Everything went fine with the install. It took FOREVER but it all works ok. The problem is with the tach. First off, it's a 96 SE with a DEI Sidewinder 6500 alarm/remote start. The DEI page (http://www.ee.utulsa.edu/~mblehm/faq/wiring_info/ site is currently down) said the Tach wire was Red/Black (I think, I can't check the site right now), but 2 other print outs I got (one from http://www.the12volt.com/request/95maxima.asp and one from somewhere else) said the Tach wire was White/Green. I hooked it up to the Red/Black because that's what the DEI page said. We even checked it with an RPM capable multimeter and it seemed to be working ok but it showed some weird numbers on the multimeter but it was variable with the RPMs. So I did the whole Tach Learn thing and it only took a second or two for it to learn it. At first, we had the alarm setup to monitor the Tach. So we set the alarm to do a 1.6 second start up and when we would engage it, it would only hit start for a fraction of a second, then stop and try to restart only to do it again. So then we used the jumper to make the tach learn more sensitive and then re-learned it, but it did the same thing. So we changed Check Tach to Check Voltage. This seemed to work fine. We had to change it to Low voltage check, but it worked out. Then after driving for a while, I tested it again, and it would start, wait 2-5 seconds, then die and try to start again. But when it has been sitting a while, it works fine. The only thing I can think of is when the car is hot, it instantly idles at lower RPMs, giving a lower voltage on that Red/Black wire. And when it's been sitting, it idles higher for a little while as it warms up. So the voltage is too low when it starts up and doesn't have to warm up.

Which wire do I need to use for the Tach, the Red/Black or the White/Green? If it's the Red/Black, do you think I need to use a relay with a diode to power this voltage sensor?

Thanks...

 

It IS white with green at the ECM. Middle row, 7th in from left. ECM is located front of center console above the trans hump passenger side. If you remove the black cover there it is easily accesible. This comes directly from DEI Techsoft. This is the correct one as I have done many Maximas including my own.

Nothing is required, but a T-tap into it.

Leave your crank time in the default setting, and make sure you connect the cold start wire. You need a relay to add second ignition, if you havent already done so. Cold start is Green/black or Red/Blue depending on which side of the ignition harness you are looking at. Test all wires before making connections!

BTW Omega software gives the same info.

--Don

 

Thanks for the information. Could you possibly take a screen shot of the 96 Max page on Techsoft and post or e-mail it to me. The URL I posted before has a Techsoft page, but obviously it's older.

There are 2 ignition wires, and 2 starter wires. The alarm can output up to 3 ignition voltages, but only one starter. So we relayed off the only starter wire and hooked it up to the second and it works just fine.

I'll fix the Tach wire this afternoon, but what is the cold start wire? I don't remember anything about this in DEI's manual or anything... Thanks again...

 

DEI refers to it as the second starter. As far as sending the info, I would not know how. It is not on any sort of website, it is actually software on my computer. It will not let me copy and paste it. If you have access to a fax machine , then I can fax it to ya

--Don

 

Thanks for the info Don. I can't remember the color of the second start wire we hooked up, but I know we tested the 2 wires and relayed them both off the start wire from the alarm. I'm going to fix the Tach wire today after work.

 

Okay... I tapped the White/Green wire (oh god it was horrible) and reset the Tach. It still didn't work. When it was set to detect Tach and not voltage, it wouldn't even try to start. It would turn everything on, act like it was going to start, then shutdown. A shutdown diagnostics revealed 3 pulses, Low RPMs or no RPMs. But the car didn't even turn over. So I reprogrammed it to detect voltage and it works just fine, both cold and hot. The only thing I'm worried about, is if the car doesn't start for some reason, the car might still detect voltage on the wire and keep all the accessories in the car on, running down the battery. Oh well... I'll attack that if and when it happens.

All in all, I'm pleased with the alarm/remote start. I also have a new found respect for installers.

Thanks again Don...

 

Not a problem, glad I could help (kinda). Im not sure what is actually going on with the remoe start, but it is Definately that wire. Either way Im glad you got it to work for ya/

At least someone finally has some compasion for us installers!

--Don

 

Well... I reset the jumper on the brain back to normal setting vs. sensitive. I could have set it back to sensitive and I'm pretty sure that would have worked, but it was over 100 degrees and 100% humidity and I was drenched within 20 mins. Needless to say, I was not about to tear down the dash one more time to switch that jumper, especially when the voltage setting works.