1998 f150 and ultra start 2280

I have an Ultra-Start 2280. It's a remote start, keyless entry and alarm system. Through forum searches/links I have a good description of my wiring diagram for my 1998 F150 XLT 4.6L 4x4, single cab. Below I have typed out what the 2280 manual requires for connections, and which wire I have selected from the vehicle to connect it to. Here is where I am at:

Kit Wiring:
6 Pin Connector:
Pin 1(yellow)- Starter Output - this wire still test 0V when the key is off, in the Accessory position and when the Ignition is in the on position. The starter wire is 12v during the start/crank position only. **Red w/Black Stripe.**

Pin 2(green) - Heater/Acc output - This wire will test 0v when key is off, 12v in the ACC and IGN positions and off during start/crank position.**BLACK/ Light Green Stripe**

Pin 3(Red) - 12v input/30amp - This input supplies the 12v power for the ignition, park lights and the selectable outputs.**Ran to battery**

Pin 4(red) - 12v input/30amp - This input supplies the 12v power for the accessory and starter outputs**Ran to battery**

Pin 5(blue) - Ignition Output - This wire will test 0v in the Off and Accessory positions then switch to 12v in the Ignition and Start positions.**Dark Blue/Light Green Stripe.**

Pin 6(white) - Selectable output(default 2nd Ignition)- 2nd Ignition, Accessory or Start output.**Gray / YELLOW Stripe.**

4-Pin Connector
Pin 1(brown) - (+)Siren/(-)Horn(programmable)- Connect this wire to the Brown or Red wire on the SIREN. This output can be programmed to act as an additional horn.**Connect to the supplied siren.**

Pin 2(orange) - Starter Kill/Anti-Grind - This wire can be connected to an additional relay to disable the start circuit when the lock button is pressed. The output will also stay on when remote started, this will prevent the starter motor from being re-engaged while the vehicle is running. **Not sure at all where to connect this to**

Pin 3(White) - Jumper Selectable Park Light Output (+or-) Connect to the vehicles positive park light wire or change the jumper and connect to the vehicle negative park light wire.**Brown wire at headlight switch**

Pin 4(Black) - System Ground Input - Connect to chassis ground**Self explanatory**

Additional Pins
Pin 1(Green) - Negative Lock Output - Connect to lock wire from the switch on vehicles with a negative type switch, Low Current Only.**Pink / YELLOW**Maybe confusing this with Lock Motor

Pin 2 12v Output for Door Lock Module - This output will supply 12v for a plug-in type door lock module. Do not use this input to power-up relays**Low Current Only****N/A**

Pin 3(Blue) - Negative Unlock Output - Connect to lock wire from the switch on vehicles with a negative type switch.**Low current only**Pink/Light Green**Maybe confusing this with Lock Motor

13 Pin Connector:
Pin 1(Yellow) - Output for factory alarm re-arm**N/A**
Pin 2(Brown) - Output for factory alarm dis-arm**Dark GREEN/ Purple**
Pin 3(Gray) - Negative Starter Output(neg start/crank)Supplies a ground output at the same time as the positive starter output**pretty sure this needs to be hooked up, just not sure where
Pin 4/5/6 - N/A
Pin 7 - Brake Switch Input - **Light Green wire at the brake**
Pin 8/9 - N/A
Pin 10 - Tach - **WHITE/ Pink-PCM 104pin plug, pin 48** Any place closer?
Pin 11 - N/A
Pin 12 - Positive door pin input- same as below?
Pin 13 - Negative door pin input- don't believe needed for keyless entry/start

Basically with this kit, I am not interested in the Alarm portion. My main priority is getting the keyless entry up and running, and it'd be neat to have the remote start feature working as well. Multiple sites show varying names for my trucks various cables, so it's been a bit frustrating.   

I do apologize for the lengthy post, but if anyone would be kind enough to help me fill in the blanks, the assistance would be greatly appreciated!


v/r
Bryan B.

