Anza Borrego Trip

Here is a short clip of my recent Anza Borrego trip. I am still in the process of editing the video for the whole trip but it is taking a lot longer than I would like.

Anza Borrego - Coyote Canyon (Third Crossing)

How to Retrieve and Diagnose your Check Engine Codes

I wanted to throw up a quick video of what to do when your Check Engine Light comes on. I went camping at Anza Borrego this weekend and on the drive there my check engine light came on. It looks as if my issue is the Throttle Position Sensor. I was able to pick up a replacement at a local auto parts but have yet to install it.


What you want to do is turn the key to "on" then "off", turn it back "on" and back "off", finally leaving it "on" again. You will then see your check engine light flash which will represent what code you need to diagnose.

In my video, the codes are: 12 33 24 55
 
Codes
11 - Ignition
12 - Battery disconnected within last 50 key starts
13 - Manifold Absolute Pressure (MAP) Sensor Vacuum
14 - Manifold Absolute Pressure (MAP) Sensor Electrical
15 - Distance sensor or circuit
17 - Engine running too cool
21 - Oxygen sensor or circuit
22 - Coolant temperature sensor or circuit
23 - MAT sensor or circuit
24 - Throttle Position Sensor (TPS) sensor or circuit
25 - Automatic Idle Speed (AIS) circuit
27 - Fuel injector control
31 - EVAP solenoid or circuit
33 - Air conditioning clutch relay
41 - Alternator field
42 - Automatic shutdown relay
44 - Battery temperature sensor
46 - Battery over voltage
47 - Battery under voltage
51 - Oxygen sensor - lean condition
52 - Oxygen sensor - rich condition
53 - Internal engine controller fault
54 - Distributor sync pickup
55 - End of Code output
62 - Emissions Maintenance Reminder (EMR) mileage vaccumulator
63 - Controller failure EEPROM write denied

The Jeep Gets Dirty!

A few days ago  I finally  took my Jeep YJ out to get muddy. Check out the video to see the passenger's view.


While dropping off my girlfriend at her University, we see this:

How could one resist???

The Aftermath:

Power Door Lock Install on Jeep Wrangler YJ

If you read my previous blog (click to view) you will know that I recently installed a Viper 5701 Remote Start car alarm into my newly acquired 1992 Jeep Wrangler YJ.  During that Viper install, I was also able to add door actuators into my Jeep to provide the luxury of power door locks. This provided me with a very simple Keyless Entry system that is a must have on any vehicle.

What you need:

02x - Door Lock Actuator
02x - 12 VDC Automotive Relay SPDT 30/40A
10x - Female Quick Connect

In addition to these parts, you will need your basic tools and some 18 gauge stranded wire.

The First Step:

You need to remove the door panels so that you can get access to the door lock mechanism.  The panels are very easy to remove and only require the removal of a few screws. These photos should give you an idea of what is involved.

I first detached the door handles by removing 2 screws.

Next was the window knob.  You must pop off the cover in order to reveal the torx screw underneath.

The door panel is held in place by cheap plastic retainers. After removing the door handle and window knob, you simply use your fingers to pop out the retainers on the panel.

With the door panel off, you are left with one last cover that protects the locking mechanism.

Remove these 5 screws to gain access to the locking mechanism.  You may notice the clear plastic liner on my doors.  If your door has this liner (which it probably does), simply pull and remove it. Try to keep this plastic liner in good shape so that you can re-apply when you are done.

This is what you are left with.

Now the fun begins!!!

You need to play around with the door locks in order for you to understand how it works. It's quite simple actually. Use your fingers to pull up and down on the locking rod.  Your doors will either lock or unlock depending on the direction it moves.  This is where the door actuator comes into play.  The actuators will simply connect to the locking rod and move it up or down.

The above picture shows where I mounted my actuators in each door.  This location left plenty of room for the actuator to move and it did not interfere with my windows.  I would assume this location will also work for Jeeps with half-doors.  Be sure to notice how I bent the actuator rod that connects to the locking rod.  Use your best judgment when deciding on what angles to bend the actuator rod.

Now that everything is mounted in place, the next objective is getting the electrical wires out the door.  What I decided to do was to drill a 3/8" hole into the side of my doors.  I ran the 2 actuator wires through this door and protected it with a rubber grommet and then covered it with wire loom.

You will then run these wires back to the alarm brain. Depending on your alarm, you may or may not need to wire in some relays. On my Viper 5701 Responder 2 Way Car Alarm Remote Starter I was required to add two additional relays similar to these: 12 VDC Automotive Relay SPDT 30/40A

The purpose of these relays is to provide 12 volt power to each actuator whenever you arm or disarm the alarm. This is how I wired the relays but please refer to your alarm's install guide.

Finished!

For all those doorless drivers...

I was able to use quick disconnects on the actuator wires coming out of my doors.  This allows me to quickly and easily disconnect the wires from my door whenever I wanted. This is a very nice addition to the power door lock install. I simply pull the connectors apart and remove my doors.

Go test out your new power door locks!!!

