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Alarm + Remote Start DIY with Pics

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56K views 30 replies 14 participants last post by  tjjoiner  
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#1 ·
This DIY is from my 04 Ex, however should be 90% the same for all year Elements.
(wire colors may change, but locations should remain the same)
This DIY will focus on the wiring needed to install an alarm & remote start combo unit and an ignition bypass. This can be used for all alarms, remote starters, and alarm+RS combo units, where some or all of the wiring below may be needed.
I strongly encourage any beginners or first timers to read the alarms install manual & keep it on hand at all times during the install, most will explain in detail what each wire is for (in regard to the alarm, not the car) and why it would be needed. You will need to determine (or ask on here) which wires you may need, and which wires you can omit.

Its always nice to have a helper assist in the install, this was mine.
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An alarm/rs install can be daunting to beginners with so many wires involved. When I begin an install, I like to divide up all of the wiring into groups for where they will be going, and tape them together a few inches from the alarm's brain. This DIY will focus on each grouping of connections, because you will be making several connections in only a few locations.


Ignition Harness
The primary ignition harness runs along the bottom of the steering column, 3 philips screws will allow the steering cover to come off. This gives more room to work, and will also help later on with installing the ignition bypass. All connections here will be large gauge wires, and will be spliced except for the starter. The starter wire will be cut in half and there will be 2 wires from the alarm, one for each end of the starter wire.
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Wires found here are:
+12v = White
Ignition = Black/Yellow Stripe
Accessory 1 = Black/Red Stripe
Accessory 2 = White/Red Stripe
Starter = Black/White Stripe
Next to the Ignition harness you will find the anti-theft wire harness, which is required for installing a bypass module to successfully remote start the vehicle. The parking brake wire I connected to the alarm's neutral saftey wire, so the alarm will lockout remote start unless the Ebrake has been set.
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Wires found here are:
Data = White (pin 2)
Parking Brake (-) = Green/Orange stripe (pin4)
Ignition = Yellow/Black Stripe (pin 6) This will be cut & connected much like the starter wire was, except much smaller gauge wiring.



OEM Alarm Plug
This was unused in my Element, which I found taped up & out of the way. Those with OEM security systems will have a module plugged into it, but location wont change.
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Wires found here are:
Parking Lights (-) = Blue (connecting to ground activates lights)
Doors (-) = Green(Dr door), Grey/Black stripe(Pass door) Must use both wires & diode isolate (details later)
Trunk (-) = Red
Key Sense (-) = Red/White Stripe (for ignition bypass module)

Diode isolating needs to be done so the alarm can monitor both doors with a single wire.
If both wires are not used, the other door will not trigger the alarm (& thats bad mmkay).
If diodes are not used the car will no longer be able to tell one door from the other, so if one door is opened the car will think both doors were opened.
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The green single wire goes to the alarm, each leg from the 2 diodes goes to a door trigger wire. Picture is to show diode orientation, & will only work one way (note the striped end).



Door Harness
This harness is in the kick panel, and leads into the drivers door. No relays are needed, the 200ma outputs from an alarm is all thats needed to activate the locks.
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Wires found here are:
Lock (-) = White/Blue Stripe
Unlock (-) = White/Green Stripe



Brake Shutdown (+) = White/Black Stripe
This wire is for remote starter systems, and found right at the brake pedal.
Sorry for no pic, but its pretty easy to find. ;)





Tach Signal = Blue Found behind gauge cluster
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Not necessarily required for remote start, but highly recommended. ;)
There are several places to find a tach signal, I found this to be the easiest.
Pop out small dash panel in door jamb, remove 1 philips screw & gauge cover pops off.
Remove 4 philips screws around gauge cluster & the cluster comes right out.



Engine Bay
You will need to run 3 wires from the alarm into the engine bay, 2 for the siren and 1 for the hood pin. I drilled a small hole in the firewall next to the clutch pedal, inserted a small plastic grommet, then ran the wires through wrapped in tape the entire way.

