Alarm Problems? Starter?

[VintageIntegra]

First off Ive extensively searched this site and others with no useful info found. I have a 95 gsr i just bought. Has run fine for a month. Runs like a freaking raped ape. Took the valve cover off to paint it, and now the stock alarm is going nuts and it wont turn over at all, nothing. I woud be inclined to believe its the starter except that as soon as i attempted to start it after installing valve cover the alarm started arming and going off out of nowhere, and now the car wont turn over at all. I get a main relay click the first time i turn the key on, but not after the first time. The fuelpump clicks, and the i hear a click from the starter. The red light on the steering column starts blinking after i get out of the car and shut the door, and then the alarm goes off minutes later. Its also arming itself on its own about 2-3 mins after the key is taken out of the ignition, randomly without me touching anything. Its either the starter died or the alarm went haywire, or both. I will attempt to jump the starter tomorrow, but i think its the #$%^$% alarm. Ive fixed the whole main relay prob before, this is not that. I find it hard to believe that the starter not doing anything and the alarm f--king up at the same time is a coincidence. If I activate the valet switch will that alleviate the alarms control over the car starting? Im having a panic aatack ive put $1000 into the thing in tune-up, brakes, exhaust... I had an 89 integra with an alarm issue that i sent to the scrap yard after weeks of failing to fix it. If anyone responds, please dont be a jerk, ive had my fair share of integras and fixed every problem undr the sun. Also the alarm remote is retarded, with "silent panic, option, and chirp panic" buttons. Lot of help that is. Im about to put the thing on craigslist right now and rid myself of this nightmare. Alarm systems should NEVER have been designed to disable the freaking car if "triggered". Also I wanted to add that its 95 degrees here with 100% humidity, and i know that can have an effect on things.

 

[Beat92240]

I think ur on it there man...Bypass that starter kill relay of the alarm for a quick easy check (tie the black/white wire directly together if its split in half). It should start even if the alarm is going off then.

Did you put the ground back on the valve cover after you painted it? I've seen a lot of crazy shi.....stuff happen on these things if the engine isn't grounded real well....

 

[NemesisCBR]

Automatically arming and the starter kill are features of the alarm but it should function as normal once you disarm it. Turning off auto arming should be an option but you say its a factory alarm so i dont know if those work that way. If its an optional alarm then probably but optional alarms are not the same as factory security. Those only work manually.

Even if you can start it that way you have to get to the root of the problem and resolve it. Sorry i cant offer any technical help but wanted to clarify how it should and shouldnt function so there may be some malfunction. Honda-techs audio/security might be a goodplace to post.

 

[VintageIntegra]

Ok I tested the starter and it would not jump start either. However Im still not convinced its bad, although it is the original from 1995 im pretty sure. I have two starters laying around, one has a blue label (Ls) and one a green label (civic?). The starter on the car has a purple label. Will either of these work theyre identical but im worried about how far they extend? Also the valet button seemed to disable the alarm for a while but it came back on. Ive never had any other dc integras with a factory alarm can i remove it completely to alleviate the problem?

 

[suspendedHatch]

95 Integras didn't come with a factory alarm.

Do you have the remote? I'm assuming you disconnected the car battery; that would reset the alarm. You may need to reprogram the remote.

Drop your drivers side dash cover and see what brand you have. If you don't have a remote, you can order one from ebay using the alarms part number. Integras are stolen more often than sold so you're going to need some kind of security on there.

Unplug the alarm or pull the fuse from the red wire. No need to reconnect the starter wire because starter kill relays are almost always wired normally closed. That takes the alarm out of the question.

You said the starter solenoid clicks.So the alarm isn't preventing it from starting. That tells me you either didn't hook the engine grounds back up, the power connections are loose at the battery, starter, or fuse box, your battery went dead, or by some huge coincidence your starter crapped out. If it was the latter, you might be able to get it to start by whacking it with a hammer. Get the battery checked. You can get a multimeter for around $10-15 from Harbor Freight or Sears.

 

[VintageIntegra]

Ok i thought the solenoid was clicking but it was actually coming from the abs box, once i got someone here to help me and stand under the hood while i turned the key. Its definately a factory alarm, i have the acura brand remote and i bought it from the original owner, who bought it with the alarm option. Theres no main relay click at all now, the starter will not run after being thoroughly tested (still in the car) , and the alarm is still acting random. Even if the main relay isnt clicking, the starter should still be turning over. Also, battery is brand new. Would the starter being dead have any effect on the main relay? And even if the alarm was disabling the car should the main relay still click? This thing was running perfectly 3 days ago...although it did sit for 9 months before i got it, so the starter may very well be junk, but that doesnt explain the main relay suddenly not clicking.

 

[Beat92240]

Pull off the start signal wire (the small gauge one with the boot over the male terminal) and test to make sure its getting >12Volts when cranking the key...

If its getting 12 volts and you're getting the 12 volts from its main wire running to the fuse box its either bad engine grounds or a bad starter.

 

[VintageIntegra]

Started it. It was the ground on the valve cover. That was the first thing i tried, and i sanded the connection points for the ground wire. Funny, because my ls doesnt even have that ground wire present, and its fine without it, i didnt think it was very important. The paint i used must have interfered with its ability to be grounded or something (but why wasnt the ground on the tranny alone good enough...?). After swapping 3 starters, my buddy just half mindedly bolted the ground wire to the ps pump bracket and bam. But the alarm is still going crazy. Apparently that was just a coincidence. Oh well. Thanks to those who tried to help. Doubt ill ever figure out the alarm.

 

[Beat92240]

Could have a larger gauge ground on the LS, better ground points like you said (engine bay point still has paint on it) or even the ground from the battery negative to the chassis could be in worse condition on the one ur working on...theres a lot of things with the ground circuit that could cause different results.

But glad you got it working and it was something easy.