Pushbutton Homelink Install in the Dash
12-12-2007, 06:51 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location:
Posts: 36
Pushbutton Homelink Install in the Dash
Thought I'd share my Homelink setup in case someone else was looking for a different way to do it.
When I bought my 05 Vert, I searched for a cool way to integrate Homelink into the car without the expense of changing the mirror. I came across a guy who had done one in his Audi and posted the results on a webpage - he even posted the part numbers you need. All you need is a transmitter out of a visor ($30-$40 on ebay), some push buttons, an led light and some cat5 cable. You just solder the cat5 to the right spots on the transmitter, hook up and install the push buttons, supply power (preferably switched) and a ground, then tuck the transmitter under the dash and you're done.
I mounted mine under the light switch on the left side of the dash. You could go above, but there's a metal plate that you'd have to drill out to give enough depth for the buttons if you use the same ones I did. The black buttons with chrome rings look factory & I didn't lose a significant amount of range by hiding the transmitter under the dash.
Here's the site with the info: http://ted.drain.googlepages.com/homelink_index.html
Here's how mine came out:
The soldering took some time, and it took me awhile to figure out how to pull that panel off, but all-in-all, it only took a couple hours from start to finish. I think I have $55 in parts in the whole setup.
Mike
Triple Black 05 Vert
When I bought my 05 Vert, I searched for a cool way to integrate Homelink into the car without the expense of changing the mirror. I came across a guy who had done one in his Audi and posted the results on a webpage - he even posted the part numbers you need. All you need is a transmitter out of a visor ($30-$40 on ebay), some push buttons, an led light and some cat5 cable. You just solder the cat5 to the right spots on the transmitter, hook up and install the push buttons, supply power (preferably switched) and a ground, then tuck the transmitter under the dash and you're done.
I mounted mine under the light switch on the left side of the dash. You could go above, but there's a metal plate that you'd have to drill out to give enough depth for the buttons if you use the same ones I did. The black buttons with chrome rings look factory & I didn't lose a significant amount of range by hiding the transmitter under the dash.
Here's the site with the info: http://ted.drain.googlepages.com/homelink_index.html
Here's how mine came out:
The soldering took some time, and it took me awhile to figure out how to pull that panel off, but all-in-all, it only took a couple hours from start to finish. I think I have $55 in parts in the whole setup.
Mike
Triple Black 05 Vert
12-12-2007, 07:37 PM
#4
2nd Gear Member
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Sunny Side of Louisville
Posts: 488
RE: Pushbutton Homelink Install in the Dash
Sweet! Wow....[sm=hail.gif]
Do you have any pictures of the behind the dash? Or what you had to do to remove that piece? More info please, I'm quite intrigued by this!
Nice work!
Do you have any pictures of the behind the dash? Or what you had to do to remove that piece? More info please, I'm quite intrigued by this!
Nice work!
12-12-2007, 09:18 PM
#6
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location:
Posts: 36
RE: Pushbutton Homelink Install in the Dash
Thanks for the positive comments!
Sorry, no pics behind the dash - I didn't think about it when I was doing it, and it wasn't that pretty anyway. Once I figured out how to remove it, it wasn't that bad. Here's how you do it:
- Use a trim removal tool - or a stiff piece of plastic and pop off the boot around your shifter (I have a manual - don't know what the auto looks like there)
- Open your console and remove the two screws in the back that hold it down
- Lift and slide the whole console back - that should give you enough room to pop off the kick panel to theleft of your radio. It's just held in with clips, so use the trim removal tool to get it started and pull it straight back.
- Use the tool to pop out your light switch - and unplug it. When it's disconnected your headlights and interior lights may come on and freak out a bit, just plug the switch back in while you're working on the panel if it does that. If you can't getthe light switchto pop out, you can remove the access panel on the left side of the dash and get your hand in there to get it started. Removing that access panel gives you a little more room to work anyway and it comes off easily.
- Remove the two screws on the bottom of the knee panel under the steering wheel
- Pull the panel upwards gently from the bottom - it may displace the top gauge panel a bit, that's ok it'll pop right back into place. It's just a big puzzle, and if you do it in the right order it's easy.
