Remote Start on a 2000 Ford Taurus

Printed From: the12volt.com
Forum Name: Car Security and Convenience
Forum Discription: Car Alarms, Keyless Entries, Remote Starters, Immobilizer Bypasses, Sensors, Door Locks, Window Modules, Heated Mirrors, Heated Seats, etc.
URL: https://www.the12volt.com/installbay/forum_posts.asp?tid=10069
Printed Date: August 18, 2025 at 6:37 AM

Topic: Remote Start on a 2000 Ford Taurus

Posted By: dant98
Subject: Remote Start on a 2000 Ford Taurus
Date Posted: February 25, 2003 at 3:23 PM

I have just purchased a remote start system (some off brand called "ELI Electronics") and I have a DEI 555U Transponder bypass on order. I just got a spare key programmed today and am waiting on the 555U modual.

This will be my first time installing any electronics in my car myself. I'm fimiliar with sodering and simple wiring for lights and such, but haven't done much beyond that. I have my father (and electrical engineer) to fall back on for questions, but I want to understand the install process as much as I can first on my own.

My Taurus has factory keyless entry and the SecuriLock passive anti-theift. It also has a dealer installed AutoMate 415 alarm system. I need to know several things here.

If anyone has installed a remote start on a late model ford, you probably have some suggestions. I do need to know what type of relay(s) to buy and how many I need. I ned to lean how to properly hook them up. If anyone has a nice Ford wiring diagram for the install that would be helpful. Any opinions on how to make the wire splices (soderless connection or sodered). Suggestions on where to place the two boxes would be helpful as well. Once I get it working, I'll cut the mechanical portion of the key in the 555U module off for security reasons. It seems to me as long as I can found all the wires, I should be in good shape.

Thanks!

-Dan

Replies:

Posted By: Velocity Motors
Date Posted: February 25, 2003 at 3:26 PM

Notes:
NOTE: This vehicle is equipped with PATS (Passive Anti-Theft System). Use DEI module 555U to over-ride during remote start. *1 The GEM module is to the left of the steering column. *2 The headlights are high current negative. Must use a relay. *3 This wire controls the door ajar indicator on the dash, must cut the wire and diode isolate it from the instrument cluster. Can also use individual negative door trigger wires in the 26 pin plug at the GEM. They are: yellow/black (LF), gray/red (RF), lt. GREEN/ YELLOW (LR), and pink/lt blue (RR). *4 On the sedans use BLACK/ pink (-) at the light in the trunk. On the wagons use WHITE/ purple (-) in the 26 pin plug at the GEM. *5 With keyless entry it is purple / YELLOW (-) at the switch. Without keyless entry it is gray/red (+) at the switch. On the wagon, to unlock just the rear hatch use yellow/lt. green (-) in the 26 pin plug at the GEM. *6 The PCM is on the passenger side firewall under the hood. *7 The rear control unit is on the left side of the trunk.

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Jeff
Velocity Custom Home Theater
Mobile Audio/Video Specialist
Morden, Manitoba CANADA

Posted By: jrilla
Date Posted: February 25, 2003 at 4:56 PM

Solder baby, Solder.

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J Rilla

Owner/Installer

Posted By: dant98
Date Posted: February 25, 2003 at 8:34 PM

While I'm on the subject of Security interface...

My AutoMate 415 module was installed by my dealer when I bought the car. It has passive arming disabled by default. I recently enabled it myself, but I read in the manual that if your car has power locks, you can hook the security module up to lock all the doors when it passively arms itself. I tried mine out and all though my alarm arms when I lock the doors (either with the factory keyless entry, the door keypad, or the drive's side lock button), the doors don't get locked when the system arms itself without intervention. Do you think this is just a dealer scew -up, or might the feature not actually be compatible with my car?

-Dan

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Posted By: JWorm
Date Posted: February 25, 2003 at 11:09 PM

Your alarm needs to be programmed for "passive locks".

You would have been a LOT better off removing the dealer installed alarm and getting an alarm/remote starter combo unit. You made a lot more work for yourself by not doing so.

How much did you pay for the programmed key? I hope you didn't give the dealer the $70+ they usually ask. You could have bought one for $14 plus S/H off the net and programmed it yourself.

Good luck with the ELI product....

Posted By: dant98
Date Posted: February 26, 2003 at 5:42 AM

At least the dealer installed alarm and my bypass unit are made by the same folks (both DEI products). I payed like $24 shipped and Home Depot cut the key for me for free... but they didn't cut the key far back enough, so I thought they had screwed it up all together. I went up to my ford dealership and they cut me a new one for $24 + tax that worked perfectly. Then I found out that if I just slit the key I had cut from home depot out a hair, it would turn! Now I have four programmed keys total. I'll be using the key from home depot for my kit since I'm going to cut off the mechanical portion anyway.

I did program my alarm for passive locks. And that works, or at least I see te lights flash once when the alarm arms itself. I'm guessing the dealer just didn't hook up the option. They were probably banking on me never changing the alarm programming from active to passive arming. I have 6 yr warrenty + 6 yr ESP converage through the dealer I bought the car from... One of those should cover thier f**kup. I'll call today and see what they will do for me.

Question:

With a remote start system, couldn't a theif just break into my car, tap some wires, and start the vehicle without a key or anything? Does installing a remote start bypass all my car security?

