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keyless system install
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svswan
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PostPosted: Sat May 09, 2015 7:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

mine has PDL's, driver side will not operate the system. GW is out of actuators and V Cafe only has aftermarket. Started thinking and searching and found your mention of the kit. I was a bit afraid of modifying the OEM harness and then realized I have a subbie engine... it's not like I have a stock van! I'm going to print the schematics here and put them in my van folder so if I sell this one someday it'll be explained. forums like TheSamba and the people that contribute are the most helpful tool for working on a car ;-}
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Zeitgeist 13
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PostPosted: Sat May 09, 2015 7:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm also in Oly
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Casey--

'89 Bluestar ALH w/12mm Waldo pump, PP764 and GT2052
'01 Weekender --> full camper
y u rune klassik?
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svswan
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PostPosted: Mon May 25, 2015 11:16 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I purchased the full Keyless/Alarm set up for A1 Electric. I thought I would add just a couple things from my experience. For the front doors, I just hooked the new actuators right into the original linkage -

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


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


The instructions point out it's very important to aline the two front door units. As I was installing I notice you could hear a click as you pulled the rod in and out by hand. I used that click as a 'center' reference and adjusted the height I re drilled the mounting holes accordingly. In the first picture you can see I drilled the door with a bigger hole to allow easy access to the new screw location. Upon first fire up the actuators worked fine. Not saying you don't need to be sure they are adjusted correctly, just pointing out they can be eyeballed. Notice on the first picture I drilled a couple sets of holes to get it right ;-}

Also, I used a product made for electricians on all electrical fittings called 'No Ox' (there are variations on that name). It's purpose is to keep aluminum cable from oxidizing. We don't use aluminum cable, but the gel does not interrupt conductivity and it will protect the electrical connections in T-Taps and Butt splices from the elements.

It is very satisfying to lock and unlock your doors with a push of a button in your hand ;-}
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Zeitgeist 13
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PostPosted: Mon May 25, 2015 11:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

You kept the factory actuators in the slider and hatch, right?
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Casey--

'89 Bluestar ALH w/12mm Waldo pump, PP764 and GT2052
'01 Weekender --> full camper
y u rune klassik?
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svswan
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PostPosted: Mon May 25, 2015 11:56 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Zeitgeist 13 wrote:
You kept the factory actuators in the slider and hatch, right?


Yup - so far I did. I cut the Wight and Yellow wires at the harness and connected them to the Blue and Red on the MES system. I left the ground connected to the side and rear doors. The side door does not always actuate... There are two settings for duration on the pulse the new system sends out, .8 seconds and 2.5 seconds. I believe it's set to .8 stock and this might not be long enough to engage the old servos. I can reprogram the new system, but the new servos are so fast I'm temped to change out the side and rear door anyway ;-} If I save the two unused servos for later use, I can only use them in the side and rear door anyway, they are 2 wire as apposed to 5 wire like the front doors.
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katzenjammer
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Joined: September 22, 2005
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 20, 2016 10:15 am    Post subject: Re: keyless system install Reply with quote

I just finished installing four new lock actuators from a1electric.com. I had recurring problems with phantom locking/unlocking in the front doors, and my slider wouldn't unlock (or lock) most of the time.

I bit the bullet and ran new wires to the front doors because I never really diagnosed the original problems (bad wires? bad actuator(s)? both?). I just wanted all that old stuff gone! I did keep the existing wires to the slider & hatch, assuming they're subject to less fatigue (no boot flexing every time you get in or out), and therefore less likely to fail.

I also didn't bother with the keyless entry, at least not yet.

Thanks to vwlovr for his fantastic writeup that starts this thread, which is what convinced me I could actually do this. I'm very inexperienced at this sort of thing, but if I can do it, probably anyone can.

Dan
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Zeitgeist 13
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 09, 2016 12:29 pm    Post subject: Re: keyless system install Reply with quote

Since I've been pimpin' these A1 kits on the interwebz for nearly a decade (uncompensated, mind you), I thought I'd provide an update about my install.

About three weeks ago my PDLs started acting up, and doing so rather intermittently. Sometimes they would lock but not unlock with the remotes, and sometimes even manually using the key in both front doors would get it to exhibit the same intermittent operation. Since I have a LED installed in my dash, I can see when the system is either in lock mode or not. Clearly the remote module is working, since I can see the LED and hear the internal micro-relay clicking, but it wasn't triggering the large external relay.

