[Thisguyaves]

Hi! I install car stuff for a living at an independent audio/accessory shop. The time has come for me to get remote start / keyless entry / alarm in my element. I have seen questions about how to do this in the E, so I thought I'd share the work I did to show you all what's involved. Keyless entry and alarm systems can be a DIY project, but 95% of remote starts on vehicles with an immobilizer can not be programmed by an average owner. Our cars have little chips in the keys that tell the ignition, wirelessly, that yep- it's the right key, and you can start! All Hondas have this as of 2001, as far as I can tell. Unless you have an aftermarket ECU that allows you to disable your immobilizer, you cannot install an aftermarket remote start by yourself. The "brain" of the remote start ties into the immobilizer signal on the ignition cylinder any copies the code saved in the chip of your key, then replicates it to trick the car into thinking you have put your key in the ignition when you really just hit the button from the parking lot of a TGI Fridays. All this trickery involved a lot of computer components in the remote start, and fancy software/programming on a PC for the brain. This programming is only offered to dealers of remote starts who either sell enough quarterly or pay a subscription to have access to this software. Additionally, my shop pays for 2 other services that spits out every single wire color, use, and location in the car to make sure I've grabbed the right wire. This is why the average owner cannot install a remote start, and as far as I know there are no generic plug and play remote starts available- though I could be wrong on this, I guess a pre-programmed, year/make/model/submodel/trim/feature specific brain is feasible. On the plus side, this means some action hero can't break into our car, rip down the steering column, spark a couple of wires together, and drive off in out boxes. Totally unrealistic in anything after 2000 for the record, unless it's a base model hyundai/kia, but I digress.

Today I am installing a Compustar CM900-AS brain, which supports keyless entry, alarm, remote start, and a few other features that I don't need. I also took the time to install a second cigarette lighter, powered directly from the battery all the time, since the amount of work is the same- I have to run wires from the engine bay and behind the glove box anyways. This CM-900 also comes with a 2 way remote, meaning the car will reply to the remote its status, showing a small picture on an LCD screen that it has indeed locked, armed, started, been broken into, etc. In addition, I am also using a BLADE-AL which is the fancy chip that copies the transponder codes and fakes them to trick the car into starting. Together, they are about $300 retail. I'm not seeing it on amazon, but here's compustar's website: CS2WQ900-AS Security + Remote Start | Compustar

Disassembly! The remote start will require tachometer signal, which is listed at the ECU behind the glove box. Because I am also doing an alarm, the siren needs to go under the hood. I am also mounting the remote antenna on the windshield, and placing the armed security flashing light in the map light. So I need wires from all those places to get to the steering column area. That looks something like this:

Programming! The remote start brain's firmware needs to be updated, then flashed to the specific vehicle and OEM features present like transmission/factory alarm. Then the immobilizer bypass chip needs it's firmware updated and flashed to the specific car so it's ready to copy the key's transponder data. All this is done through some proprietary USB module that plugs into the brain. This is the road block that stops the average joe from doing a remote start, the keyless entry and alarm features are usually already baked in and should work without programming though. I also grab wiring diagrams from 3 different sources at this point.

Prep work! Here is what's going into the car, and the diagrams that the shop pays for to tell me what goes where and what it does. All of these papers are double sided, there's a lot of info here and most of it I'm not allowed to share 😬

Wiring! I will teach you one thing here, how to military tie a wire! I don't know if that's the proper name for it, but it's basically a fool proof, connector-less way to splice one wire inline with another without cutting the wire. It's much more reliable than a tap since it won't fall off and has better continuity for data wires. It's also a better way to attach wires that are too big for normal tap connectors and that need high current capabilities, like the ignition cylinder wires. Strip about 2 inches off of the wire to be connected to the car (yellow) and about 1" from the wire that is already in the car, without cutting the wire in half. (black/white.) In this picture, I am attaching the yellow starter wire from the remote start to the black/white starter wire in the car. When stripping back the yellow wire, instead of twisting all of the strands together, split the strands in half and twist each half so you effectively have 2 smaller wire "legs" splitting from one large one. The yellow wire should look like a "Y". One leg of this split goes through the hole in the black and white wire (picture 1). Then twist the two split legs of the yellow wire together to once again form a single conductor (picture 2). From this point, half of the yellow wire is effectively wrapped around half of the black/white wire. Then do a simple spiral wrap around the black and white wire with the remaining length of the yellow wire for better connectiong and strength (picture 3). Finally wrap it all in tape and zip tie the yellow wire to the black/white wire so it doesn't get accidentally pulled off (picture 4).

Here's what was needed in my 08 EX 2WD 5MT with no factory alarm. At this point, the brain is installed with keyless, alarm, shock sensor, and remote start all working. We have 12v constant (x2), ignition, accessory, second accessory, starter, ground, keyless data (lock/unlock digital signal), immobilizer data, OEM security light cut/intercepted, foot brake, tachometer, door triggers (all 3 diode isolated), alarm siren, aftermarket security light, shock sensor, antenna. Being a manual, I also had to install a clutch switch bypass relay which tricks the car into thinking I have the clutch floored when remote starting. This also means I don't have to touch the clutch to start the car with the key, which I've heard saves wear on the thrust bearings in the engine.

Tucked up and in! There are a lot of wires, many of them could be shortened, but you never really know how short until you've mounted the brain. So I generally fold up extra length and zip tie it into a bundle then attach that bundle to some factory harness somewhere.

Brain mounted above driver kick panel. I cut the wires I didn't need, but left about 4" on the plug so they can be reattached if every needed in another car. Also, refraining from de-pinning is recommended by tech support, something about integrity of the socket and proper alignment yada yada.