Viper 5701 Alarm and Power Door Locks in my Jeep Wrangler YJ

After buying my Jeep, one of the first things I wanted to add was power door locks.  Security was not my main concern and a keyless entry system would have been fine, but I was able to find a great deal on a refurbished Viper 5701 remote start unit. Although the Viper 5701  has remote start capabilities, I had no plans to actually install that option. I wanted a nice simple alarm remote that could control both driver and passenger doors while scaring off the honest thieves.  We all know how easy it is to break into a Jeep, an alarm is just a deterrent and an obstacle.

Alongside the Viper 5701, I also got my hands on two power door lock actuators that came with my universal power windows kit. The power windows kit will be installed at a later time. I wanted to concentrate on the luxuries of power door locks this weekend. Another project I will be documenting down the road is my installation of an Auxiliary Fuse Block that is only hot with the ignition on. The benefit of an Auxiliary Fuse Block in my Jeep is that it makes future electrical add-ons much easier and safer providing them with individual fuses instead of tapping into existing wiring.

My 1992 Jeep Wrangler YJ has pretty simple wiring when it came to this project. A quick google search of a Wrangler YJ wiring diagram revealed which wires I actually had to tap/cut into. As always, double check the wires with a multi-meter before cutting into them. I will go over which wires are needed later on. My preferred method of connecting wires was by way of soldering.  This method requires a lot more time and patience but will provide better connection between wires. I have nothing against crimping wires together and did utilize that option a few times during this install.

Lets get started!

First step I did was find a placement for the alarm siren:

 I found a nice location on the passenger side wheel well.  I chose this location because there was a lot of room and because it is located on the same side as the battery. The Viper 5701 alarm manual suggested that you route the siren wires back into the jeep where it will connect to both the power and the ground wires.

You can see where I routed the wires into the Jeep's cabin. I utilized a pre-existing hole that the previous owner had used except I drilled it out with a 3/8 bit and place a rubber grommet to protect my new wires.

Find a nice spot to put all your ground wires. The alarm manual suggested the driver side kick panel but my E-brake consume most of that area. I decided to mount my ground wires to the center of my firewall. I will eventually place a distribution block in that location for all my grounds.

You need to decide where you would like to place your alarm "brain".  The most common place is under the driver side dash. This, however, is also the most common place an intruder would look. Choose your location wisely.  Once you know where the alarm brain will go, we can now start tearing into your Jeep's wiring.  Removal of the dash is not necessary but will make the wiring connections much easier.


The main wires you want to look for is in the ignition switch:

Red ---------- 12 Volt Constant (will always have a positive charge)
Yellow ------- 12 Volt Switched (only turns on with the key in 'ON" position)
Green -------- Starter wire (this is for killing the starter when alarm is armed)

These wires will control the main functions of the alarm.  The red wire (12 volt constant) and the yellow wire (12 volt switched) will need to be tapped into.  While the green (starter) wire will actually need to be cut completely.  Look on your alarm installation guide to find which alarm wire corresponds to which ignition wire. The red power wire on the alarm unit will almost always have an inline fuse hooked to it. You will also want to hook up the siren output wire to the siren wires you routed inside the cabin.


The next step is to hook up your parking lights and door triggers:

Parking Light ------Blue/Pink (Light Switch)
Door Trigger ------ Black/White (Door Pin)

The parking light wire can be easily found in your light switch. This wire will flash your parking lights whenever you arm or disarm the alarm. Once you remove a few screws for the lights switch, you will be able to pull the whole switch out of the dash.  Look on the back of the switch for a blue and pink wire. You will want to tap into that wire with the parking light output wire on your alarm.

You can easily find the door trigger wires when you open the door. It is the Black/White wire behind the door pins.  There are two of these wires on the driver side and one on the passenger side.  The driver side has two because these wires control the dome lights (when the doors are open) and also the "key in ignition warning" buzzer (also when the door is open). This buzzer function on my 1992 Jeep Wrangler YJ was non-existent.  I assume the previous owner was annoyed with this option and many Jeepers disable the buzzer according to what I have read on the forums.

*Note*
You will want to remove the corresponding fuse whenever you take the doors off your Jeep. Look in your manual for the correct fuse to pull.

You are almost done with the alarm install!

The final steps for the alarm install is to hook up the alarm shock sensor and alarm L.E.D. light.  On my Viper 5701 alarm unit, the shock sensor is built into the brain. You may have a separate shock sensor depending on which alarm you are installing.  My alarm's L.E.D. light is also built into what Viper calls the "Control Center". Basically this Control Center has the anntenna, valet switch, and L.E.D. light all built into one. I placed mine on top of my dash directly in the center. Once again, your install may be different depending on which alarm you choose.

Thats it! You're done! Congratulations!

You have officially completed your alarm install. You may, however, notice a blue and green wire poking out of your alarm brain.  These wires control the power door locks that your Jeep does not have.

Stay tuned if you would like to see how I added power door locks to my Jeep YJ!
Here is the Power Door Lock write-up.

1992 Jeep Wrangler YJ

A work in progress...

Coming Soon :
Viper 5701 Alarm install (click to view)
Power Windows
Power Door Locks (click to view)