Remote Start

With the EVO MAZT1 whats the valet switch for? Fortin directions say its mandatory.

I was wondering the same thing. The guide that I followed shows the hood pin is optional and shows the valet switch. Just realized that you will have to hook it up to ground. Will try and take care of it this weekend.
 
So just talked to Fortin tech support and got insight into a couple things;

- The valet switch lets you disable the remote start system, I guess so you don't have to worry about valets accidentally starting the car.
- The parking light wires don't have to be hooked up, but the benefit is the lights flash if there's any errors. Tech support said if you call them they'll ask you how the lights are flashing. A diagnostic tool of sorts.
- You don't have to disconnect the battery, they said they don't.

Hope this helps!
 
So just talked to Fortin tech support and got insight into a couple things;

- The valet switch lets you disable the remote start system, I guess so you don't have to worry about valets accidentally starting the car.
- The parking light wires don't have to be hooked up, but the benefit is the lights flash if there's any errors. Tech support said if you call them they'll ask you how the lights are flashing. A diagnostic tool of sorts.
- You don't have to disconnect the battery, they said they don't.

Hope this helps!

Thanks for the info.

I think is I will still go ahead and connect the valet switch. Shouldn't be to hard.

As for the lights, I will them disconnected for now.
 
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I got a remote start installed at the dealer and what they gave me is kinda crap. It's an Automate Model 7145A. This thing is so obscure you can't even find documentation for it online... Seriously, do a Google search and you will come up with nothing for this model.

It does indeed remotely start my car, which is the most important thing in the long run. However, it disables my OEM remote, it shuts off as soon as any doors are opened, and the receiver has a bright blue LED that blinks at totally random times. Sometimes I'm already driving the car and it just starts blinking in my face. At night, this is very distracting.

So, while I can't recommend a good one, I can recommend that you stay away from Automate.

If it was installed by the dealer, why didn't they install the OEM starter instead? Did they give you an option?
 
Some dealers, send the car across the street, to a car stereo place, to install an alarm or starter system and they charge three-four times as much, as the original install.
 
It happened to me, so I know. The alarm install it was $125 and at the finance department, they wanted $500. I went directly to the shop and paid $125. This was for a Mazda MX6.
 
If it was installed by the dealer, why didn't they install the OEM starter instead? Did they give you an option?

They didn't give me an option. I think it's because I got them to throw it in for free so they gave me the cheapest one they could find.

As tibimakai said, I believe they had it done at the shop right next door to them.
 
You should have asked, what they will be installing. You pay for it, than you should know for what you are paying for, no?
 
You should have asked, what they will be installing. You pay for it, than you should know for what you are paying for, no?

I suppose. I just assumed they always used the same model on all their vehicles. By using a bunch of different ones, they are just creating more work for themselves if something goes wrong (while under warranty anyway).
 
I just ordered the Compustar CS4102-S-KIT for my '14 CX-5 Touring. It is supposed to work with the PTS without losing a fob. I got it from Best Buy online for $260 including installation. I actually ordered one for my wife's '15 Honda Pilot as well. The feature that sold me on getting 2 is that the fob can be put into a "2nd car mode" so you can remote start another car. So if I have the Pilot for the day, I don't need to actually change our janitor sized key rings.

They get installed in a couple a weeks due to our schedules.

Has anyone used the Compustar CS4102-S-KIT or a similar Compustart system?
 
Hi All,

Long time reader, first time posting.

I've been looking for a remote starter for the past while and came across the Fortin unit. I think it was about a year ago and looking at the setup at the time, which was splicing into a bunch of wire, I said i would give it some time. Fast forward to last week and I took the jump and purchased the unit with the T-Harness for my 2014 Mazda CX-5 GT with tech.

I ordered the unit from Fortin itself with the Flash updater. This will been needed when programming the keys. The total cost with shipping came to around $230CAD. Got the recommended kit from here:

http://fortin.ca/en/vehicles/mazda/cx-5/2014-push-to-start_(automatic)/

The installation manual I followed the one labeled Standalone Installation with T-Harness with the header Connection 1. Looking at the diagram, it is pretty straight forward.

I did the following(please note I am not responsible for any issues that may happen when installing this unit. These are the steps I took):

- Connected the unit to my computer and confirmed it was setup for my car. You will also need to change the one of the settings (I think it was the C1 option) then updated the unit.
- Remove the steering wheel cover (two screws underneath the wheel)

- There are two harnesses located near the bottom.

- Remove both harnesses. This took some time for me because I could not figure out how to remove them. After looking at another harness I found out the clip to release the harness is at the bottom. I used a flat head screw driver and popped them off

- Connect the T-Harness to the smaller harness slot. This should be the one located on the right if you are looking at the wheel.

