Cheap rear popper? $12 at Parts Express

[IsuZOOM]

http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/pshowdetl.cfm?&DID=7&Partnumber=330-120

http://www.partsexpress.com/images/330-120m.jpg

Special: $11.57 EA

[johnnyapollo]

That looks like the kit I bought off ebay for $15. Good deal!

-- John

[Jonnie]

John,

Did you install it? If so, how did it go?

Jonathan

[Tone]

You also need to get:

1. The popper spring that pushes the door open, I have not found those for less than $25 (+ freight) by themselves. Make sure it is the longer ones that push the door out far enough.

2. A small pulley that allows the cable to run over and down to the lock mechanism makes a huge difference as to ease of install.

3. (optional) The slim, flat trunk button that fits in the glove box is $13 at a GM dealer. Or Izusu hatch button for $35.

4. While you are doing the popper, might want to add the rear door to the alarm and allow it to turn on the overhead light when opened with a pin switch, (less than $5), a ground wire w/ ends, 6‘ wire, and connector to the attach to passenger door wire.

[SGT.BATGUANO]

Looks like that kit is "electric popper" only . Nothing to release the latch?

[paultvx]

It does realease the hatch. When actuated the solenoid pulls the cable witch pulls on the latch arm in the rear gate's lock mechanism. This is only a momentary actuation... which is why you need a door popper to push the gate out as soon as the latch is pulled. Otherwise, the latch is released and then latched again before you have a chance to pull the gate open.

If you do a search online for universal trunk release kits you will find many kits like the one above, but you won't get all of the extras Tone has included in his... along with his VX specific instruction.

[johnnyapollo]

I bought that kit back when Tone didn't have anything available. It may be cheaper to simply order from Tone. You don't absolutely need the pulley, but it makes the install a lot easier (Have done installs both with and without the pulley). That being said, if you want a cheap solution, this kit will works as-is except you will still need a spring-loaded popper to force the door open. One for a trunk runs about $25-35 from an accessory store (they usually list them as door-shave kit accessories). The regular door poppers don't have enough force to push the door from the latch, so make sure it's made to open a trunk.

I used directions from the ClubVMag site, posted by Swordy (http://club.vmag.com/ubb/Forum39/HTML/001979.html). The solenoid is mounted in the top of the door with the lead pulled downwards and looped around a notch cut into the door release lever. I bought an OEM dash on eBay for a Passport, that included all the switches for $15 on eBay. I used the 3-switch face to replace the fuzzy hole, and the Tailgate release switch instead of the included momentary switch (used a diagram posted by Moncha for the pins). I mounted a relay under the panel left of the break pedal and tied into the internal fuse box left of the dash.

Because Tone's kit includes the pulley, the small flat button that may be mounted inside the glove-box, and the spring-loaded popper, it is probably cheaper than purchasing all the individual parts with shipping. You also get a pin-switch that you can tie-in to the lights and alarm (mine doesn't have this option - I intend to tie it in when I upgrade the alarm). You should still probably buy a 20 or 30 amp relay... which also give you more options and helps protect the switch from the load the solenoid places on the line. You can tie the relay into the park/neutral ground wire in the Alarm module under the dash. That way you can't accidentally trigger the rear door while moving.

-- John

[Moncha]

Originally posted by johnnyapollo
You can tie the relay into the park/neutral ground wire in the Alarm module under the dash. That way you can't accidentally trigger the rear door while moving.

-- John

Can you say which wire? (Color code)

[johnnyapollo]

Here's a diagram:

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/515/33keylessdiag.jpg


The wire to look for is a blue one the diagram calls start output (it goes to the Automatic Transmission Mode Switch). It is only grounded when in Park or Neutral, making it a perfect safety switch.

Another mod you can do is wire the remote to open both doors when you press it once, then the back door when pressed twice. Both this mod and the wiring schematic was sent to me by a guy down in Florida who wired his VX in this manner (Gary Bucklew of Autodoc in Largo, FL).

The Passenger door lock control relay is the one to access to wire the popper to trigger off the second press of the factory remote. Just splice the two light green/black trace wires together (cut the one that is the true trigger) so that both door locks unlock on the first press of the remote (thus bypassing the relay), then get the wire that originally went to the passenger door lock actuator (the one you cut), and use it to trigger your relay for the popper. The factory used the passenger door relay as an inhibitor relay to NOT open the door on the first press.

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/515/33passdoordiag.jpg

Note that I have not done the second mod, so I'm not able to give better, more detailed information. I'm planning on going to an aftermarket alarm, so making this change is moot.

-- John

[Moncha]

COOOOL! I did go with an aftermarket alarm but this gives me lots 'o ideas!

[paultvx]

Ut oh. Scott has ideas. Look out. :D (Thanks for the bushings btw).

John, thanks for posting that diagram.

[Raque Thomas]

Using the wiring diagram posted by Johnnyapollo, I now have a REMOTE hatch release. Beware though - according to his diagram (and the one in the shop manual), the relay is behind the right kick panel - maybe my VX is bassackwards, but it was behind the left (driver's side) kick panel on my car. About a ten minute job, if you don't tear the wrong side of the car apart looking for the relay.

Now one press of the remote button unlocks both doors at the same time (how it should be IMO), and a second press pops the rear door - Fantastic!

The relay is in an access hole behind the LEFT kick panel. It's round like a turn signal relay, and is wrapped in a grey foam material. I just cut one of the lt grn/blk wires (got lucky, the first one I cut went to the passenger door), which on mine was the longer wire. I then ran a wire to the output side of my trunk popper (output side being the side with the wire that goes to the rear popper), spliced the two together, and wah la! Oh, and don't forget to splice the other two lt grn/blk wires together so both your door locks will work.

[Raque Thomas]

Ooops! spoke too soon - I DO have an opener that works with the remote - which is cool, but now I have created problems.......when I unlock the doors using the power unlock button on the doors, it pops the hatch as well. If I use the remote hatch release button in the glove box, it works once and then blows the in-line fuse in the popper kit. I went back and checked all my connections - anybody have an idea how to make it work properly???:mad:

[Bantan]

Originally posted by Tone
You also need to get:

1. The popper spring that pushes the door open, I have not found those for less than $25 (+ freight) by themselves. Make sure it is the longer ones that push the door out far enough.

2. A small pulley that allows the cable to run over and down to the lock mechanism makes a huge difference as to ease of install.

3. (optional) The slim, flat trunk button that fits in the glove box is $13 at a GM dealer. Or Izusu hatch button for $35.

4. While you are doing the popper, might want to add the rear door to the alarm and allow it to turn on the overhead light when opened with a pin switch, (less than $5), a ground wire w/ ends, 6‘ wire, and connector to the attach to passenger door wire.

These are all the concerns I had with installing a popper.
Tone do you ever visit the NYC area?
I have a problem with anyone here touching my VX especially when they've never seen 1 before and being a coward when it comes to experimenting on my VX, I would like very much to have an expert like you do this. Its not fair to us East coasters that you live on the west coast.

Any word yet on when they start clonning humans?

:blab: Tone says: How is life guys?
:blab: Tone #2 says: Just f**king great, these pesky NYC VXers won't leave me alone, every day they want to have a M&M(Meet & Mod).
:blab: Tone #3 says: I am tryiny to learn the language to keep up with these Japanese VXers. Oh and by the way I found Albert.