There is a small flat space on the hood perfect for a pin switch, however be careful drilling in the cross member because there is a wire harness running underneath where I placed the switch. Pop a plastic retaining clip on the side & the wires can easily be moved out of the way for drilling. The pin switch will have 2 nuts to allow you to adjust its height, you will need the metal part of the pin extended out almost to the same height as the rubber stopper, but you want the switch with pin pressed in to be shorter than the stopper, otherwise the hood will break the switch.
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Siren was placed on the shock tower, wiring is short & hard to get to which is what you want. It is also away from any heat sources, and will be out of the elements which is good considering how open the engine bay actually is.
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Antenna
This is where I placed my antenna. The plastic piece around the mirror will pop off, and I filed off just a little bit so the wire could tuck in without pinching or sitting up higher than it should. Ran the wire up sail panel & along the top of windshield to reach the mirror. The LED is surprisingly visible in this location, which is great. I am not happy with the way DEI has made the valet switch & LED a part of the antenna, but what can you do.
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That should cover every connection you will need for any alarm and/or remote starter system to be installed into an Element. As I said before, this DIY will work on every year Element with changes only to the wire colors found in each location. That said I hold ZERO responsibility for anyone who uses this write up. Connection needs will vary from alarm to alarm, and from bypass module to bypass module, so do some research before buying, but mostly READ THE MANUALS before attempting the install. It is not hard to really mess up a vehicles electrical system, so if anyone is ever unsure of something by all means ASK!
 
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#2 ·
HOW TO MAKE A CONNECTION
This I think is the absolute BIGGEST issue with alarm installations, and is probably why my installs take longer than the 3 hours some places may quote. Scotch locks, T-taps, Pac-man clips, whatever you want to call them they are nothing but garbage & need to be avoided like the plague. The connections they make are poor, they damage the OEM wiring, and always create issues only months after the install. The extreme temp changes and constant vibrations (in addition to the poor contact from the start) can easily make a decent connection worse, and it doesn't take long either. 99% of people who hate car alarms hate them because of malfunctions, and a malfunctioning car alarm is easily a big time headache, for owners as well as neighbors. There are so many important connections and an alarm ties into so many vital systems inside a vehicle that a bad connection or two can do a lot of damage to not just the alarm & its operation but to the vehicle as well.


Instead, this is how a proper connection should be made.

First, with a stripper make two cuts into the wire sleeve. (use the right size, do not cut copper strands)
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With a razor blade, slice along the cable between the cuts & peel away the sleeve.
Smaller gauge wiring can be cut once & use the stripper to push the sleeve back enough to expose the wire, helpful because cutting along a 22awg wire with a razor is dangerous to fingertips. lol
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Using the same razor blade, press it into the copper wire and twist it back & forth to open up a gap to thread the alarm wire into.
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Now twist the wires together as tightly as possible. This assures the wires wont slide or pull apart, there is more than enough contact area, and the wires can be taped side by side instead of being perpendicular.
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Finally, the connection is soldered & wrapped in electrical tape. You can actually get away without soldering at this point & just wrap them with electrical tape, however I prefer the peace of mind having everything soldered. Some people are not comfortable soldering, and
either way is lightyears ahead of quick connectors.
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#3 ·
Nice write up. While I agree that when you know what you are doing soldering is the best connection out there, it can be worse than using t-taps, butt connectors, etc if you dont know how to solder. Cold solder joints can cause just as many issues as those other connections, and improperly "smoothed" wires can have solder spikes that eventually poke thru the taped wire, even when using a quality tape like 3M 33+, causing undesired contact between adjacent wires. Most issues that involve t-taps stem from using poor quality, cheap, non-3m brand t-taps. Again, I am not debating that soldering and taping/heat shrinking is the best connetcion in a car, it is, but soldering in the hands of people that dont know how can lead to just as many issues with poor/intermitent connections. Carry on, and thanks for a nice write-up.;-)
 
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#4 ·
The problems with quick connections is they only cut through the sides of the sleeves which gives a very small contact area. There is also no way to tell just how good a connection is without removing the connector after applying to inspect the sleeve cut, and then reapplying the connector. Who does that? (nobody) It may test good, but there is no guarantee it wont wiggle loose in an hour, day, week, month, or year.
Only way to supersede that is to strip the wire first and them clamp the connector on, but even then its still only a pinch connection.
Copper changes size as it changes temperature, so you can imagine what happens to a pinch connection in the summer when the car reaches 200* inside and then down into the sub zeros in the winter. The change is minimal, but it doesnt take much to build resistance &/or loose contact. The extreme temp changes in a vehicle day to day is constantly working against these connections. Then there is the issue of how the wire will be braced, and with perpendicular connections every single vibration in either wire is transferred directly to the pinch connection. Every shift & vibration is also working against that pinch connection and metal rubbing on metal does one thing, it wears down. Copper is very soft and this loosens the connection, as well as weakens the original wiring.
All of this assuming you have used the correct size connector to begin with.



Solder can have its issues and I am no solder preacher. From cold joints to sharp wire strands, as well as the chances for burning yourself, interior panels, or other wire jackets. Its not for everyone, and there are some instances where soldering a connection may be close to impossible.

