This is why I hate people...

[mindymogul]

This is a perfect example of why you don't hire some crazy dude working from his driveway to install a $260 remote starter. I had this car for 8 years. When health got to the point I don't do cold too well I decided to get a car starter for it. It's been questionable until yesterday when it died in the parking lot of a tow company. $150 to get it towed home 3 MILES, pushed it in the garage, and found the following. So now I need to replace the ign switch, lock cylinder, VATS module, Bypass module, and NSIS.

There's literally enough tape, splices, spades clips, and liquid tape to rebuild the wall of china full scale...

 

[Whitetrashrocker]

Oh man that's good.

I've encountered the same thing. My wj has a remote start and alarm. It also had stereo and body lights. It's fun finding all the hack work and trying to re engineer the butchery.

I love the 5 pieces of random wire twisted and taped to make a 5 foot run.

 

[mindymogul]

They took their time to align (or try to) 9 splice clamps cuz they kept breaking the wires when they were pulling on things. 9 to connect about 5" of a single wire together. I found the nest, now I need to find the rat and exterminate.

 

[anickode]

This is a perfect example of why you don't hire some crazy dude working from his driveway to install a $260 remote starter.

And it took your car being destroyed come to this conclusion?

Lemme guess, your carpenter has 7½ fingers and an eye patch, and his buddy the electrician has spiky hair and no eyebrows.

 

[Whitetrashrocker]

It was this guy.

https://youtu.be/W0idCh8AqhU

 

[supermanotorious]

that cracks me up, I always wonder if he's really getting shocked

 

[mindymogul]

I BLEEP you not they could be twins. Also found out that Code Alarm was out of production in the early 2000s so this unit is ANCIENT! Probably some Mardens (local salvage sale store chain. They currently have CCTV cameras from the 1970s) $15 setup he has a stock of. '05 Escape is 4 harnesses that plug right into the computer and there ya go. Buick LeSabre is rip apart the entire dash and cut EVERY wire in sight till something goes boom or vroom.

 

[Kartorbust]

This is why it's better to have your dealer install an OEM anything. One it'll be done right, two it'll actually not mess up your vehicle, and three, no frickin rats nest of wires.

 

[mindymogul]

This is why it's better to have your dealer install an OEM anything. One it'll be done right, two it'll actually not mess up your vehicle, and three, no frickin rats nest of wires.

Local dealers won't touch this due to age/liability. They won't touch anything older than 2005 due to the VATS system on the GM vehicle since they have to reprogram the security module. Tried having a dealer put in a system for my '97 BurbonBurban and they refused.

 

[RobertD]

I've got a 1968 Ford F150. I finally just rewired the whole dang thing w/ a "Painless" (har har har) harness. Obviously a lot fewer wires 50 years ago, but I couldn't believe the splices. Horn would stop working, radio blew out for no reason ... Gremlins from who knows what "back in the day".

Probably could've used this more universal classic car harness one instead, I dunno. The painless didn't apply to the pocket book, that's for sure. It was around 600 bucks or so. Either way, things work now, and I feel your pain!

 

[mindymogul]

If I rewire a pre-computer vehicle I ALWAYS make my own harness. That way I know what wire goes where and if I wanna modify light functions (dual-stage turn signals) I can do it without hacking the wiring. Painless says you can do it in a weekend, I can cut, assemble, loom, plug in, and start the vehicle in less than 24hrs and never have an issue. Its not hard if you have a sense of organization. Just a good supply of wire, diodes, resistors, relays, and multi pin M/F watertight connectors

 

[RobertD]

"Painless Harness" is nice because everything is labeled all the way down the wire. I'm colorblind, so that helps a ton compared to "find the Light Green wire w/ the Red stripe" situation. Granted, if I made my own that would probably be fine, but it was a huge help. Still took forever.

 

[mindymogul]

Did some more digging. This is gotta be the simplest harness I've seen on a modern car.

 

[65ShelbyClone]

This is a perfect example of why you don't hire some crazy dude working from his driveway to install a $260 remote starter. I had this car for 8 years. When health got to the point I don't do cold too well I decided to get a car starter for it. It's been questionable until yesterday when it died in the parking lot of a tow company. $150 to get it towed home 3 MILES, pushed it in the garage, and found the following. So now I need to replace the ign switch, lock cylinder, VATS module, Bypass module, and NSIS.

There's literally enough tape, splices, spades clips, and liquid tape to rebuild the wall of china full scale...

Yeah, that looks like every aftermarket alarm or stereo install in every used car I've ever seen. Well, except that the tape on yours is new and not melted from the heat.

I have to pull the crummy alarm out of my truck. Haven't even seen it yet, but I bet money that's what it will look like. It's tied into the ignition, horn, lights, power....feeling of dread....rising.....

Also found out that Code Alarm was out of production in the early 2000s so this unit is ANCIENT! Probably some Mardens (local salvage sale store chain. They currently have CCTV cameras from the 1970s) $15 setup he has a stock of..

We had Crazy Gideon's out here in L.A. The commercials were great....products, not so much.