works without the need of tach.

Nothing makes an installer look worse then having a car return simply because it doesn't crank long enough because they were too lazy to hook up the tach. The tach also, in most units, will serve as an over rev protection feature that can protect the vehicle and the motor.

It will never hurt to have it hooked up, and it typically doesn't take much longer to make this one more connection. I think if more people knew how to measure tach wires more people would hook them up.

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Kevin Pierson

KPierson wrote:

wrenches wrote:

[QUOTE=KPierson]

it typically doesn't take much longer to make this one more connection. I think if more people knew how to measure tach wires more people would hook them up.

Co-sign that

anti-grind is a feature that prevents you from overcranking if you accidentally turn your key too far on take over, not cranking protection for remote start.

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MECP Master Certified Technician
ASE A6 Certified Technician

Why are people rabbiting on about tach? If you have a Cliford product with Blackjax or the provision for rpm dependant locking, which I prefer then you have to use tach. Some thoughts on finding tach:- If the vehicle has a coil, problem solved, its the terminal marked - or SW, pull both LT leads, one will have 12v+ on ignition, the other won't, its the one without the voltage. Distributors: some Euro-Fords still use something remarkably like a distributor, normally three or four wires going to it, it's one of these. Injector ports:- each has two wires. One colour wil be comon to all the ports, other colour will be different. It's the other (different) colour. Instrument panel. Most panels up to the late 90s had discrete wiring, if there's a tach, there's a wire, N.B. VSS if electronic speedo the same way. Engine and gearbox control units, Lord I wish I had pin-out charts for these modules. Lastly testing. (Always test) Both Snap-On and Mac market LED testers (not power probes) giving you red for neg and green for pos. The Mac one is much better quality. They are adequate and wont harm the vehicle and give a nice flashing display when you've found the right wire.

hurleyloser wrote:

anti-grind is a feature that prevents you from overcranking if you accidentally turn your key too far on take over, not cranking protection for remote start.

Correct, but if the car has its cranking controlled by the engine computer(aka factory anti-grind), then it's impossible for the remote start to grind the starter. Unless the installer for some reason runs the heavy gauge starter output directly to the solenoid wire, which is unsafe, unnecessary, and pointlessly time wasting.

Unfortunately I've noticed that many late model GMs which have computer controlled cranking also don't seem to work well with voltage sensing for some reason or other, and I have to run a tach wire anyway.

Another thought on tach - it's well worth it, if you have a choice, to stick with remote starts which can use a single cylinder(coil pack or injector) tach input. It's 100 times easier to compare the wire colors at adjacent coil packs or injectors and choose the one that varies, than it is to play treasure hunt at the ECM with pin numbers that are covered up by trim.

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C Renner's Auto Electronix
My service is cheap, quick, and good - pick any two

one more to my list, too mayn ask this so make this a point

11) Cars with multiple ignitions and starter wires (nissan and toyota) CONNECT them all. do not leave one out. If your unit only has one output and the car has two. Use a relay and wire it so you have 2 seperate ignition. same goes goes for starter wires. The car has 2 seperate/dedicated circuits for starting. they are not meant to be combined to one circuit. NEVER connect one start wire to the other. it may work now but you will run into issues later.

just my 2cents

if the car has factory anti grind you should turn the engine checking function off (for DEI alarms, not sure about others)and set the crank time for 2,maybe 3 seconds depending on the usual weather in your area. i would do this a lot when im feeling lazy BUT ive never had one come back due to this.

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touché chris!

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MECP Master Certified Technician
ASE A6 Certified Technician

hurleyloser,

I do my damnedest. Note again that you weren't wrong.

soundnsecurity,

DEI's "engine checking off" option is great. Unfortunately I've not found any workable programming choices when doing Scytek, Crimestopper, or Omega products that would eliminate the need for a tach wire, and the wholesale price difference is worth ignoring that advantage.

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C Renner's Auto Electronix
My service is cheap, quick, and good - pick any two

yeah ive only done a select few alarms that were not DEI so i wasn't sure if other alarms had this feature, but thanks for clearing that up

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thought i would bring this back to "tips and tricks"

some guys like to poke through a factory gromet in the firewall if its available with a coat hanger then drag the wires through for tack, hood pin, siren (and in my case power wires also), you know junk like that. it works pretty good. but what i like to do is just go to an auto parts store and buy a $3 piece of 3/8" brake tubing about 24" long. i cut one end off and take it to a bench grinder and gring it at a steep angle, then clean all the edges off. it makes for a real nice sharp tube that you can easily push through a gromet. then you just run what ever wires you want to go under the hood through the inside of the hollow tube. once there under the hood just pull out the tube and voila! the wires are through the gromet in seconds. dont have to tape wires to anything. make it sharp so it goes through the gromet real easily. once you pull out the tube, the gromet shrinks right back to the wires and makes a nice seal around them as well. kinda hard to describe so below is a simple picture.

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So you basically make your own wire insertion tool? I've always used a Thexton 436:

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Same basic principal - the handle is hollow all the way through and is removable, so once you get the shaft through the grommet you can pull the handle off and feed wires through.

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Kevin Pierson

KPierson wrote:

So you basically make your own wire insertion tool? I've always used a Thexton 436:
Same basic principal - the handle is hollow all the way through and is removable, so once you get the shaft through the grommet you can pull the handle off and feed wires through.

exactomundo my friend. only mine is cheaper and i have a few different lengths as well. a 40" piece costs around $3. so i used to buy a tube and cut it in half to make 2 20" ones and myself and another guy would just split the cost, a whole buck and a half each!

