Q. I purchased an amazing new 2-way alarm and remote start system for my '03 GMC Yukon and am having trouble with it. It doesn't seem to arm and disarm correctly. Some of the other features seem to work, but not all the time. I've done everything I can think of to get this problem fixed. I called local shops and they won't help me because I installed the alarm myself. I've talked to all my friends and they can't figure it out either.
I was looking on some of the car audio forums that are out there and I think that I'm a step or two closer but still nothing. One guy told me that the remote start I have isn't meant for my vehicle because it shows a white Escalade on the screen and since my truck is black, it won't be recognized by the system. I looked on the website for the alarm company and could not find any way of updating or changing the picture. I figured I wanted to paint my truck anyway, so I had it painted white and it still doesn't work! This is getting crazy. I don't want to replace all the badges on the vehicle to match the Escalade but at this point I don't know what else to do. Please help me; all I want to do is have this work!
A. Sorry to hear all of the hassle you went through! This is a common problem with personalized alarms. Today's alarms are designed to specifically interact with the vehicle data buss system, which is different on each car make and model. Car manufacturers thought it was better to have totally different data buss systems, so we need to match the alarm correctly to the hundreds of buss protocols in existence. You obviously bought the alarm intended for the Escalade platform rather than the Yukon version. Due to the features, there is a difference. The Escalade uses "user memories" that allow different driver settings to be recalled when you activate one of the two factory remotes, while the Yukon does not. All of those vehicle features are stored in the remote, so you need the correct remote to match your vehicle.
In addition, you need to match the color of vehicle to the remote control's screen image. This can get a bit tricky, especially when you have similar colors like Black Onyx or Black Metallic or Midnight Blue Metallic. They are all so close when you see them on the tiny remote control screen, it can be difficult to color match correctly. Fortunately, the color of the remote is listed on the outside of the alarm packaging, so just look up your vehicle paint code in the driver's door opening, and match it to the alarm when you buy it.
Since you already bought and installed the system, there is no way you can return it, but there is another solution-you can hack the remote! There is a small USB socket in the side of your remote to recharge the internal battery. Just plug this into your PC using a regular mini USB to USB cable. Open a web browser window and type in the following exactly and replace the bold entries with your information:
Before you buy any product next time, consider the source of your information. And by the way, APRIL FOOLS!