Not joined yet? Register for free and enjoy features such as alerts, private messaging and viewing latest posts and topics.
Homelink Revisited
- Rasalon
- Newbie
- Posts: 42
- Joined: Wed Apr 30, 2008 6:16 am
- Location: Bay Area CA
Homelink Revisited
Let me thank inTgr8r for the Idea
First, locate the plastic panel underneath the AC controls (back of plastic panel showing downward orientation)
Locate placement of Homelink device, Mine is closer to the driver. Mark holes and drill carefully as not to scratch the plastic (recommend starting with small drill and working up to the proper size) note that the bracing on the back is sanded off this is useful if you want to mount the home link buttons directly to the panel (with oval holes and forgo using the provided cover shown below).
Cut away all plastic of the housing surrounding the contacts and drill hole below the other three holes in the cover for epoxy (discussed later) otherweise the housing is too big to fit.
Using below self adhesive spacers, cut 3 small circular extensions to attach to the ends of the homelink rubber buttons.
Mount buttons to the front of the Panel cover without any glue.
Use standard super glue and light clamping pressure to secure homelike cover to the panel cover (be sure to allow for the curvature of the panel or else the cover will not fit right)
Back and front of the finished product note the plastic spacers on top of the homelink buttons.
Using 5 min epoxy fill in the circular area of the panel cover and Line up the previously drilled drill hole so some of the epoxy can flow inside making a good bond between the cover and housing.
Remove the cig lighter/ coin holder assembly which is mounted with one screw. (Note the gear s**t should be placed in away from the assembly which means the car can roll away if not careful) to allow for removal of assembly. Then, locate the harness for the cig lighter and disconnect it. LIVE WIRES!!!!
Now this requires finesse. You need to strip both wires without cutting them. So you have a place to solder the home link harness. (THE WIRES ARE LIVE, CONSIDER DISCONNECTING THE BATTERY). Note that the wires are not stripped next to each other and are masked as not to short.
Pre-solder the homelink and the cig wires so they can be connected easier. Note the hook shape at the end of the homelink harness.
Pics of finished product. (please note that If you don't put the cover back homelink side first, it will look like the Pic below otherweise it fits fine with no odd gaps.
Take all precautions to protect your car’s interior, including masking the aluminum, putting heat resistant material on the seats, the plastic, and the steering wheel to protect form HOT soldering iron. Use Teflon wires to reduce accidental over-heating and possible fires. Etc. Use your good judgment and Good luck. This was a 2-3 hour project (note: if you Don't put the cover back homelink side in, it will stick out like the pic other weise it will look fine.)
First, locate the plastic panel underneath the AC controls (back of plastic panel showing downward orientation)
Locate placement of Homelink device, Mine is closer to the driver. Mark holes and drill carefully as not to scratch the plastic (recommend starting with small drill and working up to the proper size) note that the bracing on the back is sanded off this is useful if you want to mount the home link buttons directly to the panel (with oval holes and forgo using the provided cover shown below).
Cut away all plastic of the housing surrounding the contacts and drill hole below the other three holes in the cover for epoxy (discussed later) otherweise the housing is too big to fit.
Using below self adhesive spacers, cut 3 small circular extensions to attach to the ends of the homelink rubber buttons.
Mount buttons to the front of the Panel cover without any glue.
Use standard super glue and light clamping pressure to secure homelike cover to the panel cover (be sure to allow for the curvature of the panel or else the cover will not fit right)
Back and front of the finished product note the plastic spacers on top of the homelink buttons.
Using 5 min epoxy fill in the circular area of the panel cover and Line up the previously drilled drill hole so some of the epoxy can flow inside making a good bond between the cover and housing.
Remove the cig lighter/ coin holder assembly which is mounted with one screw. (Note the gear s**t should be placed in away from the assembly which means the car can roll away if not careful) to allow for removal of assembly. Then, locate the harness for the cig lighter and disconnect it. LIVE WIRES!!!!
Now this requires finesse. You need to strip both wires without cutting them. So you have a place to solder the home link harness. (THE WIRES ARE LIVE, CONSIDER DISCONNECTING THE BATTERY). Note that the wires are not stripped next to each other and are masked as not to short.
Pre-solder the homelink and the cig wires so they can be connected easier. Note the hook shape at the end of the homelink harness.
Pics of finished product. (please note that If you don't put the cover back homelink side first, it will look like the Pic below otherweise it fits fine with no odd gaps.
Take all precautions to protect your car’s interior, including masking the aluminum, putting heat resistant material on the seats, the plastic, and the steering wheel to protect form HOT soldering iron. Use Teflon wires to reduce accidental over-heating and possible fires. Etc. Use your good judgment and Good luck. This was a 2-3 hour project (note: if you Don't put the cover back homelink side in, it will stick out like the pic other weise it will look fine.)
