So I'm already planning my next 3S-GTE-powered car, and I got to thinking that it could be difficult to install a turbo timer on a car with an alarm, and I'd want both in my car. >>

Upon doing some research, it seems like lots of people have problems with getting an alarm to work on a car with a turbo timer. And rightfully so, because the ignition wires have +12 volts when the turbo timer is on, and most car alarms won't arm if they sense that the ignition is on. There's always the easy way out, which involves tapping into the accessory wire instead for the alarm's ignition power, although for some situations that may not be ideal.

So below is the diagram of what I'm thinking would work. The orange wires are the two ignition wires, and the unlabeled boxes with the stripe(indicating the cathode side) are diodes. Can anyone see any reason as to why a setup like this wouldn't work?

Oh yeah, for the shock sensor, I'd use a relay and tap into an ignition wire between the diode and the ECU to give +12 volts to the sensor only when the ignition is off(I might have to use a timed relay here because the relay would switch almost instantly but the car still shakes a little bit for part of a second while the engine is shutting off after the ignition is off.) That way the shock sensor wouldn't instantly trigger the alarm due to engine vibration once the car is armed. >>

thatll work, but y not go with the easier way out and buy an alarm with a built in turbo timer? >>

my compustar has it built right in, but way to think outside the box!

If and when you do this, go through it with me because as of right now i have my ignition wire to the alarm disconnected because of problem "A" and I have to turn the shock sensor all the way down ( so its useless) so that it doesnt beep for 90 seconds while the cars running.

I cant help but I test stuff to help out.

-Pali_playa+Sep 8, 2004 - 4:59 PM

little tip...if you dont yet have an alarm, and you plan to do a swap, wait till after the swap to get the alarm! my viper alarm totally stopped working after i had the batterie disconnected for like 2 months and caused me a lot of headaches when trying to fire up my new engine. to this day it still dosnt work! now im trying to decide between getting this one fixed and getting and aftermarket TT or just going with a new alarm with TT built in.

-Coomer+Sep 8, 2004 - 10:08 PM

coomer, that won't work... we had to do this at the custom shop i used to manage a few times... you have to use 4-6 relays, depending on the car and the alarm you use. i can ask the guy that knew how to do it for more details next week when i drop off my explorer to get the amps mounted.

ok i got an idea... how about taping into the seat belt switch system. the little light that tells you when you are wearing a seat belt. when you put your seat belt on, it will turn off your alarm. just an idea..

-Charlie97L+Sep 13, 2004 - 8:56 PM

he wasn't there today when i stopped by... should be in tomorrow... basically, the alarm is aware of all the signals going up and down all the wires it is hooked up to... and those are the same wires as the turbo timer needs to hook up to. the alarm detects the foreign signals, and doesn't allow the turbo timer signal to keep the car running to move on the wire... either because it thinks it is one of it's own signals, or whatever, i don't know. all i know is that the alarm cuts off the TT signals, and the relays basically fool the alarm into thinking the TT isn't there or that the signals on the wires are coming from the alarm and not the TT... that's the basic theory. trust me, i tried the way you are suggesting on my celica, and i never could get it to work.

My boyfriend owns a turbo-charged Eclipse and he had this problem. He got the installer to change the alarm to passive arming. When he turns the ignition off and leaves the car, he sets the alarm. Then when the car turns off, the alarm resets and rearms itself. He has the Viper 300 so I don't know for sure if it would work for everyone's alarms...but it's worth a try.

I dont really know why that would not work, although I dont know much about Turbo timers (yet.) I would just go with taping into an accsesory wire and not messing with the ingnition.

-Coomer+Sep 8, 2004 - 4:24 PM