tips for installing remote starter?

[Guest steve98]

I'm planning on installing a remote starter on my 98 Legacy Outback wagon. I've installed this same brand (Bulldog) in a Ford Explorer several years ago, and it only took my half a day, mainly because I was familiar with Ford's wiring. I'm new to Subaru's (and I've only had this car for 2 weeks) so I'm still learning the in's and out's of it.

 

I've seen that several people on here have installed remote starters, so I was hoping maybe some of you could give me some tips.

 

My car's already got the factory keyless entry system and alarm, and I don't plan on replacing it. I just want to add a starter. On my Ford (with the factory keyless/alarm system), I used the output of the remote starter to trigger the wire that senses when the driver's door key tumbler is turned. That de-activated the alarm and allowed the starter to start the engine. Will this method work on my Subaru? And I've seen the posts about how the factory keyless remote won't unlock the doors if the remote starter is on. I can live with that, unless there's an easy fix to trick the factory system into staying on.

 

Thanks in advance,

Steve

[Guest SmashPDX]

Steve,

 

You've got good questions and I remember that thread. Not sure of the answers here because it's been awhile and I've never attempted such a project, but you might find some of the manuals & pinout info on my website useful under the Keyless/Alarm section. Hope it helps.

 

-Russ

[Guest steve98]

Russ, I've been all through your web site today. It's by far the most informative when it comes to the description of the keyless system. My car didn't come with the manual for the keyless system, so I've been searching the web for awhile trying to figure it out. It took 3 days before I figured out how to program the remote. Your info helped fill in the cracks. Now that I fully understand the keyless entry/alarm system, I'm anxious to install the remote starter, especially since the main reason I want it is during this cold weather. In a few months I won't use it as often. I've got the wiring color-code chart from the remote starter manufacturer, but I'm just not sure about the actual operation and interfacing with the existing factory alarm/keyless entry system. I had no problems with the remote starter in my Ford, so I'm hoping it's just as easy in my Subie.

[Guest SmashPDX]

Well, now that you mention it, one thing does come back to me. The keyless entry module doesn't know when the doors are locked or unlocked-- it only knows when they're open or closed. There is no input for the state of the locks themselves; basically the way the thing works is that when it's told to lock, it sends 12V down a particular wire for a time interval and then drops back to zero. When it's told to lock, it sends 12V down a different wire for that same time interval, and then drops to zero. It doesn't check to see whether either of these pulses actually achieved anything.

 

All that is to say where locking is concerned the keyless module is pretty much an output-only device. You should be able to actually walk up to your car, arm it, then lock and unlock the doors several times with the key without the thing ever disarming or even responding.

 

There are a couple of wires noted "factory alarm arm" and "factory alarm disarm" for interface with the LSi (or in another vehicle, its traditional-style factory-installed alarm), but I think those are output-only as well. I had them disconnected once and they didn't seem to impact the behavior of the keyless module.

 

So I'm not sure how, from a wiring standpoint, to tell the module to disarm other than clicking the button on the remote. The only other thing I can think of is the defeat mechanism on the alarm, which will turn the thing off while it's blaring if you turn the key to the On position and push the programming switch. I suspect that the way that this works is to send some voltage-- something smaller than 12V, based on the gauge of the programming switch wire-- into the module from somewhere. Alternatively it could be connecting the module-side end of the programming switch to ground. Not sure which way it goes even though I knew what it was way back when.

 

So I don't know-- maybe if you could get the remote starter to duplicate the input of the On+switch thing you could get the alarm to disarm?

 

Oh yeah, and the reason the keyless won't unlock (or lock) with the remote starter on probably has to do with the fact that the locking feature is designed to be off when it's disarmed *and* the key is in the On position. There is probably a way to defeat this via a wiring tweak but I'd have to think about it to figure out if/how it's possible.

[Guest dankatz37]

Is it possible to install a remote starter on a 5speed? I am curious if there is a way to bypass the clutch pedal depression during start-up....

 

Dani

96 Legacy 5spd

[Guest RuDrew]

You cannot install a remote starter on a 5-speed because you have to manually physically disengage the engine from the transmission by depressing the clutch to start the car so that the car will not immediately lurch into motion and probably stall. There is a safety switch in modern cars that keeps you from starting them without the clutch depressed. Older cars didn't have this, but even if you did override the switch, you'd have to leave the car parked with the transmission out of gear, which is very dangerous. The transmission should always be parked in either first or reverse with the parking brake set, and you should never, ever leave a manual transmission car either running unattended or with the transmission out of gear.

 

A long time ago, in the early 80's, a friend's neighbor left his Honda sitting unattended, running, out of gear, with a 3-year old in the car. He had forgotten something in the house and only needed to run in for a minute. The 3-year old, in typical curiosity, managed to disengage the brake, and the car rolled down the driveway, across the street, and down through the front lawn of my friend's brand new house. The next thing he knew there was a terrific crash and the rear end of a Honda and a pile of bricks were sitting where his living room sofa used to be. Fortunately, the child was not injured, and my friend's wife had just gotten up from a nap on the sofa moments before the accident. Never leave a manual transmission out of gear!

