Hopefully this thread will help someone else out who's contemplating installing a remote starter (and has never installed one before).

After significant planning, reading up on and understanding relays, understanding and mapping out the wiring diagram for the '97 Max, I successfully installed the remote starter in my '97 Max GXE. For those interested, here's a recap:

Hours invested: 8 (non-stop)
Most difficult part(s) of install:

1) finding good location in firewall to drill through and then drilling through it w/ traditional (non-right angle drill);
2) Contemplating aborting the mission before I figured out the HORN wire (green/white) is linked to the AIRBAG Yellow harness. I was very worried about even testing it with a voltmeter, but after a process of elimination (unplugged all other harnesses in steering column, and realized the horn still worked, then unplugged the airbag harness -- horn stopped working) I was able to figure it out.

Types of connections used:

soldered all connections to help me sleep at night; toyed with the idea of using those spiffy T-taps, but scrapped it when I realized how they could easily lose their quality of connection over time. I used an in-line wire stripper to tap into all wires, then split the loom of OEM wire, fed my RS wire through and twist tied it around -- then soldered -- the ULTIMATE connection. Then ultra-wrapped all connections with electr. tape

Easiest part of install:
Taking off necessary panels (kick panel, lower dash panel, etc) and accessing the necessary wires.

Voltmeter:

Used one for the first time, learned how to use it via google.com (some self-help sites) then went to work. I tested ALL wires to verify the wiring diagram was correct.

Relays:

Learned how to use relays at www.the12volt.com (AN AWESOME SITE FOR FIRST TIMERS for installing .. many different electrical products .. relays/diodes .. dummy-proof intro's to teach you what relays are, how they're used, etc. Then, then ALSO have this amazing forum where you can search other people's threads on various cars/equipment they've installed .. very very very very informative and therefore helpful.

Tach wire/Tach learning:

Finding the tach was a bit hair .. though the ECM is VERY accessible and easy to find. Taping into the white/green tach wire required a very fine/sharp blade to slowly and carefully remove the necessary wire coating so that I could attach my RS wire to it.

Tools needed (for my install, anyway):
1) Drill & drill bits to attach the firewall for wire access to the battery
2) couple automotive relays (avail. at Pepboys, autozone, walmart, etc), female connectors for the relay prongs (radioshack, any car store)
3) 12 guage wire
4) soldering iron, flux, solder
5) wire stripper (traditional or the in-line version .. in-line version avail. at Autozone for $10)
6) phillips screw driver, flat-head
7) blades -- exacto knife, razor blade, fine blade for stripping pesky 18 guage wires at ECM
8) Electrical tape, zip ties .. OH ZIP TIES .. HOW I LOVE THEE
9) split loom wire insulator .. real cheap at Home Depot .. $2.00 for 7 feet
10) Rubber GROMMET for the your hole that you drill in the firewall (real cheap .. about $1.50 at home depot for a 3/8" one)
11) Flashlight, another plug in-light source
12) SECOND PAIR OF HANDS WOULD BE LOVELY .. but it can be done without a second person, you just need a good light source to light some very difficult to illuminate areas, such as the area where the brake switch resides.
13) Wire cutters, pliers

Anyone is VERY welcome to PM me or email me with any questions for the '95-'99 Maxima install -- I'm very grateful to those who answered some of my questions online (not just this forum, but other forums... especially www.the12volt.com) so I'd like to give back as much as I can for you first-times (like I was).

Best of luck.

 

Good info. To add to it..

Dont be afraid to use T-taps. Ive been using them for about 15yrs and Never have had one come loose. If your using the right one for the wire you wont have problems. Not to mention if you do tap a wrong wire its easy to unplug-reconnect. I have however had cars come back to me that were soldered...cold solder joint broke,large solder drops with sharp tips broke through the tape,etc.. Both will work fine if you have the capability to do so. Typically solder will look neater as an end result, but far more time consuming and alot more work if you ever remove it.

As for your door triggers,trunk trigger,brake wire and parking lights they can all be done in the driver kick panel. No need to look or tap them elsewhere.

With a good reputable DMM or a CS testlight..no need to fear the airbag wires. Also never turn the key or start the car with airbags disconnected. You will get the light and the dealer needs to shut it off. OBDII scantools will not reset it.

 

Good info. To add to it..

Dont be afraid to use T-taps. Ive been using them for about 15yrs and Never have had one come loose. If your using the right one for the wire you wont have problems. Not to mention if you do tap a wrong wire its easy to unplug-reconnect. I have however had cars come back to me that were soldered...cold solder joint broke,large solder drops with sharp tips broke through the tape,etc.. Both will work fine if you have the capability to do so. Typically solder will look neater as an end result, but far more time consuming and alot more work if you ever remove it.

As for your door triggers,trunk trigger,brake wire and parking lights they can all be done in the driver kick panel. No need to look or tap them elsewhere.

With a good reputable DMM or a CS testlight..no need to fear the airbag wires. Also never turn the key or start the car with airbags disconnected. You will get the light and the dealer needs to shut it off. OBDII scantools will not reset it.

 

Double post FTL.

But good info nonetheless

 

Also .. www.the12volt.com has TONS of downloads for our Maxima's... wiring diagrams, schematics of our door lock systems (negative pulse .. double negative pulse to unlock, single neg. pulse to lock).

Thanks guys.

 

what kind of remote start did u use???

 

Actually, I did this by mistake during an install and was able to reset the blinking airbag light myself, using a method I found in the forums here. I don't recall exactly where I found it (4th gen faq I think) or what exactly I did. All I remember was it involved pushing the "door closed" sensor/pin switch like 7 or 8 times within a short time period after turning the key to acc or something like that. My memory ain't as good as it used to be. =/

 

Good info there, Ill have to remember it for future use just in case.

