What did we fry?

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So we were installing a remote start on a 2008 Impreza today and hooked what we though was a keysense wire to 12v+ We later found a different diagram which labels the wire basically as a data wire to the ring that reads the key...max voltage 4v. Any ideas or opinions if this would just wipe the code or did this fry the the whole module that reads the keys? We unplugged the battery for 20 mins, that didn't work. We unplugged the module and the car cranks but won't start. When we plug it back in the security light remains on and the car doesn't crank. If you turn the key quickly it will crank for a second and then stop...again with the security light on. Any thoughts or ideas?

I had 2 guys who owned a stereo shop for 15 years try and figure out what was going on for over 4 hours and we got nothing. We have a guy coming out tomorrow morning to re-program the keys but something tells me it isn't going to work. Help.
 
I am not real familiar with the sentry key or key security system or whatever they call it these days, but if you sent 12 volts down the wire to the car security module that operates on 4 volts, I would say it is pretty certain it fried the security module.

Rather than having the keys reprogrammed, I would remove everything you did to the car and try your best to make it look like nothing was done to the car at all. Then get the car to the dealership. A 2008 vehicle should still be under warranty and you *might* get it fixed for free.
 
Jimmy-

That's the plan when the key thing doesn't work...I'm glad someone else has the same idea!
 
I'm not very familar with the subaru anti-theft and whether it disable the starter, fuel injection or both. Did you check the fuses if any were blown? I would assume you did. Probably you applied battery voltage downstream of the fuse to a low voltage module input and fried the module. Like Jimmy said this is probably a job for the dealer to tackle.
 
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Yeah we checked all fuses...everything good. Only thing I know for sure is the ignition wire was lighting the meter before this all started when we turned the key and now it isn't.

This all started because you can't disarm the factory security at all without the OEM key-fob. So basically a one button became useless because you couldn't unlock the doors after it started because the OEM fob is disabled while the car is on. Also, when you started the car the alarm would go off until the car actually started...unacceptable. We installed a remote with keyless entry but that was dumb because if you locked or unlocked the doors manually when the car was off it would set the factory alarm all over again. We buried a key from the beginning, basically the car is a nightmare.
 
Originally Posted By: Jimmy9190
Rather than having the keys reprogrammed, I would remove everything you did to the car and try your best to make it look like nothing was done to the car at all. Then get the car to the dealership. A 2008 vehicle should still be under warranty and you *might* get it fixed for free.


In my day we called that "lying". I'm glad my folks instilled higher values in us.
 
I don't appreciate your inferences of dishonesty. It is entirely up to the dealership whether they fix this car under warranty. I spent 18 years in the car audio and alarm business and unfortunately things like this sometimes do happen. If they reassemble the car the best they can and get it to the dealer and TELL THE DEALER WHAT THEY DID and what happpened, it is entirely at the dealer's service manager's discretion whether the dealer repairs the car under warranty. This is one of the reasons the shop where I worked maintained good business relationships with local car dealers and their service departments. And more often than you might think, the service departments would send us vehicles that they had somehow damaged the radio, cruise control, keyless entry or other accessory and we would repair it for them. Or they would send us a customer who needed a simple (and quite often free) repair like a cd stuck in a cd player. I never encouraged the OP to be dishonest and I certainly do not appreciate being compared to a liar or a thief.
 
Quote:
I would remove everything you did to the car and try your best to make it look like nothing was done to the car at all.


Kinda different from

Quote:
reassemble the car the best they can and get it to the dealer and TELL THE DEALER WHAT THEY DID and what happpened


If I were a service manager and someone brought a car in that had been tampered with and attempts made to conceal that fact, they wouldn't be getting any favors from me. In fact, I'd jack their bill up just for being dishonest.
 
Ordered a BCM overnight so will get it tomorrow. Pretty sure that is what is fried. In response to the above discussion...there pretty much is no way to remove a starter and make it look 100% stock. If it went to a dealer we would have to tell them what happened...if for no other reason than I would rather them to know where to pinpoint their search instead of just start ripping stuff apart.
 
I won't argue this any further. I will say that the reason to put the car back to original condition is not to conceal anything or defraud or take advantage of the dealership. The reason you put the vehicle back together and remove the remote start is because if you leave it as it is, with wires cut, splicing done and a number of aftermarket items installed under the dash and maybe the hood too, the first thing that will happen is either the repair tech or the service advisor or the service manager or possibly all 3 will take one look at what has been done and automatically say there is no way they can warranty any of the repairs, it's all CP -customer pay- because the installer did the damage. In fact they would charge more to put the car back to original condition. If the car is as close to stock condition as possible and doesn't have evidence of incorrect installation and wires and alarm modules going all over the place, there is a greater chance the service manager will be willing to work with the OP to get the car fixed. Sure, the OP may have to pay part of the repairs, because it's their own fault the car won't start. It's up to the OP to own up to what they did if they expect the dealer to assist and 2. It's up to the service manager to decide whether to warranty any of the parts and/or repairs.

The only other reason I said anything about removing the remote start is because I have dealt with dealerships before for this exact same situation. They take one look at all the "stuff" under the dash and immediately refuse any help at all. But if the vehicle comes in clean, there is a much better chance of the dealer being willing to assist. It is more due to the fact that a dealer service tech has absolutely no idea how to wire a remote start or alarm, much less how to troubleshoot one. The OP's car would not start after they attempted installation of a remote start unit, so it is a very good idea to remove the remote start so the technician can fix the car and get the car starting again. Then the OP can have the remote start installed correctly if he chooses. In this case the OP is pretty sure he knows what is wrong and will fix it himself so this argument is pointless.

This situation does kind of remind me of the many posts down in the sales and promotions section of guys using coupons and rebates working the advantage and going to multiple stores with the same coupon or using multiple names and addresses for mail in rebates and trying all the tricks to save money for oil, filters, parts, and God only knows what else. If what I suggested to the OP sounded dishonest to some of you, I suggest you look in the sales and promotions forum so you can point out even more dishonest practices.

I am done with this post.
 
Originally Posted By: Unearthed
Pretty sure that is what is fried. In response to the above discussion...there pretty much is no way to remove a starter and make it look 100% stock.


No, there is not. Splices in wiring harnesses where they aren't indicated on the wiring diagram, done with materials not used by the factory will be one indication.
 
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