Can-0-Worms (1 Viewer)

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Dec 15, 2007
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Location
North Bend, OR
About a month ago I had a Viper Security/remote start system put in our LX450. It and everything has been working fine. About 5 days ago my wife said she had a few problems while driving. It actually died on her in traffic. It started right back up though. The other day she said she had problems unlocking it and had to do it manually. The following day it would not start with the remote start, but would with the key. The next day it would only start with the key but would run and then die...then start and run rough and then fine for the rest of the drive. This morning it didn't give me any problems starting and got me home and then this evening nothing. It wouldn't start the first crank....started the second and died after 3-5 seconds. That was it. Couldn't get it started after that.

I spent a few hours tonight tearing into it thought it might have had something to do with the remote start as the VIPER was clicking non stop and would not turn off until I disconnected all power. Finally after some playing around got the alarm not to go off but still no better. Tried to bypass the system and still could not get anything. Now the system will not work at all. It won't unlock doors, remote start or anything. Strangly it will show the system is armed with the LED and unarm it but no noise out of the Speaker and it will not unlock the doors.

Test #1: I am not getting any spark at the Distributor.
Test #2: I am getting power from the ignitor but only 6-8 Volts depending on what I have plugged into on the VIPER and only 3 Volts when cranking.
Test #4: Ran 12V from a jumper to the Ignitor and still no spark at the distributor.
Test #5: Tried to see if the immobilizer on the LX450 security system was cuasing problmes (don't believe it to have anything to do with it as it all check out).

So I hop on mud here and read a few thread about the EFI...I think I did check that but now I am not sure...is there more then one spot and where is that fuse.

What I am thinking after reading all of this is that I MAY have a problem with my fusible links as they cause all sorts of wierd electircal problems and this may be effecting my ECU.

Any help here. I have until Sunday night to get this up and running for my wife for the week.

Thanks.
 
Wish i could help ya Jason, but got nothing on the viper thing.

How do you like it there ?
 
pic of inside viper box
 
sounds like it has ign cut need a pick of inside of viper box
 
You should have taken it back to where you had the alarm installed before you started messing with it.
 
I took mine to a car audio place on yadkin and bonanza by blockbuster that fixed mine when I was having problems pretty cheap and fast work.
 
You should have taken it back to where you had the alarm installed before you started messing with it.

Well for a $100 dollar towing bill I would like to try to get it running first or at least try. That and they are not open Saturday night or on Sunday and I need it running before the week days. I have also put everything back exactly the way they had it so no harm done at this point. I figured I would start the day back at square one with the system, but with a bit more knowledge comming in.

Darin..doing good down there. Really humid last couple of days but other than that I like the slow pace. Sure beats Fayettnam.
 
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Pics

I checked the fusible links and I have 12V's at all points (two in the plastic cover and the grey plastic pin). I also swapped out the EFI fuse with the Defog fuse as they are the same and still no luck so I assume the EFI fuse is good. Here are the pictures. Everything appears to OK on the top side. The back side looks ok everywhere except this one part I zoomed in on.

I looked at the Viper wiring diagram and that is Red 12V constant fused 30a input (for ignition relay). Which for those that know electronics boards (I KNOW NOTHING) and it looks messed up that might explain why the remote start was finiky early on. It would try to start crank a couple times and eventually not all. Every once in a blue moon in the beginning of the problems it would start.
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Providing the alarm shop didn't do anything too fancy, you should be able to unplug the large white connectors on the alarm, then reconnect the ignition wires to get you running again. This is of course assuming that the alarm is the problem.

To look at the ignition wires, use a screw driver to remove the lower dash trim panel, detach the gas & hood cables & speaker. Use a 10mm wrench to remove the lower metal dash bit. Carefully pull the plastic duct out. From there you should see your ignition harness. For the remote start the installer would have cut two of the wires to the cable and ran them to the alarm. You'd need to reconnect the wires to themselves. They're color coded, the installer probably cut the black-white wire & the black-yellow wire.

I suppose a quicker alternative would be to jump the heavy gauge harness that connect to the ignition wires. But the risk of error is a bit higher...
 
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Viper board is toast, take it back ASAP! Any kind of abnormality in the board like that is a sign that it either could not take the 30a rating (manufacturing defect) or it somehow took more than 30a (installer error). It won't ever work right.
 
My neighbor did some trouble shooting online this morning and came over and tinkered with it while I was inside. Went out and it started right up with the key. Tried it with the remote start and it all went haywire again and we are back to square one trying to get the car to start again. I think it is just screwing with us now.

He didn't seem to worried about the Viper board but I am going to take it back. I think when it cools down later tonight we are going to try and get it running again and if not try to bypass it so I can just drive it to Best Buy. Towing insurance only covers 13 miles and of course the closest one is 30+ miles away.
 
