03 escape acting oddly
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=101306
Printed Date: May 13, 2024 at 7:24 PM
Topic: 03 escape acting oddly
Posted By: offroadzj
Subject: 03 escape acting oddly
Date Posted: January 18, 2008 at 12:26 AM
I did a r/s on an 03 Ford escape using the 12v wire at the ignition harness. It stated it was fused at 10amps, so to be safe I used the negative parking light wire at the GEM module so that I didnt have to worry about drawing any more current off the ignition wire than what the factory ignition switch did. Now here is where it gets weird... 2 things happen after the install...
1) the lights flash jsut fine with lock and unlock, etc.... but when it is remote started and running, the lights do not work whenever the vehicle is running. This wasnt a big deal for the owner and so we let it go.
2) If you remote start it and put the key into the ignition, but turn the parking lights on before hitting the break (ie shutting down the r/s) it immediately blows the 10amp ignition fuse. At first I thought that it was just drawing extra power, but if the key is on, then it really shouldnt be any different than if you had started the car with the key and turned the lights on... or is there something I am missing?
The owner is very down to earth, and said that they really dont even wanna bother with bringing it back, and that they are just going to make sure to hit the brake before turning the lights on.... but being as much of a "perfectionist" as I am about my installations, this is something that I would rather find a solution to so at the very least it doesnt happen again. I know that I can just simply run a new power to the battery, but I really just want to figure out why it is happening.
Thanks guys.
Kenny
-------------
Kenny
Owner / Technician
KKD Garage LLC
Albany, NY 12205
Replies:
Posted By: Mike M2
Date Posted: January 18, 2008 at 6:30 AM
I have done a few Escapes using the power from the switch and making sure the lights were negative so i don't think that's your problem. There must be a problem with the way it's wired to the lights to snap a 10a that instantly...
-------------
Mike M2
Tech Manager
CS Dealer Services
Posted By: perly
Date Posted: January 18, 2008 at 7:46 AM
I know when I did mine(and others) I always used power at the switch.(mainly because all my tech sites say it is fine and I never really though of it) I only go to the battery on caravans and things of that nature.
As far as the p-lights go I just grabbed the positive brown wire in either the kick or at the switch(i don;t remember which one I used) I have never had any problems yet(knock on wood)
It definitely sounds as if you have some electrical issues on your hands. I assume that you tested the wire coming out from the r/s and it shows ground on it? If so then I would just try the positive wire and be down with it. good luck.
Posted By: offroadzj
Date Posted: January 18, 2008 at 2:27 PM
yea, the lights work just fine when the ignition is off. Even though directechs said that the negative lights could be tagged at the GEM, im wondering if there is some sort of change in voltage on that wire while the vehicle is running, and then when you turn the lights on, it is backfeeding that signal through the brain and blowing the ignition fuse.
-------------
Kenny
Owner / Technician
KKD Garage LLC
Albany, NY 12205
Posted By: StealthEs
Date Posted: January 18, 2008 at 5:58 PM
You need to run the 12V to the battery. 10amps is not enough, your lucky the car hasn't blown a major fuse leaving the customer stranded. Don't take this the wrong way but if you are not going to do it right why even bother. You don't seem to be that much of a "perfectionist" that you claim to be.
-------------
Cris
Posted By: ralphtonka
Date Posted: January 18, 2008 at 6:20 PM
ther is a 50amp battery feed in th drivers kick, cant be sure but may be 12awg yellow
Posted By: robertsc
Date Posted: January 18, 2008 at 8:03 PM
i have done hundreds of fords and chryslers gm's with low current at the harness as long as you are not powering up any high current circuits and all our light and lock outputs are negative there should be 0 issues i feel the problem is that your probably powerup the wrong circuit
Posted By: Chris Luongo
Date Posted: January 18, 2008 at 10:06 PM
The constant-power feed at the ignition switch is fine, and there is no need to go to the battery.
However, you should be removing the remote starter's 30-amp fuses, and using a single 5 or 7.5 amp fuse for everything. This way, when there's a malfunction, only the remote starter stops working, and the car remains driveable.
What kind of remote starter did you install?
I'm thinking it could be a DEI product, with the parking light jumper accidentally in the wrong position.
If it wasn't the jumper, I'd disconnect the remote starter's parking light wire from the car, put a light/meter onto the wire coming from the remote start, and test that it works as it should.
Posted By: offroadzj
Date Posted: January 18, 2008 at 10:36 PM
it is a valet561r. I double checked the jumper and the jumper is correct. Plus, if the jumper were incorrect, or I had the incorrect circuit, te lights wouldnt work.. which they work just fine when the car is not running (ie door lock flashes). Its my sister-in-law, so i told her i will take a look at it as soon as my back heals up (i took a pretty good spill last night and am currently bed ridden for a few days)
-------------
Kenny
Owner / Technician
KKD Garage LLC
Albany, NY 12205
Posted By: chriswallace187
Date Posted: January 19, 2008 at 6:54 AM
Just a suggestion - on Escapes and Tributes that I've done there are high-current feeds to the fuse box in the driver's kick. Just as easy to connect there as at the ignition harness. I think one's yellow and the other is maybe lt. GREEN/ violet or tan/unknown stripe color. Easy to spot because as mentioned above they are about 12AWG. Also I think I've used (+) lights on those cars...I think there's a possibility that the (-) lights may only be used to flash the lights when the factory keyless is used. Does the factory light switch control (+) or (-)? ------------- C Renner's Auto Electronix
My service is cheap, quick, and good - pick any two
Posted By: AirWaveGT
Date Posted: January 19, 2008 at 6:30 PM
i think the 12v constant in the dkp is tan/black or tan/red. its a thicker gauge wire. ive always used that and never had any problems.
Posted By: another-kelly
Date Posted: January 19, 2008 at 6:37 PM
robertsc wrote:
i have done hundreds of fords and chryslers gm's with low current at the harness
as long as you are not powering up any high current circuits and all our light and lock outputs are negative there should be 0 issues
Chris Luongo wrote:
The constant-power feed at the ignition switch is fine, and there is no need to go to the battery.
However, you should be removing the remote starter's 30-amp fuses, and using a single 5 or 7.5 amp fuse for everything. This way, when there's a malfunction, only the remote starter stops working, and the car remains driveable.
what they said. very few cars is there actually a need to go to the battery.
Posted By: chriswallace187
Date Posted: January 20, 2008 at 2:45 AM
I think the only cars I've ever gone to the battery on are '01-up Chrysler minivans - just ran an 18-gauge wire along with my tach, hoodpin wires. BCM I know gets big constant power on those cars but the wires there are harder to get at. I'm kind of leery at using a <10A fused ignition harness wire for a remote start. I've never metered the operating current draw of my remote starts, but if you figure that you could have 4 or 5 relay coils operating at the same time, plus what the factory ignition wires draw, plus the solid state circuitry inside the remote start brain...that's too close to 7.5A for my comfort. It's kind of just personal preference, but I think it's just as easy to go to a fusebox or BCM power feed as it is the ignition harness - usually you have connections there anyway. ------------- C Renner's Auto Electronix
My service is cheap, quick, and good - pick any two
|