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Remote Start Question

22K views 73 replies 13 participants last post by  rjr162 
#1 ·
I installed a Hornet 570T (DEI) remote start system in my 2003 Xterra. I have everything connected and when I went to hit the start button on the remote, it cranks for about 2 sec, then cuts off. It doesn't crank long enough to actually turn over. Any ideas of anything to check?
 
#2 ·
Something with the fuel pump relay? Did you miss something that would keep the fuel pump on?
 
#4 ·
thank you all so much for the responses. I've actually suspected it was something to do either of your all's ideas. I've checked my wiring and there isn't a connection required for anything with the fuel pump, I assume its triggered sometime in the ignition process. I've tried it with tach and volt sensing. I have the tach wire connected and currently its set to tach mode. In tach mode it cranks longer but still will not fire up. I cannot find in the instructions anywhere that explains how to set the RPMs or crank time. Do you have any idea on how that might be done? Thanks again!
 
#5 ·
if you look in the install manual, its on page 22.

start the engine with the key, push and hold the program button and then the lights will flash when its programmed.


When I do them at work, I start the engine, bring the rpm's up to 1500 and then push and hold the program button.
 
#6 · (Edited)
Ok, I just tried that and it cranks a little longer but doesn't fire. It cranks for about the time I would think it would take to normally start a car so I'm wondering if it may be something that I've done wrong with the ignition or starter connections. I followed the wiring diagram toward the bottom of this page: http://xterrafirma.com/modules.php?...&file=index&req=printpage&pageid=10&scope=all . I connected the purple wire to the black/yellow wire for starter1. Both reds are connected to the white/red wire, The orange acc. wire is connected to the blue, the pink is connected to the black/white for ignition1, and the pink/white is connected to the red for igntion2. Do those connections seem right?
 
#7 ·
On the primary harness, I did not connect the blue wire (200mA output), I connected the violet/white tach wire to the pink/blue wire on the pass. side in the white computer box, the brown was connected to the brown/red brake wire, gray was ran to the hood switch, i grounded the black wire to a bolt under the center console, did not connect the white/blue remote start activation input wire, connected the green/black disarm wire to the yellow/red wire that was in the pigtail on the top of the smart entrance control unit, and the white was connected to the blue/red wire in a pigtail at the SECU. All other functions (lock, lights, etc.) work, just no start.
 
#8 ·
Does it have a transponder that needs to be bypassed? (I'm not sure if the 03 had it as an option). If so try just sticking the key in the ign, (but don't turn it), and then hit the remote start button and see if it starts. If it does, then you need to bypass it.
 
#10 ·
you need a relay to trigger the second starter wire. Nissans are famous for that. There are 5 pins on a relay: 85, 86, 87, 87A, 30 and are labeled on the bottom as such. They need to be hooked up as follows:

pin 85: ground
pin 86: first starter wire (trigger wire, this turns on the relay at the approtiate time)
pin 87: +12V (constant power)
pin 87A: no connection!
pin 30: second starter wire.

Do this and then your remote starter should work properly. DEI is a great brand of remote starters and is the only brand I sell and install at work. Product is bulletproof and works amazing!
 
#11 ·
also you may want to run your violet/white wire out under the hood and hook it up to a fuel injector. But when doing so, look at the injectors, they each have 2 wires with 1 being a common color with all of them. You would want to hook up to the non-common wire. They provide a great tach signal also.
 
#12 ·
Great! I figured there was something about the second starter. So is a relay another part? And where might I find one? I'm glad to know it is a good brand. I researched for a while before I found what I wanted. I wanted something without all the bells and whistles (literally) I did not need the alarm system.
 
#13 ·
you should be able to get a relay at any best buy or circuit city, you just need to ask for them in the car audio dept. or just go into any auto parts store and ask for one. Radioshack is another place. Or just try where you got the remote starter from.
 
#19 ·
Rock, I installed a DEI 560 in my 04 X. I don't know if there is much difference between the 560 and 570 but the following is how I made my connections. You've got some excellent replies so far, perhaps the following will be helpful as well.

VALET 561R Remote Start/Keyless Entry
2004 Nissan Xterra 6cly with factory alarm and keyless entry

H1 primary harness wiring
Wire # Color Description Connection in Vehicle
1 Light Green/Black Factory Alarm Disarm Connect to Brown wire @ SECU Pin 04 (note 1)
2 Green/White Factory Alarm Rearm Connect to Light Green/Red wire @ SECU Pin 11 (note 2)
3 Yellow (+) Ignition Out (to alarm) No Connection
4 White/Blue (-) Activation Input No Connection
5 Gray/Black (-) Wait to Start Input No Connection
6 White/Red (+) Activation Input No Connection
7 Red/White Channel 2 (Validity Only) No Connection
8 Black Ground Connect to Chassis Ground
9 White (+/-) Light Flash Connect to (+) Blue/Red Wire in Steering Column/Head Light Switch


H2 remote start harness wiring
Wire# Color Description Connection in Vehicle
1 Black/White (-) Neutral Safety Switch Input Connect To Ground with Toggle Switch
2 Violet/White Tach Input Wire Connect to Pink/Blue wire @ ECM
3 Brown (+) Brake Switch Shutdown Wire Connect to Brown/Red @ Brake Pedal Switch
4 Gray (-) Hood Pin switch Shutdown Wire Connect to Black/Pink @ SECU module
5 Blue/White (-) 200mA 2nd Status/Rear Defogger Output ???