Here are my notes from the 1997 - 1998 F150.

First, did the truck come with Factory Remote Keyless Entry? If yes, then you should have Type B (-) door
locks and can directly connect the U2280's Green and Blue lock wires to the truck. If the truck did not come
with Factory RKE, then you have Type C ( Rev ) door locks and will need relays or a Direct 451M door lock
module.

Next, your truck has a lot of ignition wires. This can get confusing and be a PITA.

There should be two Yellow and two GREEN/ Purple wires that test as +12V constant. You can connect the
U2280's two Red wires to any two of these.

The U2280 can directly support two Ignition, one Accessory and one Starter wire.

Your truck has one Starter wire. It should be RED / Light Blue. Goes to U2280 Yellow

Your truck has two Ignition wires. They should be Dark Blue/Light Green and RED / Black. There might be
a Light Blue/Pink Ignition wire if the truck has rear only anti-lock brakes. Use 2280 Blue and White wires.

Your truck should have two accessory wires, Gray / YELLOW and BLACK/ Light Green.   Use 2280 Green for the
Gray / YELLOW. That leaves the BLACK/ Light Green wire. You will need a 30/40 Amp SPDT relay and 30 Amp
fuse. Wire as follows :
Relay Pin 85 to U2280 ORANGE / White (-) 2nd Accessory ( default setting )
Relay Pin 86 and 87 to +12V constant w/fuse ( unused Yellow or GREEN/ Purple )
Relay Pin 30 to F150 BLACK/ Light Green
Relay Pin 87a not used - insulate

Other stuff :

4 Pin plug, Pin 2 Orange - not needed unless you want Starter Kill / Anti-Grind. Use would require an external
relay and cutting the trucks Starter wire.

Does your truck have the Factory Alarm system? If no, 13 Pin plug, Pins 1 & 2 not used.
13 Pin plug, Pin 3 not needed.
13 Pin plug, Pin 10   I used the Blue/Green wire at the multi-coil's 8 Pin plug.
13 Pin plug, Pin 12 & 13 for alarm trigger inputs.
13 Pin plug, Pin 9 Hood pin - very important safety feature. Just install the supplied hood pin.

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Soldering is fun!

"Your truck has two Ignition wires. They should be Dark Blue/Light Green and RED / Black. There might be
a Light Blue/Pink Ignition wire if the truck has rear only anti-lock brakes. Use 2280 Blue and White wires."

Does this mean Dark Blue/Light Green goes to 2280 Blue and RED / Black goes to 2280 White? Where would my Light Blue/Pink go to? My truck is rear ABS only.

I called a couple of dealerships and they were unable to look up my trucks info. I did call Ford directly, and there were able to tell from my VIN that my truck came factory equipped with keyless entry. I bought a new factory remote and attempted to program it, but my truck wouldn't even go into program mode. I did the "lock-unlock cycle twice, turn key from OFF to START(position just before engine turns over) 8 times within 10 seconds", and the locks did not cycle to indicate programming mode. I tried multiple key positions 8 times, and nothing. So I'll give this wiring a whirl first and see if the remote start on my unit will work and then the door locks. If the start works, and the locks don't, I'll order up the door lock module and hook it up and see what happens.

Thanks for the awesome info!

v/r
Bryan B.

Yes, the U2280 thick Blue Ignition1 and thick White Ignition2 will be connected as you listed.

If you need to power a 3rd Ignition wire, program the U2280 as follows :
Mode 1, Item 5 ( AUX Channel 1 ) to Option 1 ( (-) Ignition w/car finder ).
Obtain another 30/40 Amp SPDT Relay w/fuse and wire as follows :
Relay Pin 85 to U2280 AUX1 WHITE/ Violet wire
Relay Pin 86 & 87 to F150 unused F150 Yellow or GREEN/ Purple +12V constant thru 30 Amp fuse
Relay Pin 30 to F150 Ignition3 wire
Relay Pin 87a not used - insulate

You really should test the power door lock wires to see if they are Type B or Type C. Pretty easy test
with a Digital Multi Meter and even though the U2280 has circuit overload protection, why take chances.
Here is a link to a good reference manual on door lock systems:
https://www.the12volt.com/installbay/file.asp?ID=1213

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Soldering is fun!

