[toolapcfan]

I can't remember Zex, do you have a 4 door or 2 door? If it's a four door you can get the whole setup out of a B13 GXE or LE, this will be by far the cheapest way to do it as well as the easiest. And you can e-mail correspond with me on how to do the wiring if you like. (Make sure you get all the wiring harnesses though). If you've got a 2 door then read on. What I plan to do when I do power windows and locks in my car, is to get two drive motors from a B13 4 door and put the motors on, and get aftermarket switches most likely. My buddy Serban did a nice job of power windows on his SE-R, click HERE to read about it. You can also read HERE on how to do power windows in a 2 door B13. It's a decent write-up but I plan to do a more thorough one when I do mine. For the power locks I'm going to get a 2 door aftermarket central door lock setup. What the central means is that you don't need any lock/unlock switches. When one door is unlocked, all other doors are unlocked and vice versa. They make these in a 4 door setup as well. Then you can hook up a keyless entry to operate the power locks as well. To know where to buy stuff, click HERE To read an old post I put up about it. I love this kind of stuff so e-mail me if you want help.

 

[toolapcfan]

In addition, I'm not sure if you can use B14 power window motors. As long as they are a cable drive system they should work. You can use B14 power window switches though, that's what Serban did. I'd do that but I dont' want to have to install all that B14 door trim, I can get switches just like those with the "one touch down" on the driver's window, with nice bezels, and they won't need as much cutting to install.

 

[toolapcfan]

$225 sounds like a lot to me. I wouldn't pay half that for it, unless that price were to include installation. I don't know what spal or a1electric get's for a 2 door central lock setup but it shouldn't be more than like $30. As far as the alarm with keyless entry goes, most alarms anymore have keyless entry as well as ignition activated lock/unlock. I have a $60, 3 channel Valiant alarm in my truck that I bought from JCWhitney a long time ago. It has domelight supervision, ignition activated lock/unlock, keyless entry, as well as two more channel outputs for keyless trunk entry and keyless gas door, or whatever you want to use the extra channels for. It has a dual shock sensor with adjustable sensativity, negative trigger input for hood and trunk pin switches as well as door pin switch triggering. If you're going to spend anywhere near $225 on a keyless entry alarm you need to look at what DEI has to offer. Directed Electronics Inc. make Viper and Clifford alarm systems, which are the best on the market from what I understand. (They also make Precision Power and Orion car audio, two well respected product lines) Anyways, I got new universal door lock actuators for like $4 a piece from www.partsexpress.com. They aren't central door lock though, I had to put a switch in. I don't know about Autoloc, never used their stuff but I get the impression that they make good stuff. I've never used Spal either, but I plan to get switches for my power windows from them or a1electric, whoever is cheaper.

 

[toolapcfan]

Installing alarms is tedious but if you know what wires you're looking for before you start, things go much smoother. If you or anyone else is interested, I've got a valiant remote start/keyless entry system brand new still in the box. I was going to put it in my '96 Beretta, but I totalled the car before I got to do it. I put the same setup in my wifes '91 Tempo. It has keyless entry, keyless trunk, a valet switch and hood pin switch (So it can't be started when you're changing a belt out, ouch!) It worked really well in her car, left that one in it when I sold it. It also has outputs to operate any add on alarm system. I only want what I need to buy a simple keyless entry system to put in my wifes Grand Am. You should only use it on an automatic, but you could use it on a clutch if you dare.

 

[toolapcfan]

My wife just came home and brought the mail in with her and there was a new JCWhitney catalog, a specials catalog. You can get a valiant system that has remote start, alarm and keyless entry for $80. It's normally $120. Or you can get just an alarm for $50. Looks like the same as mine except a different siren. Looks like they carry bulldog alarms now too. Bulldog stuff is cheap, you can find their stuff at www.partsexpress.com as well and I think MCM electronics has some of their stuff too. I've never used bulldog's stuff but I've heard it might be crap, but I'll give it a try one of these days. If anyone wants to, they can use these numbers to get the discounts on my catalog. The catalog # is 130J-08 and the Program Code is PHAH8. If they ask for the ID# tell them you're using a friend's catalog. (I think the ID# is like a customer number that would auto enter my name and address and stuff). The number for the remote start, keyless entry alarm for $80 is ABX075311R and the $50 alarm is ABX814939X. Anyways, to answer your question Zex, you can have it both ways, ignition controlled as well as remote keyless entry. You'll basically use two trigger wires each for unlock as well as lock. I don't know what all info is there, but the company that makes Valiant is IC Dynamics. I don't know the model number of my alarm, but I'm sure it's been replaced with something else. If you have a full JCWhitney catalog, they sometimes have a nifty alarm comparison chart in there that shows all the alarms they sell with all the features side by side (but sometimes they neglect to mention features that a specific alarm does have, so verify it with the manufacturer if you aren't sure, the sales people at JC only have the info that's in the catalog for the most part). Anyways, if anyone's interested I want $60+ shipping for that remote start/keyless entry. If nobody buys it I might put it in my wifes Grand Am and just flip the valet switch so the remote start won't work if she bumps the button.

