Remote Starter Hood Error, Viper 5706V

I did the installation for Toyota Rav4 and when I hit the remote start to start. It tells me that there is a hood error(hood is open). It stops the car from starting. But I notice that when I removed the 15amp fuse(blue fuse) from the alarm brain. It works again but for few weeks or few months. I get the problem again and I have to unplug the 15amp fuse again. I even try to ground the hood pin wire and it still the same. I did the installation on many others vehicle but never run across the problem like this one. Please help the customer is keep bugging me. Thanks

A thought and a few questions.

Typically, the R/S system is looking for a ground from the Hood Pin to disable the remote
start function. This type of hood input is called (-) N.O. and the most common. It is used
with the Viper kit supplied hood pin. With the Viper you can change the programming to
look for a open or lack of a ground in the case of a vehicle with a (-) N.C. type alarm system
( usually Fords ). See Menu 1 Feature 11. So, with default Viper programming, if you
manually ground the Hood Pin input, you have told the Viper that the hood is open and
disabled the R/S function.

Questions :

1. What year RAV4?
2. Was a bypass module used?
3. Did you install the Viper kit supplied Hood Pin?
4. How long has the system been installed?

On some newer RAV4's you can use a bypass module that will obtain the Factory installed
hood pin info from the CAN bus if the RAV4 came with the Factory Alarm system and
has a factory installed hood pin. Hence questions 2 and 3.

If you used the Viper kit supplied hood pin, question 4 comes into play. That type of hood
pin will get rusty and go bad. Typically they get stuck in the hood closed position and no
longer provide a disable signal when the hood is open, not the symptoms you are having but...

There are a few things to check if you used the Viper hood pin. First would be to check
the Viper Gray Hood Pin input wire. At some point it must breach the firewall and travel
through the engine compartment to the hood pin. I always use a rubber grommet at the
firewall to protect the wire and prevent insulation chaffing. Additionally, I use small gauge
wire loom to protect the wire as it travels through the engine compartment.

Next would be the hood pin switch itself. If it looks rusty, replace it.   If the Gray wire tab
connection is close to frame metal, relocate the switch.

Of course, with the symptoms you mention, it could be the Viper control module itself.
Reseat the 24 pin harness and check the Gray wires travel within the vehicle to the firewall
for any chaffing issues. Reseating that fuse could cause wire movement that would temporarily
alleviate the problem.

Most of the above assumes you installed the Vipers hood pin switch. You could re-run that Gray
wire and use a new switch. Being as the Viper is an alarm system, a mercury tilt switch would
not be a good alternative because of the hood travel needed to trigger an alarm.

A final thought would be the Vipers Chassis Ground connection. It should be with a soldered-on
ring terminal going to a clean rust and paint free chassis location. Not to a thin metal dash
support bracket, etc.

-------------
Soldering is fun!

Is this the factory hood pinswitch with two wires and a plug at its base, or is it an aftermarket pinswitch?
If it is the factory one, it may need replacement as they corrode on the internal crimps of the pins and cause the issue you describe.
So the real story here is galvanic oxidation with the metals of the crimped pins onto the copper clad aluminum cheap wire the pinswitch manufacturer uses.
I see this a lot as the manufacturer of the parts are trying to take shortcuts that save a few pennies across millions of units.
3 inches of copper wire is maybe 02 cents cheaper than copper clad aluminium.
But take that.02 cents across a million units and well you got planned obselesence and a contract for a "new improved pinswitch" design to patent and charge triple for.
See the first pinswitches used the body of the switch as the ground. All metal construction and quality. Would last almost forever only enemy rust.
The new types have the entire body plastic and only the small crimped tabs that connect the circuit are silver for anti corrosion and conductivity.
Two wires going out one to ground other to whatever be needin ground of vice versa.

-------------
Do it movin! "I still have the Twindows modules from My 86 mr2 in the bottom of my box"

I didn't use the pin switch at all. And I have been installed these units on many cars without any problem. I even tried to ground the gray wire but the same thing happen. It is not the unit and I do use the bypass DBALL2. But for some reasons, this car only bypass to start and nothing else like unlock or other features which was programmed to the DBALL 3. I have to manually wire the other features but it does start the car with the bypass. And it resets and start to work again once i unplug the 15 fuse from the alarm brain.

minhbach wrote:

---

I even tried to ground the gray wire but the same thing happen.

---

Just to reiterate what was already said, you do not want to ground the grey wire. The remote start will shut down when this wire is grounded.

-------------
My ex once told me I have a perfect face for radio.

This Rav4 2016. I didn't ground the gray wire as I said. I installed multiple Vipers 5706 w/out having to install the hood pin switch or connect the gray wire to the OEM hood pin switch. I just let all of these alone and it works like a champ everytime except this Rav4. I find it strange that they don't have any programming features from the DBALL 3 other than to bypass to remote start. And if I have to connect the gray wire from the alarm brain from the Viper unit to the OEM hood pin switch. Anyone now the color code for this wire and location. I have been installing RS and never to install hoodpin switch but this is the first vehicle that I ran into a problem like this. And it even frustrating that when I unplug and 15amp blue fuse from the alarm brain. The system be able to remote start without that hoodpin error code which stops the car from even start. When the problem occur. I hit the RS button. It shown ERROR on the LCD remote and 6 flashes which is for hoodpin eror.