Interface to CAN BUS provides:

• Door Lock
• Door Trigger
• Door Unlock
• Hatch Release input
• Hood Pin Output
• Tachometer Output
• Trunk Pin Output

http://support.fortinautoradio.com/p...=14&model=2095

Hopefully this isn't a repost. Crimestopper distributes these modules but they are useable with any brand alarm. Makes installation a lot easier since most of the circuits you need are right there.

No price that I can find. Very useful, indeed.

 

Autotoys is carrying this module for $80

http://www.autotoys.com/x/cust/produ...=0&page=1#tabs

I can't find anything on the net where people have used/tested this with a 350Z. Hooking things up to the CAN BUS can be a disaster if the module malfunctions or its not hooked up correctly.

 

What does it do? Does it just basically splice your new alarm system into the stock one?

 

In a nutshell, yes. A lot of the circuits in the car are controlled via a network called the CAN bus. Its a network protocol that allows the different control modules in the car to communicate. It was developed in order to minimize the amount of wiring used in the car. In the 350Z, the circuits mentioned above are all handled in the CAN bus. This module isn't necessary to install an aftermarket alarm, you can wire in all the circuits individually using relays and diodes and whatever other complexity is necessary in order to get all the features working (door locks, pin switches, hatch release, etc). However, if you do use the canbus module, most of the circuits you need are provided so you don't have to go tapping wires everywhere in the car and splicing in relays, diodes, etc. It also makes testing a lot easier.

Installing a standard alarm (viper, clifford, etc) can be a tedious affair in the 05-06 350Z. However, using this can bus interface, you could do it in about an hour since all the triggers and door lock circuits are provided. The only additional wiring you would have to do would be the +12V battery lead, ignition lead, and ground.

One circuit thats hardwired in the car and not provided via the can bus is the fuel door release. So, if you wanted to have one of your aux outputs on the alarm open the fuel door, you would have to hardwire this in yourself with a relay. Fortunately, this is very simple to do. The parking light flash will also have to be hardwired (Again, easy to do). However, the lights in the car are all controlled via the can bus so I'm sure a future revision of that interface module will provided parking light flash as well.

 

For an alarm expert $80 is a bit high for an interface module. Back when I was installing full time I was making ~$15 an hour, so it would have to save me over 5 hours of time to justify the cost of it, which it won't.

And I disagree about the troubleshooting part. This module will be harder to troubleshoot as it uses digital CAN comms that can't be tested in any way, shape, or form. Basically, if it doesn't work the only thing you can do is buy another module, for another $80 and see if that one works. If the 2nd one doesn't work, then the problem is most likely somewhere else, although, with certain alarm products I have had to go 3 deep to get a working product. With a standard alarm system install you can test each individual digital input/output for functionality.

The only hard part about the install on the Z is the door locks, everything else is simple. The thing that sucks about this module is you will NOT be able to control the windows up and down with it. This is a cool feature that can be implemented very easy with an aftermarket alarm. To add this feature using the CAN bus module you will still have to run wires in to the doors, which is by far the hardest part of the install.

So, in my opinion, the module is worthless. If I was doing an alarm on ANY year 350Z I would still run wires in to the drivers door for the remote window up/down. I would guess that after wiring this module up it may save you an hour of work, at most.

Keep in mind that almost all signals are either at the BCM or the ECU. All the wiring in this car is very close together, with the exception of the door locks.

Now, on the other hand, if you don't know anything about installing alarms, and you purchase an alarm off of EBay and are dead set on installing it yourself thats a totally different story. An installer who doesn't know how to find, test and verify wiring could benefit greatly from this module.

 

When I was installing alarms full-time, we charged a flat rate + additional fees for extra features. So, we were trying to move cars in and out as quickly as possible. Any tools we could use (such as T-harnesses) to speed up the install helped us out a great deal. But yeah, I hear ya on the $80 price - the ROI is pretty low there.

I just got through going over the shop manual to see how difficult it would be to install without the CAN interface and you are exactly correct, every circuit you need is at the BCM or the driver's side harness so its a very straightforward matter to install an alarm without the CAN module. As you've already mentioned, the only catch is the door locks which is going to be a mess. I've already ran speaker wires to the door using the technique described in this forum, so I could always run more wiring even though I shudder at the thought of taking the door panels off again.

I think my statement about troubleshooting was a bit misleading. It makes troubleshooting the alarm side of the install easier since you don't have to worry about the side-effects of tapping circuits. As for the CAN side, if the module craps out you are exactly right - your only alternative is to use the Nissan CONSULT software to troubleshoot the comms. I don't even want to think about how much that software costs!

Interesting discussion that certainly has me thinking...

 

I'm thinking that the shop I worked at would charge the standard alarm installation fee, plus probably $25 extra to hook up the can bus module. In the end you would end up spending $125 extra on the alarm system, and really gain nothing out of it!!! Unless you find a VERY friendly shop I doubt you would actually save any money on the labor charges with this module.

Not all the wires are at the BCM or drivers side harness, you'll have to run to the ECU to pick up a tach signal.

Make sure you seal up your molex connectors after you run wires though them. There have been several poeple on here who have had water drip on their BCM because it sits right under where the wires come in from the doors, and the added wires can actually channel water to the BCM.

 

After checking out the 06 shop manual, it looks like you don't have to go into the doors to wire up the lock actuators. Both actuators are wired straight to the BCM in the kick panel without any switches or other modules between the two.

At the BCM:
Y (Driver side lock actuator) [Goes +12V to unlock]
Purple (Common lead to both actuators) [Goes +12V to lock]
W/R (Passenger side door lock actuator) [Goes +12V to unlock]

I haven't tested everything out yet to see if the wires rest at ground or what, but that looks like the case. Anything I'm missing here?

 

You could always 5 wires the door lock actuators in every year (and thats how the KPtech auto door locking module works). But, you can NOT arm/disarm the OEM security system without going in to the doors. I personally would not wire up an alarm without hitting the alarm arm/disarm wires (which happen to be the lock/unlock wires and also the window up/window down wires when extened pulses are applied).

Once the OEM alarm is disarmed its unlikely it will rearm itself, but that is still a chance I wouldn't take.

 

Ahhhh yes the factory alarm. I knew it couldn't be that easy Thanks for the tip.