alarm system

[driveshaft man]

Being new to the GN world and after spending some time browsing here , I think I need to put an alarm system on my 86 GN. Seems that it could be a factory option that mine did not have , and my experience with aftermarket alarms had not been favorable. I need a recommendation for a complete alarm system that I can install that is not a POS .Is it possible to still obtain the factory components and wiring diagrams ?
Harold

[driveshaft man]

Since I have no responses to alarm recommendations, can I disable the car safely by a hidden switch to the "orange wire to the ECM" that I have seen references to on various posts? Where is this orange wire most accessable in the passenger compartment ?
Thanks,Harold

[tthorngen]

viper makes a gps unit. No alarm goes off... you are alerted when its taken though and can track it via the web. alarms are just another thing people disable. Nobody listens to them anyways. Best bet would be to get something (other then old school lowjack) that you can use to get it back.

[johnnyttype]

Originally Posted by driveshaft man

Since I have no responses to alarm recommendations, can I disable the car safely by a hidden switch to the "orange wire to the ECM" that I have seen references to on various posts? Where is this orange wire most accessable in the passenger compartment ?
Thanks,Harold

i wouldnt use the orange ECM wire because ur computer will have to relearn everytime u use ur switch! ive also thought about installing a killswitch of some sort but havent had the time to get to into it. at one point i was actually thinkin about droppin the gas tank and wiring a switch into the wiring for the fuel pump on top the gas tank(so it would be out of sight to all) and then run the wires from the switch into my trunk somewhere! it sounds good! what car thief would know to drop the tank to get to my killswitch, better off with a rollback!

[johnnyttype]

Originally Posted by tthorngen

viper makes a gps unit. No alarm goes off... you are alerted when its taken though and can track it via the web. alarms are just another thing people disable. Nobody listens to them anyways. Best bet would be to get something (other then old school lowjack) that you can use to get it back.

i agree, cause once its gone, its very hard to find the car with out some sort of GPS!

[salvageV6]

Here's how I did the interrupt in the GN, the WE4 has the extender chip with anti-theft in it already.

I used a typical small hidden, or exposed and mislabeled switch to control a 2, 3 or 4 pole low current mini-12 volt relay.

When the switch is ON it gives a ground to the relay coil directly, the other side of the relay coil is connected to IGN switch power. So if you have the key on and this switch is OFF the relay is not energized and the car can't be started, also with the anti-theft switch left on there is still no power to the relay without the key ON in the IGN position, so no draw on the battery should you leave the anti-theft switch ON meaning (anti-theft off) by mistake when the car is shut off.

Terminal B5 on the ECM is the crank reference output of the coil pack and module assembly, it is a purple wire with white stripe, cut it up far enough from the ECM and nobody will know or look there, very easy to hide the modification with black harness tape. Even if a new ECM is installed in the car it still won't start.

When open circuit via the relay the car won't run at all and will die when driving as well so don't put your switch near other things you touch or can be touched while driving by anyone other than the driver in a movement that is not likely to occur when driving.

I just used the output poles of the relay commoned together so that they make up 2-4 switches, all the common contacts of the relay to one side of the cut purple/white wire and the other 2-4 normally/open contacts to the other side of the cut purple/white wire.

Unless the relay contacts are closed with the coil energized via IGN. power and your switch for coil GND the car will not get a crank signal.

The IGN terminal in the fuse panel works fine to provide +12 power with key on for the relay, fuse it at about 2-5 amp.s since the relay coil could take up to 1.

NAPA has fuse panel plug in pigtail wires for the open IGN slots in the fuse box.


Terminal B5, purple white stripe, can be interrupted by a simple hidden switch also, but there is no failsafe if you do this so if it's shut off while driving it will kill the car. Hence the better procedure to use the latching relay as described above.

[johnnyttype]

thats some good stuff salvagev6!

[driveshaft man]

Wow,salvagev6 , you have really thought this thru,and its just what I was looking for !I'm a little thick-headed so bear with me....did you use a single relay to control both start and coil signal ,or two relays on a single switch?
Looks like two relays will be needed,one to complete a ground and one to complete coil circuit.
GPS is good idea , so many thefts occur by wrecker , and as stated, nobody pays any attention to cars alarms anymore.

