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keyless system install
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vwlovr
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PostPosted: Tue Oct 23, 2007 9:20 pm    Post subject: keyless system install Reply with quote

okay, here's a "little" write up on my install of the MES central locking kit with new actuators, and the Valet 712T keyless remote module into my 87 syncro which was already equipped an OEM central locking system.

as all electrical projects, disconnect the ground from the battery first. i soldered most of my connections, but the kit comes with plugs and crimp connectors you can use as well. if you mess up your car on my directions, i'm sorry, but it's not my fault, use at your own risk. i'm no expert, but i have installed about 12 car stereos, wired an entire house, and fixed many oddball wiring issues on moto and autos. so i'm not afraid of electricity.

i bought this kit because i wanted remote door locks, and my passenger side actuator was shot. since it was cheaper than a new VW actuator, it was a no-brainer. in addition my rear hatch lock wasn't functioning properly and i was hoping a new actuator would do the trick. here's the kit i got, the pic shows two actuators, but it's really 4. the remotes were different looking as well, but i kind of like them more.

http://www.a1electric.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?S...=W02F-712T

so the day i started the install i also ran some speaker wires to the door, doing that was a pain in the ass, so the first thing i thought was how do i tap into OEM wiring.

to begin, let me show you what my OEM wiring looks like...
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


(1) is a connector located next to the grounding lugs coming out of the top of the vent duct that goes to the door.

(2) is a connector located behind the glove box also coming out of the vent duct. you'll notice this splits off to another line of yellow/white/brown that goes up the front pillar to supply the side and rear doors. notice here how VW switches from a white to yellow, and yellow to white for the rear doors. this is because the rear actuator operate in opposite directions of fronts, so the up/down command is opposite.

here's some photos showing those connectors...
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


now, lets look at how i wired up the MES central door lock and it's actuators...
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


(1) since i hijacked the ground wire from the OEM harness, i needed to cut off the ground connection. you can see that after the plug the ground wire splits off and then connects to the ground lugs. you need to remove the connection to the ground lug and cut and tape it off (don't cut the brown wire that continues over to the passenger side)

(2) i had to do the same with the power supply. it is also forked off from the connector to an aux fuse on the top of my fuse box. i cut and taped the wire from the connector, but left enough wire connected to the fuse so that i could use the fuse for the MES system. which is shown connected to the MES red/black wire.

(3) you can connect the MES wires into the door harness at any place, in between the side connectors, or at one of the connectors. the right side is easier since there is tons of room behind the glove box. the MES plug has all 4 wires split into two for drivers and passenger sides, you only really need one of those halves at this point, but don't cut the other half really short since you can use that to connect to the keyless controller, which i'm going to show you.

(4) the MES plug has an extra plug to plug into the rear doors harness, like the OEM set up you should switch the wires here. that way the red and blue wires from the actuators always connect to the same wires, yellow and white respectively. so it looks like a mistake here, but it's not, it should be the opposite.

(5) the OEM harness has only 4 wires, but the MES kit has 5. i had an extra OEM speaker wire i wasn't using and hijacked to get me through the door. however, running one wire isn't too hard, but it's up to you to find the best solution.

(6) the ground line to the rear actuators is no longer needed, just tape them off and don't worry about it.

here's my door wired up. if you chose solder or plug be cautious on how much you cut from OEM, they just barely reach. it looks like good slack in this pic, but that is after i cut all the zip ties and pulled the harness to give me another inch.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


installing the actuators was relatively easy. the rear and side bolt on with no modifications, my rear one required that i move the actuator over like 1/4 inch, however i feel this is unique to my van since it looks like the actuator installation was not OEM. it's possible the hatch was replaced at some time, i'm not sure, the OEM actuator was "working" before, but it was not aligning correctly, so it didn't actually lock and unlock.

the front actuators were a bit of a pain. the new ones bolt right in to the old position, however they will not work that way since the have a longer stroke than the OEM actuators. so you can't install them with the OEM mounting holes. here's pic of how mine was installed...

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


you can see in the pic that i've relocated the mounting holes for the actuator down and towards the front. this doesn't have to be exact, but this is my right door if you want to use this for reference. i traced the dots on some clear plastic flipped it around to do the drivers side. the first trick you have to do is get the new rod in place of the old one. you have to cut down the rods they give you, then what i did is grind off the mushroom cap on their rod, and reuse the OEM clamp to hold the replacement rod in place, since it no longer had the mushroom cap to do so. then follow the instructions given to adjust both actuators. basically you have to align them so they both travel over the mid point of their stroke at the same time. to determine the stroke of the lock knob, simply push in the lock cam thing on the door mechanism so it thinks it's closed, then you can lock/unlock the door while it's open.

after it's all wired up, all bolted up, reattach your battery and see if your door locks work before moving on to the keyless set up.

at this point you're almost home the rest is a walk in the park. the kit comes with instructions on interfacing the two components, but here's a diagram of how mine is wired...

