[HOW-TO:] Car Security

[suspendedHatch]

This thread is locked to keep it clean so I can add to it. Reply in this thread: http://www.honda-tech.com/zerothread/1794937 -- -- -- CAUSE FOR ALARM VERSION 7 -- -- -- http://causeforalarm.thecarthing.com...on7/index.html PLEASE DON'T PM ME. START A NEW THREAD WITH YOUR QUESTION. And before you start a new thread, please SEARCH. Not just Honda-Tech, but Google as well. Struggle for a few hours. Think about it. Ask your neighbor/uncle/cat. If you haven't found the answer by then, this might be over your head. Don't PM me. DO NOT PM ME UNLESS IT'S SOMETHING SPECIFIC ABOUT MY WRITEUP ie. "Your diagram is wrong", or "you used the wrong 'their'". And finally, "if they really want it, they'll get it." There, I said it. Now I never want to see it again. It's not advice. It's fatalism. Might as well shoot yourself because we're all going to die someday. Comprehensive Car Security These how-to's show you how you can secure your Honda/Acura 99.9% from theft. TABLE OF CONTENTS What Doesn't Work What Works How To Solder How To Crimp Kill Switch version 1-3 Engine Bay Start Kills starter "What Is A Relay?" Remote Start vs. Stealth Install Sensors Battery Backup Module "What Is A Diode?" Re-route Hood Release Cable Example Of A Typical Alarm Install REPLY 1 Stealth Alarm Install REPLY 2 Console Install for cars with four doors REPLY 3 Example Of A Fuel Kill Switch Install What doesn't work Here is a list of car security strategies that can't be relied upon for various reasons. Some of these strategies are viable visual deterrents, but if they're inconvenient, high in cost, or simply ineffective, they made the list. If I keep coming across posts that say "help, my car got stolen even though I ---.", that --- made the list. Ravelco Removing ECU Removing Fuses/Relays Removing plug wires/distributor cap Removable steering wheel Club-like devices Starter kill chip Standard alarm install Factory alarm Factory immobilizer Factory steering wheel lock Any type of switch/chip/start kill device that is: A) visible B) connected to the ignition harness Praying Ignorance Having an ugly exterior "If they really want it, they'll get it." What works Tracking device ie. Lojack, Viper 210V Stealth installed Alarm Battery backup, hood pin, hidden siren Additional sensors ie glass breakage, tilt, motion/proximity Kill switch Garage Staying low-key Parking in a safe area Avoiding car shows and meets How To Solder Tools/Supplies Soldering iron, 100 watts (Sears or Radio Shack) Heat Gun if using heat shrink (any, Harbor Freight is fine) Strippers Solder, .040 heat shrink tubing (not Radio Shack) or electric tape* *good electric tape is stretchy Strip the insulation back about half an inch. If you are using heat shrink, slip a half inch segment over one of the wires and slide it out of the way. Put the wires together at an X, then twist the wires together so that they're connected inline with the rest of the wire. Heat up the soldering iron, and put a thin coat of solder at the tip. AFTER the iron is hot and melts the solder instantly on contact, put the tip of the iron beneath the wire and heat it for a couple of seconds. The wire itself will now melt the solder and soak it up into the strands. You touch the solder to the wire, not the iron. Too little solder is better than too much. Heat the heat shrink over the connection or wrap it tightly in electric tape. If you're using electric tape, pull the electric tape tightly until it begins to stretch, then wrap. Only electric tape will work. Other kinds of tape, ie duct tape, will actually conduct electricity. At the very least, they will fail to insulate the connection which is the whole purpose of the tape to begin with. How To Crimp Getting the right tools and supplies is critical. That's what I am specifically naming the crimpers and type of butt connectors. Take the hint. Unfortunately, the yellow crimpers shown in the pictures are not the right crimpers. Just pretend that they're the Channel Lock 909 instead. Tools/Supplies Channel Lock 909 crimpers (Home Depot) Strippers non-insulated butt connectors (various gauges appropriate for the job, but 18 is the most common) heat shrink tubing (not Radio Shack. Learn to differentiate between good and bad heat shrink.) Various diameters Ring terminals (non insulated preferred, various gauges and diameters) Female spade terminals aka quick disconnects (18 gauge) CRIMPING A RING TERMINAL OR QUICK DISCONNECT Strip back 1/4 inch of insulation and twist the bare wire. You can slip 1 inch length of 1/4 inch diameter heat shrink onto the wire for a professional look. For strength, you want part of the wires insulation crimped. Tug on it to make sure it doesn't come apart. TAPPING INTO A WIRE Soldering is the best method for tapping into a wire. But maybe you don't have soldering equipment and you're more comfortable with crimps. Cut the wire and strip back 1/4 inch insulation from each end and from the wire you want to connect. Intersect two wires at 90 degrees, then twist them together. Cut a 1 inch section of 3/16 inch diameter clear heat shrink tubing, and slip it over the wires. Then tuck the wires into one side of the non-insulated butt connector and crimp. Tuck the other wire into the other side of the butt connector and crimp. Give the wires a good tug to make sure they hold. Slide the heat shrink over the butt connector and shrink it with the heat gun. Kill Switch DO NOT PUT YOUR SWITCH IN WHAT IS NOW CALLED "THE COMMON 'HONDA-TECH' LOCATION. DO NOT PUT YOUR KILL SWITCH ON THE FUEL PUMP OR STARTER CIRCUIT. THESE ARE COMMONLY KNOWN AND EASILY BYPASSED. Some good circuits to put the switch on are the PGM-FI main relay ground, the injector ground, the ECU's IGF1 and IGF2 (ignition grounds, sometimes called IGP), the ECU's coil power output ICM, or the clutch switch or A/T neutral safety. Skill Requirements Do not attempt until you posses all of the following: Basic reading comprehension Consistently good solder or crimp connections Basic voltmeter skills Ability to follow written instructions Common sense Overview: Here are three types of fuel kill switches. Version 1: basic Most of the time a kill switch is just that. A switch. All you need is a good quality 20A+ Auto switch, some 18 gauge wire, an 18 gauge ring terminal, and some 18 gauge female spade connectors. Find and verify the fuel pump wire. Cut it in two pieces. Strip the wires, then solder or crimp on your 18 gauge extension wire. Mount the switch in a hidden location. Crimp on female spade connectors and connect the switch. Version 2: extended Use this version when you plan on having the switch mounted far away from the cut point. Anything over 5 feet total extension requires a relay. Extending the wires a great deal increases the resistance which in turn decreases your fuel pressure. So basically you put a relay at the cut off point, then run the switch to