Plain-English terms
Car alarm & remote start glossary.
44 terms explained without the jargon, from 2-way remote to T-harness.
- 44 terms
- Plain English
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- 1-way remote
- A remote that sends commands to the vehicle but does not receive a reply.
- 2-way remote
- A remote that also receives a reply from the vehicle, shown with lights, an LED pattern, an LCD or a color LCD.
- 3X lock start
- On compatible vehicles, starting the engine from the factory remote by pressing the lock button three times.
A
- Actuator
- A small motor that moves a mechanism, such as a door lock or a trunk latch, when it receives a signal.
- Alarm
- A system that watches a vehicle with sensors and responds with a siren, flashing lights and a starter interrupt.
- Antenna
- The part of the system that receives signals from the remote. Viper control centers combine the antenna, valet switch and LED in one unit.
- Auxiliary output
- A spare output on a control unit that can run an extra function, such as a trunk release or a window module.
B
- Backup battery
- A small battery that keeps an alarm powered and able to sound the siren if the main vehicle battery is disconnected.
- Bluetooth
- A short-range wireless link. On the DS4 and DS4P it lets a phone control and program the system.
- Bypass module
- A module that stands in for the key’s immobilizer chip during a remote start, so the engine can run without the key in the ignition.
C
- Cabin sensor
- A sensor that watches the interior of the vehicle for movement.
- CAN bus
- The data network inside most modern vehicles. Digital remote start systems talk to it through a CAN interface.
- Control center
- The unit that combines the antenna, the valet switch and the status LED in a security system.
D
- D2D
- Digital-to-digital. A way digital Viper sensors talk to a compatible digital system.
- Door lock actuator
- The motor fitted inside a door so a remote can lock and unlock it.
F
- Field disturbance sensor
- A sensor that creates an invisible field and reacts when something disturbs it.
G
- Geofence
- A virtual boundary on a map. A tracker can alert you when the vehicle enters or leaves it.
- Glass-break sensor
- A sensor that listens for the sound of breaking glass.
- GPS tracker
- A device that calculates its location from satellites and reports it over a cellular network.
H
- High-current relay
- A heavier-duty relay used on vehicles that need more output for remote start. Marked with a P on DS models.
I
- Immobilizer
- A factory system that checks a coded chip in the key before it lets the engine run.
- Impact sensor
- A sensor that detects impacts. Also called a shock sensor.
K
- Keyless entry
- Locking and unlocking a vehicle from a remote.
- Kill switch
- A switch that opens a circuit the engine needs, so the engine will not start.
L
- LCD remote
- A remote with a liquid-crystal screen that shows the vehicle’s status.
- LED remote
- A remote with indicator lights that show the vehicle’s reply.
P
- Panic
- A function that sounds the siren and flashes the lights on demand.
- Parking light confirmation
- Flashing the parking lights to show that a command was received.
- Piezo siren
- A compact siren that makes its sound with a piezoelectric element.
- Push-button start
- A start button instead of a key in an ignition cylinder, used with a smart key.
R
- Relay
- An electrically operated switch used to control a high-power circuit with a low-power signal.
- Remote start
- Starting the engine from a distance with a remote or an app.
- Reservation mode
- The parking routine that allows remote start on a manual-transmission vehicle.
- Runtime
- How long the engine runs after a remote start before shutting down.
S
- Shock sensor
- A sensor that detects impacts and vibration.
- Siren
- The sound part of an alarm. A six-tone siren offers six distinct tones.
- Smart key
- A key fob that works without being inserted into the ignition.
- SmartStart
- Viper’s phone-control system. SmartStart Pro uses a 4G LTE module with GPS.
- Starter interrupt
- A function of an alarm that cuts the starter circuit while the alarm is armed.
T
- T-harness
- A vehicle-specific plug-in harness that connects a system to the factory wiring through the factory connectors.
- Tilt sensor
- A sensor that notices when the vehicle is raised or tilted.
- Transmitter
- Another word for a remote.
V
- Valet mode
- A mode that puts the security system to sleep so someone else can drive the vehicle without the alarm reacting.
W
- Window module
- A module that rolls power windows up from the remote.
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