dodge caliber prestige xr6900

Just installed an Audiovox Prestige XR6900 on my Son's Caliber.  I though people might like to know how to handle the strange signals required for remote start.

First the ignition is two rotary switch sections,
One section puts out 12 V to "Run", and "Start", so the Caliber manual says, but it is wrong, the start output doesn't actually exist
The other section switches various resistors to ground to represent "Key out", "Key in", "Acc", "Run", and "Start".

We disconnected the ign sw and read the resistors to ground on  the cut "VT/BR" wire,  They are:
Key Out = 21200 Ohms, Key IN=8150 Ohms, Acc=1548 Ohms, Run= 570 Ohms, and Start=177 Ohms to ground.

Then I put in a relay that opens that ign switch wire ("VT/BR" between Ign sw pin 2 and Sentry Key Remote Entry Module pin 1)  and connects a fixed resistor of 570 ohm to ground on the Sentry Module side.  This duplicates the "Run" signal, and then a relay contact in the XR6900 adds 302 ohms in parallel.  This then totals 177 ohms to ground.  This duplicates the "Start" signal.  The actual values were trimmed to be as close to these numbers as possible.  These numbers are the exact numbers we read on test, so those are the ones for you to duplicate.

The pin 4 of the ign switch ("PK/LB" on pin 4) did put out 12 v in "Run" to the "T.I.P." module, so we used the XR6900 "IGN 1" output to apply 12 v to that circuit (at the T.I.P. module plug C3 pin 12).

The door locks were similar, the common door lock wire that comes out of the driver's door is normally open.  It gets 300 ohms to ground for "Lock", 100 ohms to ground for "Unlock". 

I have not given wire colors, as many of them were wrong in the manual, too bad they were so sloppy with their work, but this is the first year, and it will get straightened out by Chrysler in time.

We are having trouble with the "Tach" signal, it originally worked by being tied to one of the four coils. But the following morning it refused to start, saying "Tach signal is low" by blinking twice when he tried it.  It will warm-start OK, but not when it is cold. 
I tried all 4 coil wires, each through 10K ohms to the Tach input, and again worked then, but not the following morning.  It gave a nice signal on the "scope, a significant square pulse for each firing. 

I ran across something on the internet about a (Mitsubishi?) having two start wires, and the "cold start" one was not being activated by the RS.  If that is not our problem I can try a better "Tach" signal, from one of the injectors.

I just noticed that I need to double-check that "Start" circuit, as the ign sw does have a wire out, but the TIP module doesn't have one in where the manual says it should be.  The manual shows a "Start" wire out of ign sw pin 4 ("PK/LB") to the T.I.P module plug C3 pin 12 (but this T.I.P. pin is empty).  I may have to put the XR6900 "Start" wire on the ign sw "PK/LB" wire anyway, as it probably goes somewhere!.

I will keep everyone posted on my progress.  If you want to help me with the "Tach" signal, that would be appreciated.

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D.Bacon

I have not had any problems with the tach at the injector on any of the calibers that I've worked on. Uncommon color at the injectors is what I used. If the RS has the alternator sense feature on it, use it and that should solve your tach issue. As far as the ignition wires, we just use a bypass module and it take us less than 1.5 hours to get this vehicle done and out the door. Pretty basic except the firewall pass through. What a pain in the arse that is for this vehicle.

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

Jeff,

Thanks for the reply, it is encouraging.  My Son tried it after stopping for gas after leaving my house and it wouldn't crank.  Then he tried it later, at home and it worked!  Something that I did is marginal.

This RS has a non-tach mode, but it still fails to crank, indicating "Low Tach Signal".  I still think the Caliber electronics is not allowing the crank signal from the RS to crank the car.  I must put indicators on the various RS outputs to prove this...

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D.Bacon

When it fails, does the Sentry light flash in the dash or no ?

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

Jeff,

No, it doesn't flash.  The only diagnostic he gets is the Audiovox unit flashes the parking lights twice, meaning "Low or no tach signal received"

But I have seen the tach signal on the 'scope, and we have tried it three ways, 1. on one coil, 2. on four coils with 10 k iso resistors, and 3. on one injector.

We will see tomorrow morning.  He gets up early, and he will email me right after starting it.

Thanks for the help

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D.Bacon

Thursday morning, didn't start again. 
I don't know how picky the Caliber electronics is on the signal from the Ign sw, but what it would normally see with a regular "key-start" is:
Key out=21K, Key in=8K, Acc=1.5K, Run=570, Start=177, Run=570  All times determined by human operator.
Note that the 12V "Start" output is applied to the T.I.P. C3 pin 12 at the same time as "Start" above

What we originally simulated was:
Key out=21K, Possible open while relay switches to resistor simulator (maybe 20 millisec), Run=570, Start=177 (approx 1 sec), Run=570
With the 12V Start output applied in sync with the "Start" time above, which lasts for 1 second or so.
This works when I am there, but not when my Son tries it in the cold morning.

So we added the "Key in" signal, driven by the "Bypass control" signal, which comes on for 1 second before "Run".
Now our simulation is:
Key out=21K, Key in= 8K, 1 sec pause, Possible 20 msec open while relay switches to resistor simulator, Run=570, Start=177 for 1 sec, Run=570
With the 12V Start output applied in sync with the "Start" time above, which lasts for 1 second or so.
This worked after we did the change, but my Son tried it after refueling on the way home, failed to crank!  Also failed in the cold morning.

So we are slill missing the "Acc" signal, and might have the "Open" glitch during switching, but that's the only difference between an operator doing a "key-start" vs. the Remote-Start simulation.  (Except for any switch detecting the operator sitting in his seat... would the Caliber be that sneaky?)
We don't have the alarm system option.
Does anybody know how exactly I have to simulate this, or is this somthing I am obsessing about unnecessarily?

Thanks.

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D.Bacon

What did you use for the Sentry bypass ? The reason I ask is because most of the new Chrysler/Jeep/Dodge bypass modules have the MUX bypass built into them so all the work is done for you and it's a matter of hooking up only 3 wires on the module + the transponder ring

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

1. If you suspect a tach issue, temporarily reprogram for voltage sensing, AND "crank averagine" off...........and leave it that way until you get the rest of the install worked out...........even if you prefer tach, voltage is a great troubleshooting tool.

2. Also, leave the transponder bypass for last. Insert a key almost all the way into the ignition......NOT enough to trigger the key-in-ignition chime, just almost all the way. This will let the car "see" the transponder for now, until you get the rest worked out.

The way I do those cars at the ignition switch is very simple, like this:

Prestige thick blue, ignition 1: to the ignition wire at the keyswitch.

Prestige red, and RED / white constant wires: jump them together with one 5-amp or 7.5 amp fuse, and connect to the constant wire at the keyswitch.

Prestige small BLACK / YELLOW, "pulse during start": connect directly to the PURPLE / brown at the ignition switch. No relay, no diode, no resistor...just straight.

Prestige thick yellow, green, and purple: no connection.