A quick update.

I picked up the SPDT relay and wired as you said. My truck now remote starts! Ran into a small snafu with my wire-splice going into my brake switch, and couldn't turn the truck off. Ended up clipping the line and pushing the brake with my hand while holding the 2280 connection to the exposed brake switch wire. Truck shut off, lol. I'll crawl back under there later today and make a secure connection.

That link you posted doesn't take me to a file, only the downloads section. The only thing I found F150 related is a wiring chart for a '97 F150. Doesn't list out any signal values. What are the values for the B and C configurations supposed to be? I'm handy with a DVM, just need to know what signal will differentiate them!

v/r
Bryan B.

That's good news!    Almost done.

Sorry about the link. The file you need is the Directed Tech Tip #1041. If you go to the Download Section, search on "1041".

Basically, once you think you located the two correct color wires in the PKP, test them with a DMM while using the drivers door switch control.

Type C will show +12V with the lock or unlock command. Type B will show a ground.

More info on F150 with RKE:
On keyless entry models, these wires are also found at the keyless module, high in driver kick, above the parking brake.

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Soldering is fun!

I found 12V on the switches wires when pressing lock and unlock. So it looks like type C. I'll either drive back up to NAPA for another switch, or order up one of the 451M's. I found them on Amazon for just under $10. With the relays, would I have them both on the lock wires from the passenger kick panel? I can see the wires in the driver side, but I have zero chance of getting at them for a splice. They are in a bundle of about 50+ wires with no play in the bundle to move it for access. I believe I can contort myself enough to run new wires through the factory tubing where the wires run from the truck to the door through by the hinges though.

Also, do you happen to have a picture of the location for the Tach connection? I checked for the PCM's 104 pin plug and your suggestion of the multicoil 8pin plug, and couldn't find either.

Thanks!

v/r
Bryan B.

The 451M is a nice, compact module that will make the job easier and look neater.

Not sure which engine you have. The Ultra Start units are very good at picking up a Tach signal. The
easiest way would be going to a convenient Fuel Injector. Each F.I. will have a connector with two wires.
Compare several F.I.'s and you will notice they all have one wire the same color and that the other wire is
a unique color. Connect the U2280's Tach wire to the non-common / unique color wire.

The only problem you have is that the U2280 is now running in TachLess mode. To switch back to Tach
Mode, you must do a Factory Reset. The Factory Reset is easy but you will lose most of your option
programming ( all except the White Programmable Ignition wire ). After the Factory Reset, the U2280
will automatically do a Tach Learn and signal success with 2 blinks of the Parking Lights during the first
key start-up.

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Soldering is fun!

So from what I've seen, the "reverse polarity" relay wiring in my 2280 manual doesn't match up with the PDF from this site. Below are each:

2280 Manual:
Lock
Pin 85: 12v constant
Pin 86: 2280 Green
Pin 87: 12v constant
Pin 87a: pink / YELLOW from relay to switch
Pin 30: pink / YELLOW coming from truck
Unlock
Pin 85: 12v constant
Pin 86: 2280 Blue
Pin 87: 12v constant
Pin 87a: pink/light green from relay to switch
Pin 30: pink/light green coming from truck

PDF:
Lock
Pin 85: 2280 green wire
Pin 86: 12v constant
Pin 87: 12v constant
Pin 87a: pink / YELLOW wire from relay to switch
Pin 30: pink / YELLOW wire coming from truck
Unlock
Pin 85: 2280 blue wire
Pin 86: 12v constant
Pin 87: 12v constant
Pin 87a: pink/light green wire from relay to switch
Pin 30: pink/light green wire coming from truck

The PDF also talks about locating the Master? Is the procedure necessary if I already know to use the pink / YELLOW and pink/light-green wires?


v/r
Bryan B.

