Car Alarm

Have you ever struggled with your Car Alarm installation by yourself? You may have to understand these facts and they might help.

Tools required are Voltmeter or test probe, screwdrivers, additional wire and 5-poles relay connector (if applicable).

• Read the manual and instruction thoroughly. The wiring varies from models to models.
• Find a hole large enough to get 2 wires through between the cabin and engine compartment. The easiest ones are the trunk lid pop wire or a big lump wire connector on the engine firewall. Those 2 wires are for siren and tachometer wire if engine starter is applicable.
• Pop the under-dash compartment cover off and find the 12V hot-all-the-time wire (normally red), hot-when-ignition wire (normally yellow), parking light wire, central lock control box (if applicable) and all other wire required in the instruction and mark them by sticker tabs.
• Connect all the wires found earlier to the alarm control module BUT NOT THE +12V RED WIRE yet! Every wire must be connected properly before you activate the alarm with that red wire. The ground wire may be securely connected to the metal body.
• Keep the remote key chain handy because some systems will only learn the remote you initially press after connecting the +12V wire. Connect the +12V wire to the module and try to "arm" and "disarm" the system. if it works, great, if not, check all the fuses on the alarm wiring harness and recheck everything including in the fuse box.

Those steps are just normal installation procedures. When you ever start it yourself, it will not be that easy. Here are the tips:

• Parking light wire may be difficult to find, locate the headlamp switch instead and use a +12V test wire to each pole of the switch. Most American cars can be done this way. Don't waste time trying on Mercedes Benz and some other German cars. You may try this yourself but you will never find such wire even using a ground wire test wire because those exotic cars employ reverse polarity switches. For such cars, you need two relays to connect to the hazard light module instead. Some exotics may work like americans, so please try.
• Dome light wire is one of the most difficult ones. It normally runs on the "A" pillar up to the ceiling, Mercedes Benz's runs up through the B pillar. The trick is to use the door switch instead. Imagine when you open the door and the dome light turns on. You may need a relay for this because the door switch normally runs by a ground wire (negative trigger) except for some Mercedes Benz's which is Positive trigger.
• Central Lock sometimes pisses you off, ain't it? Ford families are easy. Just connect the negative-pulse output from your alarm to the door-lock switch on either driver's or passenger's door. Early Volvos don't have driver's lock actuator (or even a motor), you need to buy one and install for it first. Mercedes Benz, as you know, it's vacuum. Be careful with it because it burns so easily (I actually did it!) if the control pulse duration is too long. You need to cut a wire to the driver's lock knob and rewire with 2 relays (consult with your alarm manual). GM's are one of the most difficult one especially if it is not equipped with remote keyless entry system. It is a so-called weird reverse polarity, you need 2 relays and have to cut some wires and connect them to the relay. It can be done more easily if your GM car is equipped with a remote-keyless-entry system. Just locate the control module on the wall of the passenger side. The wires you need to cut are beige color (driver's and passenger's locks are on different wires).
• Shock sensor, you better use double-side tape and paste it on the steering column or other rigid chassis and secure it with wire wrap. Adjust to your satisfy level. How do you feel when a car next door honk the horn or the siren keeps going off for the whole thunderstorm night or just a passed by truck? Don't set the sensitivity level? too sensitive, please!
• Accessories wire and Ignition wire are normally different one, don't mix up because the fuses can be burnt especially when you mistakenly run accessory wire to your remote starter instead of the ignition wire.
• Trunk pop switch normally works on +12V wire but the alarm module normally generate a 1-second pulse trigger in (-). You need another relay for this.
• Antenna, if it's a short wire, that's fine. If it's a 2-meter coax cable, the best way is to run across your windshield along the ceiling. Most new GM car will be difficult to get a wire though the A pillar, so you may run it along the A pillar up through the door frame.
• Valet Switch, it's needed when you misplace the remote but you have the key. Just get in the car with your key, the siren will go off. Hold the valet switch and simultaneously turn the ignition on and off consecutively with your key and release the valet switch. The alarm is now in Valet Mode and can be driven as usual (This is good when giving your car to the workshop). The switch should be hidden somewhere, say glove compartment, under steering column, under seat, or center console.

Any other further questions, please mail me

For Information on '96+ GM's PASS-LOCK, Go to this page.

'93+ GM's Vehicle Anti-Theft System (VATS)-PASS key

(for Remote Starter installation purpose only)

*** For '97 Ford, Lincoln, Mercury key: you may find out yourself based on GM's.

**** No intention in GM key fraud or theft motivation!!!!!!!

All the following tricks were found out by myself in my '94 Camaro Z28.

Do you ever wonder why there are 2 keys for your GM car? It's been very long time ago they use these 2 keys as an anti-theft device. Your old GM's ignition key probably doesn't have a small resister pellet on it. The newer models all have it. It's an Anti-theft device. The engine control module will read the resistance of your key and determine whether it's the right one. If the resistance is fraud even though the key fits in, the engine will not crank. You can try that yourself, find the 2 white or yellow wires inside an orange vinyl jacket (older model wire colors are white/black and purple/yellow, or purple/white, Corvette is yellow and brown), unplug the connector and start the engine. Everything looks just fine but the starter won't crank for ya!

The easiest way is to use your volt meter to read the resistance value on your key and go buy a resister and a relay. The following table shows the possible resistor values and color on any GM car.

Now cut one of those wires and connect to a relay with the resistor you just bought which matches your ignition key and now you can connect the remote starter module.

If you don't wanna wander around town to get a resistor, you may buy a $10 GM resistor set. For information on this regard, E-mail me.

Start an engine without a key (Hot wire)

(for Remote Starter installation purpose only)

**** No intention in theft motivation!!!!!!!

Those thieves in COPS or LAPD shows normally carry a hammer, a plier, and a pair of wires. They just broke the steering column plastic cover and find the starter wire and ignition wire and just pass +12V to those 2 wires to start the engine. YES! It's that easy. If your car is not GM with VATS-PASS key or '97 Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, 97+ Acura & Accord, or 94+ Volvo 8XX & 9XX, anybody can hot-wire your car!!!.

The ignition and starter wires are normally a large wire (<14 gauge). The ignition wire is usually YELLOW, ORANGE, or RED. The starter wire is usually PURPLE, YELLOW, or PINK.

Just find those two wire and proceed the way described above but you don't need to break the steering column cover, use a screwdriver and gently remove it :)

After the engine starts, remove +12V from the starter wire only and keep the ignition wire hot as long as you want the engine to run otherwise the engine will shut off.

If you can do this on your car, you can install a remote starter easily yourself.

Check out some cool cars with Alarm installed by myself

sirote@thai.org

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Last revised: 10/02/02 12:23:48.

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