Quality Workmanship

[Odin]

Ever since I bought my car in February I have been having problems with the alarm. It works intermittently. I figured I had a loose connection somewhere. It didn’t bother me too much and figured I would eventually get around to fixing it. Then the other day I was adjusting the steering wheel after my wife had been driving the car, and the air bag light came on. So I moved the steering wheel in and out a couple of times and the light went off. This didn’t seem to be a very good thing to me and I assumed it was another loose connection. Today I got under the dash and found a rat’s nest of wires. I couldn’t believe how sh!^^y of a job someone did installing the alarm. Also my car apparently had XM radio at one time. Someone hard wired a DC power converter (the kind you plug into the cigarette lighter) under the dash.

On the alarm “brain” there was a connector that was half way loose, which cleared up the intermittent alarm problem. The reason the air bag light was coming on is because the alarm wires were routed across the wires that go to the steering wheel. When the steering wheel was pulled out (towards the driver) it would pull on the wires going to the steering wheel.

I rerouted all of the wires and removed the XM power supply. Everything works now.


Rats nest


XM power supply in


XM power supply out


I also found these wires cut. Does anyone know what they do? These go to the ignition kill key?


I also found this card under the drives seat. I wonder if he was the previous owner. Does anyone know him? I wonder if he is the guy who wired this crap. If so I would like to meet him.

[HemiLover]

Call Randy! His number is right on the card!!

That's scary man....good thing the airbag didnt go off!

[ildcide]

nothing like bad work. Personally after finding the wired car charger for the xm, i would scout the rest of the car for more mess. hopefully there is nothing else lurking under your dash or carpet..

[SmoovC]

Boy, I tell you. We get alot of calls from local Dealers about cars that won't start, door locks acting wierd, etc. It is simply amazing what shortcuts some installers will take!

[Odin]

Do you know where I could find a wire list that would identify all the wires? There were tuns of splices under the dash and I couldn't really tell what went to what. As soon as find out what it all goes to I'm giong to pull it all out. Except for the alarm, and I might re-do it. I can't even tell what kind of alarm it is. There are no markings on the brain.

I think I will call him tomorrow at work.