zax123

Hi all,

After getting a quote of $475+tax for installation of a mediocre remote starter, I'm thinking of doing the install myself. I've already done the install on about 10 other cars so I figure I could probably handle this one. However, I'd really appreciate a wiring diagram for our car. I will probably install ONLY a remote starter as I will use the OEM fob for everything else. I'm also doing chusteveb's window roll-up mod:

https://acurazine.com/forums/wash-wax-23/nj-area-detailers-101211/

so I want to keep as much functionality in the OEM fob as possible.

Can anyone help me out with the location of ignition wires and all that? I could poke around under the dash, but I prefer to KNOW what I'm doing instead of probing all the wires.

Also, does anyone know of a place on the net I could order a transponder to emulate the signal our key emits to the ignition when starting the car? I've installed one of these before but I had to have my valet key hidden in the car. I hear there's a way to learn the key signal into a box and have that box transmit the key signature everything the remote starter is, well, started. Please let me know if you know of a place that sells it.

I've found this:

http://www.audiowarehouse.peachhost....R180073092.htm

but I don't know if our key uses passkey system 1 or 2 or something else entirely. Maybe someone else can shed some light on the subject?

Thanks guys.

luscioman

I was going to put the module in myself but the local dealer did it for $430 (alarm and installation). I had a viper 800? install with the digital remote. I had to pay an extra $40 for the key module. Basically you put your valet key in a box which goes under the dash and then a small coil wraps around the key area. This repeats the chip signal to the key hole area. I looked around for the wiring diagrams and I might have gotten one from DEI but I think they only had it for the tsx. If you have installed alarms before then go for it. If this is your first time you should shop for the best price and have somone do it.

chusteveb

I'll get some schematics up on what you need soon.

zax123

chusteveb, once again you are awesome. I look forward to the schematics. I'm receiving all the parts to do the window roll-up stuff today and tomorrow, so hopefully I'll get it done this weekend.

For people interested in doing the remote starter thing, I found the unit that can bypass the key transponder at autotoys.com:

http://www.autotoys.com/x/catalog/HO...DA2_p_360.html

Now I just have to find an inexpensive (but with a good range) car starter. Does anyone have any suggestions?

zax123

Does anyone know of a way to capture the PANIC button press on the OEM fob and instead of firing off panic mode, instead use the signal to remote start the car? I don't think I'll ever use that button and it would be perfect to replace the functionality with remote start, so I don't have to carry around another fob...

zax123

I've been reading around on the net and it turns out the range of the OEM remote is something like 50 feet which is pretty pathetic for remote starting. ARGH! So it looks like I'll have to carry around another fob just for remote starting. Still haven't found a decent system yet though. But I have found the wiring colors for the TL. Here are a couple of links that may help other people out:

http://www.designtech-intl.com/Conte...l?modelID=1790
http://www.the12volt.com/installbay/...17&KW=acura+tl

If I find anything else of interest, I'll be sure to post it.

If anyone knows of a good, simple one-way starter with a good range, please let me know. Thanks!

chusteveb

ha, looks like you beat me to it. If the information you found isn't enough let me know. BTW I'm glad you found that bypass, this makes it a whole lot easier.

Also did you read the other posts about remote start? One had it installed at the dealership... https://acurazine.com/forums/showthr...t=remote+start

I'm Batman

Directed has a bypass module that doesn't need a key (p/n555H). I hope you have a good multimeter to help in checking the wires.

zax123

Batman, I had a dealer speak directly to DEI and they told him that they didn't yet make a bypass module that doesn't require a key for the Acura TL. But I did find the module on autotoys.com. Are you sure the 555H part works? Have you used it yourself?

1hottl

I'd be interested to know too because when I checked in to it, I was told the same thing. You needed to buy the one that required the key buried.

MrGQDieselNY

Why would you goto Acura to get a remote starter, a guy I know owns a car stereo place and tells me dealers send cars to him all the time to do the install, then the dealers charge the customer double. I am getting mine put in next week for around $220 or so, and the dealer does it for like $450 or so, what a scam.

btw, if you want to extend the range of the remot, hold it up and under your chin and press the button, should extend the range 10-15 feet. Try it, old trick I used to do when I was a kid.

MrGQDieselNY

I am a little lost, what does this thing do? and what is the bad thing if this is not used?

Thanks.

MisterLawyer

Careful with that "trick". I had a friend who used to do that every time he unlocked his car and he got chin cancer.

Jerky

How does it cause cancer? if this is dangerous, why would the auto indutsry release this? was your friend a smoker or tobbacco chewer?

Somehow, I doubt remote controls (same technology used with tvs) are cancerous...

