How To: Add a Garage Door Opener to the Dummy Switch

Everyone this is my first try at producing any type of directions, but I hope it helps someone. This is a pretty simple and easy project. It took about an hour from start to finish.

How to add a Garage Door Opener to the Dummy Switch in your DMC-12
By Sean Thompson, Owner 03349
Tools Needed
1) Safety Glasses and Gloves (Z87)
2) Garage Door Opener (already programmed to open and close your garage)
3) Delorean Electrical Window switch (101177) and connectors
4) Wire
5) Soldering Iron(electrical solder flux, sponge)
6) Wire Cutters Strippers
7) Flathead Screw Driver
8) Multi-meter
Tools



Step 1

Remove ashtray and dummy switch (They should just pop up.)
Step 2

Open the Garage Door Opener casing, most likely you will need to remove the battery door before prying open the case. I used a flat head screw driver to pry it apart (gently). Some garage door openers are held together with a small screw (you may need to add a small Philips to the tools list, but for my project it was not needed), this Genie brand pops open. You should wear gloves during this (do as I say not as I did LOL) Once open you will see the battery and circuit board.




Step 3

Remove the circuit board from the case. For now leave the battery in the circuit board, you will be opening and closing your garage door during this process (but that double checks your connection). Flip over the circuit board, You will need to test the “dots” on the back of the circuit board) set your multimeter to continuity mode. Test the “dots” on the back of the circuit board, Odds are your garage door opens or closed when you select the two correct “dots”



Step 4
Remove the battery from the circuit board. Cut and Strip your wire. You will also need to make a jumper, for the switch. On one wire add electrical connections on both sides (this is your jumper) On the other wire add the electrical connections. On one side, add flux to the other side of the striped wires.

Step 5
Put on your safety glasses and gloves, and solder the wire to the correct “Dots” They will be the ones that had the continuity when tested with the multimeter on the back of the circuit board
After the connections are soldered, wire the switch to the circuit board. Replace the battery and test the switch, ensure your garage door opens and closes.


Step 6
Reassemble the case around the circuit board. Be careful not to break the weld, additionally you may need to cut a small hole in the case for the wire. Snap everything back together. Test the switch again. Disconnect the switch, and bring it out to the car.
Fish the wires through the old dummy switch hole and place the garage door opener in the console under the ashtray (you may want to secure it with Velcro, this is optional)

Rewire the switch test it, and fit it into the switch hole. Replace the ashtray and you are done. You can now continue to live the dream by opening and closing your garage door from the switch in your console.

Step 7
Go for a drive

Thanks for the tutorial and idea. How have I never thought of doing this? So much better than keeping the opener in the change holder behind the ash tray!

great idea!
This will be a nice winter project with my spare remote.

Cool. I did a similar mod a couple years ago, using an old window switch that only worked one way and not the other. As an opener, it works great about 90% of the time, as having it under the center console doesn't transmit the best signal.

Attachment 57174

Very cool. This might be a winter project for me as well.

Very cool idea!

I'm doing it except I'm skipping the safety glasses and gloves. I'm also printing the instructions out so I can throw them away before I start.

It's a man thing.

Awesome write up! I put a pushbutton switch through the dummy switch to do this, but hopefully will be upgrading to the window switch soon!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Michael

Very cool idea!

I'm doing it except I'm skipping the safety glasses and gloves. I'm also printing the instructions out so I can throw them away before I start.

It's a man thing.

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I'd expect nothing less.

Just saw this today also. What a great idea!
Went on ebay and picked up a small push button switch to install into one of the dummy switches. No sense in paying $50 for another window switch.

Attachment 58307

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Michael

Very cool idea!

I'm doing it except I'm skipping the safety glasses and gloves. I'm also printing the instructions out so I can throw them away before I start.

It's a man thing.

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Don’t forget to swear regularly, even if things are going well. Also be sure to have a friend nearby to blame when things don’t go well.:)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by eight8toy

No sense in paying $50 for another window switch.

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I think there's a lot of sense if you want the car to look stock but have hidden features. For me, it would be worth $50 to keep the look of the car original instead of a cheaper button protruding from a dummy switch.