| Author | Message | ||
     Geoff Wootton Grand Master Username: dounraey Post Number: 530 Registered: 5-2012 |
Hi Folks Does unlocking the driver's door on an SY2 energize the central locking system? On my 74 SY1 the drivers door has to be opened and the internal door switch pressed to unlock the other doors. I was wondering if one of the many upgrades to the SY2 included an automatic opening of all doors on turning the key in the driver's door lock. Geoff | ||
| Chris Browne Prolific User Username: chrisb Post Number: 165 Registered: 2-2010 |
Hi Geoff, No, it's the same on a Shadow 2. Unlocking the drivers door does just that. You then have to press the switch on the drivers door to unlock the other doors electrically. Kind regards, Chris | ||
| Paul Yorke Grand Master Username: paul_yorke Post Number: 1314 Registered: 6-2006 |
Sorry, same as a one I'm afraid. regards Paul. | ||
| Bob uk Unregistered guest Posted From: 94.197.122.77 |
I like to only unlock the drivers door. If I have passengers then a quick flick of the delightfully shaped and chromed switch allows the plebs to enter my inner sanctum. Any way it's the chauffeurs duty to lock up. Old Toyota crowns had the locking work if the car went over 5 mph which I found sort of annoying, but owners seemed to like it. I like central locking better than going round the car locking all the doors my family never used to, they'd leave it to me and then get annoyed when they're waiting while I shut all windows and lock up. Automatically shutting windows is good but not on a computer. (Message approved by david_gore) | ||
| Geoff Wootton Grand Master Username: dounraey Post Number: 531 Registered: 5-2012 |
Chris and Paul Thanks for the info. So no easy upgrade here then. It occurs to me the wiring for such would be quite simple, however rigging up a mechanical switch would be more difficult. It would require a bi-directional, make/break switch. I would guess modern car central locking systems are electronically controlled, so no chance of buying an off-the-shelf switch. Bob - As far as I am aware, all modern American cars have automatic locking when the car moves off. It is certainly true of all the cars I have driven. I believe it is to stop uninvited passengers getting in at the traffic lights. This project is now officially at the bottom of my to do list. Geoff. | ||
| Paul Yorke Grand Master Username: paul_yorke Post Number: 1315 Registered: 6-2006 |
Geoff, a quick and easy way to do it is a remote locking kit. Much easier that a mechanical switch mechanism.  | ||
| Bob Reynolds Prolific User Username: bobreynolds Post Number: 185 Registered: 8-2012 |
Get a wireless remote locking unit from ebay. There's hundreds of them on there for just a few ££/$$. You get a black box and two electronic keys. The box will have a 'Lock', an 'Unlock', and a 'Lock Supply' connection. You just wire these to the switch on the driver's door. Most also have a separate 'Boot Unlock' button, which you can wire to the button in the glove box. The door switches, waist rail buttons, and mechanical key can still all be used normally, so if it stops working you won't be locked out. For only a small extra cost you can get one with an alarm on it. It makes sense to get this, even if you don't use the alarm, as there are quite a few nice extra facilities on it. I got one a few years ago and it transformed the useability of the car and brought it right up-to-date with modern cars. You can lock and unlock all the doors by remote, it locks and unlocks the doors at the start and end of a journey, warns if any of the doors are left open, or if you have left your lights on. There's also a Car Finder facility for when you can't remember where you parked your Rolls-Royce! AND it saves any more wear and tear on the door locks and keys, most of which are so worn that they don't work without wiggling them about anyway! It cost me about £20 and is the best upgrade I ever did. If I were you I would move this job from the bottom of your 'to do' list to the top! | ||
| Geoff Wootton Grand Master Username: dounraey Post Number: 532 Registered: 5-2012 |
Paul and Bob Wow - thanks for the info, it's much appreciated. I will take your advice. Definitely back up to the top of my 'to do' list again. Regards Geoff | ||
| Jan Forrest Grand Master Username: got_one Post Number: 700 Registered: 1-2008 |
Remote central locking came with the alarm/immobiliser that I had fitted to my SS 1 several years ago. As there's an 'extra' button on the plip that relay was wired up to the fuel filler door release. | ||
| Brian Vogel Grand Master Username: guyslp Post Number: 1105 Registered: 6-2009 |