1hottl

What happens is when you put your key in the ignition, the chip sends a code to the vehicle letting it know that it is the correct key and that allows the starter to start. When you put in a remote starter, you need a module to duplicate the code to allow it to start. DEI makes that module but the one that they have that currently works with the TL (that we know of) require you to actually put a key in it and bury it in the vehicle. The concern is that the vehicle is not as secure with a key buried in it and that you don't have use of that key anymore. We'd like to be able to use the one that DEI makes which does not require the key but we do not know if anyone has used it in the TL with success.

So...when you get yours installed...would you mind asking what Bypass Module they use?????? I can offer gratitude and rep points!

ludachrisvt

iTrader: (2)

if u hold the FOB to ur wrist and point ur palm at the car it works just as well as ur chin

zax123

1hottl,

This: http://www.autotoys.com/x/catalog/H...NDA2_p_360.html

can learn the transponder signature from 2004-2005 TL keys and transmit it to the ignition when remote starting. It doesn't say it's made by DEI, but they do call it a 555 immobilizer bypass -- and that's the part number DEI uses for theirs. So I think it should definitely work. Autotoys is pretty reputable. It explicitly lists the 2004TL in the bottom half of the page.

I still haven't decided which remote starter I should put in. I don't want to use the OEM fob, so I'll have to have two fobs during winter. If anyone has any suggestions, please don't be shy.

1hottl

Thanks for the info. Please keep us posted once you purchase it and install it. I have always heard that Directed makes good remote starts. They are the ones that make the DEI module, Clifford, Viper and other well known alarm systems.

chusteveb

^^
Having 2 fobs on my key chain would get annoying to me personally. Any reason as to why you wouldn't want to just do a full fledge alarm? If you found an alarm that has a memory seat option, then you could still keep the different driver detect factory option. I'm not sure who carries this, I know Code use to do it.

zax123

I'd love to find an alarm that could do everything. The thing is, I'm also doing your window roll-up mod, but I could of course use a trigger from a spare channel on the alarm to fire off your relays. In the foreseeable future there won't be anyone else driving my car, so the seat memory isn't a huge deal. It would be nice if somewhere in the car there was a wire I could fire off a ground pulse to or something which would simulate having the unlock button pressed on the factory fob.

I'm getting more and more convinced to have just one fob. I just have to find an alarm/remote starter that does everything. I was reading on the12volt.com that Compustar is very good. Their systems have a 1/4 mile range too. But I honestly don't know if they are good. And it doesn't look like the remotes have more than the standard four channels, so I'd have no way of triggering your window roll-ups. I know Clifford has extra channels, but I can't find anywhere to buy Clifford. I also have a 6MT which narrows my choices down quite a bit.

Still looking for suggestions on the alarm/remote start front.

zax123

OK guys, here's the alarm/remote starter I've settled on:

http://www.compustar.org/products/2WSS.html

It has a 6000' range for the remote starter and a pager system to let you know that the car is running. The pager also tells you if there's anything else wrong with the car.

So I'll be ordering today and hopefully installing in a couple weekends. I'll let y'all know how the install goes.

zax123

Oh and I got it off eBay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=5732776749

Free shipping and it comes with the install info for the car you specify. I did quite a lot of research and it seems to be a good unit. I sure hope so.

MisterLawyer

Yeah but then you will get wrist cancer.

chusteveb

If you like alarms with the 2-way remotes, compustar is one of the reputable desicions to go with. I should've mentioned that I had a Viper 791XV in my Integra and it worked great. I wasn't a fan of the bigger 2-way remote so I recently changed to a new Clifford alarm (actually if anyone is interested in the 791XV let me know). As far as doing an alarm and getting my window roll up feature (really isn't 'my' feature- it's just a feature), you are stepping in the right direction to making it easier to acheive. The relays I used can take either a positive or a negative pulse trigger so no worries there. The alarm may even have an option (most do) to unarm the factory alarm and rearm the factory alarm with the aftermarket. Are you planning on installing this yourself?

zax123

Hey chusteveb,

Yeah, higher up in the thread, I mention that I ordered the Compustar 2WSS which is the spread spectrum one which has a 1.5mile range. I am doing the install myself next weekend if all the parts have arrived by then. I looked for Clifford, but couldn't find anyone that sold it. I've never installed Compustar, but people on various forums were raving about it. I really like the range.

Yeah, I'll be triggering "your" feature with one of the AUX channels on the Compustar. Don't know if it's a negative or positive pulse coming from it, but it can easily be switched with a relay. I also want to trigger window roll-down but it's a pulsed trigger, so I guess the windows will only roll-down a little bit everytime I send that channel command from the remote.

The 2WSS can disarm and rearm the factory system, I'm just wondering where those wires are. The unit is supposed to ship with specific instructions for the 2005TL so hopefully the arm and disarm wires will be clearly identified.

