I am considering buying an Intelliguard and installing it myself. I am reasonably comfortable with electronics as most of you know.. installed the PC and several other items in the car myself.

I have a wiring diagram of the car, and a dealer install manual for the Intelliguard.

What do you think?? Any tips? Criticisms?

 

I am sure that you can do it.

 

you could - but why? i don't see a stereo shop charging too much to install an alarm.

 

I don't let people touch my car anymore. I make small exceptions for the dealer.

Too many idiots and bad experiences. Plus it's an 8 hour install I'm told..

 

Since i don't think you will be able to save any money by doing a self install, I would have someone else do it. If you think there are headaches with dealing with installers, there are even more headaches doing it on your own. But if you have the time and the patience, go for it!!

 

I'm not trying to save money. I'm trying to save my car from being hacked up by a bunch of 16-year old idiots who drive Escorts.

 

hey.. watch it.. oh wait that doen'st apply to me..

i say find a good installer (person not shop) and then ask if he'll do a side job, and have u run the wires. that way he is in full sight, and u get to pay less. i can wire up a max now i think, but i wouldn't want to.. i did my alarm with a friend. btu it wasn't a side job thingy.

 

Anthony

Be advised this is a tedious install! I was a Clifford certified installer for the entire line of avant guard security systems. AG 1st gen through ag 4th gen. This system has lots of wires, actually tons of them. If you have more than 8 hours to spend on the install then go for it, when a customer purchased an avant guard system from our store we generally had them leave the car for 2 days. Only if it was a import, most domestic vehicles usually can be done in a single work day. This was to be positive that all functions and programmable devices worked properly. The Avant guard has 2 main control units and a seperate relay pack that handles all of the remote start functions and other relay required activity. I am a very picky person, especially while working on a customers 100k S500 or Range Rover not mention my own car. The shop I worked for while in college specialized in high end security and audio. And the store was not a huge chain or full of thug wannabe installers, it was only the owner, myself and 3 other installers. We had customers who would just drop off a car and tell us to do what we thought was best. Money was not a concern, the clientele knew that we were the best at what we did and they did not question it. If I can help with the install feel free to email me and I'll do what I can. I still have a few contacts at Clifford technical support. These guys can work miracles.

 

dude this is helpful input. i'll drop you an e-mail

thanks

 

I've installed a couple of keyless entry and remote start modules in 3rd gen Maxes, and an Altima.. The wiring in our cars is fairly simple, and goes pretty much by the book for standard wiring. no funky relay banks required for the door locks or anything. Just be sure to tap into the OEM security system (a couple wires to splice, no big deal)..

The Clifford stuff is quite a bit more tedious than a remote start I know.. But I've got an Intelliguard IQ700 in my Max that I had to hack apart a couple times to modify the functions (change acessory outputs and the like. trace down a failed starter cut relay, fix a shorted sensor wire after a bad body shop got hold of my car, etc)

Even without the install manual, it was a somewhat simple job if you know what you're and what to look for.

If you've got the brains to install a computer in your car, I wouldn't have a problem saying you can do an IG install by yourself. Personally I wouldn't want to touch a computer install, but I've got no problem reading the installation manual and dropping in an alarm.

The only other thing you'll probably have questions about are the two wire cold-start stuff on the remote start module- IF you have remote start in the alarm.. It's been a while and I'm not familiar with the current product lines.

But all you have to do there is wire a relay to the second starter wire that's triggered from the alarm's starter output. This obviously isolates the output wires from each other so the car still sees 2 input wires to the starter.

This was one of those things in bold print in the last book I read.. "If your car has 2 or 3 wire cold-start modes, call tech support for assistance".. So after spending 45 minutes ont he phone playing phone tag because I wasn't a shop installing it, one of them finally told me it was simply another relay to hook up.

so I guess that's about it.. I've rambled on enough. time to get back to studying for finals.

 

I think you have to do something about the chip in the key. I was shopping for alarms and they said they had a 'trick' for that (to bypass or simulate the key's chip).

 

one way to "bypass" the key is to take a chip out of one key, tape it to the side of the key cylinder and it'll work every time. another way is to buy a "key bypass module" those run around 60 bux or so. a spare key goes inside that module (box) and it has a relay built in it so every time you hit the remote start the relay clicks on then draws the frequency from the chip in the key, and then two wires come out and are looped around the key cylinder which emits the frequency into the key cylinder simulating a key with a chip in the key cylinder cranking the engine.. but the problem is, if a person that is familiar with alarm systems know u have remote start they can easily jack your car.

 

If I can install a remote start/unlock in my car, you can do this Ant.