python 1400xp strange issue

Hello everyone! I was wondering if you guys could help me out? I have a python 1400xp keyless entry/ remote start that isn't working properly. It was installed by Circuit City 4 years ago and hasn't given me issues until the past month.

The system is installed in my 2005 Ford Ranger FX4 w/ an automatic transmission and factory keyless entry.

The problem:

The python 1400xp remote starts key fob does not control the system without my truck parking lamps or headlights turned on. When my truck lights are off the system does absolutely nothing. However, as soon as I flip on the parking lights I have full control of the phython system via the key fob (lock, unlock, remote start). This is very strange. It seems like this may be a programming/ software glitch?

Are there any steps I could take to try and solve this issue? Is there anyway to "reset" the python 1400xp?

I've been all over the internet trying to figure this out but haven't come up with any info.

Thanks!

sounds to me like the main fuse might be blown .. on the red wire.

even if it looks good ...replace it and see if it helps.

-------------
yuk
quiet rural missouri, near KC.
If your system moves you physically and not emotionally, you have wasted your money.

when working correctly, the red wire feeds (through the brain) the white wire for parking light flash.

my theory on your problem is that with the red wire fuse being blown the brain is dead until you turn the parks on. then you are (back) feeding 12volts back to the brain through the white parklight wire.

-------------
yuk
quiet rural missouri, near KC.
If your system moves you physically and not emotionally, you have wasted your money.

depending on what parking light polarity they used it oculd be either your ground broke off at the crimp or something along those lines, or that a fuse blew like osmeone else stated.
have it looke at if you are unfamiliar with this stuff.

-------------
A DMM is a beautiful thing.

MECP Advanced Installer Certified.

itsyuk wrote:

---

when working correctly, the red wire feeds (through the brain) the white wire for parking light flash.

my theory on your problem is that with the red wire fuse being blown the brain is dead until you turn the parks on. then you are (back) feeding 12volts back to the brain through the white parklight wire.

---

Thanks for the reply. So I wonder how the fuse could have blown? Is it common for these units to blow fuses? Where would this fuse be located, inside the "brain" or is it an inline?

inline on the unit. sometimes circuit city would run constant power straight to the battery. might want to check there othewise you can pop off your panels under the steering wheel and it'll be pretty obvious where the fuses are.

-------------
A DMM is a beautiful thing.

MECP Advanced Installer Certified.

its inline with the red wire from the brain. the fuse holder is probably white.

-------------
yuk
quiet rural missouri, near KC.
If your system moves you physically and not emotionally, you have wasted your money.

sometimes when they blow you will never figure out why. if the new fuse pops, then we have a bigger problem.

what other stuff has been added to the system besides the 1400 its self?

-------------
yuk
quiet rural missouri, near KC.
If your system moves you physically and not emotionally, you have wasted your money.

if you know the exactly when the whole thing happened, tell us what was going on the with the vehicle ...

like was it running under remote start and you hooked a trailer up and it happened .... or whatever.

the fuse is most likely a 15 amp. blue.

-------------
yuk
quiet rural missouri, near KC.
If your system moves you physically and not emotionally, you have wasted your money.

itsyuk wrote:

---

sometimes when they blow you will never figure out why. if the new fuse pops, then we have a bigger problem.

what other stuff has been added to the system besides the 1400 its self?

---

The system as in my truck or an upgrade to the 1400xp? A couple years back I hardwired in sat radio and two years back I hardwired in a cb radio to the truck. Everything has worked flawlessly together and since I installed all that stuff I know I properly wired, fused, and followed recommended installation practices.

A side note... When I have my parking/headlights on and I go to remote start the truck. It'll start fine... but then if I turn my parking lights off while the truck is running (without the key in the on position in the truck) the engine will cut out. It's the same as if you were to hit the brake without the keys in the on position in the truck. The catch is now, if I flip my parking lights on, the engine will start back up again (after I had previously flipped the lights off while the truck was running).

Don't know if this helps but I'de like to give you guys all the info on this issue. Thanks again for the replys.

itsyuk wrote:

---

if you know the exactly when the whole thing happened, tell us what was going on the with the vehicle ...

like was it running under remote start and you hooked a trailer up and it happened .... or whatever.

the fuse is most likely a 15 amp. blue.

---

At the beginning of the month this was intermittent. I noticed I couldn't activate my truck via the key fob. After normal driving around I park the truck and go to lock it up (via key fob) and the key fob worked again.

It may very well be a ground or fuse, but before hopping on these forums, to me it seemed like I confused the system somehow. After some sort of sequence of daily driving through the applications of turning over the truck, applying brakes, turning on headlights, the problem appeared to solve itself. Now luck isn't on my side and it hasn't worked for weeks.

instead of a fuse problem ... it sounds like a bad connection (probably on the power wire) that is getting worse as time goes by.

if CC did the install, i think any dei dealer should be able to fix it under warranty.

i hope someone will chime in and confirm or deny this.

-------------
yuk
quiet rural missouri, near KC.
If your system moves you physically and not emotionally, you have wasted your money.

itsyuk wrote:

---

instead of a fuse problem ... it sounds like a bad connection (probably on the power wire) that is getting worse as time goes by.

if CC did the install, i think any dei dealer should be able to fix it under warranty.

i hope someone will chime in and confirm or deny this.

---

nope that is false.

-------------
A DMM is a beautiful thing.

MECP Advanced Installer Certified.

i hope you are responding to the CC/warranty statement....LOL

-------------
yuk
quiet rural missouri, near KC.
If your system moves you physically and not emotionally, you have wasted your money.

Well even though its 8 degrees outside, I'm going to take a look at the python unit today. I'll check the fuse out and look for any loose connections. I'll get back to you guys with what I've found.

Ok I found out three things...

1. It's way too cold outside to mess around with the python wiring.

2. Circuit City did a lousy job wiring up this unit (electrical tape was used for many wire connections which may be the cause of my problem). They never mounted the red led or valet button, the horn isn't hooked up to the system so I never get a confirmation honk when I lock the truck, and the dome light output isn't hooked up. I knew about a lot of these issue way back when but I felt like venting about them now lol.

3. The fuses are fine. It is definitely a wire connection problem. One wire in particular that I moved around had an effect and I was able to once again use my key fob. For the time being my remote start is working fine. I'm thinking when it warms up I'll systematically go through the wiring for my unit and properly solder and heat shrink the connections.

Thanks for the help guys! The attached pictures is the mess I have to deal with eventually. Note that my trailer brake controller wiring is visible in the pics so that adds to the mess.

I accidentally attached the blurry picture of the 1400xp unit. This should be a better one.



In my previous post the first picture is me pointing to the wire I moved around that made my remote start work. Where you see the white zip tie near the bottom of the picture the red wire is connected to a small gauge brown wire and the connection is taped up with electircal tape (no idea why the red wire is hooked to the brown since the brown is supposedly the (-)horn honk). The red wire then gets tapped (what I'm pointing to) and is split into the black wire which goes into the python unit.

if you use a trailer, you probably ought to change the parking light wire to the "neg" version and use a relay to flash the lights.

the first picture you posted shows the biggest no-no. looks like you have some work to do.

its a shame to pay good money for sub-par work.

-------------
yuk
quiet rural missouri, near KC.
If your system moves you physically and not emotionally, you have wasted your money.