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


(1) the blue/black wire they say can connect to the brown or purple of the MES kit, this is because some cars lock one way othes the other way. for the vanagon, the blue/black should go to the brown and the green/black should go to the purple.

(2) this was odd, but yes all three of these wires get grounded

(3) this wire is possibly optional, being connected kills the LED, makes the ignition controlled lock/unlock work, allows programming mode, resets module every time key turned on. i haven't connected it, i might still. as long as the van doesn't lock on it's own when i start it, because that would drive me crazy, besides i didn't bother with the LED either.

(4) this wire is optional as well, but this way the lights will flash when you lock/unlock to get to this you need to pull the speedo cover off, and access the headlight switch. just tap into the grey/red wire. the 712 T should be set to positive (which is how mine was shipped) for this to work.

so that's it, after all that it should work. i'm still going to try and attach my horn, but that may be later. if anyone has any insight into doing that please post it. it looks like install guide shows you need a relay for that (no prob, i have many), but what's odd is that it show you connect two constant 12v supplies which i assume can be the same supply??? i dunno, i'll post details when i figure it out.

obviously there are many other optional things you can do like installing alarms and such. if anyone gets (or has) this kit and adds an alarm feel free to add some instructions on this thread. i don't really need an alarm, so i didn't bother.

i hope this helps someone. personally i think it's the best $100 spent outside a strip club. the keyless action kicks ass, and the actuators are soooooooooo much faster than OEM, it totally adds to a new car feeling.
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vwlovr
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PostPosted: Wed Oct 24, 2007 10:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

oh and btw, thanks to dogpilot for the link to the keyless kit, and brooklynvanagon for helping me find the grey/red wire =)
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brooklynvanagon
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PostPosted: Wed Oct 24, 2007 12:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

vwlovr wrote:
oh and btw, thanks to dogpilot for the link to the keyless kit, and brooklynvanagon for helping me find the grey/red wire =)



That's a beautiful write up!
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techbot
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PostPosted: Wed Oct 24, 2007 3:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

wow! I was following your previous post and this morning was going to PM you for a brief write-up... this blows that out of the water. I think I may try to go this route for sure!

One question for ya'll. The PO of my 91 Westy Multivan seems to have removed the sliding door actuator as well as the connector thingy that makes the circuit when the door is closed. The other half of the connector is there on the pillar behind the passenger seat (not sure if this makes any sense)... My buddy and I are guessing that at one point the slider door power lock started acting up and rather than fix it they removed it..

Anyone know where I'd be able to find just that electrical hookup so I can try putting a new actuator in there? I've been checking the classifieds but haven't seen this part!

irregardless, thanks vwlovr.. another one for me to print up and follow along with some upcoming weekend!
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vwlovr
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PostPosted: Wed Oct 24, 2007 5:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

thanks guys, glad it can help.

i haven't seen any places that list the door switch. maybe try calling van-cafe and asking if they have any used bits laying around. or that guy Fred's Garage in Redwood City has a mini vanagon yard, call him up maybe he'll sell you a used one?

if you have the wiring already, it would also look into aftermarket contacts here's two on A1's website...

http://www.a1electric.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?S...gory_Code=
http://www.a1electric.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?S...gory_Code=

first one is only $10, worth a try maybe?
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PostPosted: Mon Nov 15, 2010 3:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I just installed keyless entry in my van and this seems like the most appropriate thread to share the information.

My van already has power locks (87 syncro) and so I purchased a Crime Stopper CS-870RKE keyless entry unit from Amazon for $32.98. I think this is the same unit that GoWesty sells.

I installed it behind the glove box, tieing into the vanagon wiring where it goes into the door as described above in the OP.

The instructions are quite good but you do have to know which wiring setup to use. I made the mistake of using the wrong one (The typical "after market setup") and had to repair the circuit board after shorting it out. The correct wiring plan is described in the instructions as "+ive pulse/trigger". The green "lock" output wire connects to the yellow wire in the vanagon harness and the blue "unlock" wire connects to the white wire. You can test these first by applying 12 volts to the connections and making sure that the door locks operate as you expect.

I plugged into the fuse box for 12v, grounded it on one of the glove box mounting bolts and found an "ignition on" power source from one of the wires in the harness that goes via a 4 pin connector to the rear window wiper (red and grey I think) and can be found near the power locking wires described above. I connected the white parking light output to one of the wires connected to the headlight switch (pin 58 I think) so that the lights flash when you unlock.

After that you program in the two hand held transmitter units and you are good to go. The transmitter units seem a bit flimsy but it works for now...
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PostPosted: Sat May 21, 2011 3:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

thank you so much this is so helpful...
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randywebb
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 31, 2011 8:28 pm    Post subject: Re: keyless system install Reply with quote

[quote="vwlovr"

the front actuators were a bit of a pain. the new ones bolt right in to the old position, however they will not work that way since the have a longer stroke than the OEM actuators. so you can't install them with the OEM mounting holes. here's pic of how mine was installed...

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.



[/quote]

I have a question for anyone about the front actuators. The pic above shows the stock?? actuator rod for the lock at least a couple of inches away from the sheet metal on the interior side of the door.

