Car Starters
I've got a Clifford alarm with remote start and it's a nice feature when it's hot or cold out. The range is much less than I expected, even with the antenna visible on my windshield, but for some reason it gets a lot better if you're above the car, like in a tall building. Works fine at home, not so great across a large parking lot. Maybe I just got a bum unit or something.
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Q451990
- Moderator
- Posts: 11030
- Joined: Tue Jul 23, 2002 8:21 am
- Car: 1990 Q45 - 118K, 2022 Toyota 4 Runner, 2004 Frontier M/T - 108K, 2012 Xterra (Mom's), 2023 Rogue (Inlaws)
- Location: Columbia, SC
- Contact:
Just installed a Viper 550ESP in Q2... range is unreal - I can walk down the street with the car locked in the garage behind a steel door and I can hear it arm and disarm from 8-10 houses away (not sure if it's still working after that, but I can't hear that far)...
I'm with you on the being in a tall building... I could unlock and lock it from the 7th floor of a hospital across the parking lot... funny to press a button and see lights flash on your car that far away.
The new alarms have a much better antenna system, although your Clifford may be using this... the 550ESP has a short metal antenna attached to a square plastic box that plugs into the "brain." It's supposed to be mounted on the windshield, but I put mine right under the top of the dash... I figure a little more plastic wouldn't hurt anything after the signal has already gone through steel...
Heath
I'm with you on the being in a tall building... I could unlock and lock it from the 7th floor of a hospital across the parking lot... funny to press a button and see lights flash on your car that far away.
The new alarms have a much better antenna system, although your Clifford may be using this... the 550ESP has a short metal antenna attached to a square plastic box that plugs into the "brain." It's supposed to be mounted on the windshield, but I put mine right under the top of the dash... I figure a little more plastic wouldn't hurt anything after the signal has already gone through steel...
Heath
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Q451990
- Moderator
- Posts: 11030
- Joined: Tue Jul 23, 2002 8:21 am
- Car: 1990 Q45 - 118K, 2022 Toyota 4 Runner, 2004 Frontier M/T - 108K, 2012 Xterra (Mom's), 2023 Rogue (Inlaws)
- Location: Columbia, SC
- Contact:
As far as the remote start, eventually the LAN will have to convert to real wires. I spliced everything in to the igntion switch harness (which I think was the same from 1990-1996. The alarm could be a little more fun, but you should still be able to find the correct inputs (door trigger, trunk solenoid, etc.) might even be able to get it to work with your factory remote.
The good (or bad news) according to how you look at it - is that Viper alarms must be installed by a factory authorized shop - unless you know someone
Heath
The good (or bad news) according to how you look at it - is that Viper alarms must be installed by a factory authorized shop - unless you know someone
Heath