Jan, You learn something new every day; I'd never seen plip prior to now or knew what it meant. I'm just curious, as it's not explained in the reference above, does the word 'plip' generally apply strictly to the key fob with buttons? Brian | ||
| Jan Forrest Grand Master Username: got_one Post Number: 701 Registered: 1-2008 |
Precisely. I believe it's now the 'correct' (?) name for the devices that aren't incorporated into a key. I think the OEM ones are usually called smart or interactive keys. My Peugeot scooter has one that's a transponder type which needs no batteries to operate the immobiliser. | ||
| Paul Yorke Grand Master Username: paul_yorke Post Number: 1318 Registered: 6-2006 |
plip were what Renault and Citroën called them. Buttons built into the key. Named after the guy who invented them I believe . . . not the sound the car makes | ||
| Brian Vogel Grand Master Username: guyslp Post Number: 1107 Registered: 6-2009 |
Just for clarity, is 'plip' normally applied only to the "integrated" key-remote combo? Is it a different thing from the fob-alone remote or is 'plip' applied to both? Paul, the reference I gave a link to above agrees with you. Given the range of sounds that issue from cars responding to plips it seems more likely to be accurate. Paul Lipschutz is way more of a mouthful than plip. | ||
| Bob uk Unregistered guest Posted From: 94.197.122.71 |
Best not to have plip plops on one's car. Traditional British lavatory humour.  (Message approved by david_gore) | ||
| Paul Yorke Grand Master Username: paul_yorke Post Number: 1319 Registered: 6-2006 |
Plips are built in, fobs are loose. Kessys don't need a blade, But often do. Most often all are called remotes. Or zapper in our household. | ||
| Chris Miller Prolific User Username: cjm51213 Post Number: 273 Registered: 5-2013 |
@ Bob Reynolds: > Get a wireless remote locking unit from ebay. Can you suggest one for comparison purposes? Maybe start with the one you got. That seems to be pretty good. Thanks for the help, Chris. | ||
| Geoff Wootton Grand Master Username: dounraey Post Number: 534 Registered: 5-2012 |
Hi Chris I know your entry was directed at Bob, but for the record this is the one I have ordered from Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006QH9C5A/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 The reason for my choice was mainly the large number of good reviews. I was put off by the low price, but the reviewers seemed to think the quality was fine. So, at less than 20 bucks including P&P it's a risk free purchase. It should arrive this week so I'll give you an update when I've fitted it. Bob, If you can remember the name of the unit you fitted, it will be of interest. Regards Geoff | ||
| Bob Reynolds Prolific User Username: bobreynolds Post Number: 189 Registered: 8-2012 |
I bought mine 2 years ago, and I don't recognise it now from all of the 41,000 of them currently on ebay! As Geoff says, just choose one that fits your requirements and has good reviews, or has sold in large quantities. They're all made in China anyway and I don't think there's much difference in quality. You'll find that many sellers are selling identical units. I actually got one with a remote engine start as well. I've not connected that up yet though. I thought it would be a good party trick! | ||
| Bob uk Unregistered guest Posted From: 94.197.122.78 |
Notice some people use a plip then manually check the doors. The Shadow has visible plungers which when down mean locked. IMO this modification is pointless. Because I press a button in the car or if a plip press the plip button. Either way a button needs pressing. Only advantage is that it is possible to lock the keys in the car. So keep the plip separate. Electric seats and electric windows aren't really Labour saving. I use the electric seats just to make sure they still work. My passenger seat would not move forward or back for ten years until I soldered up the solenoid coil on the clutch thing. The Window buttons have to be pressed and held. A manual winder would work just as well. Handy for opening the nearside to talk to people but that's all. Think of how much less wiring their would be if we had manual Windows and seats. (Message approved by david_gore) | ||
| Brian Vogel Grand Master Username: guyslp Post Number: 1109 Registered: 6-2009 |
