GM Transmission Wire?

Last year when I went to purchase a remote starter from the store, they tried to get me to let them install it, I told them I could do it, and they warned that newer GM Trucks have some kind of wire that needs to be powered up or else the transmission will be damaged...

I never did buy the starter from them, I thought they were just trying to scare me into getting them to install it. To be safe, when I purchased my Viper 791, I made a post here entitled "Tranny Wire?" and asked about it, based on the replies I got there was nothing special about installing a remote start into a GM Truck.

Well, Now I'm worried.. I installed the remote starter/alarm about 2-3 months ago, and now my transmission is not shifting properly. I noticed it at first on the highway, it would slip if I hammered the gas to pass someone. Just yesterday its seemed to taken a turn for the worst, when starting from a stop, it won't shift from 1st to 2nd, unless I take my foot of the gas. It shifts fine as long as I let go of the gas at the aproximate shift speed/point. I've checked the oil level consistently since the slipping on the highway began and its always been good. Has anyone heard of anything like this? Please help or let me know where I might find help, this is very serious!! Thanks for any help you guys can give.

if you do not power the white 2nd ignition wire, you run the risk of tranny failure. Do you have a check engine light on? Does your check engine light work?

HEVROLET, SILVERADO, 2000, Second Ignition

To avoid the check engine light from coming on and possible damage to the automatic transmission, the second ignition in this vehicle MUST be powered when adding a remote start system.

This is the post that your referring to and I'm the member that suggested that you use the WHITE wire at the ignition harness for the 2nd IGN wire.

https://www.the12volt.com/installbay/forum_posts.asp?tid=48083&KW=kash

If you did not power this wire up during remote start, then that is the problem. It's probably too late now and the damage is done.

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

I just finished up wireing a remote start on a 2005 Avalanch and I wired the 2nd ignition (thin white wire behind the ignition harness) and I still get a check engine light. There is a thicker white wire wich I originaly thought was the second ignition. So I called my local supplier and they said it was the thin white wire. Is this correct? Do I have to take the truck to a dealer so they can erase the codes for the check engine light?

Luis.

Use a DMM and check for yourself on the WHITE wire to see which one is the true 2nd IGN wire.

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

Would the second ignition read the same as the 1st ignition? How would I be able to tell.

Luis.

Ignition wires supplies power to the vehicle's ignition system and fuel pump, it shows between 10 and 14 volts with the key in the RUN and CRANK positions of the key switch.

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

jeff is correct about the white wire. jsut thought i would post up a second opinion. i hope all works out for you. btw a cetified trans from gm is about 3000 dollars plaus labor.

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on the 2003 and up GM trucks, all the wires needed for remote start in the ignition harness are larger guage now, the small start and 2nd ign are gone.

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Shaughn Murley
Install Manager, Dealer Services
Visions Electronics
Red Deer, Alberta

Don't miss the forest from the tree. Check your second ignition wire on your remote starter unit that it is power up. If it does not, then worry because that is where your problem would have orginated.

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Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it.

I just did my 05 Avalanche and if I'm not mistaken all the ign/pwr/acc wires were the same size (roughly). At least none where "small". Think the white wire was with the orange wire in the little bundle that shot off to the left over the knee panel supports.
Don't use remote start till you change the wires. Grab a cheapy DMM from walmart and double check.

1rstClassSC wrote:

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I just finished up wireing a remote start on a 2005 Avalanch and I wired the 2nd ignition (thin white wire behind the ignition harness) and I still get a check engine light. There is a thicker white wire wich I originaly thought was the second ignition. So I called my local supplier and they said it was the thin white wire. Is this correct? Do I have to take the truck to a dealer so they can erase the codes for the check engine light?

Luis.

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You know, I don't want to be the person that said " I told you so " but I'll play Devils Advocate here. This is the text book scenario where a do it yourselfer decides to install a system and is forewarned about a potentially important aspect of an installation that any professional or shop would have known what to do. In the end, vehicle damage occured and you have no one to blame except yourself. In the event that this was done by an installer or shop, liability would have been placed on them & not you.