You can then take the panel to your workbench and do the drilling & install - put the panel on a towel so you don't scratch it up. The website I referenced even has a drilling template for those buttons. I put the LED on the bottom, but you could do it on the top too. I was going for stealth. The pictures don't actually do the install justice, it looks much better in person. It's hard to take pics in a black car of black buttons at night.
The most daunting part was drilling the holes in my dash - I started small and worked my way up so the holes didn't get too big. I think I ended up using a 1/2 inch bit in the end. Drill a test hole in a piece of wood or something just to be sure.
I used shrink tubing and electrical tape liberally to protect the connections. The website tells you to use a plug in the middle of the cat5 cable so you can remove it later. I didn't - I just put about 18" of wire between the buttons and the transmitter and then zip tied the transmitter to a metal brace up under the dash behind the light switch. If I ever need to remove it I'll just clip the zip tie and pull the transmitter out with the panel. Itapped a switched fuse with a piggyback fuse thing I picked up at the parts store for power and grounded it to abolt under the dash.
I'm fairly mechanical, but don't have much experience with small electrical stuff, so this is probably a 2 on a 5 scale of difficulty. The soldering was a pain, but with a steady hand and some patience with the gun and you'll get it done.
Hope that helps - feel free to ping me with any other questions.
Mike
Triple Black 05 Vert
Sorry, no pics behind the dash - I didn't think about it when I was doing it, and it wasn't that pretty anyway. Once I figured out how to remove it, it wasn't that bad. Here's how you do it:
- Use a trim removal tool - or a stiff piece of plastic and pop off the boot around your shifter (I have a manual - don't know what the auto looks like there)
- Open your console and remove the two screws in the back that hold it down
- Lift and slide the whole console back - that should give you enough room to pop off the kick panel to theleft of your radio. It's just held in with clips, so use the trim removal tool to get it started and pull it straight back.
- Use the tool to pop out your light switch - and unplug it. When it's disconnected your headlights and interior lights may come on and freak out a bit, just plug the switch back in while you're working on the panel if it does that. If you can't getthe light switchto pop out, you can remove the access panel on the left side of the dash and get your hand in there to get it started. Removing that access panel gives you a little more room to work anyway and it comes off easily.
- Remove the two screws on the bottom of the knee panel under the steering wheel
- Pull the panel upwards gently from the bottom - it may displace the top gauge panel a bit, that's ok it'll pop right back into place. It's just a big puzzle, and if you do it in the right order it's easy.
You can then take the panel to your workbench and do the drilling & install - put the panel on a towel so you don't scratch it up. The website I referenced even has a drilling template for those buttons. I put the LED on the bottom, but you could do it on the top too. I was going for stealth. The pictures don't actually do the install justice, it looks much better in person. It's hard to take pics in a black car of black buttons at night.
The most daunting part was drilling the holes in my dash - I started small and worked my way up so the holes didn't get too big. I think I ended up using a 1/2 inch bit in the end. Drill a test hole in a piece of wood or something just to be sure.
I used shrink tubing and electrical tape liberally to protect the connections. The website tells you to use a plug in the middle of the cat5 cable so you can remove it later. I didn't - I just put about 18" of wire between the buttons and the transmitter and then zip tied the transmitter to a metal brace up under the dash behind the light switch. If I ever need to remove it I'll just clip the zip tie and pull the transmitter out with the panel. Itapped a switched fuse with a piggyback fuse thing I picked up at the parts store for power and grounded it to abolt under the dash.
I'm fairly mechanical, but don't have much experience with small electrical stuff, so this is probably a 2 on a 5 scale of difficulty. The soldering was a pain, but with a steady hand and some patience with the gun and you'll get it done.
Hope that helps - feel free to ping me with any other questions.
Mike
Triple Black 05 Vert
12-12-2007, 10:10 PM
#10
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location:
Posts: 36
RE: Pushbutton Homelink Install in the Dash
Yep - Homelink is universal - should work on pretty much any garage door opener made within the last 10+ years - never heard of one that it didn't work on & Craftsman is common enough that I'm sure it'll work. If it's a rolling code opener, then the programming is a little more involved, but not much. You just have to push the security button on the actual opener while programming to get the transmitter synched up. You can find the Homelink programming instructions on the web, or most car manuals have the steps in there too. The steps are the same regardless of the Homelink transmitter.
Mike
Triple Black 05 Vert
Mike
Triple Black 05 Vert