Either relay wiring will work, however, standard relay convention has coil Pin 85 as (-) and Pin 86
as (+).   The PDF is "more" accurate. You will notice that the wiring for the extra ignition circuit
relays previously given follows this convention. It is also prudent to add a coil quenching diode to
the relay. A 1N4004 diode is placed across Pin 85 to Pin 86 with the diodes' band toward Pin 86. With
the addition of the diode, polarity must be observed and Pin 86 must receive the (+) signal. If you use
the DEI 451M module, no diodes are necessary.

While it's nice to know information and helps when determining lock operation in a vehicle, the wire
guide listing is accurate concerning wire colors and master switch. If your testing confirms Type C (rev)
locks and you cut both lock wires and manually test by applying a brief +12V ( fused @ 10 Amps ) to the
motor side wire, you are good to go.

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Soldering is fun!

So I ordered the 451M and got it in the mail yesterday. It seems very straight forward. Here is what I have:

451M's Violet/Blk-Stripe--> 12v Constant
451M's WHITE/ Blk-Stripe--> splice into switch-side of cut lock wire
451M's GREEN/ Blk-Stripe--> splice into power side of cut lock wire
451M's Brn/Blk-Stripe--> splice into switch-side of cut unlock wire
451M's Blue/Blk-Stripe--> splice into power side of cut unlock wire

RED / GREEN/ Blue 3-pin plug not used.

Is this looking correct, or am I off?

v/r
Bryan B.

Everything looks good for a Type C system with a few notes...

451M
Violet and Violet/Black should come pre-joined and go through a 15 Amp fuse to +12V constant
"451M's GREEN/ Blk-Stripe--> splice into power side of cut lock wire".   It's actually the "Motor" side.

The 451M plug with the Red, Green and Blue wires should be cut off.   
The 451M Green wire goes connected to the U2280's Green Lock output wire.
The 451M Blue wire goes to the U2280 Blue Unlock output wire.
The 451M Red wire can be connected to the Violet or Violet/Black wires before the fuse ( between the fuse and the 451M ).

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Soldering is fun!

"451M's GREEN/ Blk-Stripe--> splice into power side of cut lock wire".   It's actually the "Motor" side.

I was thinking of it as the non-switch side. Hopefully connecting to the correct place! Also, interesting issue. I've temporarily connected the siren up to ground and the brown horn wire in my truck. With my siren's red-wire to my horn and black-wire to ground, my horn blasts steadily, as does the siren. When I reverse the connections, I get no steady horn/siren. When pressing my horn, it works just fine. Any idea's? I did a system reset on the 2280 and it still does this. I removed power at the battery, reapplied and it still honks.

I did connect my tach sense to my number 1 injector line as well.

v/r
Bryan B.

Disregard! After some coffee/smoke and fresh eye's, I spotted my problem. Afterwards, I did the manual reset, re-programmed my remotes and tach-learned. Now my remote start is functional and my keyless entry is working as intended. AND my horn/siren don't run constantly!

Now it's time to tidy-up my wiring, cable covers and zip ties, etc., and it'll be complete. I'll tackle that part tomorrow. Unless there are any objections, I'd like to make a post that show's all the connections I did, tips for routing and reaching particular wires, etc..

I do credit you for it now working! Your help has been outstanding! Thank you very much for your patience and great information!

v/r
Bryan B.

Excellent news!    Good work. Just in time for the cooler weather.

Yes, please include any tips & tricks and especially any photos that will help others. The F150 is a popular truck and there are plenty of that vintage still on the road.

Not sure, but the Forum might have some rules & restrictions concerning uploading pictures due to the number of posts a member has. Might want to check the rules first. Also, try to keep the pictures at standard VGA resolution with a simple (xxx.jpg) name.

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Soldering is fun!