Having recently gone from having all vehicles that had remote locking/unlocking to "manual" electric I cannot begin to say how much I miss the remote. The major convenience with remote lock/unlock is dual: - when you have an armload of bags (or whatever) it's much easier to have staged yourself with the remote in hand to unlock the doors (or trunk/boot) than dealing with keys - with cars like my Shadow II, where one must hold in the door release button to keep the door lock from unlocking it's much easier to simply lock all the doors after all doors are closed with the push of a button. I hate having to wait, and explain to my passengers, that they either need to be out and close the door so that I can centrally lock it such that it will stay locked or hold in their door button when they close the door I also love electric windows and would never go back to manual ones by choice. I frequently crack my rear windows for ventilation rather than the front ones, and this is only convenient if you have electric windows. Just goes to show that in all things, matters of taste really have no right or wrong. It really comes down to how/whether you use something or not. I can't say how many people I warn to "exercise your windows" whether you actually use them on a regular basis or not. I'm still surprised at how many Rolls-Royce and Bentley owners (of cars with full climate control) virtually never put down any window other than the driver's window (and even that one not all that often). Brian, who likes electric seats that have memory feature, otherwise, eh | ||
| David Gore Moderator Username: david_gore Post Number: 1487 Registered: 4-2003 |
It is futile to compare 1970's technology with more recent technology as it is inevitable the later technology will have more features to meet customer demands/expectations and, hopefully, greater reliability. I appreciate every car from its respective era and value its place in automotive history even if later models represent "one step forward and two steps back" in some respects. Old habits die hard as I will admit to going around a modern car with remote locking to manually test each door to be sure they are closed and fully locked. I have a love/hate relationship with electric windows that automatically close fully and cannot be left partially open on a hot day to reduce heat build-up inside the car. | ||
| Bob uk Unregistered guest Posted From: 94.197.122.78 |
Surely it's the chauffeurs job to carry the parcels. Normally this happens in supermarket carparks where trolleys are in use. Why are some car parks sloped so that trolleys roll into cars. If one likes plips then it is easy and cheap. So go for it. (Message approved by david_gore) | ||
| Bob Reynolds Prolific User Username: bobreynolds Post Number: 190 Registered: 8-2012 |
The Shadow central locking system was not thought out properly. It may have been impressive at the time, but it is only half a system. In use, only the 3 passenger doors are centrally locked/unlocked. The driver's door has to be locked and unlocked manually. The way it has to be used means that the solenoid in the driver's door is virtually redundant, and they needn't have bothered to fit it. You always have to unlock the driver's door with the key, so what's the point of the 'unlock' solenoid? When you get in and press the button to unlock all the doors, the driver's door is already unlocked. On getting out, you press the lock button to lock all the doors, and then when you close the door it unlocks itself again and you have to relock it with the key! I know you can keep the button pressed when shutting the door, but that is a dangerous habit to get into. If you do that, sooner or later you will lock yourself out. Fitting a simple remote unit gets around all these issues, and converts it into a fully-functional system; as well as the convenience of remote operation. | ||
| Brian Vogel Grand Master Username: guyslp Post Number: 1111 Registered: 6-2009 |
Bob, It wasn't "impressive at the time" either, but fairly typical. It seems that the "lock pops open unless button held in" style was supposed to be a mechanism to keep yourself from accidentally locking yourself out. I can't recall which of my grandfather's cars with electric locks worked this way, but I remember at least one did. I don't think there's any system that will completely prevent someone locking themselves out. I know I've done it about once every 20 years or so on cars with manual locks and electric locks. Just had my most recent episode about two weeks ago with my '89 Cadillac (daily driver) which has electric locks but was the last year sans remote. I got distracted with a phone call I had to make upon my arrival and didn't do my usual thing - pulling the keys and putting them into my pocket immediately when the car was turned off. The '99 Jag had the best system I've ever seen (so far) as far as preventing locking yourself out. The only way