[salvageV6]

One multi-pole relay is used.

Relay coil Power supplied via IGN1 spot in the fuse panel, IGN 3 won't work.

Your kill switch provides the ground to activate relay to start the car.

Multiple poles to complete the crank sensor purple/wht stripe circuit with redundancy, and the relay used only if you may hit the kill switch by accident while driving.

Otherwise a multi-pole kill switch works fine, just parallel the contacts (for redundancy in case one fails) and don't put it where anyone is gonna hit it while driving or your car will go dead instantly.

When using a relay a three or four pole 12 volt coil type is used, 1A minimum contact rating, since one contact is wired to provide relay latching when the car is started, the other 2-3 poles provide the crank sensor circuit redundancy.

If you use a relay and the kill switch is activated or hit when the car is running it won't die on you until you use the key to shut the car off, then it won't restart without the switch in the proper position.

I had a good picture of the schematic but my photo hosting site went out of business and I didn't save it on the puter.

I will take another picture and post it of the schematic, it's not complex it just sounds like it is.

Oh, use the column guard as well, steadfast makes them.

I also used a thick U bracket 5/8" steel attached to my crossbrace on the front end to provide a relatively easy access point for the large chain I use to tie my car to a 12" tree stump which has an eye bolt going through it.

It may only deter the tow truck for a minute or two and alert me, but that's enough time to get the M1 out with the 60 shot jungle clip.

Then there's the camera system.........

[Terry_H]

Originally Posted by tthorngen

viper makes a gps unit. No alarm goes off... you are alerted when its taken though and can track it via the web. alarms are just another thing people disable. Nobody listens to them anyways. Best bet would be to get something (other then old school lowjack) that you can use to get it back.

Is LowJack considered a bad thing? Curious because we have it on one of our cars. Good for $50 off the top of insurance. Are there issues I need to know?

[tthorngen]

lowjack is old school. the police officer has to have a device in his or her cruiser to even notice it. I know of one at the station around here... The other stations im not sure even have them. I know they have newer units that use gps. BUT! i like the viper system better. If you have the original lowjack... it would be wise to upgrade.
The viper system has both a cell and a gps tracking unit to triangulate it. You can even shut down your car with a click of a button... very cool features. I wouldn’t go with a brand you have never heard of before... like the eBay ones. I have tried them and they just don’t work very well. Be sure to get one with a battery backup also.

[meanchicken]

Any good installers in the orange county, californai area?

I'm not to hip on letting the hacks at Best Buy etc. touch the wiring of my car. I also have the complication of having a non functioning spliced in and spliced around dead alarm system in the car already....came with it when I bought it...so whoever I have install my new alarm will need to know the GN wiring and might need to do some patch work.

[salvageV6]

[driveshaft man]

I like the Steadfast idea, I used to sell them, did not know they were still around.Do you have any contact info for them. That, and a kill switch as described , will be enough(I hope) where I live, primarily a rural area and occasional trips to 20k/50/ pop nearby towns. Thanks , Harold

[meanchicken]

Originally Posted by driveshaft man

I like the Steadfast idea, I used to sell them, did not know they were still around.Do you have any contact info for them. That, and a kill switch as described , will be enough(I hope) where I live, primarily a rural area and occasional trips to 20k/50/ pop nearby towns. Thanks , Harold

Auto Security Products

I've dropped a request in on them for what column collar they have that fits the 87 GN.

[O SO LO]

May want to check this out....
Ravelco Anti Theft Device

[tthorngen]

while all good, you want to watch out for the tow trucks

[driveshaft man]

Thanks for all the good info.It makes a person not want to let your car out of your sight..paranoia ,I think, is the word.
Harold

[BlackMetal]

Originally Posted by O SO LO

May want to check this out....
Ravelco Anti Theft Device

You can make one of those yourself with a pair of spare connectors and the willingness to chop up your wiring harness...

Poor Man's Pass Key System

[meanchicken]

On the Steadfast column collar....here's the response from Steadfast.

"I would only recommend the Steadfast Collar. Permanent installation, the best protection. It's the only unit that has a shield which extends beyond the dashboard on the left side, where thieves break open the shift bowl of your column."

Dunno if this also applies to the floor shift cars...Mine is a floor shift...Aren't al GN's?