This thread is locked to keep it clean so I can add to it. Reply in this thread: http://www.honda-tech.com/zerothread/1794937
-- -- -- CAUSE FOR ALARM VERSION 6.DA -- -- --
http://causeforalarm.thecarthing.com/version6/index.html
This is the old Cause For Alarm. Lots of good info, but a lot of stuff needs revision. http://causeforalarm.thecarthing.com/index.html

DON'T PM ME. START A NEW THREAD WITH YOUR QUESTION.
And before you start a new thread, please SEARCH. Not just Honda-Tech, but Google as well. Struggle for a few hours. Think about it. Ask your neighbor/uncle/cat. If you haven't found the answer by then, this might be over your head. Don't PM me. DO NOT PM ME UNLESS IT'S SOMETHING SPECIFIC ABOUT MY WRITEUP ie. "Your diagram is wrong", or "you used the wrong 'their'". And finally, "if they really want it, they'll get it." There, I said it. Now I never want to see it again. It's not advice. It's fatalism. Might as well shoot yourself because we're all going to die someday.

Comprehensive Car Security
These how-to's show you how you can secure your Honda/Acura 99.9% from theft.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
What Doesn't Work
What Works
How To Solder
How To Crimp
Fuel Kill Switch
version 1-3
Engine Bay Start Kills
starter
ignition (link)
"WTF Is A Relay?"
Remote Start vs. Stealth Install
Sensors
Battery Backup Module
Splicing In/Isolating Additional Sensors
"WTF Is A Diode?"
Re-route Hood Release Cable
Power Door-Unlock Bypass (link)
Example Of A Typical Alarm Install
REPLY 1
Stealth Alarm Install
REPLY 2
Console Install for cars with four doors
REPLY 3
Example Of A Fuel Kill Switch Install
What doesn't work


Here is a list of car security strategies that can't be relied upon for various reasons. Some of these strategies are viable visual deterrents, but if they're inconvenient, high in cost, or simply ineffective, they made the list. If I keep coming across posts that say "help, my car got stolen even though I ---.", that --- made the list.
Removing ECU
Removing Fuses/Relays
Removing plug wires/distributor cap
Removable steering wheel
Club-like devices
Starter kill chip
Standard alarm install
Factory alarm
Factory immobilizer
Factory steering wheel lock
Any type of switch/chip/start kill device that is:
A) visible
B) connected to the ignition harness
Praying
Ignorance
Having an ugly exterior
"If they really want it, they'll get it."
What works
Tracking device ie. Lojack, Viper 210V
Stealth installed paging Alarm
Battery backup, hood pin, hidden siren
Additional sensors ie glass breakage, tilt, motion/proximity
Kill switch
Garage
Staying low-key
Parking in a safe area
How To Solder
Tools/Supplies

Soldering iron, 100 watts (Sears or Radio Shack)
Heat Gun if using heat shrink (any, Harbor Freight is fine)
Strippers/Cutters (any, but I prefer these small blue cutters from the Snap On truck)
Solder, .040
heat shrink tubing (not Radio Shack) or electric tape

Strip the insulation back about half an inch. If you are using heat shrink, slip a half inch segment over one of the wires and slide it out of the way.


Put the wires together at an X, then twist the wires together so that they're connected inline with the rest of the wire.

Heat up the soldering iron, and put a thin coat of solder at the tip.


AFTER the iron is hot and melts the solder instantly on contact, put the tip of the iron beneath the wire and heat it for a couple of seconds. The wire itself will now melt the solder and soak it up into the strands. You touch the solder to the wire, not the iron. Too little solder is better than too much.


