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Keyless entry

Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2013 1:10 pm
by RedBird64
I've long wanted to add KE but was apprehensive about how any "universal" system would fit in our old cars. This system http://www.ebay.com/itm/140750624033?ss ... 1439.l2648 worked perfectly and was easy to install.

The kit comes with parts for 4 doors including a *master for the drivers side. The instructions are non-existent and it comes with just a schematic.
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The system attaches to the existing rod that goes up to the chrome door lock knob from the door latch. The kit comes with these metal blocks with set screws that pinch both the orig. rod for the lock and the new rod that's connected to the systems lock motor.

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I lined the motor and its actuating rod up with the cars lock-rod, trying to get the throw of the motor as close as possible to the angle of the lock-rod. Then I held the motor in that same position on the outside of the door frame and marked the frame of the door with a drill bit through the mounting holes of the lock motor:

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After drilling the holes and securing the motor with the provided screws, I attached its rod to the cars lock-rod using the provided pinch-block assembly.
This is a terrible picture but you can just see the lock motor now mounted inside the door with its top mounting screw visible on the right side of the photo. At the top of the photo you can see the pinch block installed on the rods. This block allows for a lot of adjustment and I ended up cutting about 3" off the lock motor rod. I also bent it slightly to align it with the orig. lock-rod.
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Don't let the seat setting on the floor outside the car through your perspective off. The pic is off the latch end of the pass. door.

Wiring:
The schematic is pretty clear with a minor exception. There are two white wires that are shown connected to a switch. There's no explanation for these wires but they're there so you can install a door lock switch to lock and unlock the doors. Grounding either of them will cause the doors to lock and unlock. I cut these wires off at the connector since we won't use that feature. They are not attached to anything if this feature is not utilized and sorry but I don't think there's any way to attach them to the original Vac. operated lock switch (which my car didn't have).
*Master lock; the lock motor for the driver has the ability to lock and unlock the other door simply by manually raising or lowering the cars lock knob. I saw no use for this feature so I cut off the extras wires and simply wired the master like the slave motors, through its blue and purple wires.

Wiring is straight forward. The control module has a blue and a green wire coming out of it that connect to the blue and green wires at the door lock motors - these are all connected in parallel. The module also has +12V and ground connections so I mounted it with Velcro as close as possible to the fuse box, just behind the dash on the pass. side. It's protected by its own in-line fuse.
Unfortunately the motor wires as-provided are a bit short. They give you tons of wire but it's preassembled for a 4 door vehicle. It would really behoove you to just cut the blue and green wires and then rework them by soldering and heatshrinking them to the appropriate lengths.
After removing the panels at the door jamb..
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I ran the wiring through the wiring chase and into the door and onto the lock motors making sure the they didn't interfere with any of the moving parts associated with the windows.


The motors are surprisingly strong. I was worried they wouldn't be able to actuate the locks but it's no challenge for them.

This was so easy I should have done it long ago. The kit comes with brackets and such for the motors but you don't need it with our install.

Even the fobs are attractive and have an elegant looking chrome and brushed metal finish. The black part slides up over the buttons to protect them from accidental actuation.
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The remote worked perfectly from across the street at least 50' away.
This system is also nice because it's not noticeable. None of the parts or wiring are evident unless someone sticks their head up under the dash and looks very closely.

Scott

Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2013 3:40 pm
by sseebart
Nice write-up, Scott. For $30, seems like a pretty good deal. Does the vacuum system still work after the conversion?

~Steve

Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2013 4:33 pm
by RedBird64
Thanks Steve, I don't have the vacuum system so I'm not absolutely sure they'd play nice together but I can't see why not. The KE doesn't hinder the up and down movement of the lock mechanism or the lock knob on the door at all.

Scott

Posted: Wed May 15, 2013 12:46 am
by paulr
Late in replying, sorry. Steve, Scott, I can report that the old and new systems DO play great together, and neither has any effect on either. Some motorists may experience mild schizophrenia trying to decide which method to lock and unlock one's door.

One other note: if your car has a lot of options, the door conduit can be your bottleneck. My car has two large vacuum lines (old-style door lock), the asbestos-wrapped courtesy light wiring, wiring for the door ajar idiot light and, of course, window wiring. The conduit is crammed and grease-filled; there's no getting another wire through there without major surgery, so I wrapped the new wires into a loom and harnessed them to the outside of the conduit. Don't know if the grease is factory or not, but I suspect it has played a role in keeping all my lines working as original since the beginning.

I know most of Ebay junk is real crap, but this one works, and is invisible--not like gluing a topless hula dancer to the console and then wondering why your girlfriend hates your car!

Paul

Posted: Tue Aug 06, 2013 8:52 am
by LKY GUY
Great idea, Scott. Thanks for sharing this with us. I've ordered my kit.

Since there are two more lock units, I was thinking that one on the glove box would be useful (especially with a convertible). . . . and then use the last one to make a hidden switch to disable the ignition so the car can't be started unless unlocked.

I haven't worked through exactly how to do these yet.

Any thoughts on either of these enhancements?

Thanks!

Posted: Tue Aug 06, 2013 11:07 am
by RedBird64
That would be a challenge Gerry.
The solenoids have voltage applied to them in one direction to lock and then the polarity is reversed to unlock. There are specialized relays available that would work but I don't know how to source them.
Sadly, as easy as it is to hot-wire these cars under the hood it wouldn't help much.

Still, it's an interesting idea..
Scott

Posted: Thu Aug 29, 2013 6:26 pm
by DaveG
Great How To:
Thank you very much for taking the time to document.
I'm off to do this on mine now.
Dave

Posted: Thu Aug 29, 2013 11:45 pm
by ofairlane
I also picked up a universal kit on Ebay, put them in the doors and hid the relay/ receiver under the console and it works great, not too much work and better than reaching over and over to lock the passenger door. Nice having a modern convenience in my older car.

DanO

Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2013 11:45 pm
by RedBird64
I'm glad it's working out for everyone.

Re: Keyless entry

Posted: Tue May 22, 2018 4:42 pm
by losendos
Reviving an old thread. I would like to add keyless entry to my car (and ideally, a remote trunk release as well). Found this thread, but unfortunately, the pictures are gone now. Scott, if you're reading this, do you still have them?

Re: Keyless entry

Posted: Tue May 22, 2018 5:22 pm
by RedBird64
Sorry So slow to respond.
No, Photo Bucket deleted/lost all of my images a while back.
They did say they were "Sorry" and that it "Just happens sometimes..." :sad:

Scott