I park the car this afternoon, it was acting completeley normal.
I get in the car to drrive to dinner tonight.
When I turn the key. . .nadda. So I'm thinking "great. dead battery". But then all the gauge lights come (not fully bright) and my horn starts making little retarded beeps. I turn the key again and the dome light starts flashing. I can hear some relays working like right under the steering column. I tried disconecting the horn, but it just starts blaring! I tried pulling the fuse from the alarm system (which hasn't been activated for MONTHS, I dont even have the key fob) which also activates the horn full blast. I'm really scared, the car has never acted like this before! Suggestions?
What the hell!? Sounds scary. You sure it isn't your alarm?
One time, while driving home at night, all of my gauges and instrument panel lights turned off. It was freaky driving like that, not knowing my speed. But next time I drove it, it worked fine.
Originally posted by jpprelude What the hell!? Sounds scary. You sure it isn't your alarm?
One time, while driving home at night, all of my gauges and instrument panel lights turned off. It was freaky driving like that, not knowing my speed. But
next time I drove it, it worked fine.
I think it is the alaram actually. The previous owner had it installed. Its one of those basic best buy units (mostly just for keyless entry). Is there a way to just cut the power to the alarm and not affect the operation of the car? Can I just remove it all and disconnect the wiring to eleminate the car altogether?
I see a realy pack with a purple wire that is plugged into the footwell fuse box, and there is also a black box with tons of wires, and two inline fuse holders as well. You think I should just pull out everything that dosnt look factory? I've hadted this alarm since day one.
Originally posted by marcucci If the alarm has a starter kill, you'll need to rewire that... they would have cut the starter wire and use a relay to connect it.
You might want to take it to a shop or a dealer for this if you're not sure what you're doing.
Anyway I can visualy inspect for a starter kill? Normally, When the alarm is on and you try to start the car (with the key), you got nothing. . .car wont start and the alarm starts going off. Does this imply that it has a starter kill?
Man, this pisses me off so much. . .I guess I may end having it towed to shop. If I do this, should I take it to an alarm/stereo shop or just a auto mechanic?
I had a ghetto alarm in my car when I bought it. All the wires hung down and touched my feet it was so annoying. Finnally I just got under there and ripped out everthing that wasn't factory. Only probem is that my car doesn't ground to sense that the drivers door is open now...no light chime...Very annoying.
Josh
there is a red/black wire that disappears up under the settering wheel/steering column area. . .starter kill? It looks like they used tap splices to make most to the connections, so the factory wires are still continous runs. I checked both the fuse holders connected to it, both fine. Maybe I should just try to jump start it? although, it does have enough juice to run the AC (lightly) and turn the head lights on. . .stereo wont turn on though.
Oh yeah, the car has an "Executive" car alarm sticker on the drivers window.
Alright, I did a little web hunting. I found the site for the company who makes the alarm. I know I have the "executive series, but I dont know which model.
The alarm has starter kill if you turn the key and get nothing with it armed. There should be two large-gauge wires to/from the column going into a relay inside the alarm or that leads to the alarm. To make it work the factory wires HAVE to be cut, so you HAVE to splice them back together. I would recommend soldering and heat shrinking, though you can butt splice it if you can't do that.
If you can get a diagram for one of the models, they should all be fairly similar. You should be able to use the same color code for their wiring regardless of model. You should be able to remove all their wiring and be OK (save for the starter wire you'll have to splice back together).
Originally posted by marcucci There should be two large-gauge wires to/from the column going into a relay inside the alarm or that leads to the alarm. To make it work the factory wires HAVE to be cut, so you HAVE to splice them back together. I would recommend soldering and heat shrinking, though you can butt splice it if you can't do that.
Do you happen to know the colors of the FACTORY wires? If I remember correctly, I saw some large gauge factory wiring (yellow and white, if memory serves) that had a brown connector that had some tap splices on it. I'll go take another look.