Anyhoo, after running a bunch of diagnostics, I theorized that one of the micro-switches in the front actuators was getting flaky. Not wanting to buy a new kit or one of the expensive MES actuators from A1, I opted to buy an entire remote locking el cheapo Chinese kit from ebay for less than $20. This kit uses knock-off MES type actuator clones, so I was going to wire them in to test my theory about the flaky micro-switches.

Lo and behold, when I attempted to connect up the actuator to the A1 harness, one of their shielded female spade connectors broke off in my hand. Ah ha, I found the problem! But, after crimping on a new spade I put the original MES actuator back on, it still wouldn't function. So, I went over to the passenger side and checked that harness, and one of those female spades also fell off in my hand. After crimping on a new spade and installing the original MES actuator, the system now works as new.

I'm a little baffled as to why these two connectors decided to fail at the same time, or why they failed at all. The crimps don't appear to be improper, so I'm wondering if they used a weak copper in their harness and after a decade they just gave up the ghost.

I'm just posting this so in case someone encounters this odd intermittent issue in the future, they might avoid some annoyed bafflement
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Casey--

'89 Bluestar ALH w/12mm Waldo pump, PP764 and GT2052
'01 Weekender --> full camper
y u rune klassik?
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Zeitgeist 13
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PostPosted: Fri Mar 11, 2016 7:08 pm    Post subject: Re: keyless system install Reply with quote

Update to the update. I've completely pinned everything back together now. In the process, I found one other near dead A1 harness plug that was ready to fail. I've now replaced three of the four lock/unlock plugs on the A1 harness. Probably should've done all four, but I'm cheap. It's working great.

An observation:

I've noticed that everyone who's installed these lately has re-drilled the factory mounting brackets in the front door. Mine work best if installed in the factory positions. I'm wondering if my older kit uses slightly different actuators than the newer versions. dunno
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Casey--

'89 Bluestar ALH w/12mm Waldo pump, PP764 and GT2052
'01 Weekender --> full camper
y u rune klassik?
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katzenjammer
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PostPosted: Fri Mar 11, 2016 8:16 pm    Post subject: Re: keyless system install Reply with quote

I redrilled for the driver and passenger door, to position my actuators "correctly", i.e. so they were at the middle of their travel when the lock button was at the middle of its travel. The things I read seemed to state that was necessary.

The slider and tailgate actuators (slaves) both mounted in the factory positions with no redrilling.

Dan
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whynotvw
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PostPosted: Fri Mar 11, 2016 9:58 pm    Post subject: Re: keyless system install Reply with quote

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


this is how i did mine. you must drill a hole where my finger is pointing, so you can tighten the bolts, if you use the aftermarket linkage


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


for the sliding door
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Dameek
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PostPosted: Tue Sep 17, 2019 7:17 am    Post subject: Re: keyless system install Reply with quote

This is an amazing thread, thanks to all for it.

I might have missed it, but if you replace all actuators, do you have to run new wires for slider and rear hatch?

Chris
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katzenjammer
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PostPosted: Tue Sep 17, 2019 7:26 am    Post subject: Re: keyless system install Reply with quote

I did not run new wires for the slider or the hatch. It was long ago so I forget the details, but I’m certain of that.
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Zeitgeist 13
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PostPosted: Tue Sep 17, 2019 7:50 am    Post subject: Re: keyless system install Reply with quote

If the van has factory PDL you can just tie in under the dash to the stock harness to the rear. In fact, I think you can still keep the factory slider and hatch actuators in situ. These are far less problematic than those in the front doors.
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Casey--

'89 Bluestar ALH w/12mm Waldo pump, PP764 and GT2052
'01 Weekender --> full camper
y u rune klassik?
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wesitarz
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PostPosted: Sat Sep 21, 2019 7:05 am    Post subject: Re: keyless system install Reply with quote

Ebay 4 door system from Hong Kong a few years now with no problems.(Day 2 the controller needed a re-set though. I adjusted them for full travel one way or the other not to the middle. Fronts only need to re-drill mounting holes, sliding door needed an extension bracket (provided) to mount and hatch needed mount holes re-drilled. An excellent upgrade and only $23 US.
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