Aftermarket IForces alarm with remote start installation in D2

[ainarssems]

I bought several of these alarms at the beginning of last year looking to install 1 in the S8 and 1 in A6. The main reason I choose this alarm was the timer function for remote start. There are many cheaper and simpler remote start kits either with start only on pressing a button or with a time delay, i.e. 1,2,4 8 hours after locking car or periodic start like start every 4 or whatever hours, run for 15min and shut off the start agian after the same amount of time. I am not bothered about alarm functionality, what I wanted was a real time clock and possibility to set a time when car starts so that it is de-frosted/demisted and warmed up when I want to use it in the cold time of year. For example I work night shift and finish work at 6am so I want to set start time every day around 05:45 so that it's nice and warm when I come out of work. So I found these IForces alarms that did what I wanted and was not too expensive getting directly from supplier in Singapore. Well the time went past, summer arrived and the project was put to the side as the functionality was not needed during the summer. I have sold couple of them and offered 1 as the prize for annual meet which David won. I promised David I will do the installation on mine and do a write up on the forum so I feel a bit guilty for delaying it this long, but now finally with the cold weather arriving it is time to proceed with installation. The first up is S8 to receive the system as it is not the daily driver and can sit without use for a while if something goes wrong or if I need to source some extra components.

Before I attack the car I need to do some planning:

1.Getting wiring diagrams and doing some research on installation.
Car wiring diagrams are available in ElsaWin, some good information and wiring diagrams also available on http://www.bulldogsecurity.com/ Also some interesting videos on youtube to watch.
2.Decide the location for main unit and running wires.
Most of the wires for alarm side need to be connected to central locking system and remote start functionality to the ignition switch. Remote start wires will be running higher current so need to be thicker and shorter while there is very little current going through the wires for alarm/central locking. So the unit will be mounted somewhere in the front. The wires for the alarm part could be kept shorter and connected at various parts for but I have decided to create long harness to central locking unit in the boot and connect as many as possible of wires there to keep things simpler and avoid lots odf single wires going to different places.
3.Adress the immobilizer issue.
Obviously immobilizer will be blocking engine from running if there will be no key in the ignition. There are several ways to address the problem: disable immobilizer altogether in engine ECU, use immobilizer emulator, or use immobilizer bypass with an extra key or transponder from the key. I have not decided what to do With S8 yet but I can address it later as long as I get it working with the key in or ignition first as proof of concept. For the A6 I will use immobilizer bypass like this one: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TRANSPONDE...item2c709b4168
with extra transponder. What you do is put extra key(or transponder coded to the car) in the case, and the coil ring around the ignition switch so that when the alarm does remote start it powers up the bypass unit and it sends the signal from the spare key or transponder to the immobilizer coil. In other situations there is no power going to the unit and signal form spare key is not passed on so you need to use key as normally to run the engine. This would be my preferred method for S8 as well but I only have 1 key for S8. I have coded spare transponder for A6 but my tools unfortunately do not work on 1997-1999 A/S8 with black immobilizer box and the cheapest of the ones that does work cost in region of £200. So I will have to think about what to do. The ones that I have do work on 1994-1996 A8’s with white immobilizer box and on newer VAGs with immobilizer built in the instrument cluster, not sure about FL A8’s as I have not tried.
4. Prevent starting in gear.
This is not an issue on automatic A/S8 as it will not start in gear anyway but A6 will need to be addressed with extra unit like this: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DIRECTED-M...item19d8e71368
5. Get the supplies
I have bought 10 different colors of wires, 10m each to extend the harness from alarm unit to the central locking pump. Also bought immobilizer bypass and manual gearbox unit. All wires will be soldered for more reliable connection so no extra plugs or connectors needed. Various diameter heatshrink tubing also purchased for isolating connections. Isolating diodes will be needed to isolate door switches and might be needed for something else as well so bag of 100 1N4007 diodes bought but should not need more that 10 anyway so happy to post some for you David.

So it’s time to get a start on it. First I need to decide which functions and which wires I will use from the alarm unit and remove unneeded wires to reduce the clutter, extend the wires that will go to the central locking pump and wrap them together and then I can proceed to the car and start taking it apart to enable acces to the cabling needed and to route the wires.

This thread will be updated with comments and pictures as I go along and hopefully it will be installed by the end of week if weather permit and everything goes as planned. Any comments or advice will be appreciated in the meantime and any questions welcome.

I also have GPS/GSM add-on for these which enable tracking and remote lock/unlock/start/stop etc from smartphone app but that's to come later, first I need to get basic functionality.

[David's8]

I was really taken by the remote start capability (mainly just because you can!) but dont want to compromise the immobiliser functions (insurance). This is way above my car electrics DIY skills but am really looking forward to this!