So in short for anyone who wants to install a RS, cruise control, alarm system, stereo system or whatever into a vehicle without knowing everything before you jump in, learn from this member's mistake and take it to a professional or at the very least listen to what we have to say here and ask questions ( lots of them ) before you dive in.

Quote " Measure twice, cut once  " if you practice this, you will never go wrong.

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

is the second ignition wire the only wire that shows 12 volts in the RUN and CRANK positions?? I'm sure I remember testing to find that wire, I just don't remember what color it was.. But if thats the only wire that shows voltage on RUN and CRANK I'm sure I hooked it up.

The problems you described are exactly what happens when that wire is either not hooked up properly or what happens if the RS fails and that relay locks up. To be honest I would be amazed if the RS was damaged but mabye it would be worth your 30 or 40 bucks to go into a shop and get them to check the RS install and make sure the wires are hooked up to where they need to go.

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double-secret reverse-osmosis speaker-cone-induced high-level interference distortion, Its a killer

do you have your 2nd ACCY  hooked up also. it should be a thicker brown wire in the ignition harness. This can cause some similar problems.

Velocity Motors wrote:

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You know, I don't want to be the person that said " I told you so " but I'll play Devils Advocate here. This is the text book scenario where a do it yourselfer decides to install a system and is forewarned about a potentially important aspect of an installation that any professional or shop would have known what to do. In the end, vehicle damage occured and you have no one to blame except yourself. In the event that this was done by an installer or shop, liability would have been placed on them & not you.

So in short for anyone who wants to install a RS, cruise control, alarm system, stereo system or whatever into a vehicle without knowing everything before you jump in, learn from this member's mistake and take it to a professional or at the very least listen to what we have to say here and ask questions ( lots of them ) before you dive in.

Quote " Measure twice, cut once  " if you practice this, you will never go wrong.

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spoken like a true owner of a shop, who would prefer you to pay labour rather then learn and lose business. is the purpose of this site not to help do it yourselfers? your being hypocritical.

also, my check engine light is not on, never has been

kash]< wrote:

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r>
spoken like a true owner of a shop, who would prefer you to pay labour rather then learn and lose business. is the purpose of this site not to help do it yourselfers? your being hypocritical.

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Hey kash, look at how many posts that I have made on this forum. I have helped out 1000 of installer's ( DIY'ers as well as professional ) and I even helped you in your first post when you asked for help with the vehicle. My intent of the post that I had written to you was to explain that if the information was given to you and you didn't do anything with it or you didn't know what to do with it, then that's your prerogative. The site is here to help member's andswer their questions, but when help is given and the installer does something wrong, don't bite the hand that feeds you........... that's not classy at all.

I choose to help member's here and I don't loose out of country business because of it. Even if I did loose install business ( and I do when local customer's ask me at my shop for installation tips ) I still like to help because eventually they will come to me to buy something and they will remember who helped them and they will support me for that reason.

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

kash] wrote:

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spoken like a true owner of a shop, who would prefer you to pay labour rather then learn and lose business. is the purpose of this site not to help do it yourselfers? your being hypocritical.

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Ok, since everyone is being nice. Listen here moron, at any point in the thread did anyone tell you to take it to thier shop? Did anyone say anything other then that your vehicle has some issues that are better suited to a proffesional installer? Did any one say that you where wrong in trying to install it yourself, with exception to the fact that you weren't aware of the second/third ign? I am not a shop owner and I would have stated the same thing. Remote starts are not the best alarm for a novice installer to learn with. Now if you ****ed your car up then you deal with it.

Basically go and take your truck to the dealer, hope they won't bend you over (if they do ask for some lube or atleast a reach around), get your tranni fixed, then take the car to a proffessional shop and have them look at your alarm, and then shut up.

Quit whining, Jeff only offered suggestions.

Mods delete if you want, modify if you want, close thread if you want, or do nothing if you want.

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Certified Security Specialist
Always check info with a digital multimeter.
I promise to be good.
Tell Darwin I sent you.

I've been sick lately, sorry I won't be on much.

Hmmm, someone struck a nerve on auex. Look at him spit venom

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double-secret reverse-osmosis speaker-cone-induced high-level interference distortion, Its a killer