AggiePhil

My DEI Python 881XP 2-way alarm/remote start/turbo cool-down system has four choices for how long you want to let the turbo cool-down timer run your truck after you push the button. You can set it to run for 1, 3, 5, and 10 minutes. It isn't very easy to change the setting, so it's one of those things you want to set the way you like it and just leave it.

I currently have it set on one minute, but a friend of mine who works on Honda Preludes (many with turbos) says that most of the people with turbo timers that HE knows usually have theirs set for more like 10 minutes. So I'm wondering what you guys with turbo cool-down timers set yours on. Maybe some of y'all even have EGT gauges and have some empirical evidence for a certain cool-down setting. Anyway, thanks a bunch, fellas!

93w3504x4duelly

3 min is good too go for me and thats most of the time, rarely do I need to go over 5 min.

BigBlue

I think 3 would be alright. I've never had to sit any longer than 2 for the EGT's to hit 300*.

dodgediesel4x4

Just get those DARN gauges already!!!!!!!!!

And you wont have to guess at it.

phox_mulder

I just bought a DEI Viper 791XV, probably just a couple steps below yours.
Opted to have it installed though, it still took the guy who knew what he was doing about 4 hours to install it.

How do you change the Turbo Timer mode?

Everything in my manual points to needing some PC interface or something like that to change the various parameters.

I haven't had a chance to test it and see what it is set for,
but the default is 10 minutes which is way too long for me.
3 would be just about perfect.


phox

ten8fiftyone

I usually go 3 minutes, unless I need the keys to lock the house, then I set it at 6

Lil Mule

You're turbo timer doesn't have a temp sensor in it?

Only ones I've played with were for the rice burners, they had a pyro that had to be installed that would keep the engine running until exhauset reached a certain temp.

I couldn't see running it more than 3 min though.

Big Bob

I also have the Python 881XP! It is a great unit! Remote Start, Turbo timer, Alarm, keyless entry, etc.

I have my turbo timer set for 3 minutes. We'll see how that works this summer.

AggiePhil

Actually, the Viper 791VX, Clifford Matrix 3.5, and Python 881XP are all the exact same systems made by DEI. Just different product line names. It's kind of a long story why DEI makes one product with three different names, but just trust me on this one. The only difference is the name on the brain and box and also the remotes look a little different (but do the exact same thing). I went with the Python because I thought the remote matched my truck better than the little blue Viper remote or the little fake carbon fiber Clifford remote. Other than that, they're exactly the same.

Not bad. Took me 7 days (thanks to the wet/cold weather and me not having a garage).

The default should actually be 1 minute. You put your truck in park, apply the eBrake, and press the * button and the AUX button at the same time. Then the lights start to flash, you turn off and remove the key, and get out. Should run for 1 minute after you press those two buttons. Your install guy might have changed the setting though.

You don't need the BitWriter to change any of the settings, but it makes changing them easier for places that do a bunch of these and it allows you to "fine tune" some of the settings. But without the BitWriter, you can still select 1, 3, 5, and 10 minute settings for the cool-down timer. I'll tell you how to change what yours is set for soon...don't have the manual handy right now (it isn't in the Users Guide, just the Installation Guide).

Nope. There were enough wires to connect as-is. I'm glad there wasn't another one.

phox_mulder

I went to the DEI site to check out the model you got, and it seemed to be the exact same thing I got.

My blue remote matches my truck pretty good, as well as the blue LED flashing away.

I flipped through the install manual but it seemed way to complicated and figured there had to be an easier way to change some of the defaults.

The guy must have set mine longer, the only time I've used it is when I ran into the convenience store to grab a drink, was in there longer than 1 minute and the truck was still running.


I'm very happy with mine so far, had it for 3 days.

I need to check out the range of the remote though.
Sitting here at work, in the basement of a 26 floor building (at least 2 stories underground) in the heart of downtown Salt Lake City, truck is parked 10 blocks south and 3 blocks west, probably 7-10 big buildings line of site between there and here, and my remote is showing it's getting a signal from the alarm.

I need to have someone go smack my truck while I'm at work and see if the remote sees the "break in"
I highly doubt the transmit on the remote will go that far, being powered by only 1 AAA battery, so I won't be able to turn off the alarm though.
They claim it has a range of 1/4 mile, but the installer said he's heard of them working up to a mile away.


phox

AggiePhil

Oh boy...lots to address here. OK, here goes...

Do you know where your installer mounted the Valet Switch? It's a little black momentary push button switch. If you know where it is, I can tell you how to change the number of minutes the turbo cool-down timer runs for. It's uber-simple. My girlfriend helped me do it and could have done it herself.

If you're going to do something like run into a store that you're going to leave in just a minute or run into the Post Office to check your P.O. box with your keys, don't use the turbo timer feature (* and AUX buttons), but instead press the * button twice and then take the keys out and go inside the store. This will keep it from turning off in 3 minutes or whatever the turbo timer is set to. Does this make sense? Seriously, the only button combos you need to remember are:

a) 2 presses of * to remote start
b) 2 presses of * [while it's running] to keep it running while you hop out for a few minutes
c) * and AUX to begin the turbo cool-down sequence

It's that easy.

Also, you might as well start getting used to using the turbo cool-down timer every time you get out of the truck. After all, that's what you're paying for with the Viper/Python/Clifford 2-way system.

What you're probably seeing on the remote isn't actually a signal it's getting from the alarm, but rather the remote TRYING to get a signal from the alarm (AKA, the remote sending out a signal). It does this when it's set to be in Pager Mode, which is a good thing to have on (yours is obviously set to be on). I SERIOUSLY doubt your remote is able to talk to the truck from the basement of a building. Sometimes mine has trouble doing it from across a large parking lot.

