Button bank mod DIY (garage opener/boot release)

[chieftmc]

I'm sure it will be every bit as great as the LED kit

[briansmart]

Originally Posted by mvaldes

Please excuse the off topic question: John, do you have any interest in making a replacement LED for the 3rd brake light if there's interest? If you do, I'll set up a poll.
...back to the topic at hand...

Your high level brake light is a 921 / W16W bulb. At 921-x12 Wedge Base bulbs Specifications there are LED 921 style bulbs. I believe that the LED lights from Super Bright LEDs do have resistors in them already, but I am not 100% certain.

[John_H]

Originally Posted by chieftmc

I'm sure it will be every bit as great as the LED kit

Better

[fredbrentjr]

John, I just stumbled across this thread. Excellent. I'd like to get in on this also; I'd need to open 2 doors, thus 2 buttons, thus 2 channels, right? My plan is to tie into the board of a home link unit, run it off 12V, and stow it (the home link) under the center dash cover. Could a 3rd channel facilitate the rear hatch open mod?

[John_H]

Originally Posted by fredbrentjr

John, I just stumbled across this thread. Excellent. I'd like to get in on this also; I'd need to open 2 doors, thus 2 buttons, thus 2 channels, right? My plan is to tie into the board of a home link unit, run it off 12V, and stow it (the home link) under the center dash cover. Could a 3rd channel facilitate the rear hatch open mod?

You'd be 3rd in line as substitute or for a next batch which I'll hold off on long enough for feedback. If the homelink is opener and switches in one unit, yes: two channels to control the two switches on the home link (but it only uses one cable carrying both channels).

The rear hatch open mod could be a 3rd channel, but I still haven't figured out why people want this mod given the ability to open from anywhere except from inside (see the recent thread open Rear window). I'd love to understand the why involved here.

Do you have no fogs or alarm? That would present 3 unused buttons. I've mentioned that a combination of buttons could also be used such as simultaneously pressing alarm+unlock for one garage door, alarm+lock for the other.

[sandalscout]

John, I actually did the release mod the day after I got my car, and use it ALL of the time. The first obvious reason I got it was when I drop my wife off in the mornings, she'll typically have a bag or two in the front seat with her, and then 2 or more bags in the back of the car. I can pop the hatch, reach back and open it before she gets out of the seat even. She doesn't have to attempt to open the back with a bag in both hands.

[chieftmc]

Originally Posted by John_H

Better

I don't know John

You'd be HARD pressed to "one up" yourself on that LED kit

That was the MOST complete kit I have ever used. Absolutely everything that was needed was in there, including the dang little wrench !!!

We'll have to see what a great kit THIS one will be

Chief.................kitting around !

[John_H]

Originally Posted by chieftmc

That was the MOST complete kit I have ever used. Absolutely everything that was needed was in there, including the dang little wrench !!!

Want to make sure your garage door remote works after you've soldered everything up but haven't installed the switchboard into the wiring harness yet? A battery is wired up through a shorting plug - you just press the button behind the indent above channel 1 (with a pen or included toothpick) and voila! A backlight behind the "1" glows and your switch is closed. Then you can wire it in with confidence.

Look at the corners of the package in the picture(s) from a few posts before, bottom center of the image and far right. Those little knobby protrusions? They're 2 copies of a pin release tool for the socket in the smart's center button console harness so you can easily remove those pins. Press and pull, press and pull.

And our experience with the Area451 suggests that someone may want to bypass the installation without moving the (few) wires back again so the shorting plug between the battery and the switchboard connector as-shipped can completely bypass the switchboard (perhaps so I can wire up another channel or two in your existing device?).

It'll be fun! Finishing up cables and price info - full disclosure - tonight.

[chieftmc]

Thanks John,

You Da Man

[John_H]

If you were on the list and don't check your email regularly, please give a look. If you want to purchase, please do, if you'd like to pass there are a few other people showing interest in the first batch.

Once I get feedback from most of the recipients, I expect to produce a second batch but the price ended up being more than I expected. With the additional costs to get these first units out the door behind me, I'll figure an appropriate price for later units such that I'll ask for a little cash beyond my out-of-pocket to cover a smidgen of my time investment per unit.

I don't expect demand to be large but the integration really is a superb experience, having the garage door control from the factory buttons and no obvious item to steal for entry to one's home.

I'll have a separate marketplace thread and mention that thread here when the next batch is ready to assemble.