Installed a CompuStar remote starter in my '96 LX450, with detailed information

[ProjectsNMotion]

I installed a CompuStar CM7200 remote starter in my LX450 over the weekend. This project was the result of a lot of research into factory connectors and terminals. You can see the specifics of the installation, including Yazaki connector part numbers, at this spreadsheet, but if you'd prefer to just see the pictures of the installation process, you can view those here. Thanks for reading.

Cheers.

 

[spinnaker813]

This is awesome. Thank you for the write-up and the depth that you went into researching the parts to make this as factory looking as possible.

 

[jht3]

@ProjectsNMotion I've been digging through your work and mapping it to my LC that of course doesn't use the the I13 alarm connector. While I have all that figured out, I have a few other questions on your install

1. you chose to wire up the factory horns for lock/unlock chirps and alarm, right? why that vs the external compustar siren?
2. did you think about dome light supervision? so the interior lights turn on at unlock, etc? i see it is available to program on the door lock wire, but then have to use factory alarm arm for lock. or course need the OP500 programmer for this. i'm guessing new cars all have factory dome light supervision and newer alarms are not exposing this by default. viper still appear to come w/ this as a default however.
3. why did you use both the alarms unlock and factory alarm disarm wires to trigger the door motors, vs tee-ing the unlock to both vehicle wires?
4. is the fuel injector signal for tach working reliably? did you consider picking up the tach signal at the ECM or instrument cluster?

 

[Outsane]

It's been a great alarm system.

I really like the gps tracking part.

 

[ProjectsNMotion]

@ProjectsNMotion I've been digging through your work and mapping it to my LC that of course doesn't use the the I13 alarm connector. While I have all that figured out, I have a few other questions on your install

1. you chose to wire up the factory horns for lock/unlock chirps and alarm, right? why that vs the external compustar siren?
2. did you think about dome light supervision? so the interior lights turn on at unlock, etc? i see it is available to program on the door lock wire, but then have to use factory alarm arm for lock. or course need the OP500 programmer for this. i'm guessing new cars all have factory dome light supervision and newer alarms are not exposing this by default. viper still appear to come w/ this as a default however.
3. why did you use both the alarms unlock and factory alarm disarm wires to trigger the door motors, vs tee-ing the unlock to both vehicle wires?
4. is the fuel injector signal for tach working reliably? did you consider picking up the tach signal at the ECM or instrument cluster?

1. Because I wanted to. The connection was readily available and I prefer simple and elegant.
2. Not something I'm interested in.
3. Because I wanted to. Any potential future troubleshooting is made easier when the connections are one to one. Again, I prefer simple and elegant.
4. No issues at all. For the whole system, where I connected in line, I used t-harnesses because splicing is bull****. The fuel injector connector has 2 wires, that's a simple t-harness. The ECM and gauge connectors have much more than 2 wires, that's not a simple t-harness.

Cheers

 

[neockder]

I need to dive into this fairly soon.. any chance your rs3000 plug under seat looks like this? This is a 1994 FZJ. This is behind the driver rear door in the rear fender cavity on this harness. It routes to an additional plug that mates to the dash harness that doesn't exist on the '92 (HDJ81) harness. Maybe DVD player or something if not? I have the dash harness back in and lazy about tracing it right now lol.

Thnx!

 

[S.CarolinaFZJ80]

I need to dive into this fairly soon.. any chance your rs3000 plug under seat looks like this? This is a 1994 FZJ. This is behind the driver rear door in the rear fender cavity on this harness. It routes to an additional plug that mates to the dash harness that doesn't exist on the '92 (HDJ81) harness. Maybe DVD player or something if not? I have the dash harness back in and lazy about tracing it right now lol.

Thnx!

View attachment 3243322

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@neockder
That looks looks the plug that connects to the sub tank fuel transfer control module. It plugs into the dash switch to initiate transfer of fuel from the sub tank to the main tank in a petrol OR switch from main tank to sub tank fuel pump in a diesel.

Some of the wires in that plug you posted go to the dash and other wires go through a grommet to outside the body to under the rear floor where the sub tank sits.

OEM Subtank Retrofit/Install Project With Pics

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[HungryJ0e]

For those of us without a factory alarm system... how will that add additional complications? I assume I don't have the wiring harness under the driver's seat (although I'm gonna look...).

