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Vehicle
Information: 2001
Corvette Coupe. This writeup would work for almost any vehicle.
You should have a basic understanding of electronics, as well
as have a good soldering iron for attaching the wires to the
printed circuit board within the homelink transmitter.
If this
writeup sounds like it was written in a foreign language, maybe
this install is not for you. On the otherhand if some simple
wiring and use of a VOM is second nature to you, then have at
it!
Let us know
what you think via email via the link in the left bar, or on
www.corvetteforum.com.
Our user names on there are 'Sliebl' and 'Janster'.
Although
this fix can most likely be used for any car, your application
may have subtle differences not shown in these pictures. Use
our write-ups at your own risk. Please don't attempt these fixes
if you aren't atleast mechanically inclined. We take no responsibility
for damage that may result from the use of our write-ups.
Parts
and Tools Required:
Homelink Transmitter from a sun visor. Note: These can be found
on eBay or any junkyard. Do a little research and make sure
you get one that is compatible with the 'rolling code' garage
door openers, even if you don't currently have one of those,
someday you might.
Small piece of fiberglass perf board, or other similar board
to hold the switches and LED.
3
- SPST Tack Switches. I used www.Mouser.com part number 642-MJTP1230B
(about $0.16 each). Note: You can use any SPST buttons you choose.
As long as they are Single Pole/Single Throw, Momentary, Normally
Open buttons.
1
- Red LED - standard polarized LED, sorry no Part #.
Length
of Ribbon cable, atleast 6 conductors.
Wiring
to attach the transmitter to +12V and Ground.
Tap-In
connectors
Soldering
Iron and Solder.
VOM
Silicone
RTV
Several
different drill bits, and associated hardware to attach the
remote 'button board' to the car.
Dual Lock (Plastic Velcro from Radio Shack - SUPER STRONG!)
Other Misc supplies as noted with the pictures.
Difficulty
Level: I'd give
this a rating of 3 out of 5 with 5 being the most difficult
mods, and 1 being an oil change. The actual install is not difficult
at all... about a 1 or 2 on my scale. Wiring up the transmitter
will take some finesse, especially if you don't have any electronics
experience, therefore the elevated difficulty level.
Click any of the small photos for a larger version.
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Step
1: Open Homelink Transmitter
You
need to remove tear the transmitter out of the visor.
Mine came without a visor. $45 on eBay, but they can
be had cheaper if you shop around. Once you open the
case, you will see the three surface mount tack switches,
as well as the surface mount LED (removed already in
my pics). I made a notch in the side of the case for
the ribbon cable to fit through. You also don't have
to use the ribbon cable. Standard 20 or 22ga wire would
work fine. I used what I had on hand since I work for
an electronics contract manufacturer, these items were
easy to source from scrap boards.
Don't forget, you can click any of the pictures
for a larger version to see more detail.
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Step
2: Close Up of Wiring
With
a standard VOM, you can quickly determine which side of
the push buttons is common between all three buttons,
and which side is the 'signal' side. The red wire in my
setup is the common wire. Only one attachment is necessary.
There are only three other wires required for the push
buttons, one for each switch. Pressing the button makes
the circuit between the 'signal' side and the ground,
lighting the LED and opening the door. The other two wires
at the bottom of the PC board lead to my remote mounted
LED. It will only light one way. If it doesn't light,
switch the wires at one end.
Not
shown: RTV the Cable where it exits the case. This will
prevent the delicate solder joints from being damaged
if the cable is pulled on.
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Step
3: Make a board to hold your buttons
This
board is 0.1" perf board. There are holes every
0.1" in each direction. Perfect for this job, as
the switches I had were 0.2"x0.3" spaced,
and my LED is standard 0.1"
I
mounted the switches and the LED to the board by tabbing
the legs of the parts on the back side. I also added
a drop of CA glue (superglue) to each part on the top
side of the board, just as a precaution since the parts
aren't soldered to the board.
You
can lay out the switches any way you choose. You might
even just want one button to open one door. Possibly
a panel mount button that would nut directly to the
console. Just note that you need atleast the outer two
buttons to go through the Homelink programming. This
can also be done with the original buttons as they remain
totally usable.
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Step
4: Back Side of the Perf Board
Note: Each switch has four leads, two on each side are
common with one another.
On
the left edge of the board you can see where I joined
three leads together. These are common between each push
button. I also attached the red wire (top of the ribbon)
to another common point on one of the switches. This ties
all commons together. The next three wires are attached
to the opposite side of each switch. The last two wires
were attached to the LED. Again, if it doesn't light,
reverse the two wires. I used an LED checker to determine
which side of the original LED was the cathode, and did
the same for the remote LED.
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Step
5: Hole Drilling Template
Using
the perf board for mounting the switches also has the
benefit of having an easy to make drill template. I just
drilled out the holes using the predrilled 'pilot' holes.
Perfect fit! I also drilled two smaller holes for some
2-56 hardware.
I also attached a few thicknesses of perf board to the
top side of the button board to get the proper mounting
depth. You could also use some 1/4" spacers or washers.
Mount the button board with 2-56 hardware or whatever
means you choose.
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Step
6: POWER!
Where
I mounted the button board gave me very convenient access
to 12V unswitched power (on all the time). I just used
some wire 'tap-ins' from Radio Shack to apply power to
the leads from the Homelink Transmitter. You only need
12V+ and Ground. Simple. You can also see in this picture
where I hid the transmitter. It's Dual Locked (plastic
Velcro) to the underside of the forward console. Just
out of sight in the picture. The power can be easily unplugged
from the transmitter if I need to pull the console out
in the future. You can also see the loop of ribbon cable
that I have left over since I didn't know exactly how
much I'd need... I obviously went a bit overboard. 8"
would have been plenty. It's hard to see, but I wrapped
some split loom wire guard over the end of the ribbon
as it passes through to the rear console. (It's under
the 12V outlet in this picture).
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Step
7: From This Bulky Nonsense!
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Step
8: To This!
Slick
hidden install, and I don't have to worry about someone
snatching my garage door opener.
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I
hope you enjoyed the write-up.
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