you can lock the car if it is not running is with the remote and all four doors must be closed at the time. If any door is open, the car will not lock. If you try to lock the doors with any of the lock plungers when the car is not running, all four will immediately unlock themselves again. It was very effective, but it took me a long time to figure out a way that I could have my mechanic do the usual "lock the keys in the car" routine. You could only get away with this by having the trunk/boot open, locking the car with the fob, then tossing the keys in the trunk and closing it. I'll be curious to hear a report back on getting one of these things installed from Geoff, you, or anyone else. I'd love to put one in both of my RRs and the Cadillac. I've not done any "electrical surgery" other than replacing a wire segment with bad insulation or changing out relays on any of these cars. Brian P.S. to Geoff: The key or fob only unlocking one door (at least unless you do a second button press or key twist) was a safety feature introduced some years after central locking became common. I recall there being several incidents where people were scrambling to get into their cars to elude someone trying to harm them, but that someone making it to the car almost at the same time with all doors having been unlocked. The early systems in my grandfather's cars unlocked all four doors with the turn of the key in the driver's door. This was long before remotes were even a twinkle in some designer's eye. | ||
| Omar M. Shams Grand Master Username: omar Post Number: 439 Registered: 4-2009 |
Brian, I have these fitted on my Wraiths and Turbo R. I have also fitted one to my Continental R which I bought at auction and only came with one key. They are simple to install - cheap to throw away if they go wrong and ever so convenient. Omar | ||
| Bob uk Unregistered guest Posted From: 94.197.122.92 |
I can unlock my central locking without opening any door. Somewhere under my car amongst the oily bits which only I know about are two wires which I fitted. The rest needs the wiring diagram in the manual. work the rest out for yourselves. My jeep is the same. My wife carries spare keys for both cars. Fiat cars have a red master. This key is not replaceable. The black keys are programmed from the red one. If the black keys forget their car keys without a red key a new ecu is needed £500. Never buy a fiat without the red key and check that the car starts on that red key if not deduct 500 quid because the cars do forget their code. That a useless bit of information because who would be daft enough to buy a second hand fiat anyway. (Message approved by david_gore) | ||
| Bob Reynolds Prolific User Username: bobreynolds Post Number: 191 Registered: 8-2012 |
"I can unlock my central locking without opening any door. Somewhere under my car amongst the oily bits which only I know about are two wires which I fitted." Surely it would be much less hassle and much more convenient just to hide a spare key under the car. | ||
| Bob uk Unregistered guest Posted From: 94.197.122.80 |
A key screwed up under the car was my first method of not getting locked out. I decided my electrical method was better because if locked then the tools to unscrew the key are also locked away. In the good old days of outside bonnet catches I used to keep a key wired to the battery tray. Then spare keys werk Remember magnet boxes with keep a key written on them. The writting informed the thief that the key was inside. (Message approved by david_gore) | ||
| Bob Reynolds Prolific User Username: bobreynolds Post Number: 192 Registered: 8-2012 |
This is the problem with the practice of holding the button in whilst closing the door. I have never got into that bad habit. It's lazy and dangerous. If you never hold the button in, you'll never be locked out. With a remote system, you never need to do that trick anyway. Some cars, old Minis for instance, cannot be locked without the key, so you can't get locked out. If you shut the door with the lock on, it will always unlock itself whether the button is pressed or not. Yes I remember those magnetic key boxes. They were safe enough, unless you told somebody it was there. A thief is not going to go searching under every car to see if there's a spare key stored somewhere! | ||
| Paul Yorke Grand Master Username: paul_yorke Post Number: 1324 Registered: 6-2006 |
