Remote starter installation (newer cars)

[tony-muscle]

Not 71-73 Mustang related, but I wanted to share in case someone is interested in installing a remote starter in their modern car.

We have a Lexus RX350 that has a remote starter from factory. However, it is useless since you have to be 10-20 ft from the car for it to work. In my other car, I have an after market remote started that works close to a mile away. With our cold winters up here being able to start the car (and heater) in advance when you are at a restaurant, airport, work or mall is a great advantage. Even more when you have small kids.

So I took up the task to install another remote starting system. There are a few options out there. None of my options included taking it to a shop, which may work for some but not for me. After countless hours of research I decided to go with Directed components (https://www.directed.com/). It was not easy to figure out what I needed, but after more research I settled on the DB3 interface module. The DB3 is the one in charge of starting the car, blinking lights, locking doors, etc. You also need the XL202 data interface from Directed, which is basically the bridge between a remote and the DB3. Then you need a remote. I chose the Viper 9756v set, which is also part of the Directed group. This set comes with the antenna and two remotes. One is a two-way and the other is a one-way. The two-way is useful because it allows you to know if the command actually went through and it has a "cool" LCD screen. It also tells you if the car is locked or unlocked.

The Directed site is not easy nor trivial to navigate. The whole thing is designed to be accessed by dealers and not by consumers. A few years ago you were able to download firmware without an account. That's not the case anymore, so read on for the work around. To start, you go to https://www.directechs.com/ In there you can select your vehicle and it will come up with the modules that work for you. Modules like the DB3 work for most cars, but not all. When you are in this list you can click on "Remote Start Ready Multi and Combo Modules" which will list the remote start modules available for your model. You used to be able to download the installation manual, but not anymore. Once you figured out what works for your car you go to ebay where the key is to find a vendor that not only sells the module, but that can also flash it. The directechs page will tell you the firmware number needed. The module needs to be flashed for your car model so it can interface with it.  During the flashing process there are also some options that you need to discuss with the vendor. The one I worked with was very helpful. Then, in my case, the next step was to purchase the XL202 data interface. This one has to also be flashed but in this case specifically to the remote control system you will be using. This document list the various remote controls and firmware (http://www.xpresskit.com/DocumentDownload.aspx?documentid=7190&productid=429&firmwareid=0) compatible with the XL202. As with the DB3 module, I found a vendor in ebay that sells and flashes it. It was not the same vendor. The ebay vendors can also provide you with the instructions specific to your vehicle.

The toughest step was to figure out all the information contained in the last paragraph. Once I received all the modules the installation was relatively straight forward. In my case I was able to download the instructions beforehand from directechs.com, but I see that now they are not available unless you are a dealer. Looking at the instructions in advance gave me the confidence that it was doable. In my case I bought the Directed T-harness that connects to the OBD port, which saved me from hacking three wires. My connection still required tapping into six wires in different locations under the dash. The instructions tell you what goes to where. In some cases they are not super detailed, but enough that if you are mechanically/electrically oriented, you can figure it out. In regards to tapping I understand that the purist recommend soldering. Although, I have no problem soldering I didn't feel confortable with the process of stripping those very thin wire and soldering in the very tight space under the dash. Thus, I decided to use the Posi-Tap alternative (https://www.posi-products.com/posiplug.html). This product works great and has good reviews. I used the one designed for 22-24 AWG and the one for 18-22 AWG wires. Once I was ready to connect the wires, the toughest step was to find where the OEM remote start module was located. I needed to locate it to disconnect it as part of the installation process. I eventually found out after some research that there is a connector behind the glove box that you can disconnect to disable the OEM remote starter. Another skill that is useful is to be delicate when removing the trim needed to get to the wires. Here, the internet again is a good source of tips. In my case, I only needed to remove three pieces of trim: under dash, side dash and under steering column. I also partially removed the A-pillar trim to route the remote antenna.

