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[How-To] switch power mirrors with the central locking

133K views 308 replies 76 participants last post by  BadmanB 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
You fit this at your own risk, also


First print off the attached sketches it will make it easier to follow the instructions.
All the parts can be bought from Maplins, I have included their order codes below.

PARTS LIST. Order code
1 x 12v relay N08AW
1 x 4.7K Resistor M4K7
3 x Diodes 1N4007 QL79U D1 - 3
1 x Diode 1N5408 QL87U D4
1 x Transistor QQ14Q BC547 TR1
1 x Transistor N56AC BC635 TR2
1 x Fuse Holder DA61R
1 x Fuse GJ83E
1 x Box SC79L

Total cost less than £10.

Build the circuit shown in "New Control Circuit" or get some one to build it for you. Use the colours for the wires as I have shown, this will make it easier when you come to wire the unit into the car.

The green wire needs to be about 1 mtr long the rest of the wires 300mm.
I built the circuit into a small box which I fitted under the mirror/window switch using Velcro to attach it to the door panel.

You should end up with 6 wires coming out of the unit, brown, white, red, blue, black and green.
The diodes D1, D2 and the fuse protect the car electronics in the event of TR1 or TR2 going short circuit.

Remove the door panel, how to do this is mentioned in other threads on this forum so I won't detail that here.
Remove the two plugs from the Mirror/Window control switches. The smaller one is for the mirrors, The larger one is for the windows as shown on the diagrams.

On the smaller plug (mirrors) cut the wires to pins 2 (white) 7 (light blue) and 8 (red), leave a couple of inches sticking out from the plug as you will be connecting to these.

Take the diode D4 1n5408 and solder the end with the white band to the free wire on pin 2, solder the other end to the other end of the white wire now put insulation tape round the diode and is connections.

Insulate the wire from pin 7 on the plug, this is no longer used.
Connect the red wire from pin 8 on the plug to the brown wire from the new unit.

Connect the red wire from the new unit to the red wire that was cut from pin 8, and connect the blue wire from the new unit to the light blue wire that was cut from pin 7.

Now connect the white wire to the thick white wire coming from pin 16 on the window switch plug (large plug) using a connector as shown, Careful this is permanent 12v positive.

Route the green wire along the wiring loom to the the central locking plug on the right of the drivers door, (see Photo) and connect it with a connector to the light green wire on this plug.

Finaly connect the black wire to chassis, the screw holding the speaker is ideal for this.

Recheck all your wiring, reconnect the plugs back into the mirror/window switch and temporarily hang the door panel back on the door, don't fix it in place just yet.

Carefully close the door and press the lock button on your remote, at this point you will either have a big smile on you face :) or you will be wondering what the F!!! is wrong :(.

Trouble Shooting
If the mirrors don't come in on lock check that there is 12v on the white lead I had problems with the connector making contact with the wires.

Check that you have 12v on the green lead, you must use a digital meter to measure this don't use a bulb you may damage your electrics. Again I had problems with the connector because the light green lead is so thin.

If you have 12v on these wires then check that the diode you inserted in the lead to pin 2 on the mirror plug is the correct way round, the easy way to check this is to switch on the ignition and see if you have 12v on pin2 if you don't the diode is the wrong way round.

When you have the mirrors working on the central locking get into the car switch on the ignition and check that the manual switch is working if it isn't check the fuse in the unit.

I have also included a circuit of the original wiring so that those of you who are technical can work out how I have done it.

It seems a lot but really it is dead easy when you come to do it.

This also works ok with cars that have the auto locking above 10 mph enabled.

Enjoy.
 

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#5 · (Edited)
This makes interesting reading and explains the use of transistors and protection diodes. I would love to make this and I think it is not too complex given that you can download the pdfs from the maplin site for the transistors that show exactly the correct terminals for the emitter and collector connections!

Relays

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Media/product_pdfs/qq14.pdf
 
#6 ·
hgt

Thanks so much for that info.

It's too cold for an old man to work on it on the drive, the garage is for the lawn mower and the garden rubbish don't forget.

I'll endeavour to build the thing and report back, if the weather improves - see you in the Spring!

Couldn't see what size of wire needed, any help there please?

"The truth is that our race survived our ignorance during our development.
And it's now it's looking like a scientific genius will do us in!"

Charles H.
 
#7 ·
Will this fold your mirrors if you have your central locking set to lock at over 10mph?

I don't want to be driving down the road and my mirrors fold up as I set off.... :confused:
 
#10 · (Edited)
The switching looks quite straight forward. I was thinking about making a circuit that does the following:

- push the close button on the key once: close doors. (standard)
- push the close button on the key twice: engage so called superlock. (standard)
- push and hold the key for one second: close doors and fold mirrors.

Of course folding mirrors and superlock have to work together, too.

Can't be to hard if there is some signal in the car that is active as long as you press the button.

If I ever succeed, I'll let you know. :cool:

K.
 
#14 ·
- DON'T make them on perfboard, though. They will crack in a car.
- I think you can (or I can ;-)) easily design a small print.
- Then the whole thing can be build in small plastic box.
- I would not use a glass fuse, but an automatic one. These capacitor-like devices go in high impedance if the current goes beyond a certain threshold.
- The result would be a matchbox-size box with 6 wires coming out of it that would never need opening.
I would also not use velcro to fix it, but a decent kit or strong two-sided tape. Velcro would come off in the end because of vibrations. (Slamming doors, occasional putholes,...)

