06 5.4 F350, install remote start, anyone ever tackle this on their own or is this absolutely insane, just leave it to the dealer? Any diagrams on where the wires go?

 

I would NEVER let a ford dealer install one if that is what you asking.... If you must ask the question then I would say the install would be something you wouldnt want to tackle yourself. Anywhere between 30 and 60 wires on a remote start and it take someone who knows what they are doing. Try and find a good car audio shop.

 

Ill phone around monday maybe and see what I can get, cuz I have a ford made remote start unit, but they want 300+ to install it. Thx

 

Where are you located?

 

Southern Alberta

 

I put an aftermarket remote start in one of my hot rods last year, and by the time you add up all the lights, locks, relays, and other things there are about 60 wires. I install and work on a/c systems and I had a time with it, get a professional if you don't know what you are doing.

 

LOL. Every month we get two or three cars towed in to the dealership because some "car audio" hacks try to install remote starts or alarms without a clue how the factory systems work. Best Buy is usually the worst, but there is another in the area that gives us a lot of business

I don't really mind, their screwups put money in my pocket and after an hour or two of labor to fix their wire nuts, scotch locks, and PATS programming, they come back to pick the car up for their customer. I wonder how they explain to them that they had to tow their vehicle somewhere else to fix it?

Anyways, I guess my point is wherever you go for a remote start, make sure you talk to people that have had work done at that store and get some references. You definitely want to avoid the "$99 installed" type of places. Go for a good name brand like Viper, Code Alarm, etc.

Jay

 

I have had remote starts on my last 5-6 trucks the first two were installed by car audio places, when they started screwing up the dealer told me to get lost, not their problem.
After that they have been dealer installed, and when they screw up " and they will", I go back to the dealer they start to tell me not their problem, then I say wrong again, dealer install, and then they have to fix it, well worth the extra to get it installed in my book.

 

For one, code alarm is far from a good brand... They use to be good, but are horrible now. I can agree with what you are saying, as I installed at circuit city for a while. 99% of the installers we had didnt have any knowlege or training and were hacks. Most of the local shops around here are pretty good though, but I know there are many "local shops" in other areas that arent. Its a crappy situation becuase consumers have no way how to tell who knows what they are talking about. EVERY install I have seen done by a dealer is kinda messy and uses crimp connectors. I assume this is because dealer techs dont install these things on a daily basis so they arent as neat. I would NEVER use a crimp connector and wouldnt trust an install that does.

 

I didn't know that Code Alarm had gone that far downhill. I withdraw my recommendation The ones they build for Ford seem to work good, my apprentice does the installs at my dealership and he doesn't see many come back with problems, but maybe they're made differently. He only does a half dozen or so a week, and that may have something to do with it.

I guess my revised advice to the OP is that the person doing the install is more important than the name on the building, hence, check references.


Jay

 

I agree 100% about that last statement. You are going to have problems with some remote start units regardless of the install so someone that stands behind their work is a must. As far as code goes, I would say that the units made for OEM's are far superior to those made for aftermarket, however, some of the better aftermarket ones are leaps and bounds more advanced when it comes to technology.

 

I know what I'm doing and had someone that does this regularly do it last time and I was happy to pay for it. I've installed a couple and dealing with them regularly makes all the difference. He was done in the amount of time it would have taken me to read the directions and find the wires.