Homelink retro-fit ideas?

[jballard81]

Picked this up from the JY today. Came out of a Toyota SUV. I was initially thinking I could rig it up behind the driver's side A-pillar but it's too wide.

Maybe if I gutted it out of the case it would fit?

I was also thinking about 3D printing something to add near my rear view window. Or maybe something on the outside of the A-pillar?

Anyone have any good ideas I can borrow?

Thanks!

 

[SenorNoob]

Do you use your ash tray?

Edit: Just saw you already have a power port there.

 

[jballard81]

Do you use your ash tray?

I do not. I also did this recently to it. I was thinking a long those lines as well but I was worried the signal wouldn't go very far if it was low like that.

But maybe the signal wouldn't be impacted too much?

 

[jballard81]

I could temporarily connect power to it there, then test signal strength. Might give that a try later today and report back!

 

[jballard81]

This might be way more effort than it's worth but I think this would look cool!

I will have to take some measurements but looking at where the clips at the top there appear to stop there looks to ~half an inch of room. With the board removed from the homelink housing it might work.

 

[SenorNoob]

Is that the door panel?

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

What does home link do?

 

[jballard81]

The trim over the door handle. Though looking at it back in place. There might be a better option just in front of that trim piece in the actual door card.

Got a few good options at least now. Got to do some mock ups now to see what I like the most

 

[rubydist]

What does home link do?

Garage door opener.

 

[jballard81]

Just like rubydist said, it's a generic garage door opener. That way I can free up one of the remotes so when my kid starts driving soon , I can let him use the clicker.

 

[jballard81]

Well, I hobbled it together. I couldn't bring myself to cut the door cards. I've never seen another 93/94 ranger with the power locks/windows so I'm gathering they are hard to come by.

I would have done a number of things differently, but it's in there and it works!

Two main issues I ran into was the way the buttons connected to the actual PCB board. Could only fit ~1mm of something in there as a cover for the jagged hole I cut.

The curve of the ashtray cover was already more than that so I 3D printed a thin trim piece and molded it into place with a heat gun, then super glued it.

Second issue was I placed it probably 1/2 inch too high. The back of the homelink box interferes with the cover going back far enough into the recess so it sticks out a little further than I would like.

Will probably grab a new ashtray cover from the junkyard next time and give it another shot. Repainting the cover with my add-on trim piece would probably help it blend in better.

 

[jballard81]

Happened to find homelink visors from an 04 expedition. So I ended up replacing my above hackery

 

[MaicoDoug]

I have an unused Gentex rear view mirror, has a Homelink function, along with a compass/temp display & electric dimming feature. But the integration of all the interface is really a pain. What is actually needed and what can be wired without. Bit of an exercise. It's always nice to NOT loose the remote! Nice job.

 

[jballard81]

I have an unused Gentex rear view mirror, has a Homelink function, along with a compass/temp display & electric dimming feature. But the integration of all the interface is really a pain. What is actually needed and what can be wired without. Bit of an exercise. It's always nice to NOT loose the remote! Nice job.

I have a Gentex mirror I snagged off a 99 Tahoe. Its auto dimming, compass and temp. If I found one with homelink as well I would have installed that instead. All the ones I see with homelink seem to have OnStar and I don't really want to mess with that.