Don't mount the after market CDL control unit in the door - too damp. Behind or above the left hand front A post kick panel is usually easiest. Tap into the wires to n.s.f. door where it comes into the car. I Love the door will not stay locked if you close the door, will lock if you hold the button in system. I always lock the doors by holding the button in. You turn off the car, you remove the key, you get out, (by now your passengers are also out) you flick the CDL switch, hold the button in and shut the door. Not quite as smooth as a remote, but 99% there. How often do you go to lock the car with the key and then find your hand empty, so you have to open the door again to get the keys out, shut the door, then lock it? I never do that with RR's (or other cars either really). Locking a Silver Cloud. . . . How elegant are they? - climbing over the seats to unlock the rear doors. Then going around to lock them when the passengers are out. I've fitted remote central locking to a few. A very tricky and time consuming project but worth it because it completely transforms their usability. A definite must if you ever have the window frames out for paint or restoration purposes. | ||
| Chris Miller Prolific User Username: cjm51213 Post Number: 274 Registered: 5-2013 |
I've been locked out exactly twice. Once was my fault. The first time I was young, foolish and hurried. The second time, I was much less young, less foolish and less hurried. My battery had been threatening to quit for a little while, and finally decide to do so while I was in class so I returned to a truck with a dead battery. Being a college, there were lots of kids willing to give me a jump. I fired up the engine, and got out to remove the cables. As soon as I closed the door, I could hear the "click" of the CDL locking me out! With the engine running!! Apparently dead batteries confuse computers, and this one thought I had shifted into gear... To make matters worse, after dispatching one of the staff to my house to fetch it, my spare plip didn't work. I had to send him to the dealership to get a key punched to open the door. I can't say if this was a low battery or because the system thought I was inside and therefore a request to open remotely is silly. I'm going with "low battery", because I doubt car makers would code the case of "remote-unlock-request-while-engine-running". I found a discrete void in the frame and tie-wrapped that key up out of sight, so this won't happen again. I hope. Chris. | ||
| Bob uk Unregistered guest Posted From: 94.197.122.92 |
I have heard of central locking computer logic going awry due to low volts. The police cars I worked on had central locking and the cops used to leave lights on. I used to cock the drivers door lock with the door open because some times the central locking would start machine gunning as the power is applied to the battery. Otherwise it's easy to end up locked out. Electric Windows can be a pain when working on the car with no power. Because computer power is so cheap designers use them Willy nilly. A lot of it is unnecessary. Some people think that lots of features such as memory seats is about quality. To me quality is not about features, quality is about the whole car, windup windows do not mean poor quality. Badly put but you sort of know what I mean. Back to plip plops. on shadows the wiring for the central locking is behind the drivers kick panel. My jeep unit has a black wire that is not connected to anything, it is the aerial. If the module has a wire like this then as long as the plip plop signal reaches the wire it will work fine. My jeep black wire is behind a bit of the plastic dash board and it works fine from about 10 yards max. The signal sent by the plip plop is called a fart.  I tried that trick shown on old men in jeans. Pubic hair jezza held the remote to his head, which made the signal go further. It didn't work for me, I suspect that my brain got in the way. Where as Jezza has an empty head. (Message approved by david_gore) | ||
| Geoff Wootton Grand Master Username: dounraey Post Number: 535 Registered: 5-2012 |
Paul Don't mount the after market CDL control unit in the door - too damp. Behind or above the left hand front A post kick panel is usually easiest. Tap into the wires to n.s.f. door where it comes into the car. Tapping into the wires further upstream, I think, would be beyond my comfort level. Do you mean cutting into the loom, or is there a connector near the kick panel. The reason I am thinking of siting the CDL control unit in the door is ease of fitting and also the fact damp is not a problem, as my car is garaged and seldom used in the rain. I will certainly check out mounting the CDL unit "inside" the car, but at the moment I suspect the door may be the easier option. I'd appreciate any comments on this, Geoff | ||
| Bob Reynolds Prolific User Username: bobreynolds Post Number: 193 Registered: 8-2012 |