Heat the heat shrink over the connection or wrap it tightly in electric tape. If you're using electric tape, pull the electric tape tightly until it begins to stretch, then wrap. Only electric tape will work. Other kinds of tape, ie duct tape, will actually conduct electricity. At the very least, they will fail to insulate the connection which is the whole purpose of the tape to begin with.
How To Crimp
Getting the right tools and supplies is critical. That's what I am specifically naming the crimpers and type of butt connectors. Take the hint. Unfortunately, the yellow crimpers shown in the pictures are not the right crimpers. Just pretend that they're the Channel Lock 909 instead.
Tools/Supplies


Channel Lock 909 crimpers (Home Depot)
Heat Gun (any, Harbor Freight is fine)
Strippers/Cutters (any, but I prefer these small blue cutters from the Snap On truck)
non-insulated butt connectors (various gauges appropriate for the job, but 18 is the most common)
heat shrink tubing (not Radio Shack. Learn to differentiate between good and bad heat shrink. Various diameters)
Ring terminals (non insulated preferred, various gauges and diameters)
Female spade terminals aka quick disconnects (18 gauge)
CRIMPING A RING TERMINAL OR QUICK DISCONNECT

Strip back 1/4 inch of insulation and twist the bare wire. You can slip 1 inch length of 1/4 inch diameter heat shrink onto the wire for a professional look.

You want part of the wires insulation crimped.

Give it a good tug to make sure it doesn't come apart.


If you slipped some heat shrink tubing on before making the crimp, hit it with the heat gun.
TAPPING INTO A WIRE
Soldering is the best method for tapping into a wire. But maybe you don't have soldering equipment and you're more comfortable with crimps.

Cut the wire and strip back 1/4 inch insulation from each end and from the wire you want to connect.

Intersect two wires at 90 degrees, then twist them together.


Cut a 1 inch section of 3/16 inch diameter clear heat shrink tubing, and slip it over the wires. Then tuck the wires into one side of the non-insulated butt connector and crimp.

Tuck the other wire into the other side of the butt connector and crimp. Give the wires a good tug to make sure they hold.

Slide the heat shrink over the butt connector and shrink it with the heat gun.
Fuel Kill switch
Skill Requirements
Do not attempt until you posses all of the following:
Basic reading comprehension
Consistently good solder or crimp connections
Basic voltmeter skills
Common sense
Overview: Here are three types of fuel kill switches.
Version 1: basic
Most of the time a kill switch is just that. A switch. All you need is a good quality 20A+ Auto switch, some 18 gauge wire, an 18 gauge ring terminal, and some 18 gauge female spade connectors. Find and verify the fuel pump wire. Cut it in two pieces. Strip the wires, then solder or crimp on your 18 gauge extension wire. Mount the switch in a hidden location. Crimp on female spade connectors and connect the switch.


Version 2: extended
Use this version when you plan on having the switch mounted far away from the cut point. Anything over 5 feet total extension requires a relay. Extending the wires a great deal increases the resistance which in turn decreases your fuel pressure. So basically you put a relay at the cut off point, then run the switch to control the relay. There are several ways it can be wired, but the method shown in the diagram on the left is the simplest and arguably the best.

Version 3: Ghost Switch
Instead of hiding an aftermarket switch, you can use an existing OEM switch. The easiest example is the AC switch on a car that has had the AC removed. Cut all the wires on the switch and cap them off individually. You'll then need to find out which two wires to use. Set the voltmeter to continuity, connect the probes, then flip the switch. It should have continuity when on, no continuity when off. Once you've determined the wires you're using, connect your kill switch the same way as version 2.
Tools/Supplies
Soldering and/or Crimping tools and supplies
Automotive rocker switch (Radio Shack 275-730)
SPST relay Auto ((Bosch preferred)SPDT okay, just ignore the 87a)
Voltmeter/Digital Multimeter
Waekon "Bed Of Nails" probes 77002
Panel popper or large flat screwdriver
Wood spade bit 15/16, unibit, or hole saw
Drill, cordless
18 gauge female spade connections (quick disconnects)
18 gauge wire
18 gauge ring terminal
Split loom, small diameter
Electric tape
I'm recommending 18 gauge because A) that's what the stock fuel pump wire is and B) it's easy to work with.



