2011 f250 lariat , automate am1

Hello everyone,

I purchased the DEI AutoMate AM1 to add to my factory security/keyless/auto start system that came with my 2011 F250. I took the truck to BestBuy to have the AM1 installed. After about 5 hours the installer called me and said he couldn't finish the install because the Negative Lock/Unlock wires in the floor panel (Blue/Green & Yellow/Purple) did not drop the 12vt signal low enough to trigger the arming/disarming function of the AM1. He said that he called his MECP Master installer and he confirmed this is an issue with the 2011 F250. I have been told by other installers that this is not true and that the installer at BB does not know what he's talking about. I really need some clarification please.

The BB installer said he would have to get into the door panel and add a relay wired to reverse the signal to negative.

Has anyone done an install on a 2011-2012 F250 yet? Preferably a AM1?

I don't want to add a full alarm system because I really don't want to eliminate the factory remote start and add a keyfob to my key chain. I'm loving how Ford has integrated everything into the key (like many other OEMs).

Thanks everyoen


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Former MECP Master Installer (10 years ago).

Why doesn't the installer use the lock motor wire and the unlock motor wire to trigger the arm/disarm? Not familiar with the system, but this is an alternative. If a neg trigger is required then you will just need to use a few relays to reverse polarity.

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

Do you have a soft copy of the manual? I'm pretty sure it trips with positive triggers for the lock system.

Lock (+) = GRAY\BROWN - BCM 32 PIN CONN, PIN 26
Unlock (+) = VIOLET\GRAY - BCM 32 PIN CONN, PIN 31
Disarm Defeat (+) = BLUE\GREEN - BCM 32 PIN CONN, PIN 21

These wires may also be picked up in the driver kick panel.

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This information is provided only as a reference.
All circuits should be verified with a digital multi-meter prior to making any connections.

He couldn't get it to work because he wasn't installing it the right way.

The wires he was trying to interface with only make signals when pressing the lock/unlock rocker switch inside the truck; they do nothing at all when the Ford's OEM remote is operated.

By the way, if this part wasn't clear before: The AM1, even though it's made to operate from your OEM remotes, does not have any kind of radio receiver or antenna. It works by monitoring existing wiring in the car.....

Basically in each door, there's a little motor with two wires going to it. When one of the wires gets a ground and the other wire gets a positive, the door unlocks. When the two wires are reversed, the door locks.

In most modern vehicles, these wires come from the car's body computer, and the computer controls the wires in some way that we don't really know (or even care) how. We just need to know to find the car's motor wires.

So how it works is that when the AM1 "sees" one of the wires make a positive, it "knows" that you've locked the doors, and arms its alarm. When it "sees" that ONLY the driver's door unlocks, it disarms.

It's also (usually) tied into the wire going to the passenger's door motor.....when it "sees" BOTH doors unlock at the same time, it assumes it's a bad guy pressing the Unlock button on the door panel with a coat hanger, instead of the rightful owner using the remote....that's because your remote unlocks only the driver's door on the first press.

So anyway, if I'm not being too long winded: The installer is supposed to find three wires in the car: Both wires going to the driver's doorlock actuator motor, and the unlock leg of the passenger's doorlock actuator motor.

One would think that in the 5-hour timeframe the BB installer had your car, he might have sat down for a few minutes and read the installation manual, or perhaps called Directed Electronics' tech support.....but who knows. I used to work there, and three minutes' peace and quiet to read through a manual was a luxury we rarely had.

So basically, the solution would be for the installer to re-read the manual, and connect to the three wires that 91stt listed. There are no relays required; the product is already made for quick and easy installation.

Anyway, the thing is this: The box stores don't sell add-on alarms like these, and their installers have probably never seen one of them before. I started my career at Circuit City and Best Buy, and I had never even heard of the existence of one of these things until I started working for a dealer expeditor.

So anyway, what you probably want is to find out who does work for the car dealerships in your area. They should be much more familiar with these systems. Where in Texas are you? You'll probably have to shop around for a while to find a place that is willing to install product not purchased from them.

Also, be aware that almost no shop will be willing to tackle this if the Best Buy installer already cut or shortened or "prepped" the alarm to be installed. If he did, make sure you somehow get them to get you some new harnesses, even if the manager has to take them from a similar DEI unit from their store stock.

According to another reference that I just looked at, the unlock and disarm defeat BCM location is shown swapped. The BCM is located in the passenger kick panel with the fuse box. I have not worked on this vehicle so I do not have first hand knowledge. So check the wires before making the connections. The wires are easily confirmed.

The lock wire will go positive when the remote lock button is pressed.

The unlock wire will go positive when the remote unlock button is pressed but not when the vehicle's unlock switch is actuated.

The disarm defeat wire will go positive when the vehicle's unlock button is actuated but not when the remote unlock button is pressed, the FIRST time after being locked by the remote. It does not matter if the disarm defeat wire switches positive with the second or subsequent presses of the remote unlock button.

These systems are not difficult to install but they have to be approached differently.

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This information is provided only as a reference.
All circuits should be verified with a digital multi-meter prior to making any connections.