rs is starting to fail

Howdy...any ideas/opinions would be cool...

I've had the same remote starter for a few years, and everything has been working fine.

A few months back it was acting up, so I replaced the battery and it didn't do anything. The remote was in bad shape, so I bought a new one from ebay, and it worked fine for a while.

What's strange is that now, every button on there (there's 4) works fine except for the remote start. Every once in a while it works perfect when I come out to my car (maybe very early in the morning), but usually it doesn't even respond. AND, sometimes when it does remotely start and then I do another action like remotely roll down the windows, or unlock the car, it shuts off.

I tried re-learning the tach, but that didn't seem to do anything.

Any other ideas? Thanks!

What brand is your remote start, what model number?

It could be the brain, it could be the wiring (i.e. loose connections), it could be the transmitter/keyfob. 

You said, "A few months back it was acting up, so i replaced..."

--> what do you mean by acting up specifically? 

-------------
The search function is your friend.

It's a Viper 550esp.

When it was acting up, the remote and the alarm just weren't playing nice anymore. You would hit the remote buttons and the green light would light up, but nothing would happen. I would stand there for a few minutes and just keep hitting buttons, and nothing. All 4 buttons were acting this way. What's strange is that if I left the remote's case open a bit, it would work a little better....so I just figured the circuit board was messed up. It seemed to go away for a while when I replaced the remote....but now everything works fine but the remote start button.

Does the unit give you any fail codes  (thru the LED)

-------------

I'm assuming you mean like when someone bumps the car and sets off the alarm, then the next time you unlock the car it will beep and blink differently?.....nope, no fail codes.

Isn't there some kind of voltage sense thingie that sets off the alarm if something happens like the headlights turn on, etc? Just trying to think of everything.

I'm leaning more towards the keyfob

-------------
The search function is your friend.

Do you have an ON/OFF switch under the dash area for the remote start. It may have been hit into the OFF position.

peterubers wrote:

---

I'm leaning more towards the keyfob

---

Can you think of a way to rule out the fob, or to rule out the brain? I can't at the moment.

JWorm] wrote:

---

Do you have an ON/OFF switch under the dash area for the remote start. It may have been hit into the OFF position.

---

Thanks for the idea...I do have that switch, but it's in the ON position for the starter. And sometimes it starts and sometimes it doesn't. Maybe I should at least check that ground connection.

What's strange is that my radio reception (yes, still use radio sometimes) is getting crapier and crapier....not sure if it's related or if my antenna is just dying.

Check the hoodpin as well .. those corrode over time and will send ground signal to the brain constantly -- indicating the hood is up and therefore deactivating the remote starting.

Good idea to check ground at that on/off system switch

Remove batteries from the keyfob, or re-learn the keyfob to the brain.

-------------
The search function is your friend.

you may want to try a different button configuration for remote start. if you have say a star button to activate the starter try programming the lock and unlock buttons simultaneously or another unused combo of buttons, that would at least rule out if it is a bad button on the remote.

Check your battery terminals under the hood as well. Clean them if they look poopie.

-------------

Thanks for all the replies guys.

I didn't get a chance to check it last night, although the remote starter did act up twice on the way home from work.

As I was leaving work I remotely rolled down the windws, remotely started the car (and it worked), unlocked the car and got in, and then as I was shutting the door the car shut off. I was waiting for it to shut off when I did something like open the door, but this time it just did it whenever it wanted.

Then I stopped at the library on the way home and left the car remotely running (pit stop thingie), and when I came out 5 minutes later it wasn't running.

This morning it didn't even respond to the remote start button, but the other buttons did work.

I will definitely try all the suggestions.

If the remote start is the only thing that is acting up now then it may be that your start relay is going bad.  The vibration from opening or closing the door could be dropping it.  Or, it could be that the contacts are worn or corroded.

You may want to check that.

-------------
Pioneer AVIC-Z1, JL 8W3V2, XR650CSi, 300/4, 250/1, Bluetooth, XM, A/V switch, Backup Cam, Autopage RS-1000

Just another thought...  Is the ignition still on when you get back to the car even if the engine is not running?  If so then it could be that the remote start relay is faulty.

-------------
Pioneer AVIC-Z1, JL 8W3V2, XR650CSi, 300/4, 250/1, Bluetooth, XM, A/V switch, Backup Cam, Autopage RS-1000