For those using a keyless push button starter switch, what switch are you using?
Push Button Starter Switch
- Thread starter Papa T
- Start date
VW Touareg/Phaeton, with the bezel painted in body color, and the internal LED illuminated when the car can be started (i.e., when security is OFF).
I had a cheap starter switch that kept getting stuck. Nuked it for the Ford GT switch. A bit pricey now but zero problems:
Ignition Starter Switch Motorcraft SW 6176 Fits 05 06 Ford GT | eBay
Ignition Starter Switch Motorcraft SW 6176 Fits 05 06 Ford GT | eBay
I'll let you know how it works out, but my start button came with the security system: Top Smart PKE Car Alarm System w Remote Starter Push Start Touch Password Entry | eBay
After 6 months and 60 (I counted them) emails, I am giving up on the alarm system I posted about, above.
A quick summary of the experience included:
1) Seller concluded the alarm unit was faulty. Sent the unit back. They never received it. Paid a reduced price for a new unit to be tested and sent to me.
2) New unit still didn't work. Further testing pointed to a potentially faulty HF antenna. A replacement was sent to me. This fixed the arming/disarming problems.
3) Now with an alarm system that would arm/disarm, two new problems were identified: i) When disarmed, the unit would chirp about a dozen times whenever the door was opened and (ii) the "alarm" sound consisted of short "chirps", about 0.5 seconds apart. It appears they are pulsing the voltage output in a way appropriate for an arming or disarming sound, but not for an attention-getting alarm sound. After much back and forth, I have reached the conclusion that this is simply a programming oversight in the alarm module.
It has been 24 hours since I emailed the seller that I am pulling their alarm back out of my car. They are normally quite responsive, but I have not heard back, so I am proceeding to order one of these: http://www.digitalguarddawg.com/automobiles-trucks/ikey-keyless-go-systems/ikey-2go-keyless-ikey-rs which are on sale this month for 50% off the regular $700 price tag. Hopefully this one will install a little more smoothly . . .
A quick summary of the experience included:
1) Seller concluded the alarm unit was faulty. Sent the unit back. They never received it. Paid a reduced price for a new unit to be tested and sent to me.
2) New unit still didn't work. Further testing pointed to a potentially faulty HF antenna. A replacement was sent to me. This fixed the arming/disarming problems.
3) Now with an alarm system that would arm/disarm, two new problems were identified: i) When disarmed, the unit would chirp about a dozen times whenever the door was opened and (ii) the "alarm" sound consisted of short "chirps", about 0.5 seconds apart. It appears they are pulsing the voltage output in a way appropriate for an arming or disarming sound, but not for an attention-getting alarm sound. After much back and forth, I have reached the conclusion that this is simply a programming oversight in the alarm module.
It has been 24 hours since I emailed the seller that I am pulling their alarm back out of my car. They are normally quite responsive, but I have not heard back, so I am proceeding to order one of these: http://www.digitalguarddawg.com/automobiles-trucks/ikey-keyless-go-systems/ikey-2go-keyless-ikey-rs which are on sale this month for 50% off the regular $700 price tag. Hopefully this one will install a little more smoothly . . .
Why bother with the complexity of another alarm and start button layered over the Infinitybox system when the Infinitybox system already does all of that?
You can add a tilt sensor, an alarm siren, etc to the Infinitybox system for next to nothing. Then it all works from one system, integrated with the rest of the car.
I'm mostly interested in the keyless proximity system. I really dislike having to use a physical key. The guarddawg system referenced above allows you to unlock and lock your car based on how close you are.
Question for folks who are using the door actuator systems - how do you disarm your system and arm the door actuators so the car knows whether it's an authorized driver vs someone messing with your car?
On my car, the door switches are enabled only when the car security is off (meaning I pressed the fob unlock button, or unlocked it using a button on the tablet/phone app).
Re the key, you don't need a key with either system, but both systems use a fob with buttons to control locking and unlocking. The Infinitybox fob has 4 buttons, which can be combined for more functions. The DD looks like it has lock and unlock. Or does the DD just auto lock and unlock as you depart and approach?
Aside from the nice choice of start buttons, and possibly the passive lock and unlock (?) I still don't see the benefit.
The DD locks and unlocks based on proximity to the fob. It's all about the convenience of having the proximity keyless entry for me - I really don't like having to pull anything out of my pocket.
I haven't looked into the upgrades available from infinitybox, what's the approx upgrade cost for basic security system add on? I think the factory system is everything you need to make the car run, but enhancements like alarm are additional cost?
I haven't looked into the upgrades available from infinitybox, what's the approx upgrade cost for basic security system add on? I think the factory system is everything you need to make the car run, but enhancements like alarm are additional cost?
The Infinitybox comes with a basic alarm functionality built in. You can add a siren (or get it reprogrammed to use the horn), tilt sensors, door switches, etc. so you have whatever options you want. By default, when security is on, the ignition is disabled, like a traditional alarm. The alarm part is integrated with the fob, so you can turn it on or off from that.
In fact, keeping it simple and cheap, you could add a RFID proximity reader to the Infinitybox system, thereby getting the passive arm and disarm you want, while keeping the rest of the alarm logic integrated with the rest of the electrical system.
If I were doing mine over again, I'd look into using the NFC capability built into most modern smartphones. Then your phone is the key- just have it near the reader to arm or disarm the system, tied into an input on the Mastercell.
Well . . . if a shock sensor, siren, etc. are available from Infinitybox, that is news to me. I just checked their website and don't see anything like that listed in their Accessories section. I ordered the third party system because I didn't see anything from Infinitybox that would provide the following:
1) Passive alarm/disarm
2) Siren
3) Shock sensor
4) Door opening alarm
The Remote start capability comes with the Gard Dawg unit, but I'm not sure if I am going to enable it or not.