Alright, I took another good look at the wiring coming from the steering column. I found a realy with a few large gauge wires and a few small gauge wires, some of which run to the alarm brain (just as you said). I didnt see any "splices" in the wiring though. Rather, It almost looks like there is kind of a "plug and play" type connector, kind of like the harnesses used to connect HU's to factory wiring harness. This little "inbetween" harness has a sticker that says "Omega" the company that manufactures the alarm. the factory wiring running into this connector is one large black wire (w white stripe) and one large whitish wire. The factory wiring on the other side of harness is the same colors, but all the stuff between is yellow/red/orange. Ever heard of something like this? I can try to take a pic if that helps, but I'm not to sure how good it will come out.
I don't know what to say, other than the factory wire HAS to be interrupted... that's how it works. They may have some plug'n play job, but it would have to go between two Honda connectors.
Can you tell if this connector goes between two Honda wires? Does it look like the Honda wires might have been cut and had new connectors crimped on? Does it look like you can disconnect stuff and get those two Honda wires reconnected?
There is only 1 wire that needs to be cut on the stock setup to interrupt the starter... the two ends need to go to the relay. The smaller wires that go to the brain just control the relay on/off.
Don't know how else to describe it... I don't have a 4th gen manual anymore, so can't really help...
Originally posted by marcucci
Can you tell if this connector goes between two Honda wires? Does it look like the Honda wires might have been cut and had new connectors crimped on? Does it look like you can disconnect stuff and get those two Honda wires reconnected?
Don't know how else to describe it... I don't have a 4th gen manual anymore, so can't really help...
Yup, it looks like I two honda plugs with matching colors (white/black) could just plug back together if I unplugged the "Omega" stuff between them.
Not expecting you to have all the answers, guess I'll just have to toy around with it a bit.
Just dissconect the harness from the alarm. There should be a harness that plugs into the brain of the alram. If you un-plug this, it will de-activate the entire alarm. Meaning the alarm and all of its functions will no longer work. Like the kill switch and so on...
__________________
93 Prelude VTEC - Turbo & Still Going!
94 Prelude VTEC - Parted & Crushed
92 Prelude 4WS -GONE!
94 Prelude SI -SOLD! 2 a
89 240sx Fastback - SOLD!
91 240SR Fastback -SOLD!
90 240sx Fastback -Gone to lil sis
98 240sx Kouki - In Progress
96 240sx Zenki - NEW Project!
my parents overnighted me one of the transmitters (havent needed them since the alarm has been in "valet" mode for months). I "deactivated" the alarm with the unlock button, and many of the demon like symptoms have gone away. The car still will not start, but it at least sounds like its trying (now that the starter kill has been turned off). The AC still blows (very softly) and the dashlights/gauges still come on (dim) so I'm not sure the battery is the problem. I guess I'll try jumping it and see if that works (fingers crossed)! Only problem is, its parallel parked against a median on a one way drive, so jumping it may be kinda tricky!
I would highly recommend getting that alarm out- you don't need the damn thing killing your started for no reason. Disconnect the two OEM-looking wires from the alarm wiring and connect them together. Then disconnect power to the alarm (should be a fuse inline with it, or a main harness) and then jump the thing.
It does sound like your battery is dead, and alarms will do some wierd stuff when the battery voltage drops low enough (especially cheap ones).
Check you battery connections... I had the same thing happen to me..
I had good voltage, until I tried to start, then everything went dead. Clean your battery terminals before you try to jump it.
Originally posted by marcucci I would highly recommend getting that alarm out- you don't need the damn thing killing your started for no reason. Disconnect the two OEM-looking wires from the alarm wiring and connect them together. Then disconnect power to the alarm (should be a fuse inline with it, or a main harness) and then jump the thing.
It does sound like your battery is dead, and alarms will do some wierd stuff when the battery voltage drops low enough (especially cheap ones).
Yeah, I think this is the route I am going to go. that crap is coming out. I think I am going to try and jump it first, just to see if using the transmitter fixed the problem, before I deal with pulling everything out. But even if it DOES work then, that crap is still coming out.
weird, this same shiznit happened to me. in the middle of the night my alarm went off and now it seems like all it does is malfunction. i have shaved door handles so now my door just keeps poppin open. my alarm for some reason just unlocks and locks the doors, lights blink etc whenever it wants.....damn thing, i'll prob just have to remove the alarm and get a new one....let me know what happens with u....
...no light chime...Very annoying.
Linear Mode