Last edited by Rasalon on Mon Jun 09, 2008 9:06 pm, edited 3 times in total.
- enfield
- Senior Member
- Posts: 2623
- Joined: Mon Jun 18, 2007 10:51 pm
-
- Senior Member
- Posts: 1031
- Joined: Fri Feb 15, 2008 6:03 pm
- Location: UK
- enfield
- Senior Member
- Posts: 2623
- Joined: Mon Jun 18, 2007 10:51 pm
Re: Homelink Revisited
^^^ it is a remote device that can be programmed to open your garage door etc. electronically. The one used here has 3 buttons and can thus open 3 different remote devices.
The Z4M Roaster & Croup are gone!
It's E92 M3 from now on.
It's E92 M3 from now on.
- Rasalon
- Newbie
- Posts: 42
- Joined: Wed Apr 30, 2008 6:16 am
- Location: Bay Area CA
Re: Homelink Revisited
So have I convinced you two to get your own homelinks?
- timscuba
- Lifer
- Posts: 4533
- Joined: Fri Sep 07, 2007 6:21 pm
Re: Homelink Revisited
Where did you order it from?
- Rasalon
- Newbie
- Posts: 42
- Joined: Wed Apr 30, 2008 6:16 am
- Location: Bay Area CA
Re: Homelink Revisited
Ebay for arround $30, I don't remember what car it was intneded for.
- Carscadden
- Member
- Posts: 54
- Joined: Thu May 29, 2008 5:59 pm
- Location: Oakland, NJ
Re: Homelink Revisited
Rasalon wrote:Ebay for arround $30, I don't remember what car it was intneded for.
I'm interested in doing this but I'm a bit unclear about the unit. The button mounting and fabrication seems clear, but how does the control unit plug-in to the Z ... or is it just wired for power and hidden in the dash?
Thanks in advance,
Brian
- Rasalon
- Newbie
- Posts: 42
- Joined: Wed Apr 30, 2008 6:16 am
- Location: Bay Area CA
Re: Homelink Revisited
If you want the BMW version, you have to cahnge your mirror to a more ugly but homelink capable one, If you wan't the way I did it, you have to splice and solder the power cables into the Cig lighter cables....
Hope this helps
Hope this helps
- RCNet
- Newbie
- Posts: 45
- Joined: Mon Jul 16, 2007 5:55 pm
- Location: SW Washington
Re: Homelink Revisited
A third option for those of us who have a coupe is to retrofit the UGDO from an E39 to the headliner. The finished product looks something like this:
(picture credited to dwaynemosley)
This is the route I went. If I remember the UGDO ran about $120.
(picture credited to dwaynemosley)
This is the route I went. If I remember the UGDO ran about $120.
2006 Ti Silver Z4 M Coupe
2009 Deep Sea Blue 535i xDrive Sports Wagon
2009 Deep Sea Blue 535i xDrive Sports Wagon
- carl
- Member
- Posts: 802
- Joined: Sun Jul 01, 2007 10:41 pm
- Location: Bishop's Stortford, UK
- Contact:
Re: Homelink Revisited
Instead of stripping and soldering, could you not just use Scotchlok connectors?
- Rasalon
- Newbie
- Posts: 42
- Joined: Wed Apr 30, 2008 6:16 am
- Location: Bay Area CA
Re: Homelink Revisited
Hi Carl, Scotchlok connectors I suspect are the clamp on kind? ...
Well yes you could do that, there is little current used by the homelink oppener but if you have additional devices attached ( I have a second Cig lighter for a bluetooth GPS antenna and phone charger wired in) then you risk overheating the conection / wires and causing a fire! best way to reduce fire hazard is to have a good mechanical connection then solder, using the appropreate guage wire with teflon skin ofcourse.
This might be over kill but I'm not about to loose my car to somthing stupid as that, especially if I could have prevented it!
Well yes you could do that, there is little current used by the homelink oppener but if you have additional devices attached ( I have a second Cig lighter for a bluetooth GPS antenna and phone charger wired in) then you risk overheating the conection / wires and causing a fire! best way to reduce fire hazard is to have a good mechanical connection then solder, using the appropreate guage wire with teflon skin ofcourse.
This might be over kill but I'm not about to loose my car to somthing stupid as that, especially if I could have prevented it!
- carl
- Member
- Posts: 802
- Joined: Sun Jul 01, 2007 10:41 pm
- Location: Bishop's Stortford, UK
- Contact:
Re: Homelink Revisited
Ah, Scotchloks no good for wiring in an additional cig lighter!