So how hard is it to install a remote start yourself. It looks like a MESS of wires. Anyone done one before??

 

I have instaled custom car audio and security for 20 years and remote start alarms are the thing I like to do the least, but I know folks who love them too. In the end it's just wires and all you have to do is connect them but it is time consuming and if you are not use to doing wiring there is almost always the wtf incidents where it should work but doesn't.

Just make sure you tag your wires in the truck first so you know where everything is going and prep your alarm and bypass modules good so similarly routed wires are going in the same place before you get started. Here is the vehicle wiring info:

| ITEM | WIRE COLOR |POL| WIRE LOCATION |
| 12V|yellow & lt. grn/pur|+ |ignition harness |
| STARTER|red/lt. blue |+ |ignition harness |
| IGNITION|dk. blue/lt. green |+ |ignition harness |
| SECOND IGNITION|gray/yellow |+ |ignition harness |
| THIRD IGNITION|lt. blue/pink *1 |+ |ignition harness |
| ACCESSORY|red/black |+ |ignition harness |
| SECOND ACCESSORY|black/green |+ |ignition harness |
| POWER LOCK|pink/yellow |*2 |passenger kick panel |
| POWER UNLOCK|pink/green *8 |*2 |passenger kick panel |
| LOCK MOTOR|pink/black | |driver kick panel |
| UNLOCK MOTOR|red/orange | |driver kick panel |
| DISARM DEFEAT|pink/orange | |passenger kick panel |
| PARKING LIGHTS +|brown | |light switch *3 |
| PARKING LIGHTS -|lt. green/yellow | |light switch *4 |
| HEADLIGHTS|red/yellow |+ |light switch |
| DOOR TRIGGER|blk/yel & blk/pnk |- |*5 |
| DOME SUPERVISION|black/lt.blue |+ |passenger kick panel |
| FCTRY ALARM ARM|*6 | | |
|FCTRY ALRM DISARM|dark green/purple |- |drivers kick panel |
| TACHOMETER|*7 | | |
| BRAKE WIRE|light green |+ |at switch *3 |
| HORN TRIGGER|dk. blue |- |steering column |
| WIPERS| | | |
| LF WINDOW UP/DN|org/wht - wht/blk |A |in drivers door |
| RF WINDOW UP/DN|wht/yel - tan/lt.blu|A |drivers kick panel |
| LR WINDOW UP/DN| | | |
| RR WINDOW UP/DN| | | |

Notes:
NOTE: Some models of this vehicle are equipped with PATS (Passive Anti Theft System). Use DEI module 555F to over-ride during remote start. *1 Power this wire if vehicle is equiped with only rear anti-lock brakes. Vehicles with all wheel anti-lock brakes do not have this wire. *2 Negative pulse, type 'B', on keyless entry models. Five wire, type 'C', on non-keyless models, mastered from the driver switch. *3 May also be found at trailer connector next to diagnostic connector under dash. *4 If equipped with autolamps. *5 The black/yellow catches the drivers door and the black/pink catches the passengers door. The wires are found in there respective door harnesses. On the Super Crew the rear door trigger is black/lt. blue low in the driver kick panel. Use all wires and diode isolate each. See direct fax document #1076 for wiring information. Both wires may also be found at the GEM module located above the fuse box. On models without a dome light delay use orange/lt. green (-) at the light switch. *6 Arms when locked with the door open. To simulate, send a negative trigger to the lt. blue/white wire at the RAP module, located behind the light switch, while locking. *7 Tach wire: on the 4.2L it is a dk. blue/lt. green at the coil pack on top of the motor. On the 4.6L go to any of the 8 ignition coils and use the wire that is not red/green. On the 5.4L it is a lt. green/white at the coil on the passenger side of the motor between the fuel injectors. *8 The GEM in this vehicle shuts down after the doors have been locked for a certain time period, to 'wake-up' the system refer to directfax document #1093.

You will need to get a bypass module for the PATS, it will come with instructions and wiring information on bypassing the PATS system.

Hope this helps, and as always, I'm not responsible if you burn the truck to the ground.

 

A guy I work with installed one on his 01 and the remote start works but ever since hes been having electrical problems and the thing is hes an electrician and a good one too. good luck!

 

I isn't that hard to do. PATS can be an irritation if you have it.

 

I dont no how much money you save doing it yourself, normally Id try to do everything myself too, but aren't they pretty cheap to have put in?

 

I was just curious if anyone has done it. The kit I was looking at was pretty cheap (I'm guessing) at around 75 bucks. And yea, I do about everything myself, supposedly saving money, not headaches though . I'm not going to do it, just seeing if it was being done.

 

I did mine myself. The hard part wasn't the remote start itself, it was the rest of the wires. Brake wire was simple... at the brake switch, tach wire was simple... at the coil (4.6 V8), and all the ignition/ accessory wires are right there at the steering column. The confusing part (not hard, but confusing) were the door locks... found them up high in the passenger side kick panel and the door trigger... I ended up using the positive trigger and went straight to the dome light for it. If I had to do another one it would go much faster now that I have everything figured out. It took me about 3.5 hours to do the entire thing.

 

I did mine.... and will never do another one. I am very much a do it yourself type of person, and that was one thing I absolutely hated. Took me quite a bit of time to get all the bugs worked out.


-Matt

 

I did mine today 3 hours but still cant find the door lock wires the only pink and green and yellow didnt work.