Yes, there's a multi-way connector just before the cable goes through the door, but that's not really much help. I cut the wires and joined them back together with 4-way bullet connectors. The new wires were then just pushed into the bullet connectors. There was plenty of slack to play with. If you mount it in the door it will probably have to go in the bottom of the door, next to the window motor, where there's quite a bit of space. Put the unit in a plastic bag to protect it from the damp. | ||
| Geoff Wootton Grand Master Username: dounraey Post Number: 536 Registered: 5-2012 |
Bob I cut the wires and joined them back together with 4-way bullet connectors. Do you mean the wires that connect to the door switch? The kit arrived today. I will be fitting it as soon as time allows Geoff. | ||
| Paul Yorke Grand Master Username: paul_yorke Post Number: 1325 Registered: 6-2006 |
Have a look behind the panel. Easier than stripping the door. From memory black and pink and white and pink. They go to the switch and solenoid. Some years had left and right locking separated to spread the load. So you may have to two circuits. Also check that if it's just a 'low loaf' switching unit that needs relays or not. Good luck with her. | ||
| Bob Reynolds Prolific User Username: bobreynolds Post Number: 194 Registered: 8-2012 |
"Do you mean the wires that connect to the door switch?" Yes. There are 3 thick wires: one Lock (RWC), one Unlock (RUC), and one Supply (RYC). In my case, the kick panel was already off so I had no decision to make! | ||
| Chris Miller Prolific User Username: cjm51213 Post Number: 277 Registered: 5-2013 |
Hi Geoff, Cutting wires always sounds so irreversible to me. It is true that a soldered splice can be much more compact, but if you have the room, these plastic splicers work really well, and are reversible.  Chris. | ||
| Geoff Wootton Grand Master Username: dounraey Post Number: 537 Registered: 5-2012 |
Hi Chris Yes, I have seen them but have never used them. This exercise will be an interesting one for me as I intend to use a recently purchased soldering gun to solder the wires. I've always had difficulty soldering car wires as the soldering irons I have used were never quite hot enough. The soldering gun was great for de-soldering and re-soldering the solenoid wires on my starter motor, so I am hoping it will be similarly effective on the central locking wiring. The risk of course is the gun will be too hot. I will soon find out. Geoff | ||
| Paul Yorke Grand Master Username: paul_yorke Post Number: 1326 Registered: 6-2006 |
Solder whenever possible. The CDL wires are quite heavy so not much chance of overheating. Just be quick so the insulation doesn't soften too much. I love my very adjustable portosol gas soldering iron. Great for onside work to. Absolutely HATE those scotchlock connectors with a vengence. They are one of those designs that seem like a brilliant solution and so quick and easy. I remember when they first came out and thinking what an amazing invention.  In practice they are prone to giving poor connections and intermittent connections. To make matters worse . . As soon as you touch one to check it - it will connect again and make you think that it's okay - but between 20 seconds or 20 hours later it will start playing up again. I've cut out so many bad ones over the years. | ||
| Bob uk Unregistered guest Posted From: 94.197.122.86 |
Scotch locks are aweful things, they go high resistance then fail. The look bad and are bulky. Best way is to cut the wire bare back the now three wires and spread the strands splice together then solder fit the heat shrink before the splicing. When I come across scotch locks I remove and throw in the bin. Another way is not to cut the wire just remove the insulation and solder the extra wire to the bare bit. But heat shrink can't be used unless the wire is slipped out of the connector block, by depressing the tang. Soldered mechanical splices or married joints are very reliable. (Message approved by david_gore) | ||
| Chris Miller Prolific User Username: cjm51213 Post Number: 278 Registered: 5-2013 |
Paul Yorke: Absolutely HATE those scotchlock connectors with a vengence. Bob UK: Scotch locks are aweful things, they go high resistance then fail You guys must not know how to use them. I've never had any problems and the only time I've seen anybody else have problems was when they ignored the wire gauge and used the wrong size scotch lock. You guys do know that they come in different sizes for different wire gauges, right? They also have the additional benefit that if you're not sure which wires you want to tap into, these are much more reversible than cut/solder. So, I suggest a good approach is to use the scotch locks to prototype the installation. After you have everything working correctly, if you still have no confidence in the scotch locks, replace them with cut/solder joints. Chris. | ||