Hmm... No ideas here, but I'm interested in what you find. I have the same alarm sitting in my garage to be installed sometime. I did just get it for the keyless and alarm portion. The remote start sounds nice, but might not go that route if it will cause troubles.
 
Hmm... No ideas here, but I'm interested in what you find. I have the same alarm sitting in my garage to be installed sometime. I did just get it for the keyless and alarm portion. The remote start sounds nice, but might not go that route if it will cause troubles.

I wouldn't let that detour you. It is suppossedly a really nice system maybe it just had a couple things going the wrong way for it. Another member in our Group has one and hasn't had any problems with it. I watched him start it 10 times from 100 feet away.
 
Another reason why I am not putting an alarm on the cruiser..... something like this would be the worst ever if you were in the middle of no where.
 
Providing the alarm shop didn't do anything too fancy, you should be able to unplug the large white connectors on the alarm, then reconnect the ignition wires to get you running again. This is of course assuming that the alarm is the problem.

To look at the ignition wires, use a screw driver to remove the lower dash trim panel, detach the gas & hood cables & speaker. Use a 10mm wrench to remove the lower metal dash bit. Carefully pull the plastic duct out. From there you should see your ignition harness. For the remote start the installer would have cut two of the wires to the cable and ran them to the alarm. You'd need to reconnect the wires to themselves. They're color coded, the installer probably cut the black-white wire & the black-yellow wire.

I suppose a quicker alternative would be to jump the heavy gauge harness that connect to the ignition wires. But the risk of error is a bit higher...

Thank you. Giving me those color combo's helped out a lot. I ended up jumping them from the plug though instead of what they did so they can start from ground zero when I DRIVE it back to them. I did it wrong the first time and the car cranked in the ON position. Fixed those two wires but still nothing. Checked out the wiring gram and traced some wires and had to hook up the ignition circuit (I wasn't getting my CEL). Anyway two different jumpers and I'm up and running and everything works as factory stock.

Now time to enjoy my Freaking Sunday (after I make the connections a biti more secure and spend 45 minutes putting my car back together). So my wife can drive this back to those Yahoo's at Best Buy tomorrow so they can fix the problem.
 
I would have them look close at the board but have to be careful about that. Not too sure what they would say if they knew you opened it up.

Glad everything is going good for you at the school house.
 
Well for a $100 dollar towing bill I would like to try to get it running first or at least try. That and they are not open Saturday night or on Sunday and I need it running before the week days. I have also put everything back exactly the way they had it so no harm done at this point. I figured I would start the day back at square one with the system, but with a bit more knowledge comming in.

Darin..doing good down there. Really humid last couple of days but other than that I like the slow pace. Sure beats Fayettnam.

I would have at least called them. When I worked at a car audio shop, we went to the customers car where it was when they were having problems and repaired it in the parking lot. One customer had a car towed in and the shop covered the bill. Most places give lifetime warranty on installation and I believe DEI still gives a lifetime warranty on the alarm. Most reputable shops will handle problems like this but if you start messing with the install (and they can tell) they may not do anything for you.
 
I would have at least called them. When I worked at a car audio shop, we went to the customers car where it was when they were having problems and repaired it in the parking lot. One customer had a car towed in and the shop covered the bill. Most places give lifetime warranty on installation and I believe DEI still gives a lifetime warranty on the alarm. Most reputable shops will handle problems like this but if you start messing with the install (and they can tell) they may not do anything for you.

Best buy would not drive 40 miles to my house especially on a Sunday I can Gaurantee that. I hear you though that I didn't want to chop up any of there stuff. Minus one tie wrap and the ground on the siren it was all exaclty the same when we took it back. My wife took it in today though and they replaced the main unit but said the main issue had something to do with a lose wire on the back of the ignition. She couldn't really explain it to me but I think I get it. It has a liftetime warranty and labor at any Best Buy so I guess I don't have to really worry about it to much.

Al...I agree...what a PIA and was thinking if I was in the woods I would have had a hard day. At least now I know how to jump all of the wires if necessary to get home and byspass the whole thing so I am not to worried about it really.
 
I have a the Viper remote start on my 80 and it works great, especially for the winter months. Hope I never have this kink of trouble with mine!
 
Al...I agree...what a PIA and was thinking if I was in the woods I would have had a hard day. At least now I know how to jump all of the wires if necessary to get home and byspass the whole thing so I am not to worried about it really.

This is why I installed mine using spade connectors at the ignition. If something happens I can fairly easily plug the correct wires back together. While it defeats some of the "security", it gives me some peace of mind.
 

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