I am considering putting a remote start on my truck. Anyone ever done theirs themself? Wondering how much trouble it is? Which one to get? And how does the install compare to putting one on the 1995 F-150?

 

It's not too hard. I can get you the wire info if you want to PM me. If you are doing an alarm/keyless/remote start be prepared to spend a couple hrs on it. Also you will need a spare key and a universal bypass box ( I can give you details on what I have if interested) if you have the chipped key in order to fool the security system. I have the DEI Python 990 and love it. Pricey but nice and a 1 mile range with 2-way remote. And since you are contemplating installing one I would assume you own and know how to correctly use a multimeter etc. A decent one is a must.

 

I installed a bulldog remote start system on my 94 F150. The install was a snap (however I did use the assistance from a bulldog tech over the phone, during the installation).

A big plus with the equipment, is the T harness that I purchased separately ($20.00) to cut down on the install time.

However, operation begs to differ! The system worked fine at first. My truck is, what I consider to be, a hard starting truck (I mean it feels like it takes a lot of juice from the battery to start the engine - straight inline 6).

What the remote starter is doing now, is when I hit the button the first time, the truck's engine turns over once then stops. After the second attempt, the truck starts fine. This is starting to annoy me! I'm not sure if it's just the bulldog brand, or whether my truck is simply hard to start.

Well, good luck!

 

EMoe: If you used a tach singal and not voltage, you may want to try and reprogram your tach signal. That may be worth a shot to see if it helps. Just an idea.

 

Yeah you're right!

Out of all the wires that I've connected, the tach wire was the hardest one for me to locate. I have that wire connected; (I guess to the right wire), and programmed the remote starter, per the instructions, and as I stated before, at first it worked well; but now a little trouble starting.

Is there more than one tach wire, or another location I may find this wire, except under the hood near the distributor?

Thanks!

 

EMoe- Not sure what wire you used but check and see if there is a tan/yellow at your coil. That is possibly what tapped into. If not, test it and see if you get any reading. Before doing that I would just simply try and reprogam the tach. Sometimes that will solve the problem. Also, if you dont want to use the tach wire, some brands/models allow you to go into programming mode and change from a tach signal to voltage. What this does is lets you not hook up the tach signal wire but rather monitors the car's voltage while in remote start looking for spikes. Just another idea.

Also this is just a rule of thumb for all remote starts. To get a tach signal you can get it at the injectors and is usually the easiest place to. Say, hypothetically, you have 4 injectors, each with 3 wires on them. If you look at each injector you would see that of the 3 wires in each injector, 2 of them are the same colors in each one. To get the tach signal take the odd color wire on any of the injector.

 

I did mine on my truck a few months ago. PITA, but worth it none the less. You'll be going to the kick panel wiring harness and there are several wires in there you need to tap that are the same color. The first time I tried mine the windshield wipers and washers started . Turns out you neeed to know the color and gauge to make sure you get the right one. I ended up getting the wires from under the sill plate. Also, these cars have "retained accessory"...the radio and everything stays on when you turn off the ignition unit you open the door. So if you turn on the car then shut it off with the remote the radio and everything stays on. To get around this you have to use a ground pulse wire to ping the module behind the rear seats.

 

Check out this web site. The guy who has it was a Ford employee for a number of years. He is very knowledgeable about Fords and their wiring. His name is Travis. He usually answers the phone personally if you need to call him for anything.
I installed a Code Alarm CA530 in my 2005 F-150. Very easy installation. He will pre-wire it for you vehicle. All wires not needed are removed, and the wiring for the remote start unit is all pre-cut by him. The original Ford remote lock/unlock, dome light operation, etc., are still retained in his units. He will email you very easy installation instructions. He is very prompt about shipping the unit to you. His settings for the remote start does not need to use the tack reading. It learns and average for this very quickly. (Also this is programmable)
You will also need a transponder bypass module. It eliminates the need to have a hidden key under the dash, and his wiring instructions tell you exactly how and where to wire the module. Also, the range on this CA530 unit is incredible.

http://kcautosound.com/home.php

 

Thanks guys! I'll check it out.

I didn't have a chance to reprogram my unit yet. I'll try that again, as well as maybe relocate my tach wire.

Thanks for the web link hondaguy, I'll be sure to get in connect with Travis for some assistance as well.

I'll post some feedback soon.

 

OK, so I programmed my unit again (per the instructions in the manual), and I think it's not taking the program. In short it is supposed to be so many light blinks when you hold this button, then start the truck, and press that button... etc...

Well the last step of the program, the lights are suppose to blink, 2 times, but it blinks 3 times, indicating that the code wasn't accepted. The manual says that if this happens, then check to make sure that I have the proper wire for the tach signal.

This wire is suppose to be yellow/tan. Just in front of my distributor is a rectangle shaped box with 2 wires sticking out the top of it. One of them is yellow/tan, and the other is Red/Green. I soldered the tach sense wire from the bulldog unit to the yellow/tan wire. "I thought that was the right wire!!!"

Anyway, I looked at the wires on my injectors. I don't have 3 wires on them as, Black04Lariat suggested. My injectors have 2 wires, one is red, the other is cream colored.

Which wire is it? How do I test for it?

Thanks a bunch!

 

Hey. It doesnt matter that you only have 2 wires on your injectors. At each injector there should be one that is the same. Either each injector has a red wire or each injector has a cream colored wire. Take the diff color wire at any of the injectors. Doesnt matter which one. Test it if you want by using a multimeter on AC and having somone else rev the engine a bit to see if it fluctuates. It will always give you a signal. The only time I didnt use the injector wires is if for some reasn I couldnt get to them easily then I would find it somewhere else. Your best bet usually. Hope that helps.

 

If that doesnt work, check to see if you can change your unit from a tach signal wire to reading off voltage.

 

i see things kinda veered into a different dierction... but, to help you out, i have done about 5 of these units, in different types of vehicles. they can be a major pain in the butt. they are easy, but rather time consuming..... of course they can be fast, if you half a$$ the job. some people cut and tape, or use those stupid little splice taps that snap shut....well they suck. i always splice into the wires by using solder and heat shrink wrap. this will ensure a solid connection which will not cut in and out. as for brands, i have used bulldog ( dont waste your money, they suck !!), and also crimestopper (worth every penny in my opinion ). i dont like alarms, just the starter/keyless entries. as someone else mentioned, they sell the big "t" connections to help installation time. they are great since you wont have to cut any of your heavy gauge wiring on the vehicle. you can shop around and get lots of prices based on the features they have. i always get mine from www.mypushcart.com. the guys name is eric, and he is very knowledgable. in fact, i just ordered another one from him today for my truck. i can even roll up my windows in case i leave them down, and here that is really handy with all the rain we get ! ohh, someone else mentioned that you will need a spare key if you have the PATS system... well this is not always true. there are bypasses available that will learn the resistance of a key, and then you will not have to always have a key hidden inside your dash like in the earlier days. i would definately get one of those rather than the ones which need a key. hope this helps you some.