| Geoff Wootton Grand Master Username: dounraey Post Number: 538 Registered: 5-2012 |
Chris Paul is a professional who deals with these cars every day. I don't know Bob's history but it is obvious he has had many years of hands on experience. I therefore deduce that both are aware that scotchlock connectors come in different sizes. Geoff | ||
| Bob uk Unregistered guest Posted From: 94.197.122.91 |
Scotch locks look naff as well they have no style. I first used them on Austin cars which had to be retro fitted with hazard lights. 1971. I have repaired many tow bar wiring connections to the cars loom due to these have higher than acceptable resistance. Also it is easy to pull a wire out like a wire stripper. IMO. Scotch locks are king useless. I have years of experience and a soldered mechanically spliced joint with heat shrink is by far the best way to go. I have a small butane soldering iron which has a spark igniter it is really good. Also normal electric ones and a 12v one. Also have a 1lb solid copper one which is heated by a gas ring. With old car wiring the copper strands close to the plug can be discoloured and oxidized. So I tend to stay away from the ends. Also I have a small tin of resin flux to supplement the multicolored solder £2 for a small tin shoe polish size. Also fingernail sand paper sticks to clean up stuff are a must. I can make joints compact and tidy. By far the best way to design electrical stuff is to use screwed connections at components. So much more reliable but time consuming and bulky and expensive and mistakes are easier to make. All the car guys on tv car builds use solder because once the joint is made 99.9% reliability is guaranteed. Scotch locks on marine stuff is not allowed. Probably aero as well. Paul Yorke has been at the RR work face for many years and I have been at the general work face 50 years. Also a smear of petroleum jelly on the soldered joint before heat shrinking further enhances longevity of the joint. Without solder electronics don't work. My son used to make electronic stuff using springs as connections. The circuits used to run at first then after a few days fail, because of slight oxidation of bits. Push fit connector such as bullets and spades are a failure point which is unavoidable in car design. Introducing more failure points is not good. I have seen thousands of bad connections on cars some of which drive you nuts trying to figure out. (Message approved by david_gore) | ||
| Geoff Wootton Grand Master Username: dounraey Post Number: 560 Registered: 5-2012 |
Hi Folks I have started to look at fitting remote central locking to SRX18501. I have removed the drivers kick panel, but as I thought, I'm really not sure about cutting any of these wires:  I am thinking of mounting the central locking unit in the door, where I can clearly see which wires go to the central locking door switch. My question? Does anyone know how the wiring loom is fed from the area pictured, into the door. The only possible solution I can think of is the wires are actually inside the hinges. Is this correct? Geoff. | ||
| Chris Miller Prolific User Username: cjm51213 Post Number: 295 Registered: 5-2013 |
Hi Geoff, Yeah, ... That's really intimidating. This was the point of the splice locks I suggested. I have an even better way to experiment. The couplings will come apart and reveal a spade-lug connection. Get an appropriate piece of wire and make a "Y" that has a female at the base and a two males at the branches. The spade part of the connection is very easy to remove from the block. There is a small tab that holds it in. Attach your "tap" to the displaced tab, and put one tab from your tap back in the connection block. Voila! Now you have a tap with zero consequences to your harness and you can tap any wire and experiment until you have everything the way you like before you go making any permanent changes. And your modifications will be obvious. I used this technique when I installed my new radio over Thanksgiving, because the harness has a common ground for all four speakers and I needed to separate them at the junctions and run additional wires to I could ground each speaker individually, as the radio required that. But on to your real question... In your picture, the lowest hinge-appearing thing is actually a conduit for the wires. You'll see that it is not a hinge because it in not attached to the car frame and there is some elastomer seal on the car frame. Chris. | ||