control the relay. There are several ways it can be wired, but the method shown in the diagram on the left is the simplest. Version 3: Ghost Switch Instead of hiding an aftermarket switch, you can use an existing OEM switch. An example is the AC switch on a car that has had the AC removed. Cut all the wires on the switch and cap off the car sides individually. You'll then need to find out which two wires to use. Set the voltmeter to continuity, connect the probes, then flip the switch. It should have continuity when on, no continuity when off. Once you've determined the wires you're using, connect your kill switch the same way as version 2. Engine Bay Start Kills In my infinite wisdom *cough boredom... I thought up two easy start-kills that can be done under the hood with basically no cutting of your stock wiring. One is on the starter, and the other is on the ignition. Both absolutely require a SPDT auto relay. Either of them can be controlled by your alarm ground-when-armed output, or a 20+ Amp auto rocker switch like the one in the fuel pump kill example. Pick one or the other. Doing both doesn't make your car any more secure, and doesn't make you hardcore either. The advantages to a engine bay start-kill are 1) it's downstream of the ignition harness where most hot-wiring takes place, 2) it's not something your friendly neighborhood thieves have seen before. The disadvantage is that it's hard to conceal. These instructions most closely pertain to the 3rd gen Integra and 5th gen Civic. Other cars will vary a bit. Starter Supplies: SPDT auto relay (recommend Bosch starter kill with the socket and diode) 2 18 gauge female quick disconnects 3 10 gauge female quick disconnects 1 10 gauge male quick disconnect short piece of 18 gauge wire some 10 gauge wire electric tape small diameter split loom zip ties or metal piercing screw to mount the relay 18 gauge butt connector or soldering tools/supplies Tools: Channel Lock 909 crimpers wire cutters/strippers Determine a mounting point for your relay near the starter next to the passenger side shock tower, but don't permanently mount it yet. Estimate the length between it and the starter, leaving some room for slack wire for when the engine torques in it's mounts. At your work bench, crimp a male spade connector (aka quick disconnect) to the end of the 10 gauge wire (will go from oem starter wire to your relay). At the other end of that wire, twist it together with the end of the 18 gauge wire and crimp both wires into a female spade connector. Slip that end onto the 30 on the SPDT relay. Crimp a female spade connector to the other end of the 18 gauge wire and connect it to 86. Crimp a female spade connector at each end of a second length of 10 gauge wire (will go from your relay to your starter). Connect one end to 87a. Slip some split loom over these wires and secure it with electric tape. Back at the car, tap some 18 gauge wire to your alarm's ground-when-armed output wire (orange on DEI alarms, triggers the start kill relay) and run it behind the glovebox and out a firewall grommet*. Crimp on a female quick disconnect and connect it to the 85. Pull the black/white wire off the starter, and connect it to the male spade connector that runs to the 30. Then connect your relay's 87a wire to the starter. Make sure the engine starts with the alarm off, but doesn't start with it on (you may need to bypass your original start kill if you left it intact). Split loom the rest of the wiring and mount the relay. Secure all wires with zip ties. *You can control this relay using a hidden kill switch instead. Compare this example to the ignition-kill to find out how. What is a relay? This section is completely optional, but understanding what is actually going on here can be very beneficial. A relay is a type of switch that is thrown by electricity instead of a physical toggle. You use a switch to allow electricity to flow from 85 to 86. When electricity flows across these two terminals, a switch inside the relay connects 87 and 30. So generally the idea is you cut your circuit and put one side to 87, and the other to 30. The relay provides the resistance/load between 85 and 86 so you can run power to one, ground to the other w/out starting a fire. The point of a relay is to have a minimal amount of electricity control the flow of a high powered circuit. An example is your headlight switch. You don't want the whole power of the headlights going from the switch at your steering column through the firewall all the way to the headlights. The longer the electricity has to travel, the less of it reaches it's destination (more resistance). There is also a higher risk of electrical damage or fire. So what you do instead is have power go from the battery straight to the headlights (I'm simplifying a bit). Cut this wire with a relay, and wire a low current switch to control the relay. The low current wire goes from the headlight relay, through the firewall, to the switch on the steering column. That way you can use a smaller wire, a smaller switch, and the whole circuit becomes safer and more efficient. The two times you need a relay are 1) when it's a long distance from the switch to the cut point (let's say a total of 3 feet or more), and 2) when you're interupting a high powered circuit. To increase the longevity and performance of the relay, it's recommended that you solder a 1 amp diode across the 86/85 pins to prevent spiking. The striped side of the diode will be on the positive side, 86 by convention. Another recommendation is that your source of power comes from the ignition as opposed to a loop from the controlled circuit like I have in my fuel pump, starter, and ignition kill diagrams. I provide the simplest and stealthiest wiring in those diagrams. I've never had a problem with the looping method. But I'm not omniscient. If you want to play it on the safe side you'll wire it according to the following diagram. fcm recommends you do so, and he's been around a lot longer than I have. No matter what the hell you're doing, whether it's to control your headlights or for a starter kill, the recommended way to hook up a relay is like this. SPST (single pole, single throw) Has a 86 and 85 for the control side, and 87 and 30 for the load side. When no electricity is flowing across 86 and 85, no electricity is allowed across 87 and 30. SPST (single pole, double throw) Has a 86 and 85 for the control side, and 87, 87a, and 30 for the load side. When no electricity is flowing across 86 and 85, electricity is allowed from 87a to 30, but not 87. When electricty flows across 86 and 85, electricty is allowed from 87 to 30, but not 87a. The benefit to this is that you can set up your kill as normally open or normally closed. Normally closed means that everything will work fine unless you flip the switch. Even if there is no switch, the "killed" circuit will be allowed to function. Normally open means the