Intelistart not working

Hi guys

It's getting fairly cold now and I need to be warming the car up in the mornings. Problem is that the intelistart has stopped working???

I can't remember exactly when it stopped but I'm thinking it might coincide with when I changed the wirring on the rear lights?

has anyone else had similar problems with remote start on Clifford type alarms? Can you suggest a fix?

Rob

If its a manual, are you able to set it ok? e.g push the buttons and get out the car with the engine still running etc?

It's an Auto N/A

It used to work fine, but now the lights come on as if it's gonna start but then just go off again - same as if the car was in gear.

I had to have my crank timing redone on the intellistart unit with a laptop when it stopped working, there's loads of people who have it doesnt take long to plug in and set up

Chris

ah, my mate has the Clifford software on his laptop. I wouldn't have a clue how to change the crank timing though...

I thought it might have something to do with the new wirring for the rear lights as I now have the afterburner style lights and the reversing/fog light conversion.

I was gonna try changing the wirring back to the original tonight just to see if it works...

Does it work if you set it before switching the car off ?

You mean hitting the remote start button while the engine is running with the keys in the ignition?

I've not tried that. I'll give it a go.

No don't do that.

On mine to get the remote start option you have to press a key then when you turn the car off and go to restart it the intellistart works. But if i don't prime it as above it wont do it the time after that (if that makes sense)

I'm sure mine used to beep or something when it was primed correctly, does it do anything along those lines?

Shouldn't need to 'prime' an auto. My guess is that the Intellistart is 'seeing' a low voltage feeding back through the new tail lights instead of a clean 0v.

I assume the alarm doesn't chirp on arming any more than twice?

Na, I've never needed to prime it. Just hit the button and it starts.

The alarm just chirps twice on lock and once on unlock.

that's what I was thinking... Maybe it thinks i've got my foot on the brake because the lights have been rewired, alternatively it could be because I'm using one of the reversing lights as a fog light??? still can't see why it would have a charge through it though...

On my last car the same thing happened after an engine rebuild, I was told it needed to be reprogrammed by a clifford engineer....

Na, I've never needed to prime it. Just hit the button and it starts.

 

The alarm just chirps twice on lock and once on unlock.

 

that's what I was thinking... Maybe it thinks i've got my foot on the brake because the lights have been rewired, alternatively it could be because I'm using one of the reversing lights as a fog light??? still can't see why it would have a charge through it though...

Are the new lights LED's?

get the whole kit, leads and software of ebay. 35 quid, i use it all the time, you can change loads of stuff. its worth it.

Matt;

No, not LED's just standard J-Spec Lights re-wired to give the afterburner effect when braking and using one of the reversing lights as the fog...

i really want to ditch that for the version that uses the inner brake lights as the fog but given the dodgy wiring i've not dared to touch it yet

LouisJames;

Is that the rewire kit to make the inner brake lights into the fogs?

-------------- UPDATE -----------

just replaced the modified wiring with the original and the intelistart still doesn't work!

That's eliminated one possible cause. I think I need to speak to Clifford and see if they can suggest anything?

Has anyone else had problems with remote start?

The only two things that stopped mine working was

Interior door switch faulty causing the door open light to stay on.

Handbrake light not on,due to handbrake not applied.

also on mine the tailgate and bonnet switches are wired into intellstart, so if its showing that the door/bonnet or tailgate are open it won't start on the button.

Yeah, mines the same has to have total closure, boot, bonnet and doors... The handbrake has to be on too and it was...

Makes me think it's a technical problem with the intelistart unit?

For Intellistart to work on an auto, it needs to see the bonnet closed, and an earth, (return), on the brake light wire before it will even crank.

If it's cranking, it needs the crank time adjusted properly, and an RPM input programmed so that it 'knows' when the engine is running at idle speed.

Is it flashing the indicators? - If so, how many times? If it's flashing three times and not even attempting to crank, Its 'seeing' something wrong. Either a small amount of voltage from the brake lights, meaning you may have a high resistance earth connection at the rear lights, or it could be seeing an earth on the bonnet switch line, which could be corrosion on the bonnet pin switch itself causing just enough continuity to earth to mess up the intellistart. You can try disconnecting the bonnet switch to see if that makes any difference...

Thanks for the reply Matt

I just tried it and the indicators flash twice, the lights stay on for about 2 seconds and then go off again without trying to crank...

I do have issues with my bonnet closing properly... perhaps that could be the problem? Is it easy to disconnect the bonnet sensor?

I've just tried something to see if it's the bonnet not hitting the catch...

Opened the bonnet.

Held the switch down.

Locked the car.

Tried the remote start.

Still didn't work...

Doh... That means that the bonnnet is hitting the catch ok... could still be seeing an earth though so I'll have to try disconnecting it?

Do the ignition lights come on? Specifically the battery and Engine Management light?

Just tried starting the car with the intelistart while sat inside and none of the normal ignition lights come on??? they used to...?

Has anything happened to the ignition wiring ? - Turbo timer perhaps?

If you can make it to Phoenix in Watford on a Wednesday, I'm happy to have a look for you. Or if you fancy a drive to Kent one evening,(although that sounds cold, dark and possibly damp!)