 

[LandLocked93]

I'm running the same system - but don't care for the non-encrypted signal transfer.
Thankfully it is only one-way transmission. Assuming yours is too.

One q tho...what happens if:
1) you arm the alarm with the remote while a single door remains open
AND THEN
2) close that single single door thereafter?
Ex. - You and a friend arrive at a destination. As the driver you exit the vehicle, close the door, and arm the alarm with the remote.
What you don't realize is that your friend has yet to exit the vehicle and close their door.
That is, until your friend closes the door less than one second (or at any time) after you arm the alarm.

Are you able to, from the remote, disarm the alarm AND execute the unlock command which actually unlocks the door(s)?

A video post thereof would be great.

Not saying it isn't possible as I'm sure it is. Just saying the above is how mine works.
The result is that unless you keep the physical door lock key on you, you can be locked out of the rig by performing steps 1 and 2 because the alarm - while being disarmed by the command from the remote - doesn't actually unlock the doors at that point. For some reason.
Ask me how I know while picking up supplies from Ace Hardware (and mercantile/grocery) in Cripple Creek, CO. lol

Will happily mention that a cashier at said Ace Hardware (and mercantile/grocery) called her boyfriend (of questionable employment) who had a "jimmy kit" to unlock my rig.
When he arrived we were back in business in 20 minutes.
Great folk they.
Tho admittedly selfish, highly recommend doing business with Cripple Creek Ace Hardware (and mercantile/grocery - you'll see what I mean when you get there).
They're also a gas station btw. They have everything you need.
From ammo to zinc tablets you'll find sh*t there you never knew came in a blister pack. lol

 

[jht3]

don't care for the non-encrypted signal transfer

are you sure about this? i tried to do some research and it was inconclusive. how old is your brain? CM7200? wondering whether they went to an encrypted rolling code type system at a later date, like the CM900.

Not saying it isn't possible as I'm sure it is. Just saying the above is how mine works.
The result is that unless you keep the physical door lock key on you, you can be locked out of the rig by performing steps 1 and 2 because the alarm - while being disarmed by the command from the remote - doesn't actually unlock the doors at that point. For some reason.

did you wire it up the same? diode's on all the right lines, cathodes pointing the right direction?

i have a CM900AS i'm working on the wiring harness for as we speak. during all my homework, you are the first to post anything negative. so if i need to make some changes to the wiring, to isolate the door triggers or lock/unlock wires, now is the time!

 

[LandLocked93]

are you sure about this? i tried to do some research and it was inconclusive. how old is your brain? CM7200? wondering whether they went to an encrypted rolling code type system at a later date, like the CM900.

At the time, I too did some research and found nothing conclusive. This was 2020 so maybe they've changed that.
I can't lay hands on the packaging ATM, but IIRC it is a remote start unit with an add-on security kit. Model numbers escape me, but current models sold at Best Buy (where I purchased mine and had it installed) are in the 7xx series. So guessing mine is close to that?

did you wire it up the same? diode's on all the right lines, cathodes pointing the right direction?

Yeah no, lol. Not involved in that so no idea. I figured it was maybe a programming thing and seeing if you had the same experience.

i have a CM900AS i'm working on the wiring harness for as we speak. during all my homework, you are the first to post anything negative. so if i need to make some changes to the wiring, to isolate the door triggers or lock/unlock wires, now is the time!

Wasn't meaning to be negative about Compustar. I've had Clifford and Viper alarms in the past (with Apline's Beeper kit even - early '90s hell yeah) and Compustar seems better in every way (minus the beeper which was actually useful, now replaced with less reliable and easily hacked cell comms). It was just this one niggling thing I was curious if was normal or not.

 

[zjay92]

I installed a CompuStar CM7200 remote starter in my LX450 over the weekend. This project was the result of a lot of research into factory connectors and terminals. You can see the specifics of the installation, including Yazaki connector part numbers, at this spreadsheet, but if you'd prefer to just see the pictures of the installation process, you can view those here. Thanks for reading.

Cheers.

View attachment 1830020

@ProjectsNMotion Working on trying to imitate this install. Just to clarify - do I need to use any part of the rs3000 harness after removal? I'm pretty sure I tossed mine when I took it out.

Also, your spreadsheet has green highlights on the part numbers. I am assuming these highlighted cells are the parts to acquire?

Any issues you've run into now that you've had this for a few years?

Thanks