Remnants of dealer lot alarm system still installed

The salesman held his fob up to it and pressed the button a few times, which seemed to get a reaction from the unit. But I am nervous about it being activated accidentally and causing no-start far from home.

 

to me that says, anyone w/ that FOB can just walk up to your truck and re-activate it. It'd make me worry until I removed it or had it removed.

 

That's some seriously sketchy stuff, you can't hack into a wiring harness like that and call the vehicle new.

I can't imagine Toyota would be keen on something like this not being plug n play put on owner less vehicles.

A remote start installed like this is trouble in a few years, not sure why this is any different.

 

There's a defect in the wire now. A weak spot. There's nothing right about it. With vibration, that area becomes the weakest link and will be the first area to fail.

 

I can't believe you just left the lot with it looking like that. If you didn't want the system and they wanted to make a sale then I don't see how it's up to you to remove it. I would be back there in a heartbeat!

 

I think this is the better idea. I don’t trust the dealer, but if I take it out myself I’ll be blamed for anything that happens in the future, even if not related. Calling my salesman to schedule an alarm-ectomy.

 

If you need some shock factor take a small length of 20 gauge wire and buy a 6 pack of those wire taps. Have their tech crimp one and take it apart after. Half the strands will be broken at least.

Edit: plus laying on a seat upside down with your head under the dash at 4:30 on Friday isn't exactly ideal wire crimping conditions!

 

How do you see that as a defect?

 

I would de pin and slide heat shrink over. The problem is, these usually cut more than the insulation. The crimped pins on the ends of the wires are as strong as the wire is itself.

 

Could you please mention what dealer your truck came from? so that other members can avoid them and their debauchery.

 

Make sure to give us an update!

 

I wonder what happens if the system gets finicky or goes caputs when you're traveling - best case scenario is you foot the bill for the diagnosis and fix & your purchasing dealer reimburses you when you get home.

So many things can go wrong doing business this way!

Even though their intentions are to curb theft (while obviously making a steal on a cobbled up quick dealer installed option) I can't imagine the mgmt realizes what's actually being done in the shop.

Here and there you'll get an as intended turnout on a tail light - but wire taps are intended to get your trailer lights working on the road until you can get home to do a proper repair.....not for permanent connections to complex ignition and theft devices.

Doing this to a lot full of (probably) hundreds of cars there is no way they haven't caused some issues already.

Bummer is it can't be undone. Even if there is never an issue OP this is really, really bad business and the dealership should change their policy.

 

I don't doubt you've had success with them but I wouldn't want them piggybacked on my new trucks theft & ignition harnesses permanently.

 

Unbelievable. You should not have accepted this truck in that state. Honestly. That is an issue waiting to happen.

What the hell are these dealers thinking? All to save some time from getting keys? How the hell long does that take to install correctly and how many other wires may have been accidentally tapped in the process.

I would open a case with Toyota and have that all brought back to stock. Or find me an unmolested truck.


When we bought our Highlander they crashed it pulling it around to deliver it to us. I had the check in hand. They said they could fix it in a few days. We told them find another and flatbed it in. No transfer miles...They did it. Traded the repainted and bondoed Highlander to a dealer in Massachusetts from ours in NY. Not the same thing, but they F-ed your wiring harness like they F-ed our new car. Fix it sure. Perfect. No way.

 

I would def pull it. Report back when complete and please name the dealer as well.

 

You did well to decline the purchase.

Except you should have required them to remove everything.

And put in writing that THEY butchered the wiring, so future warranty claims fall in their lap.

 

While everyone here is concentrating on the question you asked, another obvious choice has not been addressed! That is, how about KEEPING the security system, but instead of buying it from the dealer, find out the brand, model number, and then go online and see what it would cost to make it an active unit, and also, to find what else it can do or in other words, more information about what it is they installed. I agree though, that the installation they did was pretty crappy. And they also actually damaged your dash, which is unacceptable to me. All of this being said, when I bought my last Tacoma, which was a first generation 96 extracab, it also came with the dealer installed lot security system, which was called a "ProLock". It required a plug that looked like a computer plug or board, that plugged into the outlet that was curiously, mounted very similarly to what you pictured. I didn't want it either, but once I got home, the wife actually ended up taking my truck back to the dealer and having it activated for use. It turned out to be a pretty darn good security system, because it required the computer plug to actually start the vehicle. No plug, it wouldn't start. I used it the whole time I had the truck, which was just over 23 years. Anyway, the bottom line is, consider keeping the security system they installed, but find out more about it online and you can most likely get it activated, or whatever the term is, somewhere much cheaper than the dealer.

 

yank it out. I got stuck somewhere with no tools and my truck wouldnt start many years ago.

Somehow i was able to figure out that it was the alarm system that wasnt letting me start the truck.

I had to yank it out with a small pocket knife, thank goodnes had this on me, and it took about 4 hours by myself messing with it to get all the stuff out.
wouldnt have been so bad if I had tools but yea all these yanky alarm systems I take them out asap.

truck turned on instantaneously when i yanked out the last tapped wire.