 

[toolapcfan]

That one for $99 at JC Whitney has the microwave sensor as well. Those are a bitch to adjust but once you get it right they're nice to have, especially if you have a covertible or a jeep. I can't tell if it's a single or dual zone sensor though. What's nice about a dual zone is you can set the warn away zone, which only chirps the alarm, to be just outside the car by an inch or so. So If someone gets within an inch of the car, it'll chirp at them. Then the second zone is set just inside the car so if your window is rolled down, or a convertible top is down, it will go off, full alarm if someone reaches in. I take back what I said ealier Zex about the ignition controlled thing. I thought that was just for the lock/unlock, but that's for arm/disarm as well as lock/unlock. I don't like automatic arm/disarm with the ignition. That's typically called "Passive Arming" and when it's on, it's on and on some alarms you can't arm or disarm with the remote when "passive arming" is enabled. Now if it were just a keyless entry system, I'd say yeah, go for both, because you can. However, based on what I got from the info on that alarm, they're talking about passive arming versus active arming and usually you can only have one or the other. Passive sucks because when your car is off, the alarm is on, whether you want it to be or not, and that's just plain gay. That alarm has keyless entry and a 2nd channell output for a turnk release. All you need to make those work is a few relays, unless you already have power locks and power trunk with relays operating them. Then all you do is use the trigger wires from the alarm to operate the lock/unlock and trunk pop relays. Most OEM or aftermarket power lock and power trunk release setups don't use relays. I did when I did my truck, simply because I didn't know what amperage rating the switches I pulled out of a SUbaru had, so to play it safe, I used the switches to operate relays which themselves use very low amperage to operate, and kept all the power switching duty on the relays, which I knew had contact ratings of 20Amps continuous and 30Amps momentary.

 

[toolapcfan]

Probably what they're referring to is that the alarm has "onboard relays" which is basically built in relays for keyless entry. Now you'll have to check the specifics but usually these are simply trigger outputs. These outputs are 12Volts but are only capable of delivering so much amperage. They might not be able to handle the current draw of a pair or series of power lock motors. So you still might have to use a couple relays seperate from the alarm/KE to lock and unlock. The trigger wires from the alarm/KE will only trigger the relays which will in turn do the switching of power to lock/unlock, since they're capable of higher current draw across their contacts. Now, that Autoloc setup you were looking at for $225, that included a pair of central door lock actuators, so that setup either has onboard relays capable of operating the actuators directly, or the setup comes with a pair of external relays that you'll hook up to do that. But most systems don't come with actuators like that one did, that's the first I've ever seen like that. So yes, you are going to have to buy seperate door lock actuators if your car doesn't have them already. Only that autoloc setup has everything you'd need, but you can do the same setup for 1/4 of their price, you'll just have to piece it together. I can help you do that. Zex, did you talk to Ryan at Spal? What kit was for $110? Was it a 2 door power window kit, and did it come with 2 or three switches, or none? (Being 2 for the drivers door to operate both windows and one on the passengers side for that window) Or was it a 4 door kit, with or without switches? Oh yeah, and my name is Rob.

 

[toolapcfan]

Ok Zex, so you do have a 2 door then, don't you? I talk to so many people I forget who's driving what. The only thing I don't like about that Commando alarm is that the shock sensor is on board. It's nice to have external sensors because you can mount them in more sensative/less sensative spaces and they are easier to adjust that way as well. Something funny about alarms is that even if they don't have starter disable, you can use the siren output to operate a relay to accomplish that task. You can also use it to operate as many relays as you want, to kill the fuel pump, the ECU, whatever. Yeah, $40 isn't too bad for a 2 door central lock setup, that's what I'm going to buy. I know the switches sound expensive but that's actually not too terrible considering what new OEM ones would cost. I'm going to get the illuminated push/pull 3 switch setup to run my power windows. I'll probably use OEM window motors though, depends on how cheap I can get them. $120 is too rich for my blood, especially since you're not getting switches with that. I've seen that kit for $90 before. If you can get the assholes to mail you a catalog, Yoni Distributors Inc. 1-800-966-4213 is where I saw the 2 door spal window kit for $90, they have the 2 door central lock setup for $20, trunk release for $11. Yoni has a $100 minimum order though. Regardless, when you're ready to buy any of the stuff that they are buying from Spal, call Ryan at Spal and see what they cost, because they'll sell them to you direct and I'm willing to bet it's cheaper than what Slickcar or Yoni will sell them to you for. Negative output for the door locks means it creates a ground instead of sending out positive voltage. Since you don't have factory power locks it really doesn't matter what outputs for locks the alarm has, you can make it work either way.