 

Andrew

[Guest steve98]

Well, I think this remote starter installation will be harder than I thought...

 

Only yesterday I realized that my alarm system was in "valet mode", which meant that my key fob was only locking and unlocking the doors. It wasn't actually arming the system. So when I'd unlock the door with the key, I could get in and start the engine with no problem. That's because the alarm was never actually on. So this morning I put it in "regular alarm mode" and locked the doors with the remote, which armed the system. Then I unlocked the door with my key. And when I opened the door, the siren went off. So this confirms what Russ said about the door key not actually turning off the alarm.

 

So I'll have to get under the dash and play around with the wires. My original thought was that sending a pulse from the remote starter to the 'factory alarm disarm' wire going to the OEM alarm module would de-activate the alarm. But maybe that won't work. I suppose I could try sending the pulse from the remote starter to the 'door unlock' wire on the OEM module. I suppose that would disarm the alarm and allow me to start the engine.

 

Any thoughts?

[Guest natebg]

I installed a alarm/remote starter combo unit (Excalibur) on my '98 Impreza Outback Sport. Very easy to install. Subaru's wiring it a lot simpler than Ford's "5 wire reversal rest at ground" door locks. My car did not have the factory keyless entry. Just tapped into door lock/unlock wires, and Ignition circuit #1 & #2. Starter Interrupt has to be done anyway with the alarm, and the combo unit remote start was very easy. Hooked up siren, pin switch on hood, and trigger for the doors.

Nathan

[Guest rcoaster]

To just replace the original keyless entry system with a system that has the keyless/alarm/remote starter system all rolled into one module. It would save you the headache. I don't think the factory system was designed to have a remote starter system added to it. It would probably take a lot of "jerry-rigging" to get it to work.

[Guest steve98]

I've been searching the web for info on the Code-Alarm system. They make a remote starter (model SureStart CSM2) that works with factory Code-Alarm keyless/alarm modules (which my 98 has) and the factory remote. All it does is add remote start capability without affecting your existing setup. You simply hit "unlock" twice on the original remote to start it. However, the range from my remote to the car isn't very far - only about 20 feet. The aftermarket remote starter I used to have worked from 300 or 400 feet. I like that increased distance. What good is a remote starter if you have to walk all the way to the car to start it...

 

So I don't know what I'll do. I guess I'll think about it some more...

[Guest steve98]

I just tested my other theory about using the remote starter to pulse the "door unlock" circuitry to disarm the alarm. While sitting in the car, I activated the alarm with the remote. Then I pressed the "unlock" switch on the door. The doors unlocked and the siren chirped once and the red blinking light kept blinking. I was able to open the doors without the alarm going off. But when I put the key in the ignition and tried to start it, the starter was disabled and the siren went off.

 

So it looks like my idea of pulsing the "door unlock" wire won't disarm the system. The only other thing I can try is the "factory disarm" wire, which some people say doesn't do anything...

 

Another option: I suppose I could also rig up a circuit to turn the alarm system into "valet mode" when the remote starter is activated. That way the alarm would be active until the time when I press the "start" button. I don't know.... This is getting complicated....

[Guest MKIVSupra]

I just had a remote start/alarm installed not too long ago in my 98 Legacy GT. I was mainly looking to just get a remote start to add and keep the factory alarm but I was told it might be a hassle to get the factory alarm to work, and it might not even be doable. Plus when I saw the remote start/alarm I got I said the hell with it. I can't remember the name of the alarm off hand, but it has a cool key fob with a little display on it that tells you if the alarm is set off, the doors are open, if you are in range to start the car, if the car is running after started, etc. Another nice thing is that it works up to 2000 feet. I live on the ninth floor and park 2 floors underground and the damn thing starts the car from my apartment. I was hoping to mainly use the remote start at work, but being able to use it at home is a major plus. I have had the thing for a little over a month now and so far have not had any problems.

 

Mike

[Guest rcoaster]

So what's the brand name? Model no? Where can we get that?

[Guest MKIVSupra]

It is made by a company called T.R.C. and I think it is the 90-CLCD. Anyway, it looks just like this one...

<a href=http://store.autotoys.com/cgi-bin/wfp53024.storefront/>remote starter</a>

 

If it does not go to the remote starter, look in the alarm section and look for the CRIMESTOPPER CS2005 FM PAGING/ALARM SYSTEM/REMOTE START

 

Mike

[Guest JRAYQUEZ]

I bought my '99 Legacy SUS used and it came with the Viper 550(?) which included remote start. Whoever installed it used the factories keyless entry as a "plug in". By doing this every time I used the remote start, and I left it runnig too long, the alarm shut the car back off after 12 minutes. When the car shut off, the factory keyless entry would send a pulse through the alarm setting it off and blowing a fuse. This happened twice before I just had the factory keyless taken out. The guy who took it out said, and agreeing with other people who have replied, it is less of a headace to just remove the factory one and install an aftermarket one, rather than trying to "jerry rig" an after market one with the factory one.