Push-button / Remote start Mod

I searched far and wide for info on how to add push button and remote start to my ’08 DC Limited. What I found was only rumor, innuendo and a few completely useless YouTube videos. There are a number of Push button start systems on the market. I kept hoping Viper will add push-button start to their remote start lineup, but so far no dice.

I ultimately settled on the EasyGo system, available at

EasyGO AM-TUN-BASE Smart Key Remote Start and Alarm System with Base Model Textured Black Driver's Door Handle for Toyota Tundra

http://www.amazon.com/EasyGO-AM-TUN...&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00

Yep. I know, it ain’t cheap….

This is really a supplement to the sparse documentation provided with the EasyGo Pushbutton / Remote start system. While they sell a system specifically for the Tundra, they provide absolutely zero vehicle-specific wiring info. Included here is an attempt to steer you towards the correct wires in the Tundra.

Disclaimers:

This should be used in addition to the info provided in the EasyGo kit. This mod is intended only for the strong of heart and the skilled of wiring. Don’t even think of attempting this without the Tundra Electrical Wiring Diagram. Just search on eBay for, You guessed it, “Tundra Electrical Wiring Diagram” and pony up for the appropriate year’s manual. Trust me, you will thank me and buy me beer. This mod was done on a 2008. If the wiring colors, connector call-outs or part locations have changed, You’re gonna want to know about it in advance. If you brick your truck, it ain’t my fault, etc. etc. blah blah.

A few conventions and tips:

- everything to the left of the -> is from the EasyGo harnesses. Everything to the right is the target Tundra connection.

- where appropriate the tundra connections are called out by color and plug/pin, so a White J9/4 would mean tap into the White wire at pin 4 of J9. The aforementioned wiring manual is going to come in real handy for this.

- All wires are connected as a tap off an existing wire. That is to say, no wires in the Tundra need to be cut.

- For smaller wires, I highly recommend you strip a portion of insulation, and solder the wire you are tapping in, then wrap in electrical tape or heat shrink.

PosiTaps are fine for bigger wires (16, 14, 12), but smaller ones should be soldered and insulated.

EasyGo Ignition Harness

1) Unplug J9 from the ignition switch.

2) Prepare the bypass

a) Remove the clear illumination ring that surrounds the ignition switch. It unsnaps by pulling straight out away from the ignition switch.

b) unplug and remove the small circuit board (Transponder Key Amplifier - J20) that sat behind the lighting ring. You will see that it contains a coil that circled the front of the ignition cylinder.

c) The bypass box that came with the EasyGo has a black wire loop coming out of it. Wrap that loop twice around the coil on the immobilizer.

d) Re-connect and attach the immobilizer board, or if you prefer, just reconnect it, and tape or tie-wrap it to a nearby wiring harness. It no longer needs to encircle the key cylinder.

e) Fully insert a donor key into the ignition cylinder and with a sharpie, mark the metal where it extends out of the ignition cylinder. Remove the doner key and with a hacksaw, cut the head off the key just above the mark you made. Bet sure and leave enough room to turn the key in the cylinder with needle-nose pliers.

f) Open the supplied bypass box and tuck the key-head you cut off in 1e, beneath the wire coils you’ll find in the box. I used sticky-tape to insure it remains tucked under the wire coil. Close up the bypass box, and connect it to the EasyGo main unit with the supplied plug.

Note: In the kit they sent me, the plug from the EasyGo was of the wrong type for the bypass module they sent. I ended up cutting off the plug and soldering the red and black wires to the 2 pins on the bypass module. If you open up the bypass module, the + pin is clearly marked on the circuit board. Just make sure the red wire from the harness goes to that pin, and the black wire goes to the other.

g) Using needle-nose pliers, Turn the inserted key-stub to the ACC position. This effectively bypasses the steering wheel lock.

h) Just to the left of the key cylinder is the white 2 pin key reminder switch connector. Disconnect it to avoid the constant key inserted reminder chime.

2) Make the following connections from the EasyGo Ignition harness to the J9 plug you disconnected in step 1.

a) +12V
Red -> J9/4 White

b) ACC
Blue -> J9/2 Gray

c) Ground
Black -> Chassis ground

d) Ignition
Brown -> J9/1 Light Green

e) Starter
Yellow -> J9/7 Green

2) Make the following connections from the EasyGo signal harness.

a) Parking Lamps+
Brown (pin 1 & 2) -> DB/8 Green (Bottom connector of the interior fuse box)

b) Horn Trigger
Pink (pin 3) -> DB/1 Purple (Bottom connector of the interior fuse box)


c) Door Lock-
White (pin 4) -> White - driver side kick panel, second blue connector up from bottom. Tie this wire ALSO to the light green wire (pin 14) of that same connector. This insures that the factory alarm is set when the doors are locked. This is particularly useful if you have the glass breakage sensor option installed.

