Car alarm controllers?

[JHZR2]

Pulled the kick panel because I need to adjust a switch associated with the parking brake assembly, and I found this:

Doesn’t have Chrysler or any other markings on it. Truck doesn’t have keyless unlocking at least that I was given. And, there’s a lot of wires connected there….

Im guessing this is some sort of alarm controller? I don’t see a siren or any other signs.

Whats the best way to deal with it? Looks like a pretty specific set of connectors, not sure what/where the other ends would be.

Thanks!

 

[nthach]

Sounds like one of those KARR deals Southwest Dealer Services pushes car dealers in CA/AZ/OR/WA/NV to install for “lot protection” and for a handsome profit at the F&I office for $20-40 COGS. Audiovox also makes those under a few names.

Since many alarms are T-tapped to the power door lock/unlock wiring, dome light(or door switch), +12V accessory/battery and the parking light/headlight switch wire as well as spliced in-line to the starter, follow the wiring back. You’ll find a mess of T-taps and butt splices. Find the orange wires for the starter kill and join them together or mend the cut starter switch wire. Carefully disconnect the T-taps, and leave them there or fix those molested wires.

 

[spasm3]

Should you even mess with trying to remove it?

 

[Jimmy9190]

It definitely is a car alarm module but I don't recognize the case. What year/model of vehicle is it? Is there a brand name on the other side of the case? It has a lot of dust on it so it probably has been in place for a long time but that does not mean it is junk or does not work. If you can find out what brand it is you may still be able to get a remote for it and either program it yourself or have a good car audio/alarm shop do it for you.

Like the others said, if you do want to just remove it it is best to follow the wires to where they are connected/interfaced with the wiring in the vehicle and disconnect or reconnect any wires that were cut for the original installation. Most likely there is a starter kill relay in there too, check the wire harness going to the ignition switch, if you see a wire that has been cut in tow and has spliced wires connected there, you can follow the spliced wires to the relay. It should not be too far away from where the starter wire was cut. You will need to splice or solder the starter wire back together otherwise you may not be able to start the vehicle after the alarm is removed. It does look like its still in decent shape and what wiring I see in that picture does not look like a hack job to me. It might be well worth it to find out the brand and see if you can get a remote for it and keep using it, even if it is only for the keyless entry function.

 

[JHZR2]

Good points. Could be tapped in. I did see one t-tap, and a few splices. But the truck has a trailer brake controller and I hadn’t looked that close.

A benefit to messing with it would be if I could find the right keyless fob, or I could install a new keyless system, then I’d have keyless entry which would be somewhat useful. I had backfit one into my E30 BMW and it worked great.

 

[JHZR2]

Took a while. Pulled the cover and found this…

 

[JHZR2]

And here is the wiring diagram.

Wonder if I’m better removing this thing, and just installing a keyless entry. I don’t really have a need for remote start, especially for an MT truck. All I need is to forget that it’s in gear, and have it jump..

 

[meep]

It is installed inline with the starter feed. I’ll bet it can both kill and remote start the vehicle.

I don’t see a P/N safety switch lead

 

[mk378]

It is installed inline with the starter feed. I’ll bet it can both kill and remote start the vehicle.

I don’t see a P/N safety switch lead

The brown wire energizes the starter like turning the key. There is no starter cut relay, the wire from the key to the starter is not disrupted. OP can just disconnect the box entirely and truck should work normally unless those ignition relays do something. Make note of where the three wire plug wires go those are the lock and unlock you'd need for keyless.

The safety switch is not shown on the diagram but if the brown wire is connected on the key side of the switch, so it is still in place before the starter, it would not be able to start except in P/N.

 

[JHZR2]

The brown wire energizes the starter like turning the key. There is no starter cut relay, the wire from the key to the starter is not disrupted. OP can just disconnect the box entirely and truck should work normally unless those ignition relays do something. Make note of where the three wire plug wires go those are the lock and unlock you'd need for keyless.

The safety switch is not shown on the diagram but if the brown wire is connected on the key side of the switch, so it is still in place before the starter, it would not be able to start except in P/N.

The truck is MT, so it wouldnt be a P/N safety switch, but it does have to fool the start system into thinking the clutch is depressed. The press the clutch to crank functionality does work. Using a remote start on an MT vehicle is curious to me. If someone were to leave an MT vehicle in gear and run the remote starter, could be a big mess…

I see that it doesn’t cut or interfere with the key circuit. It seems like that would be the most reliable… don’t want to be reliant on some PCB or relay… I guess it just jumps a different 12v source to operate the starter solenoid and whatever other fuel control is necessary?

What concerns me is also all the other stuff spliced in for brake lights (the brake warning light on my truck is not working, I need to figure out why, maybe this thing spliced in is part of it), glow plugs, etc… I need to look at how and where it is all wired to under the dash…