K.
 
#15 ·
I would not use an automatic fuse I come across them in my job and they are highly unreliable, also they are not quick acting enough. the fuse is to protect the manual switch if TR2 goes short.
The switch in one position is at 12v, in the other position it is at ground, it is therefore essential that the fuse be quick acting otherwise you will have a burnt out switch.
I agree with your other comments, mine is hard wired and built into a small box.
On the door panel moulding there is a shelf under the mirror/window switch and the box sits nicely on there.
I have had this unit working for 4 weeks now with no problems.
If you are going to build this be careful with the green wire from the central locking, this is at 12v in the unlock position but it is a floating 12v and can not supply much current that is why I have fed it into the base of TR1, the current drawn then is less than 4 micro amps. This wire also comes from the MICU it is diode protected but never the less be careful you don't stuff 12v up it.
H
 
#24 ·
OK I've got hold of most of the components for this unit but one item isn't available from Maplins for another week so will have to hold fire just yet for a completed unit. Can I get an idea of how many of you would want one of these? I am thinking of sending by post via payal, and also offering a fitting service for anyone within reasonable distance from Ilford, Essex, who isn't too confident about fitting it themselves.
 
#25 ·
1N4007 QL79U is discontinued, so ordered 1N4007S QL79L as it was the only similar number. Hope the specs are the same...

N56AC BC635 still says 7 days, but am in no rush.
 
#26 ·
1N4007 is just a basic diode. Any 1N400x would have done the job, so no worries.

Tech talk:
You can consider a diode to be a "valve for electricity": it lets current flow in one direction, but not in the opposite direction. This comes at a price however: when current goes through, you lose about 0,6 volts over the diode.
The famous little LED lamps are also diodes: Light Emitting Diodes. So they have the same characteristics, but in general they have a larger voltage drop:1.1 to 1.6 volts.
The type/specs mainly are about how much current can flow, and how much volt it can withstand when blocking.

That's the very (very very...) basics. :)

K.
 
#27 ·
Well done hgt for this mod, I think you were wise to start this thread with "you fit this at you own risk" obviously you can see that people who aren't as electronically capable as you may see it and try it. Koen you obviously understand the schematics of this mod too. Sorry to be a party pooper but I don't think anyone who needs the function of a diode or its associated volt drop characteristics should be attempting it. :( What do you think??
 
#29 ·
Cheers Koen. Never used the things before, so was unsure.

As for non-techy types doing this: Its about as simple as its going to get to make, but I think the write up and diagrams could be made more friendly. If no one else does I'll take more pics when I install it in a few weeks. And of course the bodge of wires that mine will look like. The plastic box is just extra weight.. :)
 
#33 · (Edited)
For some reason I am unable to edit my post so I will have to add this here.
I think that a circuit description may help those of you who are building your own units.
CIRCUIT DESCRIPTION
The manual switch simply reverses the polarity of the feed to the motors, therefor all that was required was a relay to do the same thing and then some form of control over the relay from the central locking.
The contacts on the relay are wired so that when the relay is at rest the mirrors are in, when the relay is energized the contacts reverse the polarity of the feed to the motors and the mirrors go out.
So when the mirrors are in, the car is parked and the relay doesn't draw any current, when the mirrors are out the relay is energized and draws 120ma but as the engine is likely to be running thats not a problem, even if the engine wasn't running a car battery would take months to run down with this current drain.
The feed from the central locking is at 12v when the car is unlocked, this is taken to the base of TR1 via D1 protection diode, this turns on TR1 which switches on TR2 and energizes the relay, (the mirrors go out).
When the car is locked the feed from the central locking is at 0v, this turns off TR1 which turns off TR2 the relay drops out and reverses the polarity of the feed to the motors so the mirrors come in.
Now for the clever bit, When the ignition switch is in position 2 the feed from pin 8 of the mirror switch plug is at 12v in one position and 0v or chassis in the other.
By feeding this to the base of TR2 the manual switch takes control of TR2 by feeding 12v to TR2's base thus turning it on, or grounding TR2's base thus turning it off regardless of what the central locking is feeding into TR1's base.
What this means is, when you unlock the car the central locking has control and opens the mirrors, when you turn on the ignition 12v is fed from the manual switch to TR2 thus taking control of the circuit away from the central locking in this way if the central locking operates over 10mph it will have no effect on the circuit and the mirrors will stay out.
Only when you stop the car and switch the ignition off does the central locking take control again. So when you lock the car the mirrors come in.
When the ignition is on you have full manual control so you can bring the mirrors in manually to park in a narrow garage for instance.
If you want the mirrors controlled by the ignition only then don't fit D4, without D4 there is a low impedance path to the base of TR2, which causes the relay to drop out when the ignition is turned off.
D4 blocks this low impedance path and allows the central locking to keep control of the relay when the ignition is off. So if you want the mirrors controlled by the central locking then D4 is essential.
 
#35 ·
OK, I am close to completing this kit now and should have one ready by tonight. I will be making these up to sell on here if there is sufficient interest. I will offer free fitting on the first one this Thursday or Friday if anyone is in the Ilford/Essex area? Please PM me for details.

Kind Regards,

Naresh
 
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