opposite. It wont work unless the switch is on. You can find examples of each of these in my start kill diagrams. Normally Open: The security benefit of having your kill circuit wired as normally open is that even if power is removed ie they cut power to the alarm, the relay will not allow the car to start. The bad news is that if the relay or alarm fails, the relay will not allow the car to start. Normally Closed: The benefit of having your kill circuit wired as normally closed is that if the relay or alarm fails, the relay will still allow the car to start. The bad news is that this makes it easier for the thief to bypass the relay. Alarms are almost always have the start kill circuit wired as normally closed and almost never have a battery backup. This is why alarms so often fail to prevent the car from being stolen. Remote Start Stealth install w/remote start is harder to do, if not impossible by my standards. The reason being is that the 791XV (and later generations of DEI alarms as of 2009) comes with a relay satellite that has a bunch of 10 gauge wires that have to go to the ignition harness. It's very difficult to hide these which causes two problems 1) leaves a trail back to the alarm, 2) limits placement of the alarm. Other remote start alarms may not have a relay satellite, and may not use 10 gauge wires, but they still require a large number of connections to be made at the ignition harness. I don't believe in putting the alarm under the dash at all. The only exception is on cars such as the S14 and the EG where you can put the alarm behind the cluster and none of it is exposed beneath the dash. Behind the cluster is great for a stealth install if you're A) doing a remote start, B) your car is a four door, C) the interior is stripped. Unfortunately there is not enough space behind the cluster on any Civic besides the 5th gen, and it doesn't look like there is on the Integra but I have yet to try it. On other cars, you can try putting a remote start alarm behind the center console. But since remote start is purely convenience and has nothing to do with security, I don't feel that it's within the scope of this How-To. Don't PM me or email me with questions about it. Sensors Alarm sensors can be found cheap on ebay and are more or less compatible with all alarms. Glass breakage, motion, and any 2 way adjustable sensors may not be fully compatible with cheap alarms. All the more reason to buy a decent alarm. Shock Standard with all alarms. Detects large impact or vibration, in case someone tries to steal your car by ramming it with a large vibrator. No joke, these sensors are basically useless. You're better off w/out one. Causes false alarms leading to indifference. Recommend you remove or turn down the sensitivity on this sensor and use an alternative sensor. Glass breakage Since it is pretty easy to smash a door window w/out triggering a shock sensor, companies came up with a better method of detection. Glass breakage sensors typically employ a microphone listening for the frequency of breaking glass (or the sound of keys rapping on glass). Very effective at detecting intrusion, and rarely causes false alarms. Requires very little adjustment. Recommend the DEI 506T. Use this sensor or a motion sensor, but not both. Motion/Proximity Extremely effective at deterring and detecting intrusion. A necessity for soft-top cars. Difficult and time consuming to set up properly. Can cause false alarms. Most expensive type of sensor. Brand choice is very crucial as most motion/proximity sensors are pure crap. Recommend AGAINST the DEI 508D. No longer recommend the Crime Guard/Omega AU94T. I have yet to find a motion sensor that I can recommend. THE DEI 508D SUCKS. I'M NOT JOKING AROUND WITH YOU. I'M NOT PLAYING. I'M NOT PULLING YOUR CHAIN. IT'S USELESS. Tilt Good early warning detection of towing not just for theft but also parking violations. Also helpful at detecting a rim theft if the thief is careless. Rarely causes false alarms, and the better sensors have provisions for when you are parked on a slope. Recommend the DEI 507M. Two-Way Adjustable There are several names for this but basically it just means that the sensor has a warning trigger and an instant trigger. The sensitivity of one or both of these triggers may be independently adjustable. Battery backup module Strongly recommend the DEI 520T with all alarms. I don't recommend battery backup SIRENS because they are largely a pain and not nearly as effective as a well-hidden backup battery. Remember, a siren does nothing to stop your car from starting. How to splice in sensors When adding sensors to an alarm, you are often forced to splice them in because either the alarm doesn't have extra sensor ports, or there are extra ports but you don't have any plug connectors to use with them. When you splice them together, it's a good idea to keep the triggers isolated between each sensor. You accomplish this by way of small 1 or 3 amp diodes. The stripe side of the diode goes to ground. What is a diode? Most people don't know this, but there is such a thing as a one-way valve for electricity. Obviously it's very important to have them pointed in the right direction. Just remember that the striped side is the ground side. Sensors use a negative ground trigger, so the stripe will always face the sensor and the non-striped side will face the alarm. With an alarm, 1 or 3 amp diodes are fine. One example of the necessity of diodes is that on the 01+ 4 door Civics, each door has it's own trigger so that the dash lights can tell you which door is open. If you were to simply tie all three (yes there's three, don't ask) door triggers into the negative door trigger input on the alarm, any one open door would indicate all four doors on the dash. Instead branch the door trigger input off with three diodes, the stripes facing away from the alarm, and then run wires from each diode to each door trigger. Some Acuras have four door triggers that all have to be isolated. RE-ROUTE HOOD RELEASE CABLE Remove the plastic cover and two 10mm bolts on the hood release handle. Detach the cable from the handle. Set the driver's side front on a jack stand and remove the wheel. Remove the screws securing the plastic fender lining. Pull the cable from the tabs and from the hole in the fender, and push it through the opening for your turn signal all the way to the latch and set it aside. Do not close your hood until everything is reassembled. Typical Alarm Install This is what your typical alarm install looks like once you've cut a few zip ties. This install is utterly useless at preventing theft. I work at a car audio shop and my installs look a lot cleaner, but they're really not that effective at stopping an experienced thief. Stealth installs just don't fit a successful business model. You could lay down over a grand and hope that a custom shop will do a good job, or you could do it yourself.