All I have left to order now is the immobilizer bypass module. I've found one that works on the 2005TL without having to embed a key in the car.

http://www.autotoys.com/x/cust/produ...?productid=360

I'm also thinking of ordering this:

http://www.autotoys.com/x/cust/produ...0&cat=0&page=1

I'm just hoping that the Canadian version of the head unit which does not have XM can select the AUX port by hitting CD twice... *crosses fingers*

Thanks for the info!

MrGQDieselNY

I talked to the guy doing the remote install, basically he just needs my 2nd key and will store that somwhere in the car, my question is, if I give him the key that I dont use, my spare, that I guess you would consider, will the car recognize that key as driver #2 so that I have to reset my seat and window settings? Also, I could be wrong, but now that I think of it, I think all he needs is the valey key, so I will still have my spare key to hold on to... hope this makes sense.

Thanks

Canadian Mike

Zax123 did you find out if there is an extra port on the back of the Canadian head unit.

revo1059

I was under the impression if the dealer installs the unit there should not be any warranty issues. Is this correct? If so then it might be worth the extra $ to have them do it.

zax123

MrGQ, since you won't be using the OEM fobs to start you car, unlock it, etc, the keyless memory settings aren't going to work anymore unfortunately...

As for having to embed a key in the car, that isn't necessarily true. This unit:

http://www.autotoys.com/x/cust/produ...?productid=360

Can learn the transponder signature from the key and therefore not require a key to be embedded in the car.

Maybe you can tell your dealer about it? Much more convenient in my opinion and it makes me feel a bit safer that there isn't a key stuck in the car somewhere.

I'm doing my install next weekend when I get all the parts, I'm looking forward to it. The unit I finally decided on looks pretty cool.

zax123

Mike,

I'm going to be ordering this today:

http://www.autotoys.com/x/cust/produ...0&cat=0&page=1

They assure me that it'll work in my car and that I just have to press CD twice and it'll select it.

So I will let you know when I get it and when I install it. I will be using it for iPod/DVD install eventually.

I hope it works!!!

Rob

MrGQDieselNY

So basically this unit is so that you do not have to have a key somwhere in the car at all times right? Other than that it doesnt do anything else.

Also, if I do not use my remote started to start the car, and just start it with my normal key (key #1) won't that allow the keyless memory settings to work again? Sorry i still do not know how this all works.

Thanks

zax123

It's when you unlock the door with the OEM fob that the car knows who is unlocking the car. If you look at your two fobs, you'll see a small 1 and 2 at the bottom. That determines who is unlocking the car and which settings to set everything to.

It would be cool if the alarm system could trigger a wire somewhere which would set the driver to 1 or 2, but I don't think such a wire exists.

zax123

I just got information from the place I bought my remote starter. It's the full wiring info for our car. You can directly trigger the memory seat buttons if you want to by bypassing a negative pulse to the seat button in the door, but you have to run a wire into the door which is tough, but is necessary sometimes, like with chusteveb's window roll-up feature.

I'll post the wiring information into the next post but it might look like garbage, so I might decide not to do it. This might help a lot of people out in finding useful wires in our car.

MrGQDieselNY

So only when I start the car with the remote starter do I lose the key fob memory, but when I unlock it normal and start the car normal w/o the remote starter it should work ok?

What about starting it with remote starter, then getting in after car shuts off (I assume 10 minutes it shuts off) then start the car with your key, that should work right? Driver #1 will be detected, etc.

zax123

Well, as long as you unlock the door with the OEM fob, the driver will be detected. So you could start the car with the starter fob, then unlock the doors with the OEM fob and you'd be all set. But then you have to carry around two remotes.

I think I'm probably going to wire the alarm to the memory seat button at least. It would do the mirrors and all, but it'll at least do the seat.

zax123

OK it didn't work cutting and pasting the HTML into here, so here's a link to the wiring hosted on my own server:

Acura TL 2004-2005 wiring for alarm and remote starter

Enjoy!

chusteveb

Since there is a button for the drivers setting in the drivers door that does the same thing when using factory fob 1 or 2, i bet you could at least get one drivers setting into your aftermarket alarm set up by finding the wires from the buttons on the door.

zax123

Yeah, that's what I wrote up there. And the wiring table I linked to has the color coding for the memory seat button. Just means routing more wires through that door grommet. Fun.

MrGQDieselNY

Also, I am pretty sure I have to carry around 2 remotes, the key fob and the new remote starter remote, are you guys doing this too or are you able to start the car off the key fob somehow, sorry if I missed it.

zax123

I don't see why you'd have to carry around the OEM key fob unless you want your keyless memory settings to kick in. If you are the only driver of the car, it's not that important. Your new alarm (if it's a good one), should be able to unlock the doors, pop the trunk and start the car all from the same fob. Mine will be able to do that as well as roll up the windows and sunroof, and still have room to trigger one other fun thing (maybe my garage door?).