- Plug the factory harness into the T-Harness

- On the other harness, locate the black and white wire. This should be located on the side where the clip is to hold the harness in place. You will need to remove some of the electrical tape and tubing so you have better access to the wire. This is the only wire I had to splice into. I know the instructions show to connect to the lights, but I said I would pass on that and connect them if needed later on if I had any issues. I had used a wire tap but not sure if it was to big or just didn't do it correctly, but it didn't work. The end result was me shaving the insulation off of the black and white wire, connecting the blue wire from the Evo kit and taping it up with some electrical tape. A word of caution. Make sure there is a good connection between the two wires. If not, it will cause issues when trying to program the key.

- Programming the unit. This is all outlined in the instructions so I won't go into detail. As mentioned before about the connection between the wire, I didn't have a good connection with the wire and couldn't get through the first part of programming the unit. Once I re-did the wire, it worked the first try. There are a bunch of programming steps to follow as outlined in the instructions. Make sure you follow them and note the colour of the LED light and their status.

- Once done, closed the door and was able to start the car with my remote.

A few notes:

- There is a few seconds delay from when you push the lock button three time and when the car starts. I would say around 5 or so seconds.
- I am able to still unlock my car with the OEM remote using either the button on the door or on the remote. No need to use the cut key to unlock the door.
- The instructions say to connect some wires to the lights but I didn't. In a nut shell, the only wire installation I had to do was connect the T-Harness and then connection the wire. That is it.
- You will need the flash updater during this process.
- Ran into issues programming the unit but found it it was because of the connection between the black/white wire and the blue one from the Evo harness. If it wasn't for this, I say the whole installation would have take around 60 - 90 minutes to complete. Maybe even less.
- Ordered my unit from the Fotin site. Super quick with shipping. I am located in Toronto and get it the next day.

The installation guide is very well done. They have pictures of the exact wires you will need to connect. You also get a one vehicle pass to Wirecolor.com if you need more wiring diagrams.

If anyone has any questions about the installation, let me know and I will try my best to answer them.


Great post and very timely. Been sitting on my installing trying to figure this thing out. For some reason my mind has trouble with these wiring pictures.


Did you do the grounding for the Hood Pin?

Thanks
 
Thanks for the tip.

I skipped the light mainly because I didn't want to cut one of the light wires if it wasn't required. If I really needed to I would, but at the moment, when I start the car with the remote, the lights flash as it would when you lock it and then stays on when when it starts. I think the only time it may be useful is when starting the car during the day. I was showing how the starter works to some family and noticed that when the car was outside in daylight, the lights weren't on when it was started. For now, I am good with just seeing if if smoke is coming out of the exhaust as my way of knowing the car is running.

Did d3ntyne or anyone else figure out how to remove the left Parking Light Switch arm removed from the steering column? The pdf shows tapping into one of these wires, and cutting the other. But the WireColor site doesn't say how to remove the arm.
 
Great post and very timely. Been sitting on my installing trying to figure this thing out. For some reason my mind has trouble with these wiring pictures.

Greencat-

The wiring pictures are more convulated than what you actually have to do. My understanding is that you don't HAVE to wire the Hood Pin or the Light Wire.
 
I believe that I used to have Fortin previously in one of my cars. It worked fine.

Now, for CX-5's EVO-MAZT1 - Is this 1 or 2 way system? Another words, does it confirm that car has been started?

Also, how do I use CX-5 fobs to remote start?

Getting it regardless.
 
If its stand alone, with no other 3rd party solutions, then its a 1 way system. It allows you to use your factory key fob to start the car by pressing the lock button 3x. The Fortin website, documentation, and phone support is top notch. However, the steps to program it are tedious, about 40 steps from start to finish. But the evo module gives you feedback via led's. I asked a tech at Fortin why its so convulated and his point was its not them, its what mazda requires.

I've gone through the steps a few times and still haven't been successfull programming the EVO. Its very fussy.
 
Thanks kevreh.

I've installed Mazda's remote in wife's car. Now, those are around $350 new so I might get that instead of Fortin and call it a day. 40-steps programming, huh?
Mazda's programming was not simple either, but it was no more than few steps not 40.
 
Are you talking about the remote that you have to use with a cell phone app? If not, can you point me to the one your thinking of? thanx
 
No, just OEM from Mazda - at least there is a separate remote fob and it is 2-way communication.

C930-V7-620A, KD33-V7-630A, KD53-V7-629

The install is simple. Programming not so much, but it is not super hard either.
 
Are all 3 of those part numbers required? I see for the 3rd part number thats only for a hood latch if you don't have an OEM alarm.
 
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