Valet 562t safety concerns

I just had a Valet 562t installed in my 2004 Jeep Liberty. After reading through the owners manual and parts of the install manual, I think the shop I took my jeep to did a shotty job. I'm looking for some experienced opinions for when I take it back, if need be.

First off, I can't find the valet/program switch or the toggle on/off switch. I have searched my car, in the glove box, under the stearing column, all around the dash and side trim, and under the hood nothing. I even took out my glove box to see if I could find wires going into it. Nothing.

My second concern is that there doesn't seem to be a hood pin switch. I can open the hood and the remote starter will still start the jeep. This made me question if they followed the safety checks at the end of the install guide. I have not checked yet to see if I can do a remote start from drive, or in neutral.

Is it even possible for this system to run with out these things hooked up? Maybe I'm just missing them some where. All I got from the shop was an empty box with an owners manual and the 2 remotes in it. So if the switches were not installed they most likely were thrown out by the shop. I still have my recipt.

Also I never receive me warranty registration card. This place claims to be a authorized Directed shop. Is there anywhere that I can look this up?

Thanks for any help or advice.

As an FYI the remote starter does work, remote lock and unlock works, and my back glass pops open with the aux button.

there should be a valet switch, toggle switch for r/s, and the hook pin could be a different style, is there one actually attached to the hood?


the dealer should have given you a card. Go back and have them put in all of the things they left out and the card.

I just called the shop. The guy on the phone gave me the run around saying that they don't install the switches because people screw with them and screw up the system. Then expect them to fix it. My take is that I paid for the system and paid for the waranty, it's there job to fix it and to install what I paid for.

They said that they don't put in the hood pin switch because it is made of cheap metal and they rust out and then the system dies. My take on this is that if it rusts out I'll replace the switch.

He also said they don't give out the waranty cards because they handle all waranty work.

Am I way off on this? Is this a common practice amoung installers? I'm really starting to 2nd guess this shop.

hood pins are for safety, for techs working under the hood. There are other switches that wont rust out, for example mercury tilt switches. The valet button is there also to disable the starter kill if you go in the car without a remote. The warranty is handled by the customer, get it from him.

Have him properly do the right install.

Many installers ground out the NSS wire and leave the switch out for just the reason he mentioned; customers tend to accidentally flip the switch and then bring it back to be "fixed". I personally always install the switch but there are plenty of installers who don't.

IMO, the lack of both a hood switch and a manual kill switch is unacceptable. Remote starts will often activate when a battery is disconnected then re-connected; a mechanic working on the vehicle shouldn't have to find and pull a fuse to be safe. You may end up being held liable if a mechanic is injured while working on your vehicle.

We have the same problem with corroded pin switches. We use mercury switches instead, which are less less vulnerable to rust.

In your shoes, I would expect to have one or both switches installed. You may have to pay for the mercury switch, but you shouldn't have to pay any extra labor charges for installation. You should demand the warranty card; letting the shop have sole responsibility for your warranty is unacceptable. There should also be a warning sticker under the hood, to alert mechanics to a remote start and inform them how to disable it.

Thanks for the info guys.

There definately is no warning label under the hood. I looked for that as well. He said they don't give out the waranty cards because most shops will only work on stuff they installed them self. I read online though that the advantage of having a directed system is that any directed authorized dealer has to work on your car if there is a waranty on it and it was installed by an authorized dealer.

How hard is it to install these switches? I'm pretty comforatble with a soldering iron, and have installed probably a dozen car stereos. My first thought was to install the RS myself but it was a gift and labor had already been paid for.

Any one know a good source for buying the mercury switches? Is the toggle switch to disable the unit just a plain toggle that I can get at radio shack? Are there any special connectors on the back of the unit that may cause me some problems?            

first, any Directed dealer does NOT have to work on your vehicle, just because another Directed dealer installed it..... we work together as a courtesy

second, there should definately be a pin switch of some kind under the hood as well as a warning sticker under the hood.... to neglect putting them in based on some lame excuse is pure laziness.... i have installed hundreds if not now into the thousands of hood pin switches and replace only one or two a year......

i have used both, but usually always install the supplied pin switch......the problem with using a mercury tilt switch is that your vehicle only starts if parked on a perfectly flat surface... if parked in someones driveway on an incline, often the vehicle will not start as the switch would be telling the RS unit that the hood is open, never an issue when using the pin switches.....

i also always install the supplied toggle switch... it's a simple single throw switch.... BUT i only leave the push/programming switch in the vehicle if we hooked up starter kill, otherwise i take it out... it's not needed at that point and prevents customers from pi**ing around with the programming after the job is done....

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Kevin Gerry
Certified Electronics Technician
MECP First Class Installer

Owner/Installer
Classic Car Audio
since 1979

Frankly, I can understand where the guy at the shop is coming from.

Installing those features usually guarantees a comeback, because as he said, customers screw around with them or kick them with their feet............remember the #1 rule, no good deed goes unpunished.

In any event, if you want those features installed, I think it'd be pretty ballsy of them to try to charge them extra.

Just tell them you want the safety features installed, or the system removed and ALL of your money refunded (parts&labor), and see what they say.

I'll second Kevin.

No starter leaves here without a hoodpin. Ever. If it does, the tech can follow it our the door.

As to the toggle, they get done as far as I know, most customers don't even ask about them, generally they forget about them.

As far as the valet/programming switch? Never. Too many customers think they will reprogram things as they feel (hey, anyone can find an install manual on the net nowdays). We used to.... but after a couple smartasses figgered they should reprogram a few things to their tastes and wreaked some havoc, the programming switches end up in the big box labelled "spare DEI crap". The only time a valet switch goes in is if starter kill gets done, or if it is an alarm.

The warranty card is a nice little marketing survey..... in Canada, all you need is a reciept with proof of install. I can mail you a couple hundred warranty cards if you wish :-p

Gus


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Wherever I go, that is where I end up......

Ok so reading through the install guide I see that the valet switch and the status led (also not present) just plugs into the unit. Should be easy enough if I can find the parts with the right connectors on the end.

The toggle kill switch goes on the H3/1 BLACK/ WHITE wire. I'm assuming since there is no switch that it is just grounded. So I should be able to hook the toggle to this wire. Any one know what the rating on this toggle switch should be?

The hood switch is the H3/4 GREY wire. I just hook this wire to the switch and mount the switch I'm guessing. I'd like to get one of the mercury tilt switches if any one knows a good place to get them.

Does this all look right? Any suggestions as to where to mount everything on a 2004 Jeep Liberty? Also, where is a good place to get the switches and led that I need?

Doing it myself is only a backup option if the install shop refuses to cooperate. If this is a case they will be reported to directed.