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[suspendedHatch]

Stealth Alarm Install
If you just want a standard alarm install, pay a professional to do it for you if for no reason other than the lifetime warranty.

Skill Requirements
can take as many as three days if this is all new to you
able to remove interior pieces carefully
highly organized
basic voltmeter skills
consistently good wire connections


PARTS

Alarm *
DEI 520T battery backup module
Piezo siren
Additional sensors **

*Decent alarm with decent instructions. Avoid imports with poor diagrams and poor translations. Anything made by DEI is good (Python, Viper, Clifford, Hornet). I can loosely recommend Compustar, Crime Guard, Autopage.
**Some good choices for sensors are (most sensors are more or less universal) DEI tilt, DEI Audio glass breakage. I recommend against DEI 508D.

TOOLS

Voltmeter
Soldering and/or Crimping tools
Drill
Drill Bits 1/8, 17/64
Drill bit socket adapter
Ratchet
Long extension
Sockets 10, 12, 14, 17
Heat gun
Screwdrivers
T40 torx bit socket *certain 4th gen Civics only
Scissors
Tin snips
Needle nose pliers
Wire grabber
Flashlight
Droplight
Panel Popper
Pick

SUPPLIES

Non-insulated butt connectors, 10 gauge
Heat shrink tubing, 1/4, 3/16 diameters
Female quick disconnects, 18 ga
Ring terminals, 18 gauge, 1/4 dia
18 gauge wire, black preferred
Electric tape
Auto SPDT relays, Bosch preferred
Split loom, large, medium, small diameters
Zip ties, small, large
Solder .040
Small cups or boxes to keep small bits organized
Trash Can
8-10 hours of music
Suggested listening: Funeral For a Friend, As I Lay Dying, Small Brown Bike, Texas Is The Reason, Eazy E, Dr Dre, Snoop. If you don't like it, expletive OFF.


PLAN THE ALARM WIRING
When installing an alarm, the end result is much better if you're organized. Start with the easy stuff first. Be methodical.First thing you do is print out your vehicle's wire color chart. Take your alarm installation manual and compare it; writing down what color/harness alarm wire goes to which wire on your car. On the chart in the installation manual, mark the alarm wires that you will not be using with an X to be de-pinned later. Beneath the chart, write down the other required connections, like the siren wire, hood pin switch, and battery backup module wires. If you are adding any actuators (door lock, trunk pop), make a note. If you are doing any external start kill relays, draw a simple diagram. Organize all the shared connections, like the grounds that are sharing a ring terminal. Mount all the sensors, sirens, the LED, valet, antenna, hood pin. Locate all your wiring connections. Group the alarm wires according to where they are going to be connected. Put the ends in the drill and twist them together.

WIRE COLOR LOCATION
12 VOLT CONSTANT WHITE FAR LEFT MALE SPADE ON FUSE BLOCK OR IGNITION HARNESS
STARTER BLACK/WHITE MAIN RELAY OR IGNITION HARNESS
IGNITION BLACK/YELLOW IGNITION HARNESS
PARKING LIGHTS (+) RED/BLACK DRIVER'S DOOR SILL OR FUSE BLOCK
DOOR TRIGGER VARIES (-) DRIVER'S RUNNING BOARD
DOMELIGHT USE DOOR TRIGGER
FUEL PUMP VARIES DRIVER'S RUNNING BOARD
POWER LOCK VARIES NEAR HOOD RELEASE HANDLE
POWER UNLOCK VARIES NEAR HOOD RELEASE HANDLE
TRUNK TRIGGER VARIES DRIVER'S RUNNING BOARD
Some wire colors vary between different models. Look them up at http://www.the12volt.com, bulldogsecurity.com, your repair manual, or from the following list.