On my '86 the stock actuator rods are actually bent an run way inside of the door sheet metal - no way to see them or even take a pic of them.

Anyone know how to hook up the MES actuator system to the hidden stock rods??
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 31, 2011 9:38 pm    Post subject: Re: keyless system install Reply with quote

randywebb wrote:

I have a question for anyone about the front actuators. The pic above shows the stock?? actuator rod for the lock at least a couple of inches away from the sheet metal on the interior side of the door.

On my '86 the stock actuator rods are actually bent an run way inside of the door sheet metal - no way to see them or even take a pic of them.

Anyone know how to hook up the MES actuator system to the hidden stock rods??


Hmm the pics aren't working for me.

I installed aftermarket actuators using the stock brackets in the stock holes, into my Vanagon that did not have power locks originally. I used the metal rod clamp that came with the actuator. The aftermarket rod comes nearly straight out of the actuator, and is then clamped to the original rod that connects to the door lock pull.

The travel of the actuator is a bit more but it hasn't been a problem. Mine are super cheap $11 actuators, it looks like the MES ones have a clutch and overload protection so they should work even better I'd think.
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 01, 2011 10:15 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

it isn't the travel up and down (at least, I haven't gotten far enuff to have that problem, yet)

it is the position left to right of the stock actuator rod - mine is far over to the right (outer edge of door), hidden behind the sheet metal and very hard to access
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 01, 2011 12:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

randywebb wrote:
it isn't the travel up and down (at least, I haven't gotten far enuff to have that problem, yet)

it is the position left to right of the stock actuator rod - mine is far over to the right (outer edge of door), hidden behind the sheet metal and very hard to access


If you unscrew the lock pull knob it's not too hard to pull the metal rod down and out of the hole and out into the opening where you can get to it. You'll need to tighten the clamp and put it back in the hole a couple times to get the position right.

Up near the lock pull knob it's almost a straight shot down to the actuator. That's where I put the clamp, but not too high or else it will hit the door sheet metal.
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 01, 2011 12:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

thx - that is a good tip

sounds like it is normal for the thing to be hidden back there
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 03, 2011 8:50 pm    Post subject: Re: keyless system install Reply with quote

vwlovr wrote:


Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.





I have another problem. My '86 has a straight pull rod from the door handle to the lock mechanism.

It would have to pass right thru the middle of the actuator.

How have people dealt with that problem??


The above pic seems to show a bent pull rod, which I do not have on my van.
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 04, 2011 10:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have had this Valet 712T system for 4 years and operates flawlessly.
Easy hook up, just have lights flash on activation .
Had standard electric locking in van, when acquired and redid all the actuators several times.
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 04, 2011 2:18 pm    Post subject: Re: keyless system install Reply with quote

randywebb wrote:
vwlovr wrote:


Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.





I have another problem. My '86 has a straight pull rod from the door handle to the lock mechanism.

It would have to pass right thru the middle of the actuator.

How have people dealt with that problem??


The above pic seems to show a bent pull rod, which I do not have on my van.


My '91 without stock power locks came with the same bent rod as in the photo so it wasn't a problem for my install. It feels like maybe the rod was changed in late model vans once the power locks became an option. Can you source the bent rods from the Samba classifieds?
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 04, 2011 3:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'll try. I'd like to seal up the doors and actually use the Vanagon someday...


so I was hoping that some one had figured out a clever fix for this problem.
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 11, 2012 3:59 pm    Post subject: MES power door lock help Reply with quote

For Christmas my mother in law bought me the crime stopper keyless entry kit from GoWesty. I installed the kit with no problem and the slider and rear hatch worked but the passenger and driver door didn't work. I pulled the old factory actuators out of both doors and they were water damaged beyond repair. I took the advise from this forum and purchased two new five wire acutaors from A1 electric. That's my story now here is my question.

In my door I have factory wire colors, white, yellow, brown in one connector and a stand alone red connector. The five wire from A1 electric has black, purple, brown, light blue, and red. I was hoping that I could cut the old harnesses off the old actuators and splice them into the new.

Thanks,
Steve
'91 vanagon GL, auto
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 11, 2012 4:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

BTW - I "solved" this problem by paying $100 + parts cost to a car stereo shop to put in a keyless/remote system in the front doors.

(I had to clean up & repaint the ragged edges from cuts they made into the sheet metal of the doors, but that was less work than the aged VW stock "fix.")
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 11, 2012 5:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

randywebb wrote:
BTW - I "solved" this problem by paying $100 + parts cost to a car stereo shop to put in a keyless/remote system in the front doors.

(I had to clean up & repaint the ragged edges from cuts they made into the sheet metal of the doors, but that was less work than the aged VW stock "fix.")


Congrats. How do you like it? This has been one of the best mods I've done to our Westy, besides the poptop shocks, TruckFridge, Propex...etc.
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 11, 2012 6:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

it's amazing how much I like not having to use the key - may be the result of old age...
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