Remote Start in 2001 Lumina

Yes, another question about remote start, You can shoot me if you like, but my question is.... Is this unit a good one for the price?

http://www.pyleaudio.com/itemdetail.asp?brand=pyle&cat1=Car%20Security&cat2=Car%20Security&model=PWD401

I have also found this information to help me in installing it in my 2001 Lumina, I know the link refers to a 2000, but, I'm pretty sure they are going to be the same (if not, please tell me).

http://www.internationalelect.com/lumina.htm

I would also like to know if this job is dooable by myself, and how long do you think it will take? Also, I have heard horrar stories about people attempting to install these, and then the car wont even start with the key. How easy is it to fuck something up that bad? What should I take into consideration when installing something like this? Or is it even worth it? Should I bring it to best buy and have them do it? Any suggestions? What have you guy's done? If anyone has a link to exactally how to install one, please post it, so I know what I'm getting myself into. Thanks guys.

oh, c'mon guys, any little bit of info is better than what I have now (nothing)

'sup, hey you can find even cheaper remote/car alarm systems, but the price of that one is no that bad.

Anyway, installing a car alarm/remote starter, is kind of a big deal, but as long as you don't fire your airbags, i think everything is "dooable" or "undooable". The remote starter, i haven't installed on any car, but it shouldn't be any problem, the key here, is that you identify every wire on your car, on the driver panel, due because that's where all the installation is going to be done. I have installed alarms, but on car's without any security device, so is kind of easier, because i wire each sensor on the car, and even put sensor where it didn't had them. Anyway, here is a list of wiring checks you'll have to do before cut anything.

1.- Locate and identify the airbags wiring. Isolate it. Cover it with tape or whatever.
2.- Locate the doors warning lights. That's is going to fire the alarm when somebody try to open a door.
3.- Locate the trunk and hood warning lights. Is for the same thing.
4.- Locate the ignition cable, and the key lock sensor. This sensor is on most of the cars, and is for avoid the ignition when the car is not on parking.
5.- Locate the factory car alarm unit. You'll have to do some research about the wiring of your kit, so you'll know which wires go with what.
6.- Locate the door lock/unlock system. This is the keyless feature.
7.- Locate the trunk unlock wires. LOL

Pretty much is all what you need for a BASIC installation, i saw that the HOTDOG or whatever alarm system you want to buy have a lot of features, but if you are not sure about this, maybe you want a pro to install it, but you can try.

About the time to install it, i'd say between 6 to 8 hours, due to the inexperience and the fact of try wires and stuff.

Good luck, don't take this as a tutorial, is just a reference.

ok, thanks, I'm probablly gonna buy a repair manual for a wire diagram before I go chopping into anything. Thanks for the input. Anyone else care to add more?

A couple months ago, I installed an alarm/remote start, locks and trunk on my 1999 3.8 police package.

It took me about 20 hours to do it, not including reading instructions, mapping out the wiring, etc.

If you go with just the remote starter, it's not that big of a deal.

Here goes:

1. Disable the airbags. If you have even the slightest doubt about being able to do this properly, have a tech do it for you.

2. Remove the front seats.

3. Remove the lowermost dash panels(ones directly above your feet).

4. In the proximity of, or on your actual ignition harness, locate:

-A constant power wire. This wire should be RED and should read 12V at all times.

-The ignition wire. This wire should be pink PINK and should read 12V with the ignition in the "on" and "crank" positions.

-The accessory wire. This wire should be ORANGE and should read 12V in the "on" position and have no power in the "crank" position.

-The starter wire. This wire should be YELLOW and should have 12V in the "crank" position only.

5. Locate your tach wire or, since this is a huge pain in the ass, pick any fuel injector and figure out which wire is + and which one is -. I connected my tach input wire to the negative wire on one of my injectors. Some remote starters may be different and not allow this, so check your installation manual.

6. You will also probably need to find the brake light wire. It's one of the two connected to the brake switch behind the pedal that puts out 12V only when the brake is pressed.

5. Connect the wiring as specified by your installation manual. You will need to either drill a hole in your firewall or run the tach input and hood pin switch wires through the inside of your front fender.

That's pretty much all there is to it.

Installing remote locks and all the other junk is not as easy though. You will have to do a lot more "wire hunting" and pretty much rip apart your dash board and driver side kick panel.

You'll probably have to connect a wire to the parking light wire behind the light switch.

Depending on whether or not you have a factory alarm, you'll have to connect wires either to the factory arm/disarm wires, or if you have no alarm, you'll have to make connections to the door pin or dome light wires. You will have to connect to the door lock/unlock wires. All these should be under the carpet in the driver side kick panel.

Your trunk release wire is behind your trunk release switch.

Luminas have a positive lock/trunk switching system. If your starter kit has negative outputs for these, you may need to buy a couple relays(if they don't come with the kit).

The message boards in www.the12volt.com helped me out with every single problem I ran into.

hey, thanks a lot. Looks a little complicated. I may just leave it to a tech. Thanks for the info.

Yo Blake, it doesn't look a little complicate....

It is a complete pain in the ass!!!, but, hey, how does the people learn how to do some things? they don't go to a Car alarm College!!.

Anyway, if you have the money to pay for a tech... do it. Is no that you can't do it, but you can save yourself from a lot of trouble.

I used to work in an body shop installing sound systems and car alarms, and is very painful work under the dash with the front seats. So that's why i liked better installing car stereos, no?

Now, if you like challenges,,, be my guest!!!

Aloha!

Ppluche

I'm probably gonna have a tech do it. I dont like the whole air bag thing. I'm kind of afraid of accidently setting one off. You know. Thanks

I sell and install all kinds of them. Personally, don't go for the Pyle. The best ones out there are from DEI. www.directed.com They have all kinds of them with one year or lifetime warranties. They also have DIY'r

If your car was a '95 Lumina, I'd say go for it but since it is an '01 it should have the VATS anti-theft system. That's the little pellet you see in the key. That's usually where people mess up.

Oh, my car info only shows Luminas going up to 2000 and no 2001. That's why you couldn't find anything on a 2001.

yeah, I got the last year for the luminas, and yes, i have the vats. I think I will leave it to the pros, thanks guys for all the hints, and ideas.

hey its possible man! dont give up... but if you dont feel up to dont. i almost gave up halfway through mine. i got mine done in under 16 hours. and all they all have stated, the more expensive and better you get with more features, it does get a lot more complicated, especially if u do it right. but its possible. and i got mine and its real realy nice for about $150, and it got the remote start, keyless entry, trunk, alarm, and everything else you could everthink of.

Not to diss you but I did 6 remote starters from 8am to 6pm. All were with keyless and all but one needed alarm bypassed. Of course since I do this for a living, I gotta do quick and right the first time.

hey no offense taken... it was my first one, and i didnt have reliable source for wire codes... and yea if u do that for a living it would help on the time issue...

hey no offense taken... it was my first one, and i didnt have reliable source for wire codes... and yea if u do that for a living it would help on the time issue...
I little secret.... I spent 2 days on my first one. I actually had it in and kinda working the first day but had to make repairs the second day!

yea mine was kinda the same, the last day was a breeze tho, everything fell together well.