Wire Color Charts

http://members.cox.net/shaundr....html 1994-2001 Acura Integra
http://members.cox.net/shaundr....html 1988-1991 Honda Civic
http://members.cox.net/shaundr....html 1992-1995 Honda Civic
http://members.cox.net/shaundr....html 1996-2000 Honda Civic
http://members.cox.net/shaundr....html 2001-2005 Honda Civic
http://members.cox.net/shaundr....html 1994-1997 Honda Accord
Other Cars
http://www.bulldogsecurity.com
http://www.the12volt.com


DE-PIN UNUSED WIRES

De-pinning unused wires on the alarm harness keeps it clean, simplifies installation, and reduces the risk of a stray wire grounding out. A pick works well. De-pin wires from the harness by pressing down on the tab with the pick while pulling on the wire.
De-pin the following wires:

channel outputs
auxiliary outputs
status outputs
(+) door trigger input
diesel glow plug
second unlock
factory arm/disarm
horn honk
retained accessory
unused door lock outputs (depending on whether you're using factory door locks or adding actuators)
http://members.cox.net/shaundr...m.gifDiagram for Adding Actuators to DEI Alarm
http://members.cox.net/shaundr...m.gifDiagram for Wiring Honda/Acura Factory Door Locks to DEI Alarm


At any point in this how-to, you can stop what you're doing and drive off with the car, up until the point where you've cut the starter or fuel pump power wire.
HOOD PIN SWITCH

Set the alarm aside and start on the peripheral devices. On your radiator support are usually some small unused holes that you can widen for a hood pin switch. There is a very small gap between the support and the hood, so you'll need to make the switch as low as possible, using only the lower nut. Using a spool of 18 gauge wire, estimate the length by running it's approximate path down the vehicle to the driver's side rear interior quarter panel. Obviously you can't jam the spool through the firewall, so run the wire outside of the car and in through the door when you're estimating. Then cut it and crimp a female quick disconnect and slip it over the pin on the switch.
ENGINE BAY SIREN


You'll be installing two sirens. The one that comes with the alarm goes in the engine bay for sound dispersion. Point the siren downward. Run the wires through the firewall and insulate them from the bare sheet metal or eventually the vibration will cause it to rub right through. Use a factory grommet, split loom, and black tape.
ROUTE WIRES THROUGH FIREWALL

Take the hood pin switch wire, the siren power wire, and your hood cable and route them through the engine bay securing them to wire looms etc with zip ties until you reach the point where they will pass through the firewall near the brake master cylinder. Sometimes there is a plastic plug you can use, other times you'll have to poke a hole through a rubber grommet. If the car is an automatic, then use a unibit to drill a hole where the clutch cylinder would be. Use a small piece of split loom over the wires if they would otherwise be touching the bare metal when passing through the firewall. A wiregrabber or metal coat hanger can be quite helpful.
The best mounting spot for an engine bay siren on a DA Integra and on some other vehicles is beneath the battery tray. With some split loom and zipties, and a clean pass through the firewall, you can make the wiring indistinguishable from the OEM wiring.
MOUNTING LED/VALET

Find a small pop out panel or removable plastic trim. Make sure there's enough clearance behind it. There's usually some small pop out panels alongside the handbrake that make a good mounting point for the LED and valet switch. The manual says to use a 9/32 drill bit, but that makes the LED and valet a little loose, so I use the next size down, 17/64. If you choose a dash location you'll need to extend the 22 gauge wires.
MOUNTING SENSORS

DEI 508D shown in the picture, but don't ever use this sensor, it sucks.

The center console is the best place to mount a motion/proximity/radar sensor. Inside the console is often some plastic ribbing. Drill some very small holes and zip tie the sensor, then run the sensor's wiring underneath the rear carpet and leave it under the rear seat for now. I typically mount the shock sensor near the alarm, either to the alarm wire harness or on the frame of the car, depending on what the alarm manufacturer recommends. The best place for a glass breakage sensor is underneath the rear speaker grill so it can be exposed to the open air of the interior. Not all Civics have rear speaker grills.
REMOVE REAR SEAT
When you're ready to get crazy and actually install the alarm, you have to remove the rear seat and the rear driver's side interior quarter panel plastic. In the crack of the rear seat near where the seatbelts are mounted is a small 10mm bolting holding the seat bottom. You can find it by flipping down the seat back. You can get at it with a wrench or a socket extension. On the Integra you have to remove both seat backs first. Remove that bolt and flip the seat forward to slide out the metal clips. On the newer civics are some big plastic tabs that will pop right up.
REMOVE INTERIOR QUARTER PLASTIC
Now remove all the screws and 10mm bolts holding the driver's side rear quarter plastic. On some cars, screws are hidden underneath pop out panels. On some you have to remove a rear speaker tray. The plastic is held down by pop out tabs. Work the piece through the seat belt shoulder straps and set it aside.
INITIALLY MOUNTING THE ALARM BRAIN

In the rear quarter panel are some gaps in the sheet metal. First plug all the wire harnesses into the alarm and hang the alarm loosely in it's mounting location. Don't forget your LED, valet switch, and sensors that you mounted earlier. This picture also shows the backup battery and audio sensor mounted. Picture is of a 01 Civic coupe, but all 2 door Hondas and Integras are similar. I've done this install on Accords and even a first gen Prelude. You can mount the alarm beneath the center console cup holder on Del Sols and 96+ Civic sedans. You can squeeze the alarm behind the center console on 92-95 Civic sedans.
BATTERY BACKUP
For the battery backup, I use a big block of shipping Styrofoam like what you get when you buy a stereo. I cut a section out so that the battery fits in tightly, and then I wedge the whole block into the gap in the sheet metal in the rear quarter panel. Many cars already have OEM styrofoam here, including the 01 Civic in the pic above. The module itself can be hung by a wire harness using a zip tie. The wiring diagram that comes with the 520T is all you need. I like to splice the trigger wire with the hood pin wire and connect both to the trunk trigger if there's no other trigger inputs on the alarm.
ANTENNA