Err, CK and Kevin, how about copper water pipe, 3/8" = 9mm, surely cheaper than brake piping, also do you have curtain rod in the US? Metal inner and white plastic outer, 1/4" diameter, chuck some WD on it and away you go. Also use an 18" blade cabinet screwdriver where I've ground the tip down, tape your cables to it, great for nasty thick grometts, the curtain rod works well on M/Benz SL and CLK where you have to run a long way from the trunk. The cuttain rod lso works well when bringing antenna, prox leads etc down the A pillar and strait down bhind the glovebox, or inst panel, thus showing no cables. I can't abide it when any cables show.

problem is Howie, and i cant speak for over in the UK, but here copper is way more costly than $3 for 40" of stainless steel, which is what the brake line i get is. big thing now for theives is to go those empty neighborhoods with all the foreclosed homes from the housing market crash and break into them just to steal all the copper pipes and pluming out of them for the cash. they'll rip them right out of the walls and everything. never thought of curtain rod though. ill try some.

Brake tubing is a good Idea on a do it yourself grommet poker. I wish I had one when I did my last install. I lost mine awhile back.. Time to head to the auto parts store and make a new one.

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ckeeler wrote:

problem is Howie, and i cant speak for over in the UK, but here copper is way more costly than $3 for 40" of stainless steel, which is what the brake line i get is. big thing now for theives is to go those empty neighborhoods with all the foreclosed homes from the housing market crash and break into them just to steal all the copper pipes and pluming out of them for the cash. they'll rip them right out of the walls and everything. never thought of curtain rod though. ill try some.

They did exactly that to our old house. Thank god for insurance.

Know what else I use a lot? The grabber claw thingie with the 4 jaws. I can feed it and bend it, and grab a cluster of wires and pull it if I need to. It likes roast beef sammiches.

i know of some people down here in new orleans that have has their copper stolen 2 or 3 times. people do it alot down here since they still have people rebuilding from hurricanes so their walls are still open. they can thank FEMA for that

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i love my skew-driver. comes in very handy for screws in the back deck and behind the dash. i get these at home depot but black & decker sells a cheapo model at wal-mart

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Lanman, I love roast beef sandwiches, nothing like driving a manual car, the phone goes and I'm trying to change gear and put down my cup of tea whilst overtaking that pesky cop car, I have to hide the sannie and the phone. Actually I was joking, i hate manuals, and what are cup-holders and BT kits for, trouble is, one kit and 2 phones.

i second that screw driver. Wish i could find a short drill bit for it tho.

Thack79 wrote:

i second that screw driver. Wish i could find a short drill bit for it tho.

i tried that too but the drill bit wobbles around too much to be useful as a drill

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matco makes their "tight fit" drill set that works fairly well for me

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89' 240sx
Rockford t8004
boston z6 comp.
eclipse 3432
polk MM 8"
Taylor owes Joe a Sandwich

I know you guys are off on your own tangent now but I managed to think of some tips that may not have been second nature to me a year ago.

I came across a remote starter yesterday where the car had problems. packed airbags, accident car right? well there was a problem with the brakeswitch, no voltage at the switch, but for whatever reason still activated the brake lights. so instead of getting the brake shutdown at the switch I grabbed it from the output for the actual tail lights. so to apply as a general tip, if you're having trouble finding a wire where it should be, always try to think of where that wire is either coming from or going to. parking lights are a common one. you'll find parking lights at a dimmer switch, or at the stalk, or one better at the worst case you'll find the parking light wire at the bulb if you really really have to. so if you're having trouble, go to the source, or go to where that wire will indefinitely end up.

installing a remote starter is also a lot easier than trouble shooting one most of the time. first thing with an inactive starter is to check if it's in valet. if the remote starter turns on but won't start, try remote starting with the key in the ignition. if no luck, check your shut down triggers, like brake or hood pin, or if it's a standard transmission car, clutches are easy to mess up on. recheck your polarity. if still no luck then you check your power inputs. if still good at this point you check the wires in the car. if the car has had a starter installed before, you never know if the put in a starter kill and either left it there or reconnected the starter wire poorly. if you STILL have trouble, you might suspect your brain to be no good. if you have access to another brain you might try swapping out the brain. if that still doesn't work, you without question have a programming issue, or there is an unidentified problem with the car. if it's an old car and one out of four door pins actually work, than that may be your problem. but remember every starter is different. I had one a couple weeks ago that after all these steps, we thought his bad door pins were the problem, but when we called tech support, he told us to program the unit to turn off the starter kill feature, even though we hadn't installed one. no idea how it worked, but it did. learn somethnig new every day.

but as far as troubleshooting a starter goes, that's the way it's done.

I also use a section of brake line as a wire insertion tool to feed through the OEM grommet , but with the following enhancments.

1) I slide the section of brake line over the top of a long phillips screw driver, the section of brake line is now a sleeve around the screw driver shaft.

2) I than spray the screw driver tip and brake line with silicon spray. Makes getting through the grommet a lot easier. Some of the grommets are thick and hard, even more so if you happend to punch through a region/location where they are extra thick due to icons like up-arrows.

3) I push the screw driver through the grommet and than chase through with the brake line sleeve and than withdraw the screw driver leaving the brake line sleeve in the grommet.

4) Now the most inportant feature... My section of brake line has a slot cut along the entire length (done with an air grinder cut-off wheel). I run wire through the grommet(brake line) from both directions (ie tach+hood-pin one way and speaker wires back the other way). I leave the brake line in the grommet until the installation is done and the wires are connected up on both sides of the firewall. This way I can easy make adjustments to the wire length, back and forth through the grommet sleeve and even run more wires if needed. Once I am happy with everything I simply pull the brake line back through the grommet from which ever side of the fire wall is convient. I than slide it off the wires via the lateral slot in the brake line. Without the slot the brake line sleeve would have been trap on the wire.