advice on popper

[Amack76]

ok so i am installing my tailgate popper this week and i need advice with the button. Tones directions are bangin, but i am gonna use the isuzu button. in idiots terms can someone tell me what each wire goin into the back of the button has to be, i saw the link http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/sh...papass=&sort=4 but still don't get it, help is appreciated, and be as descriptive as possible. please explain what each wire is and where it comes from. ( i see in the diagram there are two green and red wires, what the heck does that mean) i know im an idiot, but when you see how beautiful my dash wll be you will love it, it will be very very origional for a vx)

[Amack76]

please help grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

[Amack76]

has no one done this mod b4?

[Jonnie]

Maybe everyone is pooped out on poppers?

I started mine this weekend. Put in the spring, works nice.

Still trying to figure out the best attachment point for the solenoid. I drilled out the threads on the bracket to use nuts behind instead of tring to get a screw driver in that space. I also switched the screws holding the solenoid in the bracket to hex head so to make it easier to finger tighten or use an allen wrench. All 6mm hardware. Also picked up some rubber washers to go behind the attaching hardware to take the space created by annoying reenforcement ridge in the bracket.

Seems the green wire from the solenoid will only make it to about the kick panel, so it will have to be spliced.

I don't have a switch yet, so I have not figured that out yet.

Jonathan

[paultvx]

I haven't done this mod yet... at a glance, it looks pretty straight forward. I won't get too much into the details... some of it I am not 100% sure of until I get some hands-on time with the mod.

Here are some hints that might help you to figure it out:



From left to right...

Pin One goes to a power source.

Pin Two goes to 86. For safety reasons, you probably want the switch to be inactive/disabled while your ignition is on (that way you or a passenger can't accidentally pop the rear while the VX is flying down the highway.) There's a way to do this and avoid a power drain... if I can just remember it. Basically, if you want it to work that way, you want the ciruit to have constant power until the ignition is swtiched on. It might take two relays to do this...

Pin Three goes to the pin switch... not the ground on the pin switch the other prong. When the door is ajar, the pin switch completes the circuit and turns on the indicator light in the switch to let you know the door is ajar.

Pin Four gets tapped to the Green with Red stripe wire coming out of the Defroster swtich harness.

Pin Five (below Pin Four) gets tapped to the Red with Green stripe wire coming out of the Defroster switch harness. This wire provides power for illumination. With this, when you turn on your lights, the switch will light up with the rest of the dash.

[Moncha]

Aw Paul, you beat me to it...

I'll chime in here since it's my diagram, I need to write this up so I can copy and paste.
I may not make much sense right now as I'm recovering from a bout of Suspected West Nile.

Are you only looking for info anout the switch?

On the tailgate switch diagram from left to right;

The power pin goes to a source of power. Should be a continuous source.

The switch pin goes to the power side of your relay (Terminal 86) if you use a standard 4 terminal relay. You ARE using a relay aren't you?

The Pin Switch pin goes to an optional pin switch that needs to be installed so that the Indicator ligt comes on when the rear door is open. You could hook it to the pin switch that comes with the kit and hooks into the passenger side wiring harness but, the Indicator ligt will come on if ANY of the door are opened.

The Ground pin gets hooked up to the Green wire with the Red stripe on the back of the defroster switch. Use Scotchlocks.

The Dashlights pin gets hooked to the Red wire with the Green stripe on the back of the defroster switch..
The last two are so that the light in the Tailgate switch will dim with the rest of the dashlights..

Hope it helps.. If you need more PM or email me..

[Amack76]

2 questions that i need answered 1) do i need to add a relay or use one that is already there. and 2) what can i use to hook this up to the rodeo popper switch prongs? thanks everyone. ps my dash came back from being coated i will post the pics once everything is installed.

[paultvx]

Get well soon, Scott.

BTW, I don't think you have to have a relay. The VW I owned had a hatch release switch that worked all the time... with or without the ignition being on. Just have to make sure you have a fuse in there somewhere. Took the time to draw up some diagrams for three different ways of wiring up the switch and solenoid. Remembered how to make it work only with the ignition off and not cause a battery drain too (a 5 post relay!)

Amack: You can not use an existing relay in the VX. No way. The relay is an additional part you have to source on your own if it didn't come with Tone's rear gate popper kit. You'll need to buy some small female spade connectors to be able to hook wires up to the prongs. Take the switch with you to the auto parts store and find the right size. You'll need to buy some heat shrink as well to cover up the connectors so they don't touch eachother and cause a short. Also, don't go crazy with the wire... heavier gauge wire will be hard to work with and take up space. Use a smaller and more flexible gauge. Look at the existing wiring on the stock defrost switch harness and try to match the wire gauge. Use masking tape flags on the wires as you go so you can write on them (so you don't get the wires mixed up). Other than that... can't get any easier.


**Edit** Since the diagram didn't help anyone... I have removed it.

[Raque Thomas]

OK - maybe I'm missing something, but I can't find any directions as to where the pulley should be mounted. I looked on Tone's site, and the only mention I could see of the pulley was to loop the end of the cable up where the pulley would mount - no pics, and no further description. Bought my kit off eBay, so maybe I didn't get the full directions (the guy said he bought it from Tone - looks like his kit). Everything else is done but this step -Somebody help please!
Another question - I saw a post recently about changing the passenger door remote wiring to make it open on the first press of the button rather then having to press twice. Any of you electrical genuis's out there know if there would be a way to then hook up the popper to activate on the second press of the button?

[Tone]

2nd picture in the PDF instructions show the top of the pulley where it mounts - compare the picture to you back door and it will be clear. Someone posted their theory on how to connect the popper to the stock alarm.

[Raque Thomas]

Thanks Tone - I see it now, it's pretty hard to see in that picture if you don't know to look for it. You might want to point it out in the directions. Then again, I haven't seen any other questions here about it, so maybe it's just me! Anyway, I'll be ordering a hitch from you soon!

BTW - what I was looking for on the remote question was a way to open the hatch with the remote, like the trunks on 99.9% of the cars that are equipped with a remote opener (except, of course, the VX)

[omegavx]

If you check about half way down on this post http://www.vehicross.info/forums/sho...ghlight=popper (post by johnnyapollo with diagrams) you'll find some "instructions" on using the remote's second press to activate the popper. The only problem is I dont know if anyone has actually done it or not so any real detailed instructions probably arn't available.

I do plan on doing this as soon as I get the money to send tone. So, if you figure it out please post more details

btw, johnnyapollo, any chance you can get us the contact information for (Gary Bucklew of Autodoc in Largo, FL) to get some more detailed information?

[ojmagg]

I love to get some more info on the remote rear hatch release, too!

Omegavx, let me know if you need any help w/ the popper...as I recall the hardest step is trying to position the solinoid so you get the propper pull on the latch.

Now if I could only get my factory hatch release button to work...

[johnnyapollo]

I've PMed you Gary's information. I'm assuming he doesn't want his info made accessible to everyone. You may want to ask him if it's OK to post.

-- John

[Raque Thomas]

Guys, I thought I was FAIRLY mechanically inclined, but I'm starting to doubt myself after fighting with this popper for WAY TOO LONG! Two problems - I can't figure out how to attach the popper connecting piece to the rod that actuates the latch on the VX. It obviously won't just hook over the actuating rod, because it will slip off???

Number two, I can't find the red wire with the green stripe. The directions say that it is under the passenger side "scuff" panel, which I assume means the kick panel. I took this off, there's a relay for the interior lights, but no red/grn wire there. Looked at every other wire behind there as weel, and no red/grn to be found - am I in the right place, or just blind?

Somebody please help before I get the hammer out!!!