After I installed my remote starter/alarm, there has been a problem. Once in a while, totally at random, there is a sound that comes from the engine bay. It sounds just like as if the car is on, and you turn the key to crank it. It makes this noise for a split second while at the same exact time, my BRAKE light flashes on for a split second. Also, the rpm drops from 700 to about 200 and then goes right back up to normal a split second later. And my radio goes off for that time and my lights dim. By the sound of it, I figure its the starter motor firing for some reason....however, while at speed, at any RPM but usually above 80mph, my brake light flashes totally at random but there is no sound. What the hell is going on?

 

Battery is fine. It wasnt touched. What else is grounded?

 

anything that recieves power.

 

LMFAO

 

The alarm unit has so many goddamn wires. I wouldnt even know where to start.

 

So did you install the alarm? If you did then you probably have wires crossed or something. If you didnt install the alarm then take it back to whoever installed it and tell them to fix it.

 

Wiring gives me a headache, and im about to do a motor swap in a few weeks

Take out the remote starter/alarm lol the hell with it!

 

HELL NO!
I dont think they will remember me, much less believe me that its been going on for 6 months now and that it wasnt caused by something I did. I should have taken it back right away, but I'm an idiot. The unit itself is cheap. Its called Impulse.

 

My assessment of the problem:
What the problem is, is that your remote start does not seem to realize the car is running and tries the starter. Try the starter when the car is running and the startersolenoid pushes and turns the starter teeth into the flywheel's teeth at about 250 rpm. Since even at idle the engine is moving faster than that, you get a grind. Your radio goes off and lights dim just as they would if they were on and you turned the key to start. What the remote start does is essentially makes the connection you wuld make by turning your key in the cylinder, only it does this with relays in response to the signal from the remote. SOunds like some problem in the alarm or the separate remote start module if there is one. Power should be disconnected from this module (via relay) when the key is in the run position. There is likley a wire that goes from a +12v source that is energized only when the car is running. This signal should basically tell the remotestarter "HEY! dont try to start the car now!" If you have the manual for your system or know about the install, check the connection that goes to the remote start and provides +12v when the key is in the run position. There may be a short, or the alarm/remote start may be fried. I see you are in brooklyn, I am there alot but probably couldnt fix it because i didnt install it and have no instructions. Anyway, what kind of accord do you drive and who did the install for you? There is a lot of shoddy workmanship around those parts, they place a premium on speed and not installation quality.


[Modified by brinks, 6:31 AM 5/10/2002]

 

Thats a great assumption. However, it does it even when I just use the key to start the car and dont touch my remote.

The car I drive is in my siggy.

It was installed by a car audio/security place. I know many people that go there and have no problems.

 

Has it been doing it since it was first installed? The remote starter may be bugging out and just may need to be reset. Just locate the module and unplug it for about 30 seconds then plug it back in. If that doesn't work, check the ground on the unit. Most of the time it will be a black wire. Just see if you can trace it back from the brain. If the ground is bad, it will ground from somewhere else and begin to do wacky things. If all else fails, i would still bring it back to the shop. If it was a cheap unit, it may be a bad brain itself. Any reputable shop should fix the problem. They should be able to replace the brain under warranty. And i'm sure somebody there will remember you or your car.

 

Exactly. The thing doesnt know that the key is in and the car is running. Even the best installer can make a bad connection. Probably the only thing that can fix it is a reinstallation of all the connections assuming the unit is not defective.


[Modified by brinks, 8:10 PM 5/10/2002]

 

It has been doing it since day 1.

What exactly do I unplug?

They warned me prior to installation that I'm using my own unit so there is no installer waranty.

I will do my best to inspect it.

They WONT remember me or my car because I came litterally 2 weeks after the install with another problem, and they didnt remember me.

 

You would be looking for the wire from the remote start tapped or spliced into the black wire with white stripe located at the ignition harness which is either inside your steering column most likley near the key cylinder or under the dash. Try cutting the wire tapped into the blk/wht wire (DO NOT cut the blk/wht wire itself) and see what happens. The blk/wht wire is the starter wire for your accord, so cutting the wire tapped into it from the remote start should stop the problem for now, but then the remote start wont work. This is probably your best bet for now so that the teth on the starter dont get ***'d up.

 

Does your car have ABS? if so, one of the ignition acessory wires that are tapped for the remote start may be causing the ABS pump to cycle for 3 seconds to prime the system, Someone correct me if i'm wrong, but I think they are supposed to do that. My 6G accord EX does it when I turn the key to acc. Depending on what brand of alarm you have, some of them, I know this for sure with vipers. They turn on the acc for about 4-5 seconds before actually engauging the starter, this is because in some cars like dodges there were fuel pressure bleed down problems, which caused an extended cranking issue. So what you are hearing may be perfectly normal, just my thoughts on the subject.
hope this helps

Chris