-Dan

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Posted By: cpgoose
Date Posted: February 26, 2003 at 7:48 AM

dant98 wrote:

With a remote start system, couldn't a theif just break into my car, tap some wires, and start the vehicle without a key or anything? Does installing a remote start bypass all my car security?
-Dan

nope, they can't drive the car without the key. Oncethe get in, and hit the brake to change gear, the carwill shut off (from hitting the brake). Plus, evenif they could get the car to change gear, once theystarted driving without the key in and turned to the ON position, I believe the steering wheel would lock up.

Posted By: CruisinS&S
Date Posted: February 26, 2003 at 9:05 AM

okay dan98, you have a lot of work on your hands if you have a seperate remote for the r/s unit then you have to bypass the factory installed alarm so that everytime you remote start the car the alarm will not sound when you are giving the car ignition or the shock sensor will not activate the alarm. Also I suggest just tapping into the wires not soldering them. You can just split a hole with a test light light or probe into the wire thats gonna be tapped into then put your remote start wire into it then wrap it around. Thats never coming loose. Also DEI offers a bypass for the secure lock system in your car with NO KEY REQUIRED (prob cost you $40-$50) much easier then the 555u (that prob cost you around $30-$40 plus cost of key) also you should not need any relays in your install, and if you have a no tach option on the r/s dont use it - HOOK UP THE TACH WIRE. or you will be sure to have starting problems. hope this helped

Posted By: jrilla
Date Posted: February 26, 2003 at 9:26 AM

Solder is the only way to go. It is just as fast as any other method, if not faster, and it will last forever. The wire itself will break before the solder. And most importantly the connection is far superior. Any taps or wrapping of wires and taping it will loosen over time and there is significant heating and cooling which loosens taped and tapped connections.

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J Rilla

Owner/Installer

Posted By: dant98
Date Posted: February 26, 2003 at 10:12 AM

CruisinS&S wrote:

okay dan98, you have a lot of work on your hands if you have a seperate remote for the r/s unit then you have to bypass the factory installed alarm so that everytime you remote start the car the alarm will not sound when you are giving the car ignition or the shock sensor will not activate the alarm. Also I suggest just tapping into the wires not soldering them. You can just split a hole with a test light light or probe into the wire thats gonna be tapped into then put your remote start wire into it then wrap it around. Thats never coming loose. Also DEI offers a bypass for the secure lock system in your car with NO KEY REQUIRED (prob cost you $40-$50) much easier then the 555u (that prob cost you around $30-$40 plus cost of key) also you should not need any relays in your install, and if you have a no tach option on the r/s dont use it - HOOK UP THE TACH WIRE. or you will be sure to have starting problems. hope this helped

Wheew... Lot of stuff to process here...

Ok, the R/S I got is supposed to work with my factory FOB. You are supposed to be able to set it up so I can do something like hit unlock three times and activate the remote start. The R/S I have also has wires to tap the into the alarm and disable the shock sensors durring remote start. My R/S also has a tach wire... Can I just tap the wire to my tach display in my dash for this signal rather then running wire through my engine bay to tap at the ECU? Also, I originally was going to get the DEI unit that is designed specifically for the SecuriLock system, but after talking to several different install places, I was told they prefer to use the universal one because the other one is more difficult to set up and can stop working if the unit shifts even a small bit... So I ordered the 555U. Perhaps tonight I'll check try and post all the various connections and options on my R/S unit.

-Dan

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Posted By: dant98
Date Posted: February 26, 2003 at 5:14 PM

OK! I have everything now. The Transponder bypass arrived today and if I have a clear weekend, I could try to install this as early as Saturday (though maybe not based on the weather). Follow the link below and I have links to documentation for my different parts. Keep in mind the AutoMate security is already installed (though I'm going to have to find the wires for it since I didn't install it). The R/S module and the DEI 555U are sitting in thier boxes on my floor and ready for install.

[url]https://www.thomas-family.info/docs/RS-links.htm[/url]

Given all this information, it *should* just be a matter of sodering some wires together, right?

-Dan

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Posted By: dant98
Date Posted: February 26, 2003 at 7:58 PM

I started trying to figure out where to connect which wires by createing a large spreadsheet, but when I looked in the manual for my AutoMate alarm, the shock sensor is on board the alarm and doesn't look to have a seperate line to disable it. I supposed I could tap into the alarm disarm line. I loose a bit of security this way I suppose though or is there a chance that the shock sensor isn't sensitive enough to go off from a remote start?

-Dan

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Posted By: dant98
Date Posted: February 26, 2003 at 8:41 PM

https://www.thomas-family.info/docs/Taurus2Kwire.htm

The above URL is a wiring chart I'm working on. I'm confused with some of the connections. I think I might have to wire the shock sensor bypass from the remote start to the alarm disarm wire because it doesn't look like I can get to the shock sensor directly since it is on board.

I did however find this one setting for the alarm system that may give a clue into a way around this without completely disabling the alarm. I know that the shock sensor is part of zone 2, so perhaps we can disable zone 2 and 4 somehow?

6 SENSOR SHUNT ZONES 2 AND 4/ALL ZONES:In the default setting, all sensors with the exception of the

door zone will be bypassed when a trigger is grounded three seconds after a (+) pulse on the WHITE/ blue (trunk is

opened). If programmed to the all zones setting, all zones including the doors will be bypassed when the trunk is

opened with the factory transmitter.

-Dan

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Posted By: dant98
Date Posted: February 26, 2003 at 9:47 PM

I guess my question based on my last post is... Cna i somehow tie the R/S module's Shock Sensor Bypass circuit into the Sensor Shunt zones 2 and 4 setup, or would that not work because of the three seconds required to disable these zones?

-Dan

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