Is anyone aware of an aftermarket kit that will let you put keyless entry in the full hard doors on a CJ?
I have been to a couple of local alarm installation type places, and they tell me it can't be done because 1) There's not enough room in those thin doors for the motor mechanism, and 2) The removable doors won't work with the permanent wiring.
But I refuse to believe them... there has to be a way to do this. With all the ingenuity I've seen on aftermarket jeep products, there must be some kind of keyless kit.
(Yes, I am aware that by putting such electronics into a CJ I am showing evidence of being a girly man and not a "real jeeper". Please don't flame me too bad.)
Let's go with the removable door thing for a moment, when you arem the system, and the doors are removed, how will the system know that it has been compromised? Secondly, how would you provide a connector that will allow the doors to be removed?
I would go with the professionals, if they say it can't be done, then move on.
Motion sensor inside the vehicle? But, since we're talking about keyless entry, not necessarily an alarm, "compromised" isn't an issue, just the ability to unlock the doors with a remote control.
Secondly, how would you provide a connector that will allow the
The same way they do it on sliding doors on mini-vans. No wires going into the doors. Brass contacts in the door jamb and on the door. When the door's closed, you have continuity and it works, when the door's removed or open, no continuity, and no big deal.
Yeah, I've met some of the "pros" just because they're too lazy/incompetent doesn't mean something can't be done. Keep looking. I'm not saying it is possibly, I'm just saying I wouldn't trust the first "pro" who says it can't.
If you get the same answer from multiple "professionals", then maybe, just maybe, they are not saying it because they are lazy. They could be saying it because it is true. I wouldn't go with the first guy that said not either, but the original poster said the he had been to a couple of places, and all of them said no.
Just a personal observation here, but I don't see the point in spending upwards of $200 (it will take $229 to put a remote access system on my BMW, and I already have the solenoids and relays needed to lock and unlock the doors all from one place) on a system to unlock a door. There are only two doors on the Jeep in the first place, and you only need one of them open to drive away, or you only need the other one open if there is a passenger. I do not see how this could even remotely (no pun intended) pay for itself in making life easier.
Surly some one can put the mechanism in the tub the extracts a pin into and out of the door. Then it would not matter about removing the door or the with of the door.. Surely in the time of cars with shaved handles, and Keyless entry that opens the door not just unlock it. . .
OT: however un-American it may by, and beside the fact i don't fit in it. My wife's keyless entry on her accord is slick. I even catch my self wishing I could roll down the windows as I walk up to my truck. . . one of those things I would have never paid extra for, but now will go look for on the next one. . .
When the system notices that the doors are opened (same case as doors disconnected) at the time the system is armed, it chirps at you to warn you of this, and then it ignores the doors until the next time the system is armed anew. This is a standard thing with car alarms.
The wiring is just zip cord, fed through the retaining strap, with simple quick disconnects. This is not a big deal.
The "can't do removable wiring" comment by his pros is total nonsense.
I can't speak for the CJ full doors, but it can certainly be done in TJ full doors because I have it in mine. I think it was $50 per door (added to the rest of the alarm install).
You guys can laugh at this if you want, but keyless is pretty nice. If you have an alarm, it saves having to remember to first punch the button to disarm the alarm before opening the doors, and it also automatically locks/unlocks the doors when the engine is started/stopped.
I think if you think about it, the best case for an alarm on a Jeep is the tailgate, if you have a storage drawer or some other storage that requires the gate to be open for access (theft). Since that tailgate has to open for a thief to get into my Tuffy drawer, then an alarm is useful on the tailgate. And once you have the alarm, you may as well do the doors - you need at least the tailgate and hood (to protect the alarm) anyway. And once you have the doors alarmed, the keyless is very nice for dealing with it.
Take the door panels off and remove the locks. Go and get the locks rekeyed and put them back in. Personally, I wouldn't spend the money on remotes, but that is just me. And, at 50 years old, I have unlocked the doors many times while carrying a kid, et al, so I know exactly what you are up against. I would buy a remote system on a new car in a heart beat, but I would not even consider a retrofit to a YJ. Good luck, but I don't think you will get very far.
$50-$100 Bucks to rekey/replace the lock cylinders is crazy. I broke my key off inside the door last winter. Went down to the local locksmith and he only charged me $20......he used the glove box lock to make a copy and key a new cylinder...PLUS he gave me 2 keys!
MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here.
All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.