So there you go, not-a-guide on remote start installations. I'm admittedly not fast at them, and this was a fairly basic install, taking me about 3 hours. If you've ever wondered why they're so expensive or what's required, maybe this answers some questions. More importantly, if you have any questions, feel free to ask below.

 

[Thisguyaves]

An example of someone who loves to get every angle on their face at every second possible.

I'm not sure what you mean by that, but I'll take it as an insult if that's what you want. I posted this so I could refer other users back to it to explain why the normal person can't do a remote start on an immobilizer-equipped car. Sorry if that makes you think I'm vain, but that was never the intention.

 

[ktemkin]

I am interested in your “military tie a wire” technique, but your description is confusing in that you use references to ‘A’ and ‘B’, but the labels ‘A’ and ‘B’ are not in the photos. Perhaps instead of ‘A’ and ‘B’ you might edit your text to refer to ‘B/W’ and ‘Y’, referring to the Black/White wire and Yellow wire respectively.

I looks like you are doing a mid-line tap into the B/W wire, attaching the Y wire. So you mid-line strip the B/W wire about 3/4” and then split and spread in half the conductors in that wire.

This is where I get confused . . . you state “pass one-half of B [the Y wire?] through the spread in the strands of A [the B/W wire?]. I’m not clear as to the “pass one-half” qualifier. It looks to me from the photos that you are passing the Y wire through the B/W wire such that the edge of the insulation strip point of both are aligned with each other before your start twisting the wires together . . . which is why I am not clear as the “pass one-half” description.

Please comment back and let me know what I am misunderstanding.

Thanks for the writeup.

BTW, I am also confused by the comment by 'ajduik'--does not make any sense.

 

[Thisguyaves]

I am interested in your “military tie a wire” technique, but your description is confusing in that you use references to ‘A’ and ‘B’, but the labels ‘A’ and ‘B’ are not in the photos. Perhaps instead of ‘A’ and ‘B’ you might edit your text to refer to ‘B/W’ and ‘Y’, referring to the Black/White wire and Yellow wire respectively.

I looks like you are doing a mid-line tap into the B/W wire, attaching the Y wire. So you mid-line strip the B/W wire about 3/4” and then split and spread in half the conductors in that wire.

This is where I get confused . . . you state “pass one-half of B [the Y wire?] through the spread in the strands of A [the B/W wire?]. I’m not clear as to the “pass one-half” qualifier. It looks to me from the photos that you are passing the Y wire through the B/W wire such that the edge of the insulation strip point of both are aligned with each other before your start twisting the wires together . . . which is why I am not clear as the “pass one-half” description.

Please comment back and let me know what I am misunderstanding.

Thanks for the writeup.

BTW, I am also confused by the comment by 'ajduik'--does not make any sense.

Sorry for the confusion. I will edit the text as suggested.

When stripping back the yellow wire, instead of twisting all of the strands together, split the strands in half and twist each half so you effectively have 2 smaller wire "legs" splitting from one large one. The yellow wire should look like a "Y". One leg of this split goes through the hole in the black and white wire (picture 1). Then twist the two split legs of the yellow wire together to once again form a single conductor (picture 2). From this point, half of the yellow wire is effectively wrapped around half of the black/white wire. Then do a simple spiral wrap around the black and white wire with the remaining length of the yellow wire for better connectiong and strength (picture 3). Finally wrap it all in tape and zip tie the yellow wire to the black/white wire so it doesn't get accidentally pulled off (picture 4).

 

[Ledward]

This looks helpful, thank you. Do you have any thoughts on removing a remote start system? Mine no long works and occupies the location on the wiring harness under the steering wheel that I'd like to attach a connection for trailer lights.

 

[ktemkin]

Sorry to get into the minutia, but I am always interested in the details.

What technique or tool do you use to accomplish the mid-line stripping of insulation without damaging the conductors?

Also, do you solder the connection? What's the rational for or against?

Why seal with tape rather than shrink wrap?

Thanks.

 

[Thisguyaves]

This looks helpful, thank you. Do you have any thoughts on removing a remote start system? Mine no long works and occupies the location on the wiring harness under the steering wheel that I'd like to attach a connection for trailer lights.

Sorry to get into the minutia, but I am always interested in the details.

What technique or tool do you use to accomplish the mid-line stripping of insulation without damaging the conductors?

Also, do you solder the connection? What's the rational for or against?

Why seal with tape rather than shrink wrap?

Thanks.

I use a simple single edge razor or pocket knife to strip the wire mid-line. 2 cuts around the circumference of the wire about an inch apart, then one slice longitudinally between the two shallow cuts around the wire insulation. This lets the insulation peel off the wire like a wrapper in a C-shape. I then poke through the center of the now bare wire section with a pick tool or the tip of my pocket knife to make the hole.

I don't solder, mostly so it's easier to remove.

I seal with tape because you'd have to cut the wire you had just mid-line stripped to slide a tube of heat shrink over it and the connected wire.

 

[Thisguyaves]

This looks helpful, thank you. Do you have any thoughts on removing a remote start system? Mine no long works and occupies the location on the wiring harness under the steering wheel that I'd like to attach a connection for trailer lights.

Yeah, as long as you remove the offending wires and re-connect anything that was cut (in this case the immobilizer and lock data wires) you should be good to go.

 

[Gutless]

An example of someone who loves to get every angle on their face at every second possible.

@Thisguyaves ....his 2nd post and member for less than a day......don't feed the troll.