Locating/Verifying Fuel Pump Wire
Year - Make - Model - Fuel Pump Wire Color - Location
88-91 Honda Civic yellow/black driver's running board - rear seat
90-93 Acura Integra yellow/black driver's running board - rear seat
94-01 Acura Integra thicker of the two yellow/green wires in the driver's running board - rear seat
92-95 Honda Civic yellow driver's running board - rear seat
96-00 Honda Civic yellow/green driver's running board - rear seat
01-05 Honda Civic yellow/green center console
94-97 Honda Accord black/yellow passenger's running board - rear seat

When you think you've found the wire, you have to verify it. Set the multimeter to 20V DC. Connect the red probe of your multimeter to the wire. Connect the black probe to ground (bare metal of the chassis frame). Turn the key to the on position but don't start it. The multimeter should jump to 12 volts and then back to zero. Start the car. The multimeter should jump to 12 volts and stay there until you shut down the engine. Cut the wire and try to start the car. It should crank w/out starting, or start and then immediately stall. Be careful because on the 94+ Integras, there is a yellow/green wire in the same bundle as the fuel pump wire. It behaves similar to the fuel pump wire, but it's actually the power antenna wire.
Look for a detailed step-by-step example of a fuel kill switch Version 1 a few posts down.
Engine Bay Start Kills
In my infinite wisdom *cough boredom... I thought up two easy start-kills that can be done under the hood with basically no cutting of your stock wiring. One is on the starter, and the other is on the ignition. Both absolutely require a SPDT auto relay. Either of them can be controlled by your alarm ground-when-armed output, or a 20+ Amp auto rocker switch like the one in the fuel pump kill example. Pick one or the other. Doing both doesn't make your car any more secure, and doesn't make you hardcore either.
The advantages to a engine bay start-kill are 1) it's downstream of the ignition harness where most hotwiring takes place, 2) it's not something your friendly neighborhood thieves have seen before. The disadvantage is that it's hard to conceal. Fook-it. Don't even bother.
These instructions most closely pertain to the 3rd gen Integra and 5th gen Civic. Other cars will vary a bit.
Starter
Supplies:
SPDT auto relay (recommend Bosch starter kill with the socket and diode)
2 18 gauge female quick disconnects
3 10 gauge female quick disconnects
1 10 gauge male quick disconnect
short piece of 18 gauge wire
some 10 gauge wire
electric tape
small diameter split loom
zip ties or metal piercing screw to mount the relay
18 gauge butt connector or soldering tools/supplies
Tools:
Channel Lock 909 crimpers
wire cutters/strippers
Determine a mounting point for your relay near the starter next to the passenger side shock tower, but don't permanently mount it yet. Estimate the length between it and the starter, leaving some room for slack wire for when the engine torques in it's mounts. At your work bench, crimp a male spade connector (aka quick disconnect) to the end of the 10 gauge wire (will go from oem starter wire to your relay). At the other end of that wire, twist it together with the end of the 18 gauge wire and crimp both wires into a female spade connector. Slip that end onto the 30 on the SPDT relay. Crimp a female spade connector to the other end of the 18 gauge wire and connect it to 86. Crimp a female spade connector at each end of a second length of 10 gauge wire (will go from your relay to your starter). Connect one end to 87a. Slip some split loom over these wires and secure it with electric tape. Back at the car, tap some 18 gauge wire to your alarm's ground-when-armed output wire (orange on DEI alarms, triggers the start kill relay) and run it behind the glovebox and out a firewall grommet*. Crimp on a female quick disconnect and connect it to the 85. Pull the black/white wire off the starter, and connect it to the male spade connector that runs to the 30. Then connect your relay's 87a wire to the starter. Make sure the engine starts with the alarm off, but doesn't start with it on (you may need to bypass your original start kill if you left it intact). Split loom the rest of the wiring and mount the relay. Secure all wires with zip ties.

*You can control this relay using a hidden kill switch instead. Compare this example to the ignition-kill to find out how.
Ignition
*new version available here:
Engine Bay Ignition Kill Switch
What the hell is a relay?