I still feel making connections like above even without the solder is a better option than quick connectors. The contact area is far larger, so there is little chance of resistance building, or the wires separating, or even pulling apart (like quick connectors can). The wires are making direct contact, so there is no worry of a tight crimp cutting too many wires in the male plug or the plugs not making a good connection or any risk of the spliced wire not being cut into enough. Removing all of those components between the 2 wires makes everything simpler & less likely to create a fault. There is also the matter of it being a copper on copper connection, so as they grow/shrink with the temp changes they will do so equally. The wires are also taped together not just at the large connection, so any vibrations in either wire is spread across the entire taped section not just at a single 1/2mm wide pinched section. These connections also require nothing more than having some basic tools & electrical tape, which is easier to find & cheaper than buying all the properly sized connectors.


But, we can agree to disagree. I know a few very smart installers that still think T-taps are the greatest thing since sliced bread, & Ive got nothing but respect for you. I just wanted to share how to make a solid, reliable, & worry free connection to ensure zero hassles ever after. Ive even seen good installers get caught up trying to figure out issues when their new install is acting up, because they overlook the connections & focus on the equipment. I could only imagine the nightmares if a first timer on here ran into issues, because they may not know to double check the connections (more than just visually).
 
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#6 ·
Anything that can be activated by a negative trigger can be operated by the aux output channels. You need modules to do specific functions, such as window controls or headlights (search auto headlights for my DIY). Defrost can be done easily, but I live in the desert and never use it. Lol

The options are endless, just remember that stuff adds up quickly and it can become hard to remember exactly what aux channel does what.
"I push F 3 times, then lock. No wait I push F 2 times then unlock. No wait....."
 
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#7 ·
Hi,

I'm installing VIPER 5704V Remote Starter and Omega OL-AL(MDB)-HA1-EN Bypass module in my 2006 Honda Element EX Sports 4WD Manual Transmission. I connected almost all the wires except few. I also have few more questions before I complete this project,

The 1st question is, For H2/18 Violet/Yellow (-)200mA Starter Output -> what I heard for the Manual transmission vehicles this wire should connect to the CLUTCH WIRE, am I right?. There are TWO CLUTCH PLUGS in my vehicle, one is YELLOW COLOUR PLUG and the other one is WHITE COLOUR PLUG. When I went through Google search engine some said it should connect to Blue/White wire of Yellow plug Connector to see ground during Crank. My question is need I have to use any Relays or Diodes for this Starter output wire or don't need to use anything other than direct connection of wires. But if I need to use Diode, what is the specification of Diode I need to use?

The 2nd question is,FOR H3/6 Red Fused (30A) Ignition 1 Input -> Is this wire should connect to Black/Yellow of Ignition OR
White(+) 12 Volts @ Ignition Harness

The 3rd Question is, H2/6 Green (-Ve) Door Trigger Input -> When I went through Google search engine some said it should connect to Green wire (Driver's Door) and Grey/Black (Passenger's Door) @ Steering Column Harness. But they mention to use the Diode. How should I connect the Diode to these wires and what type and specifications of Diode I need?

I would appreciate your reply.

Thank you,

Pubby.
 
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#8 ·
Question 1
I believe the clutch pedal has 2 switches, one that is deactivated when you press the switch (deactivates cruise control) & one that is activated when the clutch pedal is pressed completely to the floor. That is the switch to trigger the starter, and it is basically connecting the two wires together when the switch is triggered. Use a relay to connect the 2 wires together, or test to find which one needs to see ground (or 12v, which is why you test) and then connect to alarm as required.

Question 2
Read the manual, that is an INPUT for the ignition, so connect it to 12v.

Question 3
Read above, already answered your question in original post. Google "diode isolate doors" to find out when & why it's important.
 
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#9 ·
HELP ME INSTALLING REMOTE STARTER IN MY 2006 Honda Element EX 4WD Manual Trans

Thank you for your reply.

How to access H1/3 Brown Horn wire of Viper (+Ve) to Engine compartment in Honda Element. I tried my level best to feed the wire, but I didn't find the exact location to feed?

H1/5 White Parking light output -> (+) Red/Yellow @ Fuse Box Top Green connector (set the fuse to + in the alarm's brain). What is this mean and how to do that? I already connected the wire, but confused about set the fuse to + in the alarm's brain.

Please find me your answer. Thank you.
 
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#10 ·
VIPER 5704V Install...