Take some rubbing alcohol and clean off a spot on your B pillar for the tape on the back of the antenna, then route the wire up to it. Don't put it on the glass because it's too visible and it will interfere with tint. Don't use metallized tint. Don't bundle up the antenna wire, but stretch it out in a big loop all the way to the rear of the car and use small zip ties to hang it to the wire loom.
Maximizing range
To get the maximum range out of the siren, install it on the glass behind the rear-view-mirror, below the tint, facing down. Loosely coil all the slack wire in the headliner. Pay some extra attention to the alarm ground. Take a wire wheel and grind away all the paint. Then use a metal tapping screw and lock washer to secure the ring terminal to a good spot on the chassis. Not all chassis is created equal. Some panels are attached to the frame by intermittent spot welds and sealer. You can measure the resistance from say the key cylinder and your ground point, but to be honest, it's pretty hard to mess this up on a Honda/Acura.
HIDDEN SIREN

Mount your hidden siren also inside the sheet metal, near the speaker grill or under the plastic in the hatch area. I highly recommend a piezo siren. Just branch both siren's power wires together with the alarm siren output. Both siren grounds can be branched to the alarm's ground.
CHASSIS GROUNDS
Group all of your ground wires noted earlier and crimp them into a single 10 gauge ring terminal, then hang it by a factory bolt or one of the screws you're using to mount the hidden siren. Scrape away any paint so it touches bare metal.
DRIVER'S RUNNING BOARD
Now take off the driver's running board plastic cover. On some cars you have to remove the bolt to the driver's shoulder belt. Some 4th gen Civics require a T40 socket style torx bit. Inside, the wire harness is covered by a rectangular box that opens up. This is where you'll run alarm wires to the dash. The wires that need to run to the dash are the ignition 12V, the hood pin switch, the engine bay siren wires, the door lock wires, your extended start kill wires (if you're using them on the starter and not the fuel pump) and your constant 12V input.
PARKING LIGHTS/TRUNK TRIGGER
Now it's time to start splicing the alarm into the car's wiring. The wire color chart tells you what wire color and where to look for it. Most of the wires you need travel along the driver's running board and under the rear plastic quarter panel. You'll want to grab the parking lights and trunk trigger in the quarter panel. Turn your voltmeter to 20V DC and clip the red probe with the bed of nails tool into the wire you suspect to be your parking lights (red with a black stripe). Touch the black probe to bare metal on the chassis. There should be no reading. Now turn on your parking lights. The display should jump to 12V. The parking lights are pretty much a sure thing, but the trunk trigger is more difficult to find. Next put the bed of nails on the wire you think is for the trunk trigger and ground the black probe. The display should read 12V. Now pull the trunk release handle. The display should drop to 0.
DOOR TRIGGER/DOME LIGHT
The door trigger wire is found in the driver's side running board or running along the rear seat from the passenger side. The driver's door trigger works for the driver's door only, while the passenger's door trigger works for both. On later model four door Civics, you'll have to make three connections to catch all doors, and you'll need to isolate them with diodes. Clip your bed of nails to the suspected wire, ground the black probe, then open each door. The display should jump to 12V. On Hondas/Acuras, you use the door trigger for your dome light connection. Splice your alarm's dome (black/white on main harness) and door trigger wire (green) together, then connect to the passenger side door trigger wire. It's usually a very thickly insulated wire.
When you're cutting into any wire on your car that holds a constant 12V, or if the wire holds 12V while you're working on it (such as the door trigger when the door is open), first pull the fuse, or at least be careful not to touch it to ground.
Group the wires that will need to go to the dash and bundle them with a strip of electric tape. On 4th and 6th generation Civics, you should start looming them before you run them because they run under some sheet metal that is difficult to access once the wires are connected.
FACTORY DOOR LOCKS
The door lock and unlock wires if you have power locks are found in a bundle under the dash behind the hood pop handle. Verify them with the voltmeter. When you cut them to make your connections, verify that they don't work. You'll have to extend the alarm's door lock wires with your own 18 gauge wire. Two colors of 18 gauge wire wouldn't hurt. Run the wires through the rectangular running board cases.
IGNITION 12V

The only true ignition source is the black/yellow wire in the ignition harness. The difference between a true Ignition 12V and an Accessory 12V is that the ACC will drop to 0 volts while cranking, and the Ignition will not. The stealthiest way to tap into this wire is to unplug the harness at the fuse block, de-pin the black/yellow wire, solder your black 18 gauge wire to the pin, then re-insert it. (first gen Prelude shown in the pic)

IGNITION 12V: power with key all the way on, power during cranking, power when engine is running.
ACCESSORY 12V: power with key on, all the way on, no power during cranking, power when engine is running.
STARTER: no power with key on, no power with key all the way on, power during cranking, no power when engine is running.
CONSTANT 12V: always power as long as the battery is connected.

