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While cleaning the engine compartment the other day I found this hack job wiring. I suspect someone tried installing a remote start kit and it didn't work out. The reason why I say that is the red wire ends next to the + battery terminal and is fried at the end, the fuse holder looks like a fuse burnt out in it, and the wire goes into the firewall and also parallels to the device in the bottom picture. There was a sticker placed on the top of the fan shroud saying that the WJ has a remote start kit installed. I didn't take a picture of them but there's a little red led light sticking out of the interior cowl that covers the tweeters, and a receiver antenna behind the rear view mirror.. I'd be willing to bet there's stuff hidden behind the dash too. Am I right about this? Can I cut it loose and pull it all out if it is? Suggestions anyone?
If the fuse is blown, and you don't notice anything not working then I would say it's safe to remove. Bizarre that they ran a power wire for that instead of just tapping into an interior power source. It's also possible that it was a power supply for a trailer wiring adapter but if someone was going to route that in a hack fashion it would have likely been run under the car... Either way trace the wire and remove it, leave enough of an end on it to potentially splice it back together if needed down the road.
Could've been a start switch. When I got one of my cherokees and my Comanche the previous owners had trouble with them starting reliably so instead of solving the issue then installed start switches.
After removing my radiator and air filter box I got to looking into this hack job. The thing on top of the engine is a spark plug ignition coil. They had soldered the wire right to it. I cut it and pulled it and the red one back into the cab. Under the dash I found a small black electronic box and a whole bunch of spliced wires. I could shoot the person who did all this. Found something hacked in at the upper radiator bracket also. The top two pics are the device that was hacked into the top of the upper radiator bracket.
I noticed the one wire was the ignition coil. the piece your holding in your hand in the last photo is the Hood switch for the remote start.(wont start if it sees the hood open). The wire from the ignition coil, signals the remote start module that the engine has started and to stop cranking.
That is quite a few relays, not sure what those would have been for, maybe previous owner had some type of auxillary light set up. Air Horn set up. or maybe they are all tied into the remote start. I think you are likely right in leaving them installed until you trace the wires to where they go or just leave them permanently
That is quite a few relays, not sure what those would have been for, maybe previous owner had some type of auxillary light set up. Air Horn set up. or maybe they are all tied into the remote start. I think you are likely right in leaving them installed until you trace the wires to where they go or just leave them permanently
Old remote start systems have a ton of relays. The one I took out of my Jeep and replaced with a newer one had just as many. It was a 2001 model.
08-26-2019, 11:26 PM
A hack job remote start ?
