ast ultra remote start

I'm trying to decide which RS to buy, and am reading the user manuals to see if I'd like how they operate. I was really leaning towards an autostart, but in the manual it says you unlock/lock the doors by holding down the button for 1 full second.

Do you really need to hold it for a full second, or is the manual being vague? All the OEM remotes I've used just need a millisecond press.

I know, its a small thing but I can see myself getting frustrated as I have my hand on the handle, waiting for it to unlock while I'm holding down the button in my other hand.

The other one I was closely considering was an Autostart. Anyone know how long you have to hold those buttons for lock/unlock?

-thanks

The manual is exaggerating.   A quick push of the button works fine for lock and unlock. Trunk release and remote start do require you to hold the button for longer.

I agree with JWorm.

I've installed one or two Ultra units, and not too long ago I picked up a used car that has an Ultra starter/keyless already installed.

The locks work instantly, and the remote starter requires that you hold the button just a little bit.

Nice product to install, too.

You might be thinking of Astro Start, maybe? I've installed a few of those, and they seem incredibly well made, but the remotes are huge, and for ANY of the functions (lock, unlock, start), you have to hold the button for a full second, which I think is pretty stupid.

Thanks guys.

who stands there with the doorhandle in one hand unlocking their doors anyway?     i always unlock mine 10-15 feet from the vehicle as i walk towards it.... so it probably wouldn't be an issue anyway.....

-------------
Kevin Gerry
Certified Electronics Technician
MECP First Class Installer

Owner/Installer
Classic Car Audio
since 1979

Hmmm ok reading through the manual some more, it says that pressing the '#' button activates the aux 1 output (trunk usually). Then a small note under that says that aux 1 is not available on two-way models.   So how do you pop the trunk then? I would assume you have to use a 2nd aux, but I don't see it listed in any of the key press charts.

what brand/model alarm do you have?

I'm looking at the Ultra Start 3280-XR.

The manual is here, the button table starts on page 4.

So I'm still trying to figure out how you would pop the trunk with Ultra Start 3280-XR. I'd really like to order this and get it installed before it gets cold.

97gss, I read the pages you pointed to. But the manual also says in a foot note: "Car finder and auxiliary 1 are not available on two-way models".

Do they really make a nice, two-way unit that can't pop the trunk? Or you have to do some complicated button presses to activate aux 2 to pop the trunk? Anyone know?

After a little back and forth with AST (they were very helpful with their two-word email response), I think I have this figured out.

The documentation is very bad. But 97gss you were right, on page 13 of the installer manual they say that holding unlock for 3 seconds will activate the trunk release.

The user manual (you know, the one you would think would tell you how to use it) has no mention of this. They also have no mention of the trunk release at all, only aux 1. So I assumed that aux 1 was used for the trunk, but from looking at the installer manual it looks like there is a trunk release in addition to aux 1 and aux 2 outputs.

So with the two-way unit you do loose aux 1, but you still have a trunk release and aux 2.

I'm puzzled why this is. On the one way units pressing the # button activates aux 1. On two-way units, evidently this does nothing??? Weird that you would loose a feature on the higher end model.

I have been trying to program my newly installed AST 1270 for hours now. I would really appreciate some help.

Every time I try to remote start it, it flashes the parking lights 7 times. (no attempts to start, nothing comes on, just 7 parking light flashes).

The manual says this means "tach lockout", whatever that is, or in another chart is says 7 flashes means it did not detect a tach signal. It shouldn't detect a tach signal before the car is started, but I'm guessing that they mean is that the tach hasn't been programmed.

I'm not using the tach, I'm using voltage sense. I've gone into the programming mode and set this many many times.

So I think I need to program the "tach" (voltage sense). The manual says the proceedure is the same for tach or tachless. In the "auto tach learn" section it says to start the car with the key. Then it will flash the parking lights 3 times to indicate it picked up the signal.   But every time I start the car with the key, I just set 7 flashes (about 10 seconds after starting the car).

I've also tried the "quick tach learn", I'm not really how or why this is different than the auto tach learn, but it basically says to press the brake before starting, then press the program button 3 times after starting the car (with the key). Then you are supposed to get the 3 flashes. I always get 7. The instructions aren't clear if you are supposed to hold the brake while starting, continue to hold it after starting, or what. But I've tried it all ways.

Thanks for any help!

Sorry, should have included this page from the manual, in case you want to see the exact instructions yourself:
https://ultrastarters.com/help_files/Updates/Reset_Relearn.pdf

thanks

Been working on this all day now... I found another post where the guy couldn't get tachless mode to work no matter what he did with this particular unit. So I bit the bullet and ran a tach wire. Now it works.

Just an update on the button-hold-time issue. You don't have to hold down the unlock/lock button for any length of time, you just tap it. (however it doesn't unlock for 1-2 seconds later, kind of annoying).

However, to pop the trunk you have to hold the trunk button for 5 full seconds. PITA.

I should clarify - this is on the AST Ultra Start 1270.

Hook up tach and then program the tach wire. It will work much better that way.

I haven't done an AST unit in about 4 years, but this is what I remember.

If you insist on using tachless....
Key ON, OFF, ON, OFF, ON
Press antenna button one time....horn beeps once.
Press lock.....horn beeps once.
Press antenna button....wait......horn beeps once.
Hold antenna button....siren chirps twice.....let go of antenna button
Press unlock. Turn OFF ignition. Horn does long beep.

If you don't have the horn wire hooked up, it makes programming extremely difficult for someone who hasn't done it before.