Aftermarket alarm system and Power Steering, it's an odd combo isn't it. Somehow they installers of my aftermarket alarem system messed up big time. I wasn't sure where to place this thread becauas e it is tech but also it is electronic but I have a tech question so I will leave it here. Yesterday I went and got itno my car and trhe windows only rolled down to preset spots that are built in for the remote windows up and down part of the alarm. So I kept having to push the button over and over agasin inside the car. Eventually the windows stopped rolling down all together and the only way I could get them down was by remote. Then the problem worsened I went to start my car later that day and the power steering was out and the malfunction light was on, but now my windows worked. I drove the car home and when I got there I went to lock the car and the remote said that they system was already armed as if I had never unlocked it. I looked in the owners manual to try and find a power steering fluid resevoir so I could check the fluid, no luck. Called the dealership and they told me they didn't know where itr was and just to bring it in. So I did my own investigating but couldn't not find one. I started the car and my power steering was back on, but my windows didn't work. I read the owners manual again and this time something caught my eye, I believe it read that the RX-8 had a feature when you were sitting still you could use the power steering to a point then it would cut the power steering off and then wait a second and it would come back on, to keep the power steering from being damaged. Could this be some type of electronic assist valve or something and my alarm system is wired wrong and could be tripping it? Later that night the power steering went out and the windows worked again, this time when I started the car I heard a strange click noise this morning when I started the car and the power steering was back on there was no click noise. My whole car is going apeshit, needless to say the system is coming off tonight and I am getting my money back.

 

i thought i wrote my paragraphs are bad you should try spacing it out a bit so its more readable lol.

 

well, took the car back to the installers and had them remove the alarm system and refund me my money. The power Steering is still out so I have made an appointment with the local service dept. to check everything out.

 

They tapped the system into the LAN/CAN network. When the PCM see's more than 120 ohms in the curcuit it starts shutting things down. They might have fried your steering rack also.....good luck at the dealer..



And your dealer didn't know that your car doesn't use PS fluid? :-/

 

So it's an electric system? Could it be a fuse?

 

It may..

I know thats where I'd start.

Good luck

 

Well, it wasn't a fuse. I dropped it off this morning and they should be getting back to me. I hope it didn't fry the rack. Here is my therory and I hope this is what it is: The system was reshuffling power, which would explain the random parts not work, After shutting down the power steering multiple times it just locked it down permenatly to keep from damaging it and now all they have to do is go back in and reset it.

 

Well, I heard back from the service department yesterday and the Power Steering Control Module was fried and it is going to cost me $880 to get a new one since I voided my warranty. I have already talked to the installers of the alarm and because I do so much business with them it looks like they are going to take care of it. I talked to them yesterday and they are going by the dealership today to talk to the techs to see if it could of possible been there faught, but they said either way they are going to take care of me.

 

Lucky!

 

Hey Horse, what alarm did you put in your car? I'm going to install a Clifford Advantguard G5 soon! Hopefully, I won't have the same problem because I also voided my Electrical warrenty already with my audio system.

 

It was a clarion unit, but I don't know if it was the unit or the installer who caused this, it may have been a bad install.

 

Bad news, it's not the PSCM they put a new one in and it still didn't work, so they will have to investigate more. That's not the worst part: THEY BACKED MY CAR INTO SOMETHING! They destroyed the rear bumper of my Veilside D1GT body kit. The kit wasn't cheap and I waited four months for that kit. MAN I AM PISSED! It looks like they are going to replace it but I have a show today so know I have to patch it up and cover it up and hope I can hide it at the show!

 

Horse, why was your warranty voided? Is it cuz you have naaaaaaawz? That should void your power train warranty only, right?

 

i have a large amount of modifications and with all of these it voids the whole warranty not just each individual warranty.