In any case, although the installation process is not that difficult, a lot of time has to be spent researching the module(s) and firmware that works for you. Hopefully this thread will be helpful in reducing the time for others. Ebay's vendors are of great help as well. I cannot guarantee my process works for all other brands or vehicle models. Although the instructions are not downloadable from Directechs.com anymore unless you are a dealer, some of them can be found around in the web, or they can be provided by the Ebay vendor.

In my case, the above cost me $210 plus the $20 for the Posi-Taps. There are other options out there beyond Directed. I chose them because they had decent reviews for Lexus. Other models may defer. You can also find solutions that includes T-harnesses for all or most connections such as www.12volt.solutions. For the Lexus they offer the DB3 with all the harnesses for $280, but you still have to add the XL202 and remotes unless you want to use the OEM remote with very short range. Off course, you pay more. Or lastly, you can go to a dealer or alarm installer and pay a lot more. I know I spent a lot of hours researching but now I have the satisfaction of having done it myself, plus I learned a lot in the process.

 

[Carolina_Mountain_Mustangs]

Letting your cars engine warm up before moving is important no matter where you live. Especially if you have forged pistons that have more skirt clearance. They need to warm up and expand. Have always gone out and started the car to warm up. Good that you have system to keep the doors locked one way they steal cars here is to look for them warming up or left running to go in quick stop. They have also started having issue with people ordering pizza and having delivered to fake address where nobody home. They leave the car running to deliver pizza and the thieves take the car.

It does get cold in Wisconsin for sure. Getting off the plane and going across the street to the parking garage in Milwaukee will cool you right down in the middle of the winter. I use to follow lots of tooling in Wisconsin and stayed in Oconomowoc a lot.

When I use to hunt in the U.S. I went to Polebridge Montana. It is just across the river from Glacier National Park and the community actually voted to not put in electricity. Up until the lat 80's they had the last operator assisted phone system in the U.S.. That is where an operator has to plug you in, lol. Phone number at the Polebridge Merchantile was 12.

We were there for some really cold winters and would be there up to and just after Thanksgiving. I have walked all day in -25 deg. F. temps. Have to keep everything covered or it just freezes.

Talking with some of the old timers about how they kept their cars going. They did not drive ever day and sometimes not for weeks. I think it was 45 miles back to town on dirt roads and 15 miles to Canada.

He said you had to drain your oil out battery and antifreeze and keep in the cabin. You parked your vehicle in the direction you would leave in and in the gear you would use. You heated up your oil and antifreeze and took out and poured into the car to warm it up just a little. He said when they first got plastic seat covers they would shatter like glass in winter.

I had a 1969 Ford van I took there probably 5 trips. It ran on propane or gasoline. You had to switch to gasoline or it would never start. Too cold for the propane to turn into vapor. After it got warm you could switch to propane with the pre heater warmed up.

I use to love to walk in the timber when it was that cold. You hear the trees popping when water has frozen and split in some area. Of course the rivers froze over it was just crazy cold.

One year we took my big 18 foot raft and was going to float the river and hunt. I steered for first couple miles then we switched. Guy doing steering ran us into log jam and flipped the boat. I threw my rifle into the log jam and grabbed a log and came out dry. My 70 year old uncle was waist deep in water and 18 year old kid was going crazy. The guy steering did a back flip out of boat with rifle, camera and binoculars. It was 18 deg. that morning so warm. He walked on the river bottom and came up for air finally and walked out on Glacier Park side. I had to get the raft out of the logs so I pulled all my upper clothes off and went in the water and got it to bank. It was full and with 21" dia. tubes weights tons. We had to splash water out with hands and had lost all but the paddle I threw into the logs. We found everything down river in eddies and I could see my day pack but in 20' of water out of reach.

We were getting very cold after a couple more hours we got close enough to a road to hitch a ride on NPS dump truck back to our cabins. For some reason nobody wanted to run the river again, lol.

I love cold weather. I do not even have heat system in my home I have a wood heater. I hate hot weather, sand, beach and ocean. Give me ice, snow and dead cold and I will be happy.