CONSTANT 12V
You can pull a constant 12V off the far left male connect on the empty row of sockets on the fuse block (see diagrams below). Verify it with your voltmeter by putting the power lead to the pin and touch the black lead to ground. It should jump to 12V. Run this to the red wire on the DEI 520T battery backup module, and run the module's grey wire to your alarm's red wire. You can also connect the alarm to the parking lights through the fuse box, but there's no true ignition input. Accessory 12V can't be substituted for Ignition 12V.

There are two ways to tap into these fuse block outputs. The preferred way is to go the junkyard and find a mid-nineties Honda/Acura with power door locks. Under the driver's side door panel you can find a little brown plug that fits perfectly into the fuse outputs. Only the brown plug will work. The second way is to plug in a female quick disconnect. Don't forget you also need an inline fuse.


Under-dash Fuse Block Outputs
Key: RED CONSTANT 12V, PURPLE ACCESSORY 12V, WHITE PARKING LIGHTS (+)

92-95 Honda Civic, 94+ Acura Integra Under-dash fuse block

96-00 Honda Civic Under-dash fuse block
START KILL
Doing your starter interrupt on the steering column is bad for several reasons. The most important reason is that it actually makes it easier for a thief to hotwire your car than if there was no start kill at all. For my stealth install, the absolute best choice is to interrupt the fuel pump near the back seat. Other options include interrupting the black/white wire at the starter relay, or interrupting the black ground wire or wires (sometimes there are two) to the main relay, extending the wires and then relocating it. Whichever you choose, use the other option for your kill switch.

Leave your start kill for last, because as soon as you make the cut, your car is disabled until your alarm is functional. If you're doing a fuel pump cut, which is very highly recommended, locate and verify your fuel pump power wire. It runs from the dash down the running board, along the rear seat to the fuel pump. Clip the bed of nails to the wire, ground the black probe, and turn the key to the on position. The display should jump to 12V and then drop to 0. Start the car. The display should jump to 12V and stay there until you shut down the engine. Don't confuse the antenna wire with the fuel pump wire on the Integra. Most alarms and start kill relays will need to be connected a certain way. There's a power side, green on DEI alarms, and a load side, black on DEI alarms. The power side will need to be facing the dash side of the fuel pump wire, and the load side will need to face the pump.
TESTING THE ALARM
With the LCD remotes, this is very easy. Simply open the passenger side door, pop the hood, and pop the trunk. Arm the alarm. It should indicate all three. Disarm the alarm and close everything up, but leave the driver's door open and arm the alarm. It should indicate the door. Test the sensors. Try starting the car with the alarm armed. On a starter kill, it shouldn't even crank. On a fuel pump kill, it will start and immediately die, or just crank. Don't crank the engine for more than 5 seconds. Verify that the alarm controls the dome light, LED, and parking lights. Listen for both sirens. Prop open the hood, arm the alarm, and disconnect the battery. It should trigger and continue sounding.
Review the programming options. You can vastly improve the security of your car simply by enabling some features on your alarm that are disabled by default. Consider enabling passive arming and car jack prevention. Though some features may cause you some inconvenience, none of them are more inconvenient than having your car stolen leaving you stranded and broke.
Gather all the wires that run along the running board and tuck them into the rectangular boxes. Loom them up where they're exposed. Finish looming up your wiring. At the alarm brain, bundle the wire harnesses and loose wires with electric tape. Securely mount the alarm brain. Reassemble your vehicle, briefly test the functioning of the alarm once more, and then enjoy some peace of mind.


Modified by suspendedHatch at 12:36 PM 2/25/2007

[suspendedHatch]

Center Console install

A four door 7th gen Civic Hybrid is used in this example, but using this info on another car requires no great stretch of the imagination. Everything is basically the same as my usual stealth install, so that information isn't going to be repeated. You'll have to refer back to that write-up and use this write-up as an addendum.

Half of the hybrid motor is electric. There's no starter. You put the key on and the engine is running w/out hesitation. But as soon as you put it in gear, the gas motor takes over. What this means for the stealth install is that if you use the fuel pump wire as your start kill, the car will still start but it wont go anywhere. In conclusion, using the fuel pump wire for your start kill is still a perfectly viable option on a hybrid.


With any alarm install, the first thing you want to do is get all the external modules out of the way. I decided to run the antenna up the passenger side of this particular car. This position gives you excellent range.

Pry out the A pillar just enough to squeeze the antenna wire in, then run it behind the glovebox. At this point you should conceal it as best as you can so it doesn't leave a trail back to the alarm.



There aren't many pop-out panels available on this late model Civic, so I had to put it in the upper steering wheel cover. Make sure to choose a spot that has enough clearance beneath it.

The sensors were then mounted near the ebrake as shown. In this pic you can see a DEI tilt sensor and a Crime Guard motion sensor. He what do you know?! Somebody actually read my website! Be careful and test fit the console for clearance.

I taped the battery backup to the alarm brain and squeezed it in this tiny gap under the center console. I checked it several times for clearance by test fitting the console. Then I loomed and taped all the dash wires and tucked the loom alongside the factory looms that also go to the dash.

Here's another angle for you cock-eyed ****ers.

On the 4 door 01+ Civics, there are 3 door triggers that have to be kept independent since the cluster indicates exactly which door is open. The striped ends go to each door trigger and the twisted bundle goes to the negative door trigger input on the alarm. Each diode needs it's own heat shrink and then you need a large diameter heat shrink tube to cover the whole thing.

In the driver's kick, you pull down this plug and stealth tap to the door locks. A stealth tap means you depin the harness, pry open the pins with a pick, insert your alarm outputs, solder, then repin the harness again.

