Adding actual remote starter to EVO-ALL standalone

Question

I added an EVO-ALL and a CHRT5 T-harness to my 2008 Dodge Ram to attempt to use it as a stand-alone starter with the "3X lock" feature. It works great, but the range is very poor on my factory fobs (like about 15 feet max). I looked into an RF Kit but after reading several reviews, I found that many times the RF kit ranges weren't much better than the OEM remotes.

I can get an Arctic Start AS800-S starter for cheaper than an RF kit anyway. Since the EVO-ALL is installed already, I figure I can just do the hardwire connections myself and use the Arctic Start remotes and starter "brain" to increase my range significantly.

My question is, do I have to change any of the programming in the EVO-ALL? I don't own a FlashLink updater, so I guess I would need to purchase one or somehow procure one. I just wasn't sure if it was necessary or if I could just wire in the Arctic Start according to the diagrams and have it work with the EVO-ALL currently set up as a standalone.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. It's freezing and snowing here in NY!

Answer 1

Yes you would need the flash link to take the evo out of stand alone mode. The diagram for the instlaation is also a little different heres a link to the evo all and t-harness in conjunction with a remote starter.

http://fortin.ca/download/28831/evo-all_evochrt5_o20150216.pdf

If using data link you would follow connection A without data link connection B.

Comments

Thanks Derek, for confirming!

Connection "B" is what I planned on following. I guess I'll need to pick up a FlashLink2.

Thanks again.

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Hey Derek or anyone else,

I have taken the EVO-ALL out of standalone mode. Do I have to do anything else, enable any other options? I see one option (B2) that says "Data-Link remote starter mode". I'm not using a Data-Link so I figured I'd leave this option off.

Can anyone confirm? Again, I'm just using the EVO as an interface for an Arctic Start remote starter.

Thanks.

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I dont see anywere in connection B were is says to enabled option B2? The only options you should have on in the evo are options A1 to A11, and options C1. Otherwise everything else should be off.

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That's how the EVO is set. A1 to A11 are on, and C1 is on.

I cannot get the EVO to respond. When I try to program it to the vehicle, I can't get the blue light to flash. It just stays solid blue. I cannot get the EVO-ALL or my Arctic Start unit to respond. I'm pretty sure all of my other wiring connections are proper.

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You shouldnt be re programming the module though. If it was programmed before then it is good to go, but if you have started to program it then...

If you are turning igntiion on and the blue led is staying on this means that the small yellow wire on the evo-all is not seeing ignition on (12v) in the vehicle. I would Check this connection.

Yellow wire of the T-harness should be connected to the yellow wire on the evoall as well as the yellow wire of the remote starter. All 3 of these should be connected together.

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Yeah I figured I'd just leave it alone but then I saw online where someone said once it is re-flashed out of stand alone mode that reporgramming to the vehicle would be required. I haven't even gotten far enough to test whether the Arctic Start unit works because the EVO-ALL won't respond.

I just spoke to Fortin support and he said I forgot to enable option H6 for an FT-D100 RF kit which would allow the EVO-ALL to "see" the Arctic Start unit. He said I should peform a "master reset" of the EVO-ALL and then reprogram it to my vehicle. I am about to try it.

I have the yellow ignition wires connected just as you say.

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If your still having issues rpogramming, test that yellow wire. You should see 12V with the key on, 0V with the key off. Blue led staying on means ignition is not present. 

As for options, The AS800 is a full remote start system right? I would suggest option F2-AP-OFA datalink or that H6 option (h6 enables AP-OFA but also tells the evo it will be receiving commands from an RF-KIT and not a remote starter). In the Arctic Start options, see if there is an option for datalink protocols and set it to ADS. 

They guy you spoke to i think may have mixed the Arctic Start Rf-Kits with the actual Arctic Start remote starters. Although it may allow proper datalink communication between remote start and evo, the "proper" way would be to simply enable AP-OFA (option F2) and make sure the starter is set to ADS datalink. 

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I got the EVO to program successfully. I hardwired all connections as closesly as I could using both the Fortin and Arctic Start diagrams. This is a wire to wire hookup with the Arctic Start, I am not using a DataLink. There are about four or five wires coming out of the AS-800 that want positive voltage at various key positions and I had no idea where to route them to the EVO's wires. I'm starting to think a wire-to-wire hookup isn't possible. I haven't hard-wired anything to the vehicle yet, it's all wired to the EVO and the T-harness. Is that right?

It didn't work. The Arctic Start remotes don't do a THING. I tried reprogramming the Arctic remotes just in case and still nothing. The Arctic Start isn't communicating with the EVO.

Those option changes you mentioned are worth a try I suppose. Otherwise I suppose I'll thorw more money at this project and buy a DataLink.

So far I've spent more on stuff than it would have cost me to have a remote starter professionally installed. I thought this would be something I could do!

I will pull the EVO out of the truck and try to change some of those options as you suggested Robert T.

Thanks for the help everyone!

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Changed option F2 to AP-OFA, which turned off the RF KIT option. Flashed it successfuly.

Still doesn't work. No response from the Arctic Start. Not sure if it's even getting power, I will have to pull it all out and get my tester poking around. To my knowledge the AS800 isn't programmable like the EVO is. There are a few dip switches inside...maybe I need to change those settings?

Should I try flashing the EVO-ALL to "D2D" mode? What am I missing here?

I have this sneaking feeling that the Arctic Start isn't getting 12V from the T-harness constantly. I have a feeling it just isn't powered. Although even with the truck running the Arctic Start doesn't do anything. It's currently wired so it's getting power and ground through the T-harness.

I really have no idea at this point.

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Should I have the data-link connectors unplugged? I just can't imagine why this isn't working.

I used the 20-pin general purpose harness to W2W in the Arctic Start. I connected the ignition wires properly. I ran 12+ constants to the proper wire as instructed by the EVO and AS instructions. I changed the EVO-ALL programming via FlashLink2 several times.

I'm pulling my hair out. I've never fought with automotive electronics like this in my life and I've done a bit of wiring.

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This morning I tied the 12V+ and the ground for the Arctic Start directly to the battery to try to get SOMETHING to happen and NOTHING happened. I also tried tweaking the EVO-ALL flash programming and nothing I did worked. Out it came.

I'm going to purchase a Crimestopper LC-4 which is DataLink compatible with the EVO-ALL make it a lot easier on myself.

A word to anyone reading this in the future, just get a DataLink compatible starter and save yourself headaches. That's what the DataLink feature was engineered for in the EVO-ALL, you might as well take advantage of it.