HELP QUICK! SS2000SS install...

GranPrix

Member
May 23, 2010
530
FL
On the 12 pin connector, the green wire (pin 5) goes to ground/chassis. I got that. Pin 4, the black wire goes where and how?
 

Silent But Deadly

New Member
Jul 27, 2010
5
Taking a shortcut on this ground wire might sound like the easy answer, but I have seen two different smart sirens melt down from poor grounds and poor supply voltage to the red wire that goes to the harness. A vehicle chassis ground is a "floating" ground. The ground on the battery is a true ground. Part of the microprocessor in the smart siren is measuring the differences between these two. I don't remember why it is done that way by Federal any more, but I know that is what is going on. That is why it is important to do it correctly. Also, make sure that your red supply wire to the harness is capable of drawing 20 amps and ALWAYS a minimum of 12 volts. If it drops below this, you can fry a microprocessor or one (or both) of the transistors on the back of the box. (those two black covers on the unit). That red wire controls the keypad AND the siren! That is where the siren gets its juice, not from the main supply line into the box! Keep in mind that it may not fail right away if not wired correctly, but over time improper wiring will take its toll on these systems. Hope this helps.
 

EVModules

Member
May 16, 2010
864
Deer Park, WA
You must have been supplied a wire harness for the Vision system where the green wire is present. On the Smart Siren, there's no green wire in use. Just cut off that wire and proceed as normal.


Silent But Deadly, it is not true that the vehicle chassis is a "floating" ground. The reason for the two ground connections is due to the separate microprocessors in the system, one for the lightbar and one for the siren that needs to "see" each other. The black wire from the harness needs to be the same ground as the lightbar ground so there's a common reference point. If the ground is separate from each other at a distance, there will be a floating ground condition where the voltage difference between the two ground points exists and the two processors no longer have a reference point to work with. That's why the Vision system balks when that condition exists, thereby the need to adhere to the instructions.
 

JohnMarcson

Administrator
May 7, 2010
10,971
Northwest Ohio
EVModules said:
You must have been supplied a wire harness for the Vision system where the green wire is present. On the Smart Siren, there's no green wire in use. Just cut off that wire and proceed as normal.

Silent But Deadly, it is not true that the vehicle chassis is a "floating" ground. The reason for the two ground connections is due to the separate microprocessors in the system, one for the lightbar and one for the siren that needs to "see" each other. The black wire from the harness needs to be the same ground as the lightbar ground so there's a common reference point. If the ground is separate from each other at a distance, there will be a floating ground condition where the voltage difference between the two ground points exists and the two processors no longer have a reference point to work with. That's why the Vision system balks when that condition exists, thereby the need to adhere to the instructions.


+1


The vision system is VERY voltage and ground sensitive in my experience.....
 

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