That's pretty much it. Pics and explanations of the other steps are outlined in the original write-up. I wont show you where I hid this guy's piezo siren. Be creative. I don't want you all doing it the same. I also suggest you put a kill switch on the main relay or the ECU.

FAQ
"I'm scared. Can I pay you to do this for me?" The simple answer is "no". I didn't just write this how-to so that I could end up doing it for you. I'm just too busy. Security isn't my life. I'm building a turbo. If you still insist, then here are my terms:

Labor is $300 in cash when you pick up your car.
I'm only available on certain weekdays (never weekends) and I need your car for up to 48 hours.
I don't do remote start, trunk pop, door lock actuators, battery backup sirens, more than 3 sensors, or anything I think is unrelated or detrimental to stealth.
I don't do shitty-ass alarms. I prefer DEI.
I don't do shitty-ass cars. Don't email me requests for your Escalade.
I don't want to be reading your emails for the next three months just to set it up.
In short, the answer is "no". Don't even think about it. Sorry.

Thanks wrx-killer-Sti-eater, George Knighton, fcm, Kavehman, fek. No thanks to team-integra.net. Great site. I had originally planned a how-to for that site over a year ago, but the mod was a dick so here it is on Honda Tech.

Reply in this thread: http://www.honda-tech.com/zerothread/1794937

[suspendedHatch]

Fuel Kill Switch

DO NOT USE THIS SWITCH LOCATION. DO NOT BOTHER KILLING THE FUEL PUMP. THIS HOW-TO IS ONLY HERE FOR DEMONSTRATION.

Here is an example of a fuel kill switch Version 1. These pictures are of a 90-93 Acura Integra "DA" 2 door. This setup is virtually identical to the 88-91 Honda Civic 2 door, and extremely similar to all Hondas and Acuras with electronic fuel pumps throughout the years.


All Honda/Acura seats have one or two 10 mm bolts through a wire loop holding the rear lower seat cushion down. Remove that with a deep socket or extension, then pry from the back corners first and unhook the front.

At the fuel pump is a plug with several wires. Most Hondas/Acuras use yellow and a stripe for the fuel pump wire, with the 90-93 Integra, it's yellow/black. Set your digital volt meter to 20V DC, put the red probe to the suspected wire, then ground the black probe to the chassis. I used the door hook in this example. Put the key on with starting the engine. The voltage should jump to 12 corresponding with the whirring of the fuel pump, then drop to 0. Start the engine, the voltage should jump to 12 volts. Shut down the engine. The volts should drop to 0.

Remove the mounting screws in the rear quarter plastic. We're not going to remove it entirely, just pry it out enough to work behind it. Ideally you have a panel popper or wide plastic popping tool to pry the rear quarter plastic away from the door sill. You might have to remove the running board on some cars. Locate and cut the fuel pump wire in the corner loom.

Many Hondas/Acuras have this indentation in the plastic for a screw to hold down the rear quarter plastic. It's hidden by the rear seat cushion and makes an ideal location for the Radio Shack SPST 25A auto switch. Use a 15/16 wood spade bit or a hole saw.

Extend each end of the fuel pump wire by soldering some 18 gauge wire. Terminate each end with speaker connectors and slip them onto the switch. It doesn't matter which end goes to which terminal on the switch. But orient the switch so up is on, down is off. That's the most intuitive because it mimics your home light switches.

This is what it looks like with the panel put back together.

This is what the completed install looks like. STOCK!

The switch is a real pain in the ass to get to on the 90-93 Integra. It's a little more convenient on the 88-91 Civic, and other cars vary. We're sacrificing convenience for stealth here, which is almost always an inverse relationship. You're welcome, even encouraged, to put the switch wherever you want. But if you extend the fuel pump wire more than 5 feet, you need to do Version 2 (relay).

[suspendedHatch]

suspendedHatch 2009 still hatin'

[suspendedHatch]

Here's a response I wrote to a PM. It might be useful to post it up since I haven't posted anything like this or answered a PM in a year or two.

....

...your basic ignition harness starter kill is not something you can rely on. You also can't rely on a fuel pump kill switch because it's pretty easy to run a power wire directly to the fuel pump. You can run power directly to the distributor, and you can run power directly to the starter until it cranks over. No one security measure is effective on it's own.

I have found that for a security setup to be truly effective it has to be layered. It's much much harder for a thief to diagnose the security system if you have more than one kill active; especially a main relay kill switch paired with an alarm that kills either the ignition, starter, or fuel systems and NOT on the ignition harness. The alarm should have a battery backup module and a second siren hidden in the interior of the vehicle. That siren should be fused separately from the main siren. You should also consider adding a glass break sensor and possibly a tilt sensor. Also make sure to install a hood pin switch and to connect the trunk trigger.

You're on your own for finding a spot for a kill switch. Pretty much anywhere you can mount it (that's not under the driver's side dash) is as good as any.

All of this info can be found in the stickies or in posts in the archives dating back to 2005. I also have my little website http://causeforalarm.thecarthing.com/version7

[suteki]

i just read through this entire thread-thanks so much for the info. i need to go back and re-read it to digest it more.

[suspendedHatch]

Read the site in my sig instead. HTML and stylesheets makes it a bit easier on the eyes.

[suteki]

thanks so much!

[1.6si]

This is a very good write up.I'll take your advice to heart.Lost 2 cars to thieves already.Thanks for the effort.

[schock3]

Ive been MECP certified for 7 years now...and this is the best "HOW TO" ive ever seen for a alarm install