follie gatts

edit: after i removed this starter/alarm my problem persisted. i haven't put it in back yet and regret what a noob move it was. make sure you pursue other electrical problem spots before you do something like this. check your fuse boxes, check your main engine bay grounds for continuity using a voltmeter, check the power between the battery and engine components for continuity, etc

Hello. The tow truck just dropped my car off at my house, so when I get home I am going to rip the dash apart to remove the junk remote starter.

Background info: https://honda-tech.com/forums/acura-integra-6/computer-electrical-failure-traced-remote-starter-2564855/

My keyless entry remote's hatch button was what started the car. I didn't do the install. I bought the car in this condition. I figure if I find where the keyless remote's hatch button is received, there should be a wire I can follow to the remote starter, right?

I have no idea what remote starter is in my car, but my task of finding and removing it begins today. Can anyone offer me some tips? I have been reading lots of remote starter install threads and keyless entry threads, but I have not found much discussion about the hatch button on the remote.

Would this wire come out of the keyless entry brain under the driver's seat?

Is this a bad way to approach the removal?

Thanks. I will probably have pics later.

fcm

Easier to find the remote start brain/relay pack by fallowing the leads from the ign. switch or fallow the ant. lead to the remote start.
If your remote is the Honda/Acura remote there will be no ant. lead to fallow.

The remote start brain will not be hard to find, just remove the lower dash trim on drivers side and look for what does not belong, wiring, relays, black boxes. 94

PS Pix always help.

follie gatts

hey, thanks for the reply. i actually read a lot of your older posts while reading threads about electrical issues lately.

i took some pics. here are some notes i took immediately..

PICTURE 1 IGNITION



1. the black wire that loops around the ignition key hole is NOT spliced into the green connector. it is cut (every quarter inch!) all along the top of the loop between the black zip tie and where it is taped. (maybe that is the wire fcm suggested that i follow from the ignition?) edit: i don't think so. it is not connected to anything there, it just loops around the keyhole.

2. the grey connector isn't plugged into anything

PICTURE 2 FUSE BOX



1. the grey connector at the top left of the fuse box (tucked in next to the yellow) isn't connected to anything

PICTURE 3 LOOM CITY



1. the clear box is labeled "shock detector" so that has to be the part of the alarm that senses me kicking the tires. the red LED is blinking continuously. is that part of the OEM alarm? (nope.)

i am going to try and loosen some of these wire looms to see more of what is obviously hacked in and altered. i have the haynes, so it may help.

i wish i could find something that was labeled "remote starter" so i could try to yank this thing already, but life just isn't that easy.

thanks for looking.

UPDATE:

i think what i am looking for is in the bottom left corner of picture #3 (see that black zip tie?). those wires are surrounding a black box, so i need to cut all the tape and inspect whatever it is.

follie gatts

i think i found it, but i have yet to follow the wires coming out of this box labeled U555:

PICTURE 4 U555



edit: note how the white wire of the red/white/blue ends abruptly in tape. the black with a white stripe is the wire i discussed in PICTURE 1 that circles the keyhole.

should i try running the car with this thing simply unplugged? i will reply again when i figure out what all this is connected to.

fcm

The black "loop" around the ign. switch is the pickup ant. for the bypass module, remove it and fallow it to the bypass module and remove it.

You have a DEI alarm/remote start combo unit, or a DEI alarm with a DEI remote start, the impact sensor is for the aftermarket alarm, remove it and fallow the leads to the alarm brain.

In the second pix you can see the ribbon wire harness that runs between the remote start brain and the remote start relay pack, fallow it to the brain and relay pack, the relay packs heavy gauge wires will be connected to the lead in the ign. switch harness.

You should find something like this... http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/VIPER...ayphotohosting
Siren, impact sensor, relay pack main brain, maybe an extra single relay as a starter cut, and the wiring harnesses from each unit. 94

fcm

The U555 is the bypass module, the loop around the ign. switch is connected to it, open the box up, is there a key inside? 94

follie gatts

the red and blue wires coming out of black box U555 lead into a second black box i found under the left side of the dash. look for the hood release lever at the bottom of ..

