Remote Starter Issues???

[Scupper]

2003 Saturn Vue 6 cylinder.

Meticulously cared for since purchased "brand new" from dealer, March 2003. 66,000 miles, serviced at dealer or reputable shop at required intervals.

Yes, it's my wife's vehicle. She had a remote start installed in 2010 from the local big box anything audio/video store. She had to return a couple of times to have adjustments made as to preform as specified.

Fast forward to this past July, 2011. Vehicle would not start. Towed to service shop. 2 days and 3 technicians inspecting and searching, vehicle restarted but no indication of what may have caused this. Recommend that the dealer look at it. Dealer tech's come up with no problems.

Early September, vehicle won't start. Acts as if it's flooded. I do some research as she calls the tow company. I come up with the idea to disconnect the battery, wait a little bit then reconnect. It started... Of course, I'm an instant genius. NOT! Cancel tow.

Mid November, cold night at work,(2nd shift) wife uses auto start. Vehicle did not start. I proceed to her place of employment and keep my fingers crossed that my little trick of disconnecting the battery will again work.

It did and the wife informs me that the Air Bag light and Service light have been on for a few weeks.

Vehicle was again inspected at service shop and also dealer as to the cause of this. They can find nothing and also cannot reset the lights to be off.

Last evening I received a call from the wife. Her car would not start. I grabbed my limited tools and proceeded to where they were.

I disconnected the battery, reconnected and it started.

Now short of leaving tools in her car and teaching her how to do this battery trick, Should she have the remote starter removed as this is something that I strongly suspect is causing this more and more frequent mystery/problem.

Viper brand is the remote starter.

Thanks for your thought's and knowledge...

Scott

[jmd1]

wonder if they tied into the hot wire for the ecu or some other wiring that might cause the interference. Can you find where the hot wire and ground are connected to the remote starter and take them off and see if the problem goes away?

[98prosport]

this problem has to be diagnosed in a more thorough way. when it goes into the no-start condition, that is when you need to find out what is not working. fuel, ignition?? it is either one or both, but this is the only way you will be able to determine exactly what is going on.

[Scupper]

I appreciate you fellah's taking the time to respond.

This "no start" condition is not predictable. The initial no start episode, we had the vehicle towed to reputable service center. It was in there possession for 2 days of diagnosing. They were stumped and suggested towing the vehicle to the dealer which they had been in contact with for advise. Upon reassembly and re-energizing system is when one of the techs gave the key a turn. It started and the vehicle was driven to the dealer for the day.

The representative from the dealership was for the most part professional in his dialog of not finding a problem. I was very humbled by his explanation and haven't a clue as to what he relayed to me/us.

I'm leaning towards finding where the auto start is connected and disconnecting the unit.

If anyone else has thoughts, please chime in.

Thanks again jmd1 and 98prosport.

Scott

[mnviking28]

I have installed ALOT of Astrostarts, never a Viper, but I have a feeling that it may be related to the security bypass in the car. No matter which brand you use, you have to bypass the security system in the car. There are a lot of ways to bypass the security systems on GMs. Depending on the type that they used, all of them are related to simulating a key in the ignition. If they have a defective bypass, it may not be activating every time you push the remote start button. Taking the battery power away may be resetting it. Also, it may be losing it's code if the battery is doing something funky, like having a loose plate in it. Some of the bypass units lose their code when the battery dies. They will regain it when the battery is hooked back up and the car is started with the key. Symptoms sound just like it. Only solution to that however, is to have the bypass replaced.

[Scupper]

Remote start system has been disabled for 2 weeks so we can determine if remote start system is defective.

Wife called me yesterday to come and do the battery disconnect/reconnect as it would not start. Got it started and drove it to the dealer. Lots of technical talk that is unintelligible to me and no conclusion as to what problem is or where to start.

Anyone have a starting point or suggestions. It's been a head scratch-er.

[Jeremy airjer W]

when it doesn't start is the security light flashing?

[Scupper]

Thanks for replying Jeremy.

To the best of her/our recollection, there is no security light flashing. She claims that no cluster lights illuminate and the fuel gauge does not register any fuel during this no start situation.

Following the battery disconnect/wait/reconnect and vehicle starting, the airbag light and service light continually illuminate. Service center and dealer could not reset lights and are receiving no indication of code, if that makes sense.

Thank you

Scott

[mnviking28]

Did they, by any chance, give you the installation manual for the unit after you picked it up? I am just wondering if they tapped into the ground for the ecu to pick up a tach pulse. If that connection has somehow rubbed through or didn't get sealed well enough, it may be grounding out, thus giving you no spark. You could check the wire that they have hooked to "tach" and see where it is.

[98prosport]

If you are still struggling with this issue, have determinred that it is not the remote start, then I would take a shot in the dark and put a crank sensor on it. I did some research that showed this as a type of "hard to figure" answer on other Vue's.

[Scupper]

Thanks for the reply's Fellah's.

It truly is more understandable information then we have received from any of the service folks that have looked at it.

We have disabled the remote start and the service techs are relatively confident that this (remote start) is not the cause of problem.

98prosport, I will mention your research to our service provider. Thank you for the information.

Scott

[Scupper]

Dealer has installed new computer. The only specific I know about the repair is that it cost just short of a grand.

After I suggested to my wife that the cost was less expensive then a new vehicle there has been a communication lull between us...

Will keep our fingers crossed and thanks for all the information.

Scott

[jmd1]

after thinking and rereading the posts again, i am leaning toward the ground to the ecu as the issue causing the computer to go bad. this is a problem with quick install places that they probe a wire and tap into vs using the schematic of the car to find the best connection points. use to deal with them on radio installs on fire trucks. worse one was they tapped into the ground for the allision tranny and would not start when needed. good luck,