It would also be good for my motorhome as it needs to be started and run during the winter (even though I have a C-Tek charger connected) and this could do that too so, if I get this done on the '8, i may go ahead with the van as well.

[ainarssems]

I am now looking at how to wire it up so that so that aftermarket alarm controls OEM alarm and central locking and disarms factory alarm when remote starting but leaves the door locked. This looks a bit tricky due to vacuum system. Might need to opt for the wiring that unlocks the door as well when remote starting to keep things simple, it will shut the engine off anyway and sound the alarm if somebody opens doors without deactivating system first. Not ideal as it does not stop somebody from stealing stuff from the car. Need to think a bit more about it, should be possible to do it properly somehow. Also should be a bit simpler on A6 as its all electric central locking system.

On the second thought I might ditch the factory alarm function and just use central locking part of the factory system, this way I will loose ultrasonic interior monitoring but something to consider

[ainarssems]

Due to rain, short daylight and other things to do I did not make any progress last week apart from looking at diagrams. I did start yesterday but got sidetracked with removing aftermarket 1990's TV and VCR setup and re-soldering connections on aerial amp as I have been experiencing intermittent radio reception issues.

Anyway I have made a start now. I will start with Remote start H4 plug. First I removed pink/white wire from the plug for IGN2 as it is not used on D2. I then connected remaining wires to the wires going to ignition switch. These were cut, soldered, isolated with heatshrink and then wrapped together with a fabric tape.

2 red +12V wires from alarm go to the 2 red +12V wires at the ignition switch
Purple starter wire goes to black/red cable at the switch
Yellow ACC to yellow/black ACC wire
Pink ignition to black at the switch.

[ainarssems]

For immobilizer bypass I will be using one of these: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TRANSPONDE...item2c709b4168

You put spare key or transponder into it and place the coil ring around the ignition lock, connect red wire to permanent +12V and black wire goes to alarm plug H1 pin 18. When the remote start is initialized alarm connects pin H1/18 to ground and completes the circuit. Bypass module then sends and receives signals from spare key/transponder to the immobilizer coil at ignition switch and deactivates immobilizer. On all other circumstances when remote start is not active bypass module does not work and you still need authorized key in ignition.

The ring was too bulky to fit in location so I removed outer plastic to put it in place






The unit I have bought in the link above is actually to small and cannot be closed when key is inserted and I actually ripped some of the wires off PCB which will need to be resoldered while test fitting key even without remote control part.





I will be hopefully using transponder itself without a key a the end. I have bough some Megamos ID48 transponders on e-bay http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-Virgin...item27ca303c8f And I have coded one for use with A6 but cannot get login and code keys with my current tools For S8 but I have found a tool that seller claims will read login on S8 as well so hopefully I will be able to code spare transponder. Failing that it wll be trip to dealers to get it coded.

Here is the picture of transponder next to key to give some idea of size

[ainarssems]

For the central locking and factory alarm I will be using wires from the door lock switch that activates central locking and alarm when locking/unlocking car with the key physically in the door lock.

I have removed wires 3 and 6 from the plug H3 as locking system is normally open so normally closed wires are not needed. Wires H3/2 and H3/5 are connected together and will go to common wire from the door lock switch in the door wiring harness where it enters the car. Lock / unlock wires will be connected the same place accordingly. This will ensure when aftermarket alarm is activated it will send signal to lock doors and wires connected to door lock switch will activate central locking and alarm the same way as if you locked car by the key physically in the lock.

To prevent factory alarm from going off at remote start it needs to be deactivated, for this purpose I will use wire H1/14 from alarm and it needs to be connected somewhere under drivers kick panel to brown/green wire that I need to find. I think it might be going to alarm de-activation button on B-pillar.

[ainarssems]

Instead of original idea of connecting door trigger wire on after market alarm to all 4 triggers on the car using diodes for isolation I will be connecting it to interior light as it comes on when either of the doors is open. For boot and bonnet riggers I guess I will need to route cables to the central locking pump.

[ainarssems]

On the plug H2 I will only be using 2 wires: +12V supply and siren. I do not need sidelights to blink when armed/disarmed as it will activate factory alarm which blinks indicators anyway so I do not need double confirmation, so I can remove 3 wires from the plug.

[David's8]

How do you figure all this out Ainars!!??

Am trying to keep up here Look forward to next installment!

[ainarssems]

I got it connected today and it all works, kind off. I have changed the ideas on some of the wiring couple of times to get it work the way I want and there is still some tinkering left to do. So I will post more when I get it work the way I want or as close as I want. And I have run the battery flat while tinkering as well so it's going to take a good couple of hours to get some charge in. So it's time for a beer and back to study wiring diagrams in the meantime.