okay, i got an avital alarm back in dec. 98. ive always hated the stupid oval remote. the people at the alarm shop told me i could replace it with another avital or clifford remote. so i got on ebay and bought 2 3-button remotes.(mine came 3-button remotes). one is an avital remote and the other is a clifford. i got them and tried to program them to my system and they wont work. why? i talked to the car audio guy on the phone and he said the fcc numbers on the back do not have to be the same. is there some sort of backdoor way i can program these remotes? HELP

Send the remotes back my man! Avital has been bought out by DEI, along with Clifford, so any new transmiter you get, will only program with the new DEI product. You might have some difficulty finding new remotes for your older Avital. Try to find a shop who used to install the old Avitals, and be sure to let them know you have an older system, not a new one. My best advise for you is to get the new DEI model, either Clifford, Avital, Viper, Python, Sidewinder: all of these brands are made by DEI and all the internal electronics, wiring, and sensors are mostly identical. Now if you got the older remotes, then i just wasted some space here, but not too sure how to program the older Avitals, but usually you need to use the Valet button or switch with either cycling the ignition or keeping it on, and pressing the valet button a certain number of times. Maybe try to find a dealer near you who has worked on the older avitals and they should be ablt to help you more than i can...Hope i've helped a bit..

yeah, i know about the valet switch and how to program and reprogram remotes. i did it with the remotes it came with. so if i got a new clifford or avital alarm(whole system) what would i have to do to install it? just switch out the brain or rewire it or what? its a avital diablo2. so if i got like a generation 4 alarm from clifford, would the harnesses be the same? i would like to be able to do it myself. ive done all the electronics on my car except for the alarm.

do you recomend getting a new alarm anyways since mine is about 4 years old?

Well, if your alarm's ok, and is installed properly, it would be fine to keep in there. But, if you do need parts or other work done on it, it will be much harder to find a shop to work on it, since all of the new avitals and cliffords are now made by DEI. I would switch over to a new unit, but nothing will match up. You will have to totally rewire the whole thing, but you can obviously use the same wires and locations of the car's wiring that the alarm is connected to. I've just recently installed a new Clifford alarm and remote start,and since i'm an installer, its very easy, but DEI makes very simple systems to install, rather than other older systems out there. I think you would be fine installing a new one, and of course can help you out any if you have q's. I would go with a new Clifford or avital, or any DEI product for that matter, its all really the same stuff, just different names to it for advertizing and so that many shops can carry DEI in the same local area. But to me it sounds like you might have bought the right transmitters, because i'm not too sure if DEI makes a 3 button one. I thought they only made 2 and 4 button transmitters, so i'm not too sure. But you do have an older system, and still i think its best to upgrade...quality wise, and the ease of getting new parts, and the exceptional warrenty that DEI gives with their products...

it was professionaly installed. its pretty hard to get to and the wires are tight. i dont know what i would have to do with all of the existing wires. also, i dont know where the current sensors are and if i would have to remove them or not. i dont want to take it to a shop because they would charge me a lot since i would buy the alarm off of ebay. the place i got it from moved to a different location 30mins away but they install it for free. how much do clifford g4 avant guard alarms go for? ive seen going for $200-250.

you're going to go spend $200 just because you don't like the remote???
seems kinda stupid to me... but.. it's your $$$



'95 Eclipse RS
INTERIOR
-Sony CDXM 750
-2 JL Audio 12w0 subs
-Premiere Amp
-CompuStar 2WAS Alarm with Remote Start and Pager
EXTERIOR
-Enkei 15" wheels (came with the car)
-2nd Generation Altezza Tails
-Clear Bumper Lenses
-APC Speed Glo Mirrors (with turn signals)
-Red LED Washer Nozzles
PERFORMANCE
-K&N Filter

no, because my current alarm is 4 years out of date

Yeah i would say around 250, but it just really depends on the shop, and what they charge. They will also prob charge you to remove the old system, but if your're a good negotiater, you can try to get the best deal you can. If you have the cash to do a new alarm, i say go for it, but alarms don't wear out any with age or anything, and if your system is working fine, i would for now just try to find a shop that can get you some transmitters for your current system. A new programmed transmitter shouldn't cost you more than 35-40 bucks at most...Also, most shops won't install any products that aren't theirs, so check around before you buy. At my shop, we won't install any other alarm or starter that isn't made by DEI. If you can get a DEI product, then a shop that carries DEI, will most likely install it for you, but maybe with a labor warrenty only..I'd say just do lots of checking around.

yeah, i wouldnt do anything till this summer when i get a steady cash flow. ill probably just get an older style remote. what generation is diablo2? thanks for your help

Unfortunately, i'm not really that familiar with the older Avitals, just the new ones made by DEI. I would get a phone book out and start callin all the shops you can and see who can get a remote for ya.

If your gonna get a new alarm you might want to switch, I think for the money you get a much better product with the Alpine alarms. They cost a few bucks more but provide alot more bang for the buck, plus their dual stage radar sensor works better than anyone elses on the market.