d) Door Unlock-
White/Black (pin 5) -> Red - driver side kick panel, second blue connector up from bottom. Tie this wire ALSO to the small pink wire (pin 16) of that same connector, which disarms the factory alarm. Otherwise the unlock function may not work if the factory alarm is enabled.

c & d note: The pink and light green wires are tiny, so soldering is recommended.




e) Parking Lamps- -> Chassis Ground

f) Trunk Release (optional)
Red/Black (pin 10) -> To negative side of Tailgate release solenoid or relay.
This requires the Tailgate release mod described elsewhere on this site.

g) CAN Low
Yellow (pin 11) -> J17/14 White (datalink connector under the dash)

h) CAN High
Purple (Pin 12) -> J17/6 Purple (datalink connector under the dash)

i) Brake wire
Orange (pin 13) -> A4/2 Blue (Brake light switch above brake pedal)

j) Door trigger
Blue (pin 14) -> J20/6 Green (This is the plug for the Transponder Key Amplifier described in step 2b)

k) Transponder bypass
Pin 8/16 -> Bypass Module (See step 2f)

Conclusion:

So when all is said and done, I might have gone with a different system like Guard Dawg, or Advanced Keys. There are a few idiosyncrasies about this system I don’t care for which may or may not have to with my own mis-understanding of how it should be connected or how it should work. Here are my observations;

- Remote Start sometimes takes 2 attempts. Don’t ask me why, It just does.

- Other systems will automatically unlock the doors as you approach with the smart fob and lock as you walk out of range. Instead, EasyGo provides a replacement door handle with a button on it, which you must push in order to unlock, even though you have the fob with you. EasyGo will lock the doors as you walk away if you have that feature enabled. The downside, is if you wish to enter the truck from the passenger side, you still have to pull out the remote to unlock since they do not provide a custom handle for the passenger side.

- If you have the headlights on, and its at night, and you remote start, then remote stop the truck, the headlights remain on forever. Probably not that big a deal since you would rarely Remote Start then Remote stop, unless you are just showing off. Push button start/stop, does not appear to have this problem. Annoying nonetheless. I got used to just leaving the headlights on Auto, and now I have to think about it before showing off.

- The EasyGo Product images show a replacement switch panel to which to mount the Push Start switch, but no such panel was included.



I ended up drilling a hole in my instrument bezel and mounting it there, instead. If you go this route, be very judicious as to where you drill the hole. The button is quite deep and the bracketing behind the bezel affords little room unless the button is exactly centered within the bracket opening. Measure 17 times before you drill.



- EasyGo sells 2 different kits specific to the Tundra. AM-TUN-CHR and AM-TUN-BASE. The only difference that I can tell is that the CHR has a chrome replacement door handle whereas the BASE has a Black one.



I should also mention, that much of this info likely applies to any of the other push / remote start systems out there. The only difference might be whether the other systems require a tach connection which can be picked up from the datalink connector under the dash.

 

Simple I notice you didn't have a tech wire added? If not the system either guess at start time or has a setting of like 0.6 seconds on start with the starter. Set it to .08 and try it at that rate to start if you can set it. That will stop the 2 attempt start.

 

Thanks. Unfortunately, EasyGo includes neither a tach connection nor a way to program the tip-start time. When you activate remote start, EasyGo beeps to acknowledge the command before turning the motor over. When it fails to start I get neither the beep or the attempt to start.

 

I have a new appreciation as to why alarm shops charge so much.

 

If no tach wire they are using a voltage spike as the alternator starts to make voltage. What it does it watch's the voltage come up, soon as it See's the spike it drops the starter.

 

That makes sense. However, I'm assuming (perhaps wrongly) that all Tundras are equipped with tip-start from the factory. My limited '08 is. That is to say the engine control module decides when to drop the starter. The user need only turn the key momentarily to the start position rather than hold it until it starts. Since the remote start module simply replaces the ignition switch, wouldn't the same behavior apply? I think a tach connection is required only for cars that do not have the tip-start feature.

In any case, When the remote start fails, it doesn't even attempt to turn the engine over, so start-sensing would not apply.

 

Tech is not only for starting but over revving say the engine starts to race for example under control for the remote start. Its a fail safe feature.

Example is this. If the tip start sees the key turn (remote start) then drops them command ( fast turn key back too acc) to the tip start,the tip start might see that as a false start for not enough time to engage the ecm. There is timer on the ecm before firing(plugs and injectors) to get the starter motor and engine up to compression speed before firing plugs or injectors. This is probably the case here.

 

Do you still have your truck i was look at getting this push start system for my 2012 tundra.