86 volkswagen vanagon remote start

I've got my new viper 5701 alarm all wired up on my 86 vw vanagon (manual transmission (MT)), but I am still trying to finish the remote start functionality.

I enable the remote start using proper MT sequence, exit vehicle (with van still running and no key in ignition) and arm the system (van shuts down). All green confirmation tones on the remote, it fails when you hit the remote start button (to start it up). The controller turns on the ignition but the starter never engages - it repeats three times. The parking lights flash five times - which is brake pedal error.

I'm almost positive everything is correct, except for the brake pedal signal to the alarm control unit. Its supposed to be a + 12v signal when the pedal is depressed. I tapped into the BLACK/ red wire after the two switches on the master cylinder and have tested with the multimeter.

Anybody ever install an alarm/remote starter in a vanagon or vw with two brake switches on the master cylinder?

I think something is happening when the ignition automatically energizes which makes the alarm think the brake pedal has been pressed.

My first thought is that the ignition feed to the brake pedal is BLACK/ red. The output is RED / black, thus please test again I'm sick of saying this. In effect you r/s is seeing 12v+ not ground so it's never going to work. Wre to the bloody output not the feed.

thanks, but there are only two wires in the brake switch system, a RED / yellow and RED / black.

the feed is RED / yellow wire which is a hot 12v+ all the time. With the multimeter, I have tested the RED / black wire and it is the switched side - turning 12v+ when the pedal is depressed.

I tapped into the RED / black which is definitely not a ground wire. I flipped the dominant color around in my first post (i meant RED / black).

I don't think the problem comes from tapping the wrong wire, it's got to be something else.

The wiring info on this site says to tap the yellow/red, but on my car that is constant 12v - so I think it might be incorrect.

Any other ideas?

-- 86 volkswagen vanagon 2.1L westfalia (MT)

Your second post is quite correct, the alrm r/s wire has to see a ground on that wire to start so please check to see that the BLACK/ red is sitting on ground without touching the pedal.

ok just tested it, the RED / black wire remains at ground until the pedal is stepped on.

i even checked to see if turning the ignition on broke that connection to ground (it didn't).

i tried swapping the brake wire tap into the RED / yellow and the remote start wouldn't even initialize.

it does initialize connected to the RED / black, but everytime it goes to start it still spits out the five parking light flashes after 3 attempts.

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1. Transmission Mode: Manual
2. Engine Checking Type: Tachometer (tested w/ AC setting on multimeter and made sure the tach signal was learned ~6v AC at idle)
3. Hood Trigger: Open (not even hooked up, vanagon doesnt have hood)
4. Neutral Safety is hooked to parking brake switched ground (tested good)
5. toggle switch connected and set to ON
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Also try connecting the wire that goes to the footbrake to ground, it might turn up a faulty unit!. Also was there a clutch switch in that generation?

I tried the clutch, didn't change anything - there isn't a clutch switch... but this time I noticed something i had previously missed.

Its flashing the lights 5 times at the end of the manual transmission initialization sequence.

I follow the procedure exactly. I put my foot on the brake, pull up the e-brake, take my foot off the brake, hit the remote start on the remote - the remote shows a green light and positive tone, but the lights flash five times at that point. I can still remove the key from the ignition and the engine will keep running.

I guarantee my foot is off the brake prior to me hitting the remote start button (during initialization). I never touch the brake again once the e-brake is up.

I might just take it by a professional installer this week and pay them to get that last little piece working - they'll be able to tell me if it's defective too hopefully.

I don't even really need remote start anyway here in San Diego, but it just bugs me it wont work.