To see if it's actually within range, you need to try to send a signal to the car and see if it accepts your command. I prefer to just try and unlock the truck. If it's within range, the icon on the remote will go from a locked padlock to an unlocked padlock. If it ISN'T in range, a little stick and ball icon (antenna icon) will flash three times (and if you have it set on vibrate mode, the remote will also vibrate three times as this antenna flashes). This means that it's out of range.

You can get increased range by turning off Code Hopping, which is a security feature to make it harder for someone with a code finding device to figure out what code your alarm is using and get into your truck. I find it unlikely that someone will try to do this on my truck (since it's all stock and I live in a rather rural area), so I have Code Hopping turned off for the increased range it affords. I'm not sure how MUCH increased range I get with this off though. If you're in a 26 story bldg., you're probably in a big enough area that you want Code Hopping left on for the added security.

Again, you don't have to have somebody try to break into it to test if it's in range or not. Just try to send a command and if it's out of range, you'll see that antenna (ball and stick) icon flash three times. I think that 1/4 mile range is about right. I don't see me getting more than that in all honesty. I'm not complaining though.

You're aware that you can set the remote to vibrate instead of beep and also you can set the remote's backlight to come on, right? Oftentimes installers won't tell you about all the cool features this thing has because they want to "keep it simple for the stupid customer", but I like having all the options turned on since I paid so much for this unit because of these very features. If you'd like to know how to turn these options on and don't know already, just let me know. Also, tell me if you know where your Valet Switch is (it's actually a button) and I'll tell you how to change your Turbo Timer duration.

y-knot

I also usually go 2 minuets, and that works fine. If for some reason I had worked the truck hard just prior to shut-down, then I go 6.

phox_mulder

Yup, lots to address.

Yes, I do believe I have the Valet button.
Is this the button you press to disarm if you've lost the remote?
Turn key to on, push button, disarmed.
According to the manual, it is adjustable as well.
1-5 pushes to disarm manually.
Pretty sure it is set at 1 (dumb customer mode), would like to set it to 3 or 4.

There is a switch still in the box, I believe this to be the one to disable the remote start, not sure why he didn't hook it up, might have just ran out of time (he got done right as the store closed for the weekend)

I'll try the * * method next time I want to leave it running while I run inside.

I have figured out how to program the remote to vibrate, beep, lcd illuminate, etc.
No, the installer didn't go through all the goodies with me, I must have had that "just woke up from a nap, dumb customer look"

The "rx" antenna icon flashes about once every 3-4 seconds, the same rate it flashes when I'm at home with the truck parked in the driveway, which is what led me to believe it's getting a signal.
I'm 99.9% sure it won't lock/unlock/remote start the truck when it's 13+ blocks away, but I did try and it beeped 3 times at me and didn't unlock it.

The main reason I got it is the fact that I now have to park my truck at the light rail station and take that to work, so the truck is out of my site for 10 hours a day or so.
Of course, the Trax stations aren't in the best of neighborhoods.
The 2 way remote was also a factor, so I could be pre warned if something had been tampered with as I approached the truck, so I could be ready to startle an attempted thief.

The remote start and turbo cool down were just extra goodies.

I also notice the manual said you can adjust the volume of the arming chirps, right now they are pretty loud, almost as loud as the siren. Can this be done with the same method as changing the turbo cool down time?
For now, I'm doing the silent arm/disarms, so I don't attrack undue attention at the train stations.


Thanx for your time.


phox

AggiePhil

You got it! That's the Valet Switch! Yeah, I think you can change the number of Valet pulses required to disarm, but I have mine set on the default number as well because I'm not worried about a thief finding my Valet Switch in the first place. I'll write up a post on how to change the number of minutes the turbo timer runs for after you start it sometime soon when I have the Installation Guide in front of me.

This is the Neutral Safety Toggle Switch. I left it off on mine as well. Basically it's just what you said--a switch to override the remote start. This is included because some mechanics are afraid to work on cars that have remote starts and they want to be able to "flip a switch" to turn it off. Not a concern of mine and I didn't want a switch cluttering up the install.

I seriously doubt that. You seem pretty darn smart to me.

Yeah, I don't get why the Rx icon flashes instead of the Tx icon, but as far as I can tell, even when you're out of range, if Page Mode is turned on (and it is on both of our systems), the Rx icon flashes. And that doesn't mean that it's within range. Just that it's trying to get a page signal. To see if it's in range, you gotta try sending a command to the car and when you get those three beeps/vibrations and the flashing antenna, you know it's out of range.

Well, the volume of ALL sounds coming out of the siren can be made to be either loud or soft. The way it works is there's a little loop of black wire on the actual siren itself and if the loop is cut, the siren output is loudest. I cut mine so it'd be loud when I arm/disarm and when it triggers an alarm. I don't believe there is any kind of electronic setting you do through the settings menus to adjust the volume. It's basically just this little wire loop. So if you want the chirps but you want them to be soft, be advised that the full alarm trigger will also be rather soft.

phox_mulder

I sat down when I got home from work last night and RTFM'd from front to back, then back again.
Just the owners manual, not the install manual yet.

The RX icon flashes when the remote is "waking up to see if there is a page".
I guess it's a battery saving measure so it isn't waiting for a page all of the time.
I accidently turned off page mode when I was futzing with the buttons on the remote, and noticed it stopped flashing, even when I was standing next to my truck.
I figured out how to turn page mode back once I reread the manual again.


Thanx for the help thus far.

phox