| Brian Vogel Grand Master Username: guyslp Post Number: 1129 Registered: 6-2009 |
It's not the lowest hinge, which is a hinge, but the one directly above it that's the conduit for the wiring between the car and the door. Here are two photos from SRH33576 that make this far more clear:   Once you have the door panel off and can see where the wires are coming into the door it becomes an easier (if not simple) matter to trace the wires back to their entry point and then identify them in the bundle just before where it enters the conduit to the door. In Geoff's photo you can see the wire bundle that gets routed through that conduit coming down the left edge inside the car and then promptly disappearing at the level of the conduit. Brian, who wishes I'd taken more photos when I had the door panels off | ||
| Geoff Wootton Grand Master Username: dounraey Post Number: 561 Registered: 5-2012 |
Brian Many thanks you for that. Now I see it, I realize I've had a blond moment. Your photos make it absolutely clear. I will take the door card off tomorrow, trace the wires through and then decide how to implement the upgrade. Regards Geoff. | ||
| Paul Yorke Grand Master Username: paul_yorke Post Number: 1337 Registered: 6-2006 |
Hi Geoff, apologies firstly. When I said behind the keft kick panel, I wasn't considering georaphic locations. I meant behind the passenger side kick panel. Have a look there. You should find much fewer wires and more room. There will be less wires to test so you can put a testlight in the connectors and operate the cdl switches. Thats if you can't manage to get the wiring diagram off the techcnical site. I have a feeling it might be red white and white red on your car. ??? The less connections in the door the better unless your car never gets wet. Saying that, A posts can get pretty moist from weeping screen seals. | ||
| Paul Yorke Grand Master Username: paul_yorke Post Number: 1339 Registered: 6-2006 |
Hi, when I posted it flicked up higher and I noticed3d you keep your car dry. Door should be okay, once again go to the passenger door. More room and less shocks. | ||
| Geoff Wootton Grand Master Username: dounraey Post Number: 562 Registered: 5-2012 |
I've now fitted the central locking kit and thought I'd put up a couple of pics for anyone else considering this mod.  The kit was just under $20 inc p&p. Pros: Robustly made. Plastic casing acts as a hood to keep any water off the pcb and connector. Key fobs are good quality. Cons: Key fobs are not as lightweight as most. The wires, except for red and black, are quite low gauge. I was concerned they would not handle the amperage, however testing on the 4.5 second delay did not cause any perceptible heating of the wires. So called instruction manual is completely useless.  I took Paul's advice and mounted the controller in the passenger door, as opposed to the driver's door. The passenger side front kick panel would have been better, however I chose the door to facilitate easier wiring. The controller is mounted at a slight angle to give more clearance to the lock button control rod. I intend to glue a vapor barrier behind the controller to give it complete protection from any water ingress. Works great - I am really pleased with it. Off to Home Depot tomorrow to buy some weed mat. Many thanks for all the help and advice. Geoff | ||
| Bob UK Unregistered guest Posted From: 94.197.122.89 |
Instead of modifying the vapour barrier put the device in a quality freezer bag. With the opening at the bottom. Leave a bit of the seal open for wires and drainage. Push the mounting screws through the plastic. Operate window to check nothing catches. While you are in there oil the locks and central locking solenoid and associated parts and the window lift chain. Also check that the covers behind the switches window and central locking are in good condition. Warning this lot is live and can short out to the door if removed while the battery is connected. Disconnect etc etc. If you desire to oil any screw threads use petroleum jelly because it does not stain trim. Although tucked up behind the lower dash board area is maybe the best place, inside the door will be fine providing the damp doesn't get it. In any case the device is cheap and now that you have fitted one, should it fail in a few years, ten minutes to fit. I carry in my car little tools to remove door cards. I don't smoke and use the ash tray for keeping BA spanners and other handy small tools. (Message approved by david_gore) |