This section is completely optional, but understanding what is actually going on here can be very beneficial. A relay is a type of switch that is thrown by electricity instead of a physical toggle. The 87 and 30 poles are the same as the two poles on a switch. Electricity flows across the 86 and 85 poles to throw the 87/30 side of the relay. You control whether electricity flows across the 86/85 with a switch on either the power or the ground side. The 86/85 side of the relay has a lot of resistance so that you're not pulling too much power. Otherwise you would either blow a fuse or burn your car to the ground.
The point of a relay is to have a minimal amount of electricity control the flow of a high powered circuit. An example is your headlight switch. You don't want the whole power of the headlights going from the switch at your steering column through the firewall all the way to the headlights. The longer the electricity has to travel, the less of it reaches it's destination (more resistance). There is also a higher risk of electrical damage or fire. So what you do instead is have power go from the battery straight to the headlights (I'm simplifying a bit). Cut this wire with a relay, and wire a low current switch to control the relay. The low current wire goes from the headlight relay, through the firewall, to the switch on the steering column. That way you can use a smaller wire, a smaller switch, and the whole circuit becomes safer and more efficient.
The two times you need a relay are 1) when it's a long distance from the switch to the cut point (let's say a total of 3 feet or more), and 2) when you're interupting a high powered circuit.
To increase the longevity and performance of the relay, it's recommended that you solder a 1 amp diode across the 86/85 pins to prevent spiking. The striped side of the diode will be on the positive side, 86 by convention. Another recommendation is that your source of power comes from the ignition as opposed to a loop from the controlled circuit like I have in my fuel pump, starter, and ignition kill diagrams. I provide the simplest and stealthiest wiring in those diagrams. I've never had a problem with the looping method. But I'm not omniscient. If you want to play it on the safe side you'll wire it according to the following diagram. fcm recommends you do so, and he's been around a lot longer than I have.

No matter what the hell you're doing, whether it's to control your headlights or for a starter kill, the recommended way to hook up a relay is like this.
SPST (single pole, single throw) Has a 86 and 85 for the control side, and 87 and 30 for the load side. When no electricity is flowing across 86 and 85, no electricity is allowed across 87 and 30.
SPST (single pole, double throw) Has a 86 and 85 for the control side, and 87, 87a, and 30 for the load side. When no electricity is flowing across 86 and 85, electricity is allowed from 87a to 30, but not 87. When electricty flows across 86 and 85, electricty is allowed from 87 to 30, but not 87a. The benefit to this is that you can set up your kill as normally open or normally closed. Normally closed means that everything will work fine unless you flip the switch. Even if there is no switch, the "killed" circuit will be allowed to function. Normally open means the opposite. It wont work unless the switch is on. You can find examples of each of these in my start kill diagrams.
Normally Open: The security benefit of having your kill circuit wired as normally open is that even if power is removed ie they cut power to the alarm, the relay will not allow the car to start. The bad news is that if the relay or alarm fails, the relay will not allow the car to start.
Normally Closed: The benefit of having your kill circuit wired as normally closed is that if the relay or alarm fails, the relay will still allow the car to start. The bad news is that this makes it easier for the thief to bypass the relay. Alarms are almost always have the start kill circuit wired as normally closed and almost never have a battery backup. This is why alarms so often fail to prevent the car from being stolen.
Remote Start
Stealth install w/remote start is harder to do, if not impossible by my standards. The reason being is that the 791XV comes with a relay satellite that has a bunch of 10 gauge wires that have to go to the ignition harness. It's very difficult to hide these which causes two problems 1) leaves a trail back to the alarm, 2) limits placement of the alarm. Other remote start alarms may not have a relay satellite, and may not use 10 gauge wires, but they still require a large number of connections to be made at the ignition harness.
I don't believe in putting the alarm under the dash at all. The only exception is on cars such as the S14 and the EG where you can put the alarm behind the cluster and none of it is exposed beneath the dash. Behind the cluster is great for a stealth install if you're A) doing a remote start, B) your car is a four door, C) the interior is stripped. Unfortunately there is not enough space behind the cluster on any Civic besides the 5th gen, and it doesn't look like there is on the Integra but I have yet to try it. On other cars, you can try putting a remote start alarm behind the center console. But since remote start is purely convenience and has nothing to do with security, I don't feel that it's within the scope of this How-To. Don't PM me or email me with questions about it.
Sensors
Alarm sensors can be found cheap on ebay and are more or less compatible with all alarms. Glass breakage, motion, and any 2 way adjustable sensors may not be fully compatible with cheap alarms. All the more reason to buy a decent alarm.
Shock
Standard with all alarms. Detects large impact or vibration, in case someone tries to steal your car by ramming it with a large vibrator. No joke, these sensors are basically useless. You're better off w/out one. Causes false alarms leading to indifference. Recommend you remove or turn down the sensitivity on this sensor and use an alternative sensor.
Glass breakage
Since it is pretty easy to smash a door window w/out triggering a shock sensor, companies came up with a better method of detection. Glass breakage sensors typically employ a microphone listening for the frequency of breaking glass (or the sound of keys rapping on glass). Very effective at detecting intrusion, and rarely causes false alarms. Requires very little adjustment. Recommend the DEI 506T. Use this sensor or a motion sensor, but not both.
Motion/Proximity
Extremely effective at deterring and detecting intrusion. A necessity for soft-top cars. Difficult and time consuming to set up properly. Can cause false alarms. Most expensive type of sensor. Brand choice is very crucial as most motion/proximity sensors are pure crap. Recommend AGAINST the DEI 508D. Strongly recommend the Crime Guard/Omega AU94T available from Crutchfield.
THE DEI 508D SUCKS. I'M NOT JOKING AROUND WITH YOU. I'M NOT PLAYING. I'M NOT PULLING YOUR CHAIN. IT'S USELESS. IT'S BO-BO. IT'S BUNK. IT DOESN'T FUNCTION ADEQUATELY. BELIEVE ME. YOU EFFING MAKE A POST ABOUT THIS SENSOR AND YOUR POST WILL BE DELETED. I MAY EVEN BAN YOU FROM THE FORUM.
Tilt
Good early warning detection of towing not just for theft but also parking violations. Also helpful at detecting a rim theft if the thief is careless. Rarely causes false alarms, and the better sensors have provisions for when you are parked on a slope. Recommend the DEI 507M.
Two-Way Adjustable
There are several names for this but basically it just means that the sensor has a warning trigger and an instant trigger. The sensitivity of one or both of these triggers may be independently adjustable.
Battery backup module
Strongly recommend the DEI 520T with all alarms. I don't recommend battery backup SIRENS because they are largely a pain in the ass and not nearly as effective as a well-hidden backup battery. Remember, a siren does nothing to stop your car from starting.
How to splice in sensors

