usace

Back in June '04 I installed an alarm on my s2k. It was the WLaurent alarm system, which was basically a DEI Hornet system sold by William Laurent who was (possibly still is) a member here at s2ki. This alarm was unique because William included install instructions specific to the s2k, complete with pictures and everything. It also allowed you to use the stock Honda keyless entry keyfobs that came with your vehicle.

I had no problems installing the alarm. The hardest part was working with the limited amount of space in the footwell of the vehicle, and contorting my body into that space. Because of that I used electrical tap-ins to make my connections instead of stripping the wires and soldering because it was a little quicker.

Everything worked flawlessly. I left all of the alarm settings at default. But after a month I decided that I wanted the alarm to arm/disarm silently instead of a chirp when arming and a double chirp when disarming. I knew this was possible by entering the program mode and change the setting.

In order to enter program mode on this alarm you must have one of the doors open, but if you've ever tried to use your Honda keyfob while a door is open you'll know that it doesn't work. William's workaround to this was pretty simple. One of the alarm's connections ties in to the keyless entry module. This connection must be disconnected and grounded temporarily during programming mode. This tricks the alarm into thinking a door is open. After programming, the connection is re-made.

So, I grounded the necessary connection and entered programming mode successfully (I got the confirmation chirp(s) letting me know I was in programming mode). At this point all you need to do is press a button on the keyfob corresponding to the desired selection. This is where I'm having my problem... I press the button I need to, but it doesn't register with the alarm. After 15 seconds of inactivity the alarm chirps to let you know it has exited programming mode. I've tried the process many times and have pressed the button repeatedly and have tried different combinations of buttons, but it never registers with the alarm. Each time it exits this mode after 15 seconds because it hasnt received any signal from the keyfob.

Some things I think that can be ruled out are the keyfob itself. It works great at arming and disarming the system, so I know it works alright. I've put the keyfob right up to the brain of the alarm and pressed the necessary button w/out it registering. Also, the temporary ground connection is a good one. I know this because the unit wouldn't even be entering programming mode if it wasn't.

Lastly, I did the original install over a year ago. When I didn't have success with the programming back then I began thinking that maybe one/some of the electrical tap-ins I had used during the install were not making a good connection somewhere. Even though the alarm worked flawlessly in every other aspect, I thought this could be a possibility. So, this past weekend I finally got around to re-installing the alarm, this time using solder connections. I triple and quadruple-checked my connections from the first install and everything looked great... all of them were in the right locations. I could even tell that the tap-ins had been installed ok, but removed them anyway just in case.

Of course, though, I still have the exact same problem when trying to program the alarm. I asked William back then for help and he was just as stumped as I am. He had the alarm installed on his car and had no problem changing settings. I believe PJK3 had the same alarm (maybe still does) and we spoke at length about it too. He was also stumped, but had never tried personally to alter any of his settings.

So, I'm now asking again for some assistance. Please chime in if you have any thoughts. Sorry for the length, I just wanted to be detailed in my description of what I'm experiencing. Thanks in advance.

WLAURENT

When you are pressing the buttons on the remote - are the door locks locking/unlocking? Are both doors closed?

It has been a long time since I made any changes to the settings on my alarm. I will review the steps when I get home.

usace

Thanks for chiming in.

No, the doors aren't locking or unlocking. And yes, both doors are closed.

Going from memory (because the instructions are at home) the process for entering programming mode is:

1) close both doors (while the green wire is grounded)
2) turn the key in the ignition to the ON position and then back to OFF
3) press and release the valet switch the number of times corresponding to the feature you wish to edit. (in this case the silent arm/disarm feature is 2nd)
4) press and hold the valet switch and hold until complete
5) the alarm will chirp a certain number of times corresponding to the number of the feature (in this case twice)
6) At this point if you hit the lock button on the keyfob (still holding the valet switch) the audible arm/disarm is selected (default setting). If the unlock button is pressed then silent arm/disarm is selected.
7) If the valet switch is released at any time or if there is inactivity for 15 seconds then the remote exits programming mode.

I get the 2 chirps telling me I've entered programming mode and I've selected the right parameter to edit. But pressing the lock or unlock buttons at that point does nothing (even while pressing either multiple times or holding down either one). And eventually the alarm will chirp indicating it has exited programming mode due to inactivity. I have tried using both keyfobs and neither one works at this point... one of which I never use, is in mint condition, and sits in a drawer inside my house. The LED's on both keyfobs light up as the buttons are pushed, and again, both keyfobs work to lock/unlock the doors during normal use.

I'm really scratching my head on this one. It's not a HUGE deal, but would certainly be nice if I were able to customize some of these features. Oh, and one other thing, I'm using the horn instead of a siren because I wanted it to sound as stock as possible... so when I say chirp I mean a quick honk of the horn.

PJK3

i do still have William's alarm, and i do remember us talking about it way back then....

hrm.

i'll have to pull and review the manual later tonight as well.


still, it would seem like the door locks should be trying to lock/unlock during the process. that kinda indicates that the keyless entry system is confused as well....

Incubus

What he said.

WLAURENT

Yep - the wire that taps into the keyless module should be to ground and the keyless circuit in its original condition (plugged in, etc..)

usace

Yep, that's exactly how I have it.

The green wire from the alarm taps into the black/white striped wire of the keyless module. I have not cut the black/white wire... I simply stripped a small amount of the insulation away and soldered the green wire to it (and of course insulated the joint with electrical tape).

In order to disconnect the green wire and ground it easily for programming I put a male to female disconnect connection in-line on it. Using these:

So, when I want to program the remote I unplug that connection and route the green wire to ground. I have a short length of wire with a ring terminal on one end that is attached to a common ground point, and on the other end is the corresponding male or female disconnect so it plugs into the green wire, which runs to the alarm. The end of the green wire that is still attached to the black/white wire is left hanging, but I make sure that it is isolated and not touching anything.

WLAURENT

Are you grounding the end of the green wire that goes to the alarm module or the end going to the keyless module?

It should be the end going back to the alarm module.

usace

Yes, it's the end that goes back to the alarm.

I'm stumped. It baffles me how it works flawlessly under normal operation, but doesn't respond while I'm trying to program it. Everything works... it chirps when it's supposed to, the alarm sounds when it should, the car locks/unlocks and arms/disarms when it should, the proximity sensor responds when it should. It even enters programming mode w/out a problem... it just doesn't respond to any keyfob inputs at that point.

WLAURENT

Only thing I can think is that the keyless module still thinks the doors are open.

If you un-ground the wire and just leave it floating - can you lock and unlock the doors (when the door is closed)?