KHNewman
Bronze Member
I thought this might be good information regarding the new DEI remote start systems for Diesel Engines.
I recently had a brand new Alarrm / Remote Start installed in my 2004 6.0L Diesel Excursion. The system is a top of the line Viper Model 5901 manufactured by DEI who makes a whole list of remote brands that use similar technology. This is a top of the line fully loaded system with a delay cycle for the glow plugs, timer mode, turbo timer mode, defroster control, temperature controlled start cycles etc.
Essentailly the newest remote starters from DEI use something called "Virtual Tach" to check if the engine has actually started and stayed running after the remote start cranks the starter and starts the engine. When I took the truck home and used the remote start there were times when the truck would start fine and run for the programed time. Other times it would start, run for a few miuntes, shut off and then restart 3 times, running for a short time and then shut down the remote start cycle completely. After taking it back to the installer twice they did not have a solution which says something about their knowledge and experience but that is a different issue. The other issue was that it would never perform incorrectly when I had it at the installers shop (typical).
Frustrated I did some research on the internet and armed with the right questions I called DEI directly. DEI confirmed what my reserch lead me to believe...there are three monitoring modes in the newest DEI systems that tell the remote start if the car is still running.
Virtual Tach
Voltage Sensing
Tach Sensing
"Virtual Tach" is the newest technology and is also the default setting for the system. Installers are encourged to use this setting because it is more reliable than the other two settings and much esier to wire. This is apparently absoultely true unless you have a diesel.
If you have a diesel you need to use "Tach Sensing" but there is even a catch in this mode since most diesels throw a lousy Tach signal for some reason. The soultion to the lousy tach signal is you need to order a special part (in my case Viper part # 454T) which connects to your outgoing alternator cable and then to the tach sensing wire and sends a false tach signal to the system to tell it if the engine is running after a start cycle.
According to DEI this is the only way a remote start will reliably work on a diesel engine.
I hope this saves someone some time and frustration if they get a new remote start in their Diesel truck and it does not perform as expected.
I recently had a brand new Alarrm / Remote Start installed in my 2004 6.0L Diesel Excursion. The system is a top of the line Viper Model 5901 manufactured by DEI who makes a whole list of remote brands that use similar technology. This is a top of the line fully loaded system with a delay cycle for the glow plugs, timer mode, turbo timer mode, defroster control, temperature controlled start cycles etc.
Essentailly the newest remote starters from DEI use something called "Virtual Tach" to check if the engine has actually started and stayed running after the remote start cranks the starter and starts the engine. When I took the truck home and used the remote start there were times when the truck would start fine and run for the programed time. Other times it would start, run for a few miuntes, shut off and then restart 3 times, running for a short time and then shut down the remote start cycle completely. After taking it back to the installer twice they did not have a solution which says something about their knowledge and experience but that is a different issue. The other issue was that it would never perform incorrectly when I had it at the installers shop (typical).
Frustrated I did some research on the internet and armed with the right questions I called DEI directly. DEI confirmed what my reserch lead me to believe...there are three monitoring modes in the newest DEI systems that tell the remote start if the car is still running.
Virtual Tach
Voltage Sensing
Tach Sensing
"Virtual Tach" is the newest technology and is also the default setting for the system. Installers are encourged to use this setting because it is more reliable than the other two settings and much esier to wire. This is apparently absoultely true unless you have a diesel.
If you have a diesel you need to use "Tach Sensing" but there is even a catch in this mode since most diesels throw a lousy Tach signal for some reason. The soultion to the lousy tach signal is you need to order a special part (in my case Viper part # 454T) which connects to your outgoing alternator cable and then to the tach sensing wire and sends a false tach signal to the system to tell it if the engine is running after a start cycle.
According to DEI this is the only way a remote start will reliably work on a diesel engine.
I hope this saves someone some time and frustration if they get a new remote start in their Diesel truck and it does not perform as expected.
