DEI Alarm and Automatic Headlights

[cklinh]

Hey, I just have a quick question for ya'll. I just got a Clifford alarm installed with the remote start on my 2004 Solara. And I just wanted to check a problem/feature with anyone else's alarm to see if it's normal for these types of alarm.

Here goes...

You know how the automatic lights are supposed to turn off by themselves after 30 seconds when you leave the car (pre-Clifford)? Well, if I just happened to remotely start the engine and then remotely stop the engine (post-Clifford), then let the passive arming do its thing, the headlights come on, but don't seem to go off (since I didn't open/close the doors) I've allowed ample time (>20 minutes) for it to go off, but it doesn't happen... is that the same for yours? I just wanted some more information before I go back to the installer. I know the simple solution would be to turn the headlights off whenever I leave the car, but that would be defeating the purpose of automatic lights.

Tonight, I'm going to try remotely starting the car, letting the timer run out (so the car stops automatically) and then see if the lights go off then...

[[SMAN]]

what you need to do is have the alarm installer wire in a relay that triggers the door opening circuit when the system arms passivly. This isn't too hard to do jsut gotta find the right wire. This will make the car think that the door was opened and then closed and will turn off the headlight.

[cklinh]

oops, slight mistake on my part. the alarm isn't necessarily disarmed when I remote start and remote stop it, so the alarm doesn't passively arm after the remote stop. But your solution sounds like it might work as a backup wherein I just disarm and then arm...

I was hoping for a more elegant solution in which the system knows to turn off the headlights after a remote start/shutdown without arming/disarming the system...

[[SMAN]]

Actually i'm working through the same problem with my car audio instalation teacher here at the RITOP School and we are hitting a few problems but were looking like the way to temporarily do it is to wire a trigger to the AUX imput on your keyfob. I'll let you know if i find a way to get them to turn off when the engine does.