Good Morning. I did understand how to set the fuse into +ve after going through the literature in Google. I opened a small Fuse box in starter brain, once I slided the lid of that fuse box, there are 3 slots with a fuse, I pulled the fuse and set it into +ve slot.

Now I have to know how to feed H1/3 Brown Horn wire of Viper (+Ve) to Engine compartment in Honda Element. Yesterday I tried my level best to feed the wire, but I didn't find the exact location to feed?

I did all the wiring. Just these things need to be done before I program the module and RS brain.

Appreciate your help. Thank you.

Regards,

Pubby.
 
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#11 ·
There are places on the firewall that you can drill a small hole & run the wire through, be sure to use a rubber grommet to protect the wire & help prevent water from getting into the cab. Being an automatic transmission, you should have plenty of options in places to drill since there is no clutch pedal under your dash. I drilled a hole in mine just below the clutch pedal mount, which is visible in one of the pictures above where you see a large blue power wire (for amplifier) running into a black grommet.
 
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#12 ·
I know I am digging up an old thread, but have been having some issues installing my RS and bypass and remember seeing this thread where you listed a Red/White Key Sense wire needed for bypass ... my immobilizer does not call out this one, but was wondering what general input it would be used for on a bypass?
 
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#13 · (Edited)
It depends on your bypass module. In my 2005 Element I used an Xpresskit PKH34. The keysense wire is Blue with red stripe. The wire gets cut and the bypass has 2 wires that connect to it. One for each of the cut sides.
Its pin 5 on the 7pin harness.

Note: I wanted to add to this. When I first installed the RS and Bypass in my Element I didn't connect the pink and pink/white wires. I felt it wasn't really needed. After using the remote start for the first time I then realized I did need to make these connections. Whenever I would remote start and then get in the car and put the key in and turn it to the on position, the red key light would blink on the dashboard the entire time I was driving. If I started the car with the key and no remote start that blinking red key light would not come on. So I went back and cut pin 5 and connected the pink wire & pink/white wire to the ends like the diagram below and that solved the problem. The red blinking key light stays off now when I remote start and drive off.
 

Attachments

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#14 ·
Installed excalibur remote starter/keyless entry in 03 element.

Audiophyle, do you have any idea why every option would work except for the unlock button? The lights flash when I press unlock on the remote however it doesn't unlock. I've checked all of the wires and everything seems to be ok. I did use a T-tap to attach the wire from the keyless entry to the white/green wire located at the kick-panel so maybe it isn't getting a good connection, but all of my other T-taps work great.

Any ideas why this may be happening?

Thanks
 
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#16 ·
Lumenbeing, that would be unnecessary, additional wiring, and overkill. The door locks are 2 wires & a direct connection from the alarm to the vehicle. The relay pack you have linked is primarily for driving aftermarket actuators, which have much higher electrical demands than the alarm can provide.
 
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#18 ·
Taking the plunge

So I think I've decided to brave a DIY install of my Viper 5706 system even though I've never done anything like this on a car before.

I intend to take my time and triple check myself at every step. I've done a lot of the prep work already today along with tons of research. I'm hoping I can get clarity on a few wires though.

According to the tech sheet, the element only has one ignition wire. So would that mean I can safely cut off these wires from the 10 pin (heavy gauge) harness:

4 pink/white_ "(+) ignition 2 /flex relay output"
9 red/white "(+) fused 12v ignition 2 / flex relay input 87"

And what about wire 10 on the same harness: pink "(+) ignition 1 input/output)? Do I need that wire in addition to #5 red "(+) fused 12v ignition 1 input"? Can I chop it off or is that the one that connects to the black/yellow wire on the ignition switch harness?

Likewise, on the 24 pin harness, would I be safe chopping off the #1 pin, pink/white wire "(-) 200mA Ignition 2/Flex OUPUT"

Lastly, on the main 6-pin harness there is a white/brown "parking light isolation wire -pin 87a of onboard relay" and a white "parking light output" wire. What do I do with those?


And then just a more general question regarding the accessory 1and 2. There's no way to use those to control the heater/blower is there? I would assume not since its controlled by a big dumb (although very cool) knob on the dash.
 
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#20 ·
Before you go cutting wires off, use a pin or pick and remove the wires from the harness. This will allow you to put something back if removed in error, and will look a lot cleaner when done.

As for the 10 pin heavy gauge wires, you need both of those wires.
The red, red/black, & red/white all provide power to the on board relay pack, and all 3 need to be connected to 12v.
The pink/white is an Ignition 2 by default but can be programmed to be anything, and you will want to connect it to the accessory 2 wire.

