# Installed Viper Remote Starter. Works great! WRITE UP



## nismoweapon (Jul 18, 2002)

I'll be moving into a towne house this fall that doesn't have an attached garage. I had a remote start in my old '97 GXE so I decided it was time to put one in the '99 SE-L. My main concern was that the SE-L has a factory security system with starter kill and passive arming. I work in a race shop and do mostly electronic work so I wasn't one bit worried about finding the wires and splicing them, but rather just interfacing with the OE alarm. I talked to the guys at Esoteric Sound and Performance in Berea, OH. If you want car audio and customization work done right the first time, you go to ESP! They assured me that installing the Viper 791VX 2-way LCD system in my car would be no problem at all. These systems are normally for professional installation only but I guess my work on $250,000 racecars qualifies me as a pro.

DO NOT TRY TO INSTALL A REMOTE START SYSTEM IF YOU HAVE LIMITED OR NO EXPERIENCE WITH AUTOMOTIVE WIRING SYSTEMS! This is not the same as just putting in an aftermarket stereo. It'd be pretty easy to start an under dash fire when dealing with 20+ AMP circuits. Also, if you can't use a DVOM or don't even know what one is, forget about this whole project. DO THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK. I'M NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR MISTAKES IN THIS WRITE-UP.

After comparing the quick reference sheet from Directed's website and the '97 (remember I'm installing this in a '99) I found some minor differences. Here's my tips for anybody installing a system in a SE, SE-L, or SE-R, or any other B14 with a factory keyless and security system.

1- Forget trying to locate the wires for the door locks and trigger switches in the kick panel. There's not nearly enough wire there to work with. Instead splice the factory arm, factory disarm, lock, unlock, and door trigger switches at the Body Control Module. It is located between the steering column and heater box.

2- Nissan uses 2 start wires coming off the ignition switch. There's only 1 start wiring coming out of the Viper's relay box. DISCONNECT THE BATTERY FROM THE CAR. Then connect one lead of a DVOM to the RED wire which is the +12V feed into the ignition switch. Test all the other leads for resistance to see which are which. You'll find one that only closes in the start position. Wire the start wire from the relay box to this. Then splice a lightweight wire (18ga) to the coil side of a 30amp relay and ground the other side of the coil to a common ground. Next test for the connection on the ignition switch that has ~270ohms in ACC, ~215ohms in RUN, and ~0ohms in START. Use the relay to switch this wire. Both start wires are required to start the car but DO NOT simply splice them together. USE A RELAY TO SWITCH THE SECOND.

3- Wire everything under the dash that you can. I only ran 3 wires through the firewall. The positive feed to the siren, hood switch ground lead, and the positive feed for the entire system. Be sure to use a fuse as close to the battery as possible! I wired the grey hood kill switch into the factory one. The switch grounds one lead when the hood is opened. I can't remember the color so just test it with a DVOM so see which is switched.

4- The easiest way to get at a tach wire is simply by removing the instrument cluster and splicing it back there. Check your service manual for the wire color.

5- I wired the positive wire for the parking lights into the combination switch connector in the steering column. I found this easier than trying to work behind the fuse box.

6- Removing the driver's seat so you can lay on your back to work under the dash makes things MUCH easier.

I hope this helps somebody. These suggestions should work for almost any remote start system. Be sure that anything you buy has the ability to disable a factory alarm system without unlocking the doors. The Directed (Viper, Clifford, etc.) systems are some of the few that do.


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