You do know memory is the second thing to go with old age right? :

 

Many thanks to the original poster - I *attemted* an install this evening and... put the car back together...

In a different thread, a user said that you could get many of the wires one would need for an alarm/keyless/remote start install at the BCM. The first wire I tried this with was a light green/red (door lock -). I tapped into the wire, and to test it, grounded the wire and expected the doors to lock - they didn't. So I took apart the driver door and tapped the same wire at the switch and grounded it - and it locked perfectly. Same for the hood pin - I tapped in at the BCM and expected a continuity to ground with the pin open- but didn't find there to be any continuity / resistance difference between pin open or closed...

I've installed many car stereos over the years, including in this car. (By the way, it's a 96 SE). I've also installed keyless entries and remote starts on other vehicles. But this one has me stumped.

I know the lock, unlock, and trunk pop wires I *could* get from the driver door - but one thing I haven't done is try to fish wires from door to interior (knowing that the existing loom is tight as it can get).

So - what *can* I get at the BCM? Was I testing wrong? If I have to get my stuff off the driver side door, is there an easy way to get aftermarket wires out of the door and into the interior? I have searched the forums and unless I'm guilty of a colossal over-look, I don't think there are any posts specifically related to how to use the BCM for alarms/remote starts.

Thanks in advance

 

Can't help you specifically with your issues on the wire colors, however I do know it is possible to get wires into your car from the door. Being a 4th gen, there is no molex plug between the door and the cabin. It takes a LOT of patience and wiggling, but you can get it through.

 

the locks you have to grab inside the door. spray some silicone in the boot from both sides, it really helps.. we use a giant zip tie to get the wires through, if you can find something similar, it will help big time.

the unlock on our 4th gens requires a double pulse. tap the ground twice and it should unlock.

I never run hood pins, whats the point on a remote starter?? just cut the wire off...

lock: lt green/red
unlock: green/yellow... both are in drivers door.

you can get the trunk pin and the hood pin at the BCM, thats about it. you can get trunk release in the kick panel.. just make sure you run a relay, as its a high current wire..

trunk: purple/yellow
hood pin:yellow/black

 

Thank you both, Mendon99 & djfrestyl...

Being a big fella at 6'3" and with not exactly bean pole arms, I know I can get the wires out of the door at the rubber boot, but how do I get them *in* at the car-side enough to be able to pull them the rest of the way in? On the inside of the car in the area of the fuse panel it's awful cluttered in there... I was thinking maybe one of those giant zip ties like Mendon99 suggested - does one have to remove the door to make this whole process easier?

Re the pins, I agree if it were just a remote start, but it is an alarm/rs/ke - so I'd kind of like that feature there as well.

Again, thanks to any and all that post replies - I love this place!

 

Clearmind...

If you can't find your solution here -- try the forums at www.the12volt.com under "car security and convenience."

As far as my '97 -- years ago I had Best Buy install a Blackwidow keyless entry system in it -- and whatever they did to tap the lock/unlock wires (dunno if they opened the door, or found another wire at the kickpanel) .. I just tapped their wires off the black widow when I implemented the Ultrastart doorlock wires. Made it tons easier -- i just had to add a couple relays and set my Ultrastart to double (-) pulse for door unlock and I was set.

Wish I could help out more.

 

Could someone explain the hood pin to me again? I thought it was to disable the remote starter feature if the hood was open so the engine wouldn't start if someone was working on the engine.

 

PeterUbers -
I'll take a stab at your answer...
The hood pin, in the case of a remote-start, is *supposed* to be a safety feature in that, if somebody inadvertently hit the remote start button on the remote while the hood was open and car being worked on, the RS wouldn't work. Generally in RS this wire is not used - it's simply unnecessary (if the tech is dumb enough to hit the RS while working on it, he ought not be working on cars). The hood pin does, though (usually) go ground (negative) when *opened* - meaning - hood open, negative ground loop completed. This pin *is* useful in alarms - if the hood is opened (eg, theif wanting to cut pos or neg wires to disable an alarm, etc) - then ground is thrown and alarm sounds.

 

that is what its for.. if someone's working on the car, or if the hood's open it wont start at all - but when someone is working on the car, just tell the mechanic to disconnect the battery.. or pull the main fuse for the rs, whatever.

It's just a pain to run them, maybe not if you tap a stock hood pin, but the ones that come in RS kits ALWAYS fail.

 

also, yeah you'll prolly want to take the door panel off, speaker out... it will be much easier.

 

Mendon - only the door panel or the entire door? That may seem like a goofy question, but I can't see a very easy way to re-conceal the wires you add to the factory set between the door and the sill... i can see how to get the wires out of the door boot and into the car, but I'd obviously want to loom them or tape them to the existing set, but that'd be a tough sell given the room to work with between the door and the body without taking off the door (i'd think).

 

the whole door panel - its really easy.

take out the following:
-screw in door handle (the non-movable one)
-2 screws underneath door
-trim around door handle (moveable one), screw behind it
-window/lock switches and trim (same peice pry from the front of the car)

then it just pulls away from the metal door

 

Mendon -
I had no trouble with the door panel - found a post on here that was SUPER informative, pictures and all... But the part of getting wires into the interior of the car is the sketchy part - I'm assuming I'll be best to poke through the boot on both sides then tape or loom the addon wires around the existing group of wires - but that'll be way hard with big hands and a tight space between the door and sill...