PICTURE 5 ANOTHER BLACK BOX



1. reads avital from what i can see, and that is a brand of remote starter!

it's getting dark here now, so i will resume unpacking all this wiring tomorrow morning to see where the wires lead from this new black box. hopefully i can end up with a model number to try and find a manual for it.

follie gatts

you are immensely helpful. i will head back out to open up the bypass module box and see what is inside.

follie gatts

there sure is, but you knew that! the key inside looks like my key but the plastic is grey instead of black.

i wiggled the brain unit out and it says avistart 3300.

now that the discovery phase is winding down, it is time to remove this thing. i am so glad i removed my driver's seat before anything else.

fcm, could you use this unit for spare parts? i don't know if you read my other thread in the integra forum linked above, but a transmission shop told me this unit is what is causing all my problems (hard shifting auto tranny, battery not holding charge, ELD code, tranny solenoid code)

fcm

It could definitely cause electrical problems, not because of the unit, but because of the install, not sure how it's effecting the transmission unless it is electrical.

http://www.directeddealers.com/manua...00_install.pdf 94

follie gatts

well, everything was fine since i bought the car in 2005 up until sometime in february when my transmission started slamming one morning on the way to work. the first time it shifted to 4th that morning i lost all other gears in D4 and shifting between P, R and D4 was really rough.

orig thread i started in february: https://honda-tech.com/forums/acura-integra-6/reading-codes-check-trans-d4-lights-2493873/

transmission shop had it for 2 weeks, put in a new battery and replaced the engine computer/towed it to acura to get it flashed. they attempted to drive it back to their shop and the battery died after 7 miles. drove it for about a week longer and determined that "everything factory is working properly, and these codes coming back are odd since the components work and tested fine."

they recommended that i remove the remote starter because its the only thing besides speakers that isn't OEM, and here we are.

you know, i have noticed some of these wires under the dash have the inline fuses. i should check them before i do anything else now that i think of it.

if i do end up taking this unit out, you can have it.

follie gatts

i used a lot of time after work today to remove electrical tape from a lot of the splices. it just started to rain, so i don't think i will make much more progress tonight.

i am struggling with the aluminum bracket that the autocruise unit bolts onto. i took two 10mm nuts/bolts off but its still hanging in there in my way.

also looking at things like the valet switch. i have no plan for what i am going to with some of these components in the absence of the starter/alarm. i still have quite a bit of work to do until that point. i can't help but wonder.

fcm

Other then the speaker, if it's not OEM remove it, it is the only way to be sure that the none OEM components and their wiring is not causing the problem.

Unless whoever installed the alarm/remote start somehow "tagged" into the "Transmission Control Module" leads, [and they should not have] I don't know how it would have any effect on the transmission.

follie gatts

well, i have a new battery and swapped out P55 computer, now. while the car sat for two months the battery stopped holding a charge. i guess i am hoping for the best on their recommendation.

the ribbon wire you pointed out earlier, purple to red, that you can see in almost every picture, is the only wiring i have not yet "freed" from the mess. it goes up into one of the thick white plastic wire holders way up behind the fuse box near some other stuff i have not unwrapped yet.

i am trying to find all the splices and just reroute everything out of the other crap and let it hang before i start un-tapping the wires. i hadn't looked any further than the fuse box before this adventure, so i am trying to take my time.

thanks again

fcm

Best thing you can do.
Just like when installing an alarm/remote start system, rushing to remove one, just to get it done will only lead to problems. 94

follie gatts

boy oh boy are some of these wire taps ugly. i made some progress this morning, and i noticed a few things. there is one black wire that comes out of the unit. you can see it here at the bottom of the picture although the unit is upside down.



its the same wire that comes out of the left hand side of the dash and up into the door trim. it doesn't plug into the alarm/starter like all of the other wires, but just comes out of the black casing. i don't see it on page 3 of this:

http://www.directeddealers.com/manua...00_install.pdf

i guess i can just follow it, but i'll probably wait and do it last since trim panels are no fun.

also, are some of the five conjoined relays no longer necessary? before i mess with the red lead should i disconnect the battery?

two more pics from this morning

http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/l...a/CIMG1391.jpg
http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/l...a/CIMG1392.jpg

dj-t

That black wire seems like the antenna.

The relays there are for your remote start save them for future use. Also take that metal plate off under the dash it will give you a little more room to work with. Just take your time and trace the wires. The wires should just be tap into the factory wire except for the starter wires cut so just connect it back together.

If you feel uncomfortable with the red lead then definitely disconnect the battery before you start pulling it off. I rather have to readjust the clock and radio than have a electrical short in the car.

arbutus

is the remote start with the time

follie gatts

what?

follie gatts

today, i am full of win.



the black wire was the unit's antenna. now that i have removed it, i understand why it was a great idea. however, i am also sure that my on-again-off-again interior rattle was always this antenna lying up on top of the headliner. oh front visor lights, how have i abused you.

like most jobs, i feel like a huge noob now that i am done. i learned a lot now that i have the complete experience as hindsight.

my car still does not want to cooperate. time for a new thread!