When adding sensors to an alarm, you are often forced to splice them in because either the alarm doesn't have extra sensor ports, or there are extra ports but you don't have any plug connectors to use with them. When you splice them together, it's a good idea to keep the triggers isolated between each sensor. You accomplish this by way of small 1 or 3 amp diodes.
WTF is a diode?

Most people don't know this, but there is such a thing as a one-way valve for electricity. It's called... guess what... a diode. Obviously it's very important to have them pointed in the right direction. Just remember that the striped side is the ground side. Sensors use a negative ground trigger, so the stripe will always face the sensor and the non-striped side will face the alarm. With an alarm, 1 or 3 amp diodes are fine.
One example of the necessity of diodes is that on the 01+ 4 door Civics, each door has it's own trigger so that the dash lights can tell you which door is open. If you were to simply tie all three (yes there's three, don't ask) door triggers into the negative door trigger input on the alarm, any one open door would indicate all four doors on the dash. Instead branch the door trigger input off with three diodes, the stripes facing away from the alarm, and then run wires from each diode to each door trigger.
RE-ROUTE HOOD RELEASE CABLE
Remove the plastic cover and two 10mm bolts on the hood release handle. Detach the cable from the handle. Set the driver's side front on a jack stand and remove the wheel. Remove the screws securing the plastic fender lining. Pull the cable from the tabs and from the hole in the fender, and push it through the opening for your turn signal all the way to the latch and set it aside. Do not close your hood until everything is reassembled. There is a great write-up with pics over at http://www.team-integra.net/se...D=732
POWER DOOR UNLOCK BYPASS
I don't buy cars that have power door locks, but if you do, you might want to check out this article. http://www.team-integra.net/se...D=750 It shows you how to bypass the unlock side of the switch so that someone can't flip your switch with a coat hanger.
Typical Alarm Install

This is what your typical alarm install looks like once you've cut a few zip ties. This install is utterly useless at preventing theft. I work at a car audio shop and my installs look a lot cleaner, but they're really not that effective at stopping an experienced thief. Stealth installs just don't fit a successful business model. You could lay down over a grand and hope that a custom shop will do a good job (although I personally wouldn't be satisfied even if it were Unique Autosports), or you could do it yourself.
Cause For Alarm ver6