Hi all,
Me and my friend spent the afternoon trying to install a remote starter in my 98. Its a Computstar 2W900FM, a pretty good system from what ive heard. After wiring it all up and giving it a test start, all the cabin electronics were dead. The tach and speedo are dead. No clock, no blower, no radio, no power windows, no wipers, no turn signals. Surprisingly, the power locks still work. My battery light came on, too.

I unhooked everything I wired up, and everything still completely failed to work. Did I accidentally fry something? I don't see how the locks can still work and everything else is dead. I checked every fuse in the truck and they were all fine.

Any help at all will be greatly appreciated!

 

Have you checked all your fuses? You might have blown one or some of them

 

He said he checked them.

 

I would check your relays. Did you have to drill an screws? Did you check what you were screwing in to?

 

Sounds like you blew a main buss fuse. One of the 30 or 80 amp square fuses

 

with my remote start mines the same way intel i incurt my keys and turn it to the on position, did u do that?

 

@ pkt1213:
I didn't have to screw into anything, I just used regular 3-way taps to hook in my wires. I looked over all my relays and fuses, everything was normal. I just don't know what could cause such massive failure in the electronics.

@ ojhk:
Yeah, everything is dead when I've got the truck started and running with my keys, I never got to the point of training the remote starter, I pulled everything once I realized that it had all gone south.

So, for an update, I dropped it off at a place in town, I can't drive it with all my instruments, wipers, turn lamps, etc. dead. I'm hoping to get some good news from them in the morning, but I'm not holding out too much for it

 

again, did you check ALL the fuses? There are two fuses boxes. One under the hood, and one under the dash. If you have NO power, i would suspect one of the high amp fuses under the hood.

 

I will install just about anything dealing with auto electric systems for people to make some side cash. But not Security systems or remote starts for this reason.

 

3 way taps :S noooooo!!!!! poor connections from taps are a great way for failure. i'd recheck all your connections and for anything high current like a remote starter soldering and taping is the only way to go! all those accessories sounds like a second ign problem. what are you using for tech notes? it still really sounds like you've blown a fuse or severed a wire when stripping for your t taps :S

 

@ DeathCougar:
Yeah, I checked both fuseblocks, everything seems ok. Normally tripping one of those big fuses is a bit noisy, I didn't hear anything and they all checked out fine.

@ shancerlelby:
I was using diagrams from the Chilton's and ones i found on the12volt.com. Cutting and soldering seems like a great idea now, its a shame hindsight is good like that

I'm having a more electrically-inclined friend who works in a shop have a look at it, hopefully he can find something I might have missed.

 

Added to the list of reasons why modifying your vehicle is just not worth it. Remote starting? Other than warming up the car, which arguably isn't all that good for the car there's no point to it. Risk outweighs the gain.

 

Unless you are posting providing remotely useful information, which I haven't found any in your post, you should keep your opinion to yourself as it doesn't help anyone get closer to the cause of the problem. I'm sure there are many people who don't think some mods I've done think there's no point, but I don't take that into consideration when I'm building my truck.

I would try to find in the Chilton manual and see if there is a common source for all that wiring (I may be stating the obvious) and check to make sure all the grounds are secure.

 

This is a "discussion" forum. If every post on this forum was relevant then there would be no posts at all. Don't it'll be OK.

 

What the hell would someone from Texas know about the benefits of a remote starter? And what is not good about warming up a car?

..an because someone has an issue on installation, this is proof that nobody should mod anything? I guess we all should stop working on them too, just in case everything does not go 100% right!

 

The thread title also says "Help", not "Post your opinion of the mod I'm doing". This may be a "discussion" forum, but your comment is not relevant to this discussion. Also, tech info would be a whole lot easier to find without all the worthless posts not pertaining to the thread/ topic.

 

anytime you start messing with your ignition system you are asking for trouble....

I bought a runner from the toy dealer and neither them nor I knew there was one installed.....I had the dealer take it off after it left me stranded once off road and started my car by itself in the middle of the ghetto (not good). I know a few people that have come out to a burned carcass of a vehicle that was supposed to be running too...and those were professionally installed starters......just be forewarned...Im not trying to tell you that you shouldnt do it...just sharing MY experience with starters

 

Please check wht/red wire at ign. switch, this wire feeds Your switch and should have 12 volts at all times. Your ign. switch then feeds Your left kick panel fuse box, that feeds all the circuits You speak of but not the power locks. Thanks Kiwi

 

i think kiwi's on to it, im pretty sure i broke some connections right there at the switch. I'll have to go check on those once I'm off.

Thanks for everyone who offered some constructive help. people like you guys are what makes YT great!

 

The blk/yel wire at ign. switch, is the feed wire out for the left kick panel fuse box. This wire is most likely broken and shold be hot at switch side with ign. switch on or acc.. Thanks Kiwi