Garage door opener on OEM buttons

[azonic]

I recently installed a garage door button into an unused OEM button - the top one of the three next to the instrument cluster:

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCUqvaPN08c"]BRZ garage door button - YouTube[/ame]

Here's some basic instructions on how I went about this. Ignore my typos!

[Kimsey47]

That's pretty darn awesome!

[ermax]

I thought about doing this on my KM/MI button. I've not pulled the dash apart to see what is back there. I assumed there was a connector to these buttons that you could tap into. Like pull the pin(s) used for the top button and then put your own pins in the same place. That way you aren't permanently modifying anything.

So my question to you, is there not a connector in there somewhere?

My other concern with doing this is I was afraid the range of the remote would suck if it was tucked under the dash. The range on my remote already sucks even being right at the windshield.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by ermax

I thought about doing this on my KM/MI button. I've not pulled the dash apart to see what is back there. I assumed there was a connector to these buttons that you could tap into. Like pull the pin(s) used for the top button and then put your own pins in the same place. That way you aren't permanently modifying anything.

So my question to you, is there not a connector in there somewhere?

My other concern with doing this is I was afraid the range of the remote would suck if it was tucked under the dash. The range on my remote already sucks even being right at the windshield.

If I had a garage door opener and no fog lights I would just get the fog light bezel and install a button there. Cheap, easy and you don't have to pull the dash all apart.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/FOG-LIGHT-S....c100011.m1850

[Chimera]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

If I had a garage door opener and no fog lights I would just get the fog light bezel and install a button there. Cheap, easy and you don't have to pull the dash all apart.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/FOG-LIGHT-S....c100011.m1850

get fancy and hook it up to your highbeams or horn.
nothing like laying into your horn waiting for the garage door opener to wake up.



But in all seriousness this is cool

[azonic]

Originally Posted by ermax

I thought about doing this on my KM/MI button. I've not pulled the dash apart to see what is back there. I assumed there was a connector to these buttons that you could tap into. Like pull the pin(s) used for the top button and then put your own pins in the same place. That way you aren't permanently modifying anything.

So my question to you, is there not a connector in there somewhere?

My other concern with doing this is I was afraid the range of the remote would suck if it was tucked under the dash. The range on my remote already sucks even being right at the windshield.

The car supplies 5v to that circuit and my buzzer was 3v, I assume most are. Someone with more knowledge than me could tap into it and work out a way to use the cars power but I figured I'd apply the KISS principle on this one.

I also didn't want to tap into the loom as if I stuffed that up replacing it would be harder - this is just a small circuit that's really easy to get to (one screw to pull dash apart) and cheap to replace if really needed, though I can't see why would need to since the button wasn't used for me.

Range has not been affected - for me it still works a few houses away. The circuit for the buzzer itself is just tucked up behind the plastic where your knees are, so quite easy to get to.

I did consider other locations - the suggestion above for the fog lights, the spare button behind the gear stick for manuals but this was the easiest and cheapest (cost me $0 as I had a spare buzzer) - and it's pretty darn easy to get to when you need to push it.

[ermax]

Originally Posted by azonic

The car supplies 5v to that circuit and my buzzer was 3v, I assume most are. Someone with more knowledge than me could tap into it and work out a way to use the cars power but I figured I'd apply the KISS principle on this one.

I also didn't want to tap into the loom as if I stuffed that up replacing it would be harder - this is just a small circuit that's really easy to get to (one screw to pull dash apart) and cheap to replace if really needed, though I can't see why would need to since the button wasn't used for me.

Range has not been affected - for me it still works a few houses away. The circuit for the buzzer itself is just tucked up behind the plastic where your knees are, so quite easy to get to.

I did consider other locations - the suggestion above for the fog lights, the spare button behind the gear stick for manuals but this was the easiest and cheapest (cost me $0 as I had a spare buzzer) - and it's pretty darn easy to get to when you need to push it.

Sound logic. I feel comfortable unpinning a connector so I think I will go that route. Good to hear there is power supplied there too. I was just going to use the battery too but dropping 5v to 3v with such low draw should be no problem.

My problem right now is I have a 3 month old baby at the house so the wife isn't too happy when I sneak off to work on projects right now. I have an exhaust leak that for the life of me I can't find. I wanted to hack the USB port to supply 2.4A rather than the standard 1A and I want to do this garage door hack.

Last night I snuck out at about 10:30PM to make another attempt to solve my leak. I thought I narrowed it down.. still not fixed. Ahhhh

[Dadhawk]

Originally Posted by Chimera

get fancy and hook it up to your highbeams or horn.

There is a product that does exactly called Flash2Pass. I you used it on motorcycles before.

They also have a version that works with an app on your cellphone.

[fx1mark]

interesting idea. you don't really need to cut the original switch out on the remote. you could just scrape the covering off of the traces where you cut them and solder straight to the board there. you would just need to be sure when you mount the remote under your dash that the button on the remote isn't contacting anything as that switch will still work as well.

[Mr.ac]

Cool but a home link mirror does the job too.
But cool none the less.

[azonic]

Originally Posted by fx1mark

interesting idea. you don't really need to cut the original switch out on the remote. you could just scrape the covering off of the traces where you cut them and solder straight to the board there. you would just need to be sure when you mount the remote under your dash that the button on the remote isn't contacting anything as that switch will still work as well.

That would send 5V from the car down to the 3V buzzer though?

Originally Posted by Mr.ac

Cool but a home link mirror does the job too.
But cool none the less.

Don't think this is an option here in Australia

[azonic]

Originally Posted by fx1mark

interesting idea. you don't really need to cut the original switch out on the remote. you could just scrape the covering off of the traces where you cut them and solder straight to the board there. you would just need to be sure when you mount the remote under your dash that the button on the remote isn't contacting anything as that switch will still work as well.

Sorry, just re read this. The picture with the cut traces is the circuit from the buttons in the instrument cluster. Cutting the left one stops 5V going down the 3V remote, and cutting the right one stops 3V from the buzzer going down into the car - not so much because I was worried about that since 5V would ordinarily go down there, but I wasn't sure if it might sap power from the buzzer and weaken (or stop) the signal. Plus it was never going to be used again from this circuit.

As for the actual remote, no I only soldered the wires to the tabs on the either side of the button; the button on it is still very much usable and this was thought out, as the remote is double sided taped to the plastic where your knees are. If needed (say the wiring / button in cluster failed), I can easily reach down and activate the remote via the button.

Edit here's a couple more pics showing the wire path and location of the buzzer circuit, and a photo the unit itself mounted

[fx1mark]

Originally Posted by azonic

Sorry, just re read this. The picture with the cut traces is the circuit from the buttons in the instrument cluster. Cutting the left one stops 5V going down the 3V remote, and cutting the right one stops 3V from the buzzer going down into the car - not so much because I was worried about that since 5V would ordinarily go down there, but I wasn't sure if it might sap power from the buzzer and weaken (or stop) the signal. Plus it was never going to be used again from this circuit.

As for the actual remote, no I only soldered the wires to the tabs on the either side of the button; the button on it is still very much usable and this was thought out, as the remote is double sided taped to the plastic where your knees are. If needed (say the wiring / button in cluster failed), I can easily reach down and activate the remote via the button.

Edit here's a couple more pics showing the wire path and location of the buzzer circuit, and a photo the unit itself mounted

ok, I was confused. I thought that was the remote you cut the leads on.

[FR-S2GT86]

Originally Posted by BrikisRawkil

I discovered an old garage door remote that I occasionally use

We'll gee, don't leave us hanging.......

Reported.