© 2005 Directed Electronics, Inc.
3
Trouble Shooting v4-1
The vehicle runs – but
without the heater or air-
conditioner.
You are missing the 2
nd
(or 3
rd
) ignition wire or the accessory wire is not hooked up. Make sure the heater or air-
conditioner is left on when you leave the vehicle. On diesel vehicles – they may not come on for a few minutes until
after the vehicle is up and running.
I have poor range.
The antenna coax wire may be crimped, cut or otherwise damaged. Try the antenna both vertically and horizontally
to determine the best performance. Make sure the receiver unit has a good chassis ground. Note that the higher you
hold the transmitter off the ground when pushing the button – the further distance you will get from the system.
My vehicle has Passlock
I or II and I cannot get a
resistance reading.
Many meters have a known issue with measuring passlock. This is not a fault of the meter, the installer, or
the manufacturer. These issues can cause problems such as getting a consistent reading of the resistance,
or the reading may be artificially inflated. It is our belief that the mid-to-high-end meters seem to
experience more problems measuring passlock than less expensive digital meters.
One wire will have 0 volts - This is the wire you "tap" into-- we’ll call this WIRE #1 USUALLY BLACK
OR ORANGE/BLACK. One wire will have 5 volts or less- This is the wire you cut in half-- we'll call this
WIRE #2 USUALLY YELLOW. One wire will have aproximately 12 volts - This is the wire you leave
alone USUALLY WHITE OR BLACK/WHITE. With all PASSLOCK wires intact, turn the vehicle on
and bump the starter. Measure the voltage between the wire #1 and wire#2. Your meter should be set on
the 12 volt DC scale. RECORD THIS VOLTAGE. Without turning the key off - go ahead and separate
WIRE #2. Reconnect the Universal Alarm Bypass Module (Part #20402 or 29402) as described in the
installation manual with one exception - GROUND the wire that goes to the ignition 3 wire; you should
hear the bypass module click. Now measure the voltage between the ENGINE side of WIRE #2 and wire
#1. Your meter should be set on the 12 volt DC scale. Adjust the dip-switches and trim-pot on the bypass
module until the voltage being measured EXACTLY matches the recorded voltage obtained without the
module. Remove ground from the ignition 3 wire of the bypass module, turn the vehicle off and then
restart it. Look at the voltage again - and while monitoring it ground the ignition 3 wire of the bypass
again. If the module is set correctly the voltage should NOT change. Repeat again to verify - if you get
the same voltage every time then the module is set up perfectly. There is no chart to help you with this, it
is just trial and error -- but it will work regardless of the meter you are using.
Can I use the
DesignTech Transmitter
with other brands of
products?
NO. Due to proprietary technology DesignTech brand products will operate only with DesignTech brand
Transmitters. Likewise, a DesignTech transmitter will not operate another brand’s products.
The LED on the unit
flashes constantly
The alarm within the unit, if equipped (as are most units with 3 or 5 button remotes) may be armed, or the
unit may be in valet mode.
Make sure the wires going to the toggle switch are not broken, and that the toggle switch is on.
Reset the unit - See “Resetting all options to the factory setting” in the instructions
The LED remains
illuminated at all times
It is normal for the LED to glow dimly. This indicates the unit is receiving power.
If the LED is at full brightness then one of the push-buttons may have been depressed when you applied
power, the LED may be plugged into the wrong jack, or something may be wrong within the unit.
The starter stays
engaged for 6 seconds.
If the unit is in tach mode – make sure the tach wire is properly connected and receiving the correct tach
rate.
If using the “No-Tach” method, make sure the unit is not programmed for tach mode, extended crank, or
super crank.
Make sure you have the correct start wire connected - the start wire in the vehicle should have 12 volts
only when the key is in the start position.
Some vehicles such as Toyotas and Nissans, experience a starter feedback problem. Try temporarily
isolating the start wire from the key switch to identify this problem - simply cut the start wire in half
between the connecting point of the units start wire and the key switch. Get Installation Note #133 from
off our web-site or Fax On Demand.
How will I know if I
need a relay?
If the output is labeled as a “+12 relay output” the unit contains a relay on that output - and you will only
need to use a relay if the vehicle requires a negative output.
If the output is labeled a “400ma Transistor Ground Output”, this means the unit supplies a ground up to a
maximum of 400ma. If more than 400ma is drawn through the output, the unit may shut down or it may
be damaged. Generally speaking, if the vehicle requires a ground and the unit supplies a ground you will
not need a relay. If the vehicle requires a positive and the unit supplies a ground, you will need to use a
relay. Likewise, if the vehicle requires a ground capable of more than 400ma you would need to use a
relay. See Installation Note 111, Basic Uses of the Relay from our web site or our Fax On Demand.