Pink connects to ignition wire, just as the manual says. It is an input to trigger the alarm if the key is inserted while armed, and it is the output to energize the ignition when remote starting.

A lot of the outputs on the 24pin harness are not needed, but depin them dont just chop the wires off.

The parking light isolation wire is unecessary, you can remove it. The white light output wire needs to be connected to the parking ligt wire I identified in the first post, and remember to set the polarity of that wire correctly (with the fuse on top of alarm brain)

The accessory circuits energize the HVAC system, but the only way to control the heater/ac when remote starting is to set them to what you want before exiting the vehicle.


Measure three times for good luck, because you can cause serious electrical problems to the entire car if you are not careful. I posted this thread to give all the wire locations, it is important that you research what the wires do & how they opperate. I would recommend the12volt.com for all technical information, they have an entire forum dedicated to security systems and installation. There is nothing you could ask that isnt already somewhere on that site. Lol
 
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#21 ·
Thanks Audiophyle. I actually don't have a manual for the 5706, but I found the one for the 5901 and it's very similar.

I'm confused now about this pink/black wire on the big 10 pin harness. It's the flex relay input and says "if required" , so do I need this wire? I can't find any information specific to the Element about it. The manual just says that it's commonly needed onToyotas and Nissans.
 
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#23 ·
The Pink/Black is not used, it is identical in function as the parking light isolation wire but dedicated to the ignition flex relay. Both are rarely used but providing the option makes those few required installs so much simpler.


The vehicle has more accessory circuits than can be safely driven under a single fuse, & Honda decided it important enough to divide the primary accessories between two fuses to better isolate & protect the entire system, thus leaving you with two accessory circuits and two accessory wires at the ignition switch. It is important that all circuits normally energized when starting with the key are also energized when remote starting & in the same sequence.
 
L
#25 ·
OKay I'm getting really close to being ready. Rather than jump into the install over the weekend, I took a little more time to read, watch videos and prep.
I still have just a couple of questions though. And I need a sanity check.

So I've whittled (de-pinned ;) the 24-pin harness down to just 9 wires. It looks a lot less daunting that way. :)

I removed:
pink/white (-) 200mA Ignition 2/Flex Output
red/white (-) 200mA Trunk Release Output
Dark Blue (-) 200mA Status Output
white/black (-) 200mA Aux 3 Output
white/violet (-) 200mA Aux 1 Output
orange/black (-) 200mA Aux 4 Output
white/blue Activation Input
green/black (-) 200mA Factory Alarm Disarm Output
pink (-) 200mA Ignition 1 output
violet (+) Door Input
violet/black (-) 200mA Aux 2 Output
violet/yellow (-) 200mA Starter Output
gray/black (-) diesel wait to start input
orange (-) 200mA Accessory OUtput
green/white (-) 200mA Factory Alarm Arm Output

I have no ideas for what I could even put on those AUX outputs, but I have the wires saved with pins (thanks Audiophyle for the tip) if I ever figure out a use. Maybe seat warmers someday? I'm open to suggestions.

My car doesn't have a factory alarm and its an automatic. But let me know if I was overzealous in my wire culling.

Now of the ones that are left on that harness, I have questions about three of them.

blue/white (-) 200mA 2nd Status/rear defogger output ...I can't find reference to a defrost wire on my Element tech sheet. Where if anywhere could I connect this wire to turn on the rear defrost? or should I just pull this wire out too?
black/yellow (-) 200mA Dome light output ...I know I would need a relay for that. How big of a deal is it?
brown/black (-) 200mA Horn Honk Output ...This one, I don't know it I need a relay or not. I think I connect it to the orange wire on the steering column harness (according to my tech sheets). Can that be a direct connection?
 
#26 ·
T-Harness options

So this may make me sound lazy but aren't their any alarm/RS options that can be installed using a T-Harness so as to reduce the need to splice into the factory harnesses?
I thought I saw some companies like Bulldog offering such a harness and was wondering if anyone had experience with those kinds of solutions.
 
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#27 ·
Well. I finally rolled up my sleeves this past weekend and got it done. My Viper alarm system with remote start is working perfectly. I still need to tie in the backup battery, the second (piezo) siren, and the other sensors I bought, but there's a long weekend coming up and I'd say that that hard part is done.

Thanks so much Audiophyle. I could not have done it without you. Sure I could have paid someone to do it, but nothing beats that feeling of having done it myself. Especially when the alternative was was watching grown men in spandex run up and down a field on TV. :-D

Now that the E is secured, I can get to the real fun of upgrading the stereo.
 
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