If all these capabilities are available with the Infinitybox for less than the $350 I paid for the Guard Dawg system, then I guess I didn't get the least expensive solution.
While it might seem a bit odd, I am actually keeping a keyed door lock. If for some reason an electric door opening system ever fails (bad ground on control unit, dead battery, etc.), I would be concerned about getting into the car without damaging it. For cars with a rear, keyed hatch or something, it wouldn't be such a problem, but on our cars, if the doors don't open, the rear decklid won't be opening, either. I guess you can hide a manual release cable somewhere in the wheel well, but that seems like an easy defeat for a thief with even a little bit of imagination.
On a related note, I am also in the process of testing a GPS locator system that works by calling it on your cellphone and it responds with a text message containing the cars last known coordinates and a link to Google Maps. It comes with a self contained battery that lasts for 4 months (in the call and respond mode) and charges from the car's electrical system . . I'll report back once there are some conclusions from the testing.
You can get the siren, shock sensor, and door pins in the aftermarket- there are lots of places, including eBay, with a great selection of them.
The passive arm/disarm is done as suggested above with some kind of NFC or similar key and receiver connected to an input on the mastercell.
I'm not suggesting that using the DD is a bad idea at all- I know at least one builder who has it or something similar and likes it. Just that there is a lot of functionality built into the base system that is sometimes not understood, and so not exploited.
And I understand completely about a mechanical way to enter and exit the car!
Dave - eagerly awaiting your results, I was a bit iffy at full price but at half price a well sorted system sounds like a winner for me. It's a bit crazy to me that Audi charges ~700 for passive key entry (though I'm sure the capacitive touch handles are part of the cost). For cars like these I think the PKE system is almost mandatory, seems really 90s tech to pull your fob out and press the button any more. A bit of my own bias coming through here, don't mind me.
I looked into some of the NFC systems available and the range is on the order of about 4-5 inches between receiver and chip, not really practical for a car application.
I also plan to go with a keyed handle. I was originally planning to go electric actuator but decided against opting for the gas strut option. Bill put out a great video explaining how to modify the Miata handle for locking capability.
I looked into some of the NFC systems available and the range is on the order of about 4-5 inches between receiver and chip, not really practical for a car application.
I also plan to go with a keyed handle. I was originally planning to go electric actuator but decided against opting for the gas strut option. Bill put out a great video explaining how to modify the Miata handle for locking capability.
Following up on my earlier post:
The Guard Dawg system is installed. It took about a day, re-using some of the existing wiring, but much of the wiring was new, as the architecture was different from the prior alarm system.
The short story: Everything works (caveat: I haven't actually activated/tested the remote start; not sure if I want to use it or not, but I'm pretty sure it would work if I enabled it).
The longer story:
1) The siren that is included with the kit is pretty wimpy. If you intend to use a Siren, suggest getting an aftermarket one from eBay or someplace. If you use the car horn (as I did), then you don't need a siren.
2) The horn/siren output from the alarm system is a ground path output. This means that you will need a relay to trigger +12v to the car horn. You will also probably want to protect the ISIS (if you have one) with a diode. Not sure if this is necessary or not, but the diode will stop +12v from travelling back up the wiring into the ISIS system. The diode I used was this one: TVs Diodes Transient Voltage Suppressors 1 5KW 12V Unidirect 1 Piece | eBay There may be better ones out there; I don't know much about electronic components and diode requirements.
3) The alarm system is intended to output lots of amperage for the accessory power circuit feed. If you have an ISIS system, you don't need all this amperage and in fact, all you need is a ground path to trigger the ISIS to supply accessory voltage. To do this, I connected the +12v output from the alarm to an ISIS inline Inverter inVERT Mini This is really just an expensive relay, but it is convenient because it is inline.
4) The alarm system outputs +12v to flash the parking lights. I used another Inverter for this to tap into the parking lights ground path from the steering column to the ISIS.
5) I ordered the OEM style of transmitter, so a key could be connected to it. The standard transmitter is a card style without provision for a key ring.
The Guard Dawg system is installed. It took about a day, re-using some of the existing wiring, but much of the wiring was new, as the architecture was different from the prior alarm system.
The short story: Everything works (caveat: I haven't actually activated/tested the remote start; not sure if I want to use it or not, but I'm pretty sure it would work if I enabled it).
The longer story:
1) The siren that is included with the kit is pretty wimpy. If you intend to use a Siren, suggest getting an aftermarket one from eBay or someplace. If you use the car horn (as I did), then you don't need a siren.
2) The horn/siren output from the alarm system is a ground path output. This means that you will need a relay to trigger +12v to the car horn. You will also probably want to protect the ISIS (if you have one) with a diode. Not sure if this is necessary or not, but the diode will stop +12v from travelling back up the wiring into the ISIS system. The diode I used was this one: TVs Diodes Transient Voltage Suppressors 1 5KW 12V Unidirect 1 Piece | eBay There may be better ones out there; I don't know much about electronic components and diode requirements.
3) The alarm system is intended to output lots of amperage for the accessory power circuit feed. If you have an ISIS system, you don't need all this amperage and in fact, all you need is a ground path to trigger the ISIS to supply accessory voltage. To do this, I connected the +12v output from the alarm to an ISIS inline Inverter inVERT Mini This is really just an expensive relay, but it is convenient because it is inline.
4) The alarm system outputs +12v to flash the parking lights. I used another Inverter for this to tap into the parking lights ground path from the steering column to the ISIS.
5) I ordered the OEM style of transmitter, so a key could be connected to it. The standard transmitter is a card style without provision for a key ring.