Door Lock Harness
Wire# Color Description Connection in Vehicle
1 Green (-) Lock Output Connect to Light Green/Red wire @ SECU Pin 11(note 2)
2 Empty
3 Blue (-) Unlock Output Connect to Brown wire @ SECU Pin 04 (note 1)


Heavy Gauge Relay Wiring
Wire# Color Description Connection in Vehicle
1 Pink (+) 30amp Output To Ignition Circuit Connect to Black/White wire @ Ignition harness in column
2 Purple (+) 30amp Output To Starter Circuit Connect to Black/Yellow wire @ Ignition harness in column
3 Orange (+) 30amp Output to Accessory Circuit Connect to White/Blue wire @ Ignition harness in column
4 Red (+) 30amp High Current 12 Volt Input Connect to Green wire @ Ignition harness in column (note 3)
5 Pink/White (+) Programmable Output For Accessory or Ignition Connect to Red/Yellow wire @ Ignition harness in column
6 Red (+) 30amp High Current 12 Volt Input Connect to Green wire @ Ignition harness in column (note 3)


4 pin Satellite Harness
Wire# Color Description Connection in Vehicle
1 Blue Status Output No Connection
2 Orange Accessory Trigger No Connection
3 Purple Starter Trigger No Connection
4 Pink Ignition Trigger No Connection

note 1 - H1 primary harness wire # 1 & door lock harness wire # 3 are both connected to brown wire @SECU pin 04 in vehicle
note 2 - H1 primary harness wire # 2 & door lock harness wire # 1 are both connected to green/red wire @SECU pin 11 in vehicle
note 3 - Heavy gauge relay wire #'s 4 & 6 (both red) are connected the green wire @ ignition harness in column
 
#20 · (Edited)
Punkrock! Thanks so much! I picked up a relay this morning and it fired right up! Just wondering if you have any idea which wire in the car I could use to turn on the rear window defroster. I imagine from the wiring diagrams that I would connect it to the 200mA output wire on the remote start unit. Any ideas?

Also, after I've remotely started the car and stick the key in the ignition and turn it, I hear a short clank noise. This happens when the key moves past the acc. position into the run position. I haven't tried moving it to the start position to see if it does it as well. What could cause this? Thanks again!
 
#21 ·
Well, I got in the car to drive it today and the car wouldn't go over 20mph... I thought maybe I had fried my computer, so in a frantic I unhooked everything thinking I would have to go get a new computer put in it. After taking it all off my car is fine again.

I'm learned through this process that I'm not skilled enough to install one (even though I finally had it starting), but I'm just wondering what would have caused it to max out at 20. The car would shift gears once but when it tried to shift again it wouldn't.
 
#22 ·
thats a fairly obscure problem, i've only ever seen that once in my 4 years doing car audio...Never did find the problem

The only thing i could think of is somehow you didnt hook up the brake wire properly so it'd allow you to drive away use the brakes but you were the whole time just remote started...magically?

Remote starters are a fairly big headache in my line of work, they are all car dependent, consider yourself extremly lucky you tried it on the car you did, i pitty the poor guy who tried to put a rem start in his newish lexus by himself because he thinks he's "mechanically inclinded".
 
#23 ·
thats a fairly obscure problem, i've only ever seen that once in my 4 years doing car audio...Never did find the problem

The only thing i could think of is somehow you didnt hook up the brake wire properly so it'd allow you to drive away use the brakes but you were the whole time just remote started...magically?

Remote starters are a fairly big headache in my line of work, they are all car dependent, consider yourself extremly lucky you tried it on the car you did, i pitty the poor guy who tried to put a rem start in his newish lexus by himself because he thinks he's "mechanically inclinded".
I feel ya, lol, I've owned a car audio shop for over 20 years and every year it gets crazier, lol.:aufkopfhauen-big:
 
#24 ·
Nope, that noise is a well documented issue with ONLY Nissans. Go figure.

You have to basically relay isolate BOTH starer wires and the ACC wire. Here's a crappy text sketch:

Starter 1 ------------X CUT X--------------- KEY CYL
Starter 2 ------------X CUT X--------------- KEY CYL
ACC -----------------X CUT X-------------- KEY CYL

Run the STARTER wire from your remote start to TWO relays, connected on pin 85, connect ground to pin 86 (or connect pin 86 to the Ground out while running wire from the remote start, either option works)
Connect pin 87 on the relays to either +12 or to the starter line from the remote start
Connect pin 87A on the relays to the STARTER wires coming from the key cylinder
Connect pin 30 on the relays to the STARTER wires going to the starter (engine)

Do the same for the ACC:
ACC from remote start to pin 87 of a RELAY
ACC wire from key cyl to pin 87A of relay
ACC wire to engine/fusebox whatever to pin 30 of relay
pin 85 of RELAY to ACC wire from rem start
pin 86 to some sort of ground

It's about the only way to get rid of it. I never bothered to do the relay portion for the ACC line in my wife's Xterra (I should know better, I've been doing this for way way too many years). It won't kick the starter when it's remote started and you first put the key in and turn to RUN, but it will sometimes kick the starter if you have Xterra running on key, remote start car to do take over mode, and go to turn key off.. you'll sometimes hear the starter kick.

Why Nissan's do this and other cars such as Toyota's with dual starter lines don't do this? No clue. If you look at wiring diagrams for the Nissans everything seems isolated just fine, but somehow, somewhere something is back feeding somehow and kicks the starter on. My guess is it has to be in the ignition cylinder somehow... but yes it's a well known issue on any Nissan with dual starter lines
 
#26 · (Edited)
Well, you tend to notice it less if you're doing say a Python or Viper system with the starter isolate already built in, more common on the remote starts with just a starter output and that's it. Also, some models are more prone than others but I've had the SUV's do it as well as some of the cars. It's just one of those odd things you come across over years of installing.

Edit> As for the rear defroster, you can tag the GWR wire (the blue that goes neg when the remstart is activated) to the rear defrost at the switch in most cars, but you may need a relay and to switch the polarity, just check the wiring info for the car
 
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