hey all,

just wondering if anyone knows what the factory alarm monitors, and what parameters need to be met to set it off???

or, a link to all the info would be helpful.

i am having issues with my espar heater causing the alarm to activate somehow. i asked for help a while back in regards to the espar causing it . . . but didn't get much back - not surprised - it is fairly obscure!

so, this time, i'll start with the alarm and see if i can find out what exactly it takes to set it off. from there, i can try and work backwards to see if i can figure it out.

thanx,
jason!

 

Basically all it does is kill the ignition circuit if a door is opened/unlocked while the alarm is active.

Ex.: a crook breaks a window or unlocks a door using the power lock button or by lifting the lock catch while the alarm is "set". Upon opening the door the alarm wails, at this point the ignition will not allow a start up thru the keyed switch or by "hot wiring". Basically they get your personal items and maybe your sound system. That's it, no motion sensor or glass breakage device or armaments on the hood or tailgate etc.

Maybe yours has a "fire " feature and the heater is setting it off!

What's an espar heater anyway?

 

The factory EVS system monitors shock via the shock sensor and it monitors a small electrical parameter, mainly the door opening and the dome light coming on.

BUT, it will set off if there is a combination of events electrically that surges the system, usually a couple of items cycling at once even though it is irrelevant to the dome light or door opening.

I am not surprised that your Espar will set it off on occasion or always for that matter, there is enough off an electrical pull to set the system off.

The EVS system is a very simple system with regards to operating. It makes noise when the truck is bumped and /or the door is opened. It is very easy to defeat the starter interlock and even easier to find the bypass switch.

I'm curious if you could set up the Espar to use a relay to power up? Have a power source trigger the relay to lessen the surge thus not fire the alarm. I have zero experience with an Espar so I don't know if relays and such are involved in wiring them up.

Jeff

 

Where's the shock sensor?

 

The shock sensor is usually mounted around the steering column more so because of the length of the wiring harness.

Now over the years the sensor itself has changed. For the most part, they are a small black box and if I remember correctly about 2 x 3 x 1 inches in size. The little adjustment "****" for the sensitivity has been a small black thumb screw, or a small 1/4 inch diameter white **** about 3/8 of an inch long as well as I have seen a slotted disc for adjustment so you feasibly could have any one of them.

I have always turned the shock sensor almost off. When at full sensitivity, a small wind gust or even a passing car will set it off. Almost "off" will still pick up enough of a movement made by a bumping of the truck or someone hitting hit.

Factory installed systems vary just slightly in the wiring because they are actually integrated into the wiring somewhat instead of being an add on addition but otherwise they are exactly the same.

I've removed way more than I have installed mostly because they do eventually give out or fail over time as well as the owners or previous owners have hacked something and it doesn't work right or not at all.

Other than harness plugs and a few various wires, the EVS system fits most all Mopar products across the entire line of vehicles. I have gone so far as to take the "brain" from one vehicle and with a little wiring changes via the harness plugs, put it into another vehicle.

Hope it helps.

Jeff

 

kurt -
an espar is a diesel fired coolant heater/circulator. it fires up and runs off diesel from the tank, then warms and circulates the coolant. once the coolant reaches a certain temp - it turns on the in-cab fan and warms the cab/defrosts the windows.


jeff -
this is what i might be looking for - the electrical draw. the alarm never goes off when firing - but i suspect it probably gets triggered when the espar triggers the fan to fire up in the cab (espar trigger wire taps directly to factory fan wire). from what you are saying - i'm guessing when the fan turns on it sets off the alarm.

but, it seems to do it no nmatter what setting the fan is on, or even when the control is turned off - it still sets it off. the espar has never set it off upon firing. it only alarms after it has been running for a few minutes. i will do some testing and sit int he cab while it runs to see if it goes off with the fan firing up.

also, i have tried leaving locked/unlocked using the fob as well as the door control and there seems to be no common denominator with this either.

moreover - it does not alarm every time, just sometimes . . .

 

This was a good thread. l

Learned a few things!

Thanks, Kurt

 

it must take a pretty good shock to set off the alarm because mine got damaged when parked on the street one time. dented up the door pretty good and busted side mirror but alarm never went off....

 

I would be tempted to say the shock sensor is turned right down if that was the case. You crank the sensor all the way up and a cat jumping on the hood will fire it.

I had the system installed on a Dakota and the alarm would fire just walking up to the truck....obviously had to turn that one down just a little bit.

Jeff