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Posted By: Lee7673 Help with relays/solenoids - July 11th 2018 1:59 am
I am trying to install an electric door opener for my shaved doors. The kit comes with pathetic (partial) instructions. I have googled relays/solenoids/auto door locks and have found about 6 different ways to hook up and three different ways to wire the relays! None of them seem to work. I can get the solenoid to open through direct wiring with the push button (interior) but not with the key fob. I believe something is messed up in the relay wiring. Anyone out here good with relay wiring?
Posted By: Wedgy Re: Help with relays/solenoids - July 11th 2018 12:35 pm
Hello Lee,

I am no Journeyman Auto Electrician, but struggle through with first trying to understand the basic circuit. If I wire it up I make a drawing of the wiring as a visual aid. Post one up and maybe someone on here will be able to further help.

The remote needs to be recognized. Output signal? Reciever? Battery? A good Alarm guy could maybe help you out. Hope it's something simple. Good Hunting Lee!
Posted By: jcd74 Re: Help with relays/solenoids - July 11th 2018 9:20 pm
I'm bored, should be working on my vans, ohh well. How many wires on solenoids? post pic of relay.
Posted By: Lee7673 Re: Help with relays/solenoids - July 11th 2018 9:29 pm
I will take pics of the relays tonight, the model number of the control unit to open doors and instructions that came with kit and 2 of the best diagrams I have found online to wire it. Some diagrams have the two relays wired together and some don't (don't know if that is an issue). Also on most diagrams there are two 12+ inputs into the relay, one output to the solenoid and one input from the control unit but every set of instructions I have name different tabs on the relays for the two 12 volt inputs.
Posted By: jcd74 Re: Help with relays/solenoids - July 11th 2018 9:41 pm
how many doors, do you have power locks?
Posted By: Lee7673 Re: Help with relays/solenoids - July 11th 2018 9:49 pm
i do not have power locks (its a 77 Dodge) and I am just doing the front two doors
Posted By: Lee7673 Re: Help with relays/solenoids - July 12th 2018 4:40 pm
I guess my first question would be how to tell if this is a negative ground trigger or positive ground trigger system and I would assume that would determine how the relay is wired.
Posted By: jcd74 Re: Help with relays/solenoids - July 12th 2018 7:38 pm
What did you buy? make? model?
Posted By: Lee7673 Re: Help with relays/solenoids - July 12th 2018 8:50 pm
Here is the kit and instructions that came with the kit
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Those instructions are very vague and didn't seem to work
Posted By: Lee7673 Re: Help with relays/solenoids - July 12th 2018 8:52 pm
Here are several instructions that seemed more detailed but not working either:
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Posted By: jcd74 Re: Help with relays/solenoids - July 12th 2018 9:42 pm
Ok, so in each pic it shows the system to use a negative switch pulse to work the relay. In other words if we were to add a light, most would find a spot for power, then run it to a switch, then run it to the lamp, and ground the lamp to finish. What this system does is take power from somewhere run it to the lamp, then run it to the switch, then run it to ground to finish. The light works either way. Whats better for you a mechanical drawing or electrical diagram?
Posted By: jcd74 Re: Help with relays/solenoids - July 12th 2018 9:44 pm
Did it come with a wiring harness?
Posted By: Lee7673 Re: Help with relays/solenoids - July 12th 2018 9:51 pm
yes, but only about 6 of the 13 wires are mentioned in the instructions
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Posted By: jcd74 Re: Help with relays/solenoids - July 12th 2018 10:00 pm
Did it come with jumpers for the relay's? or do you have to wire them for yourself?
Posted By: Lee7673 Re: Help with relays/solenoids - July 12th 2018 10:00 pm
The problem is the instructions have 1 positive 12 volt lead going to the relay and the other instructions (and most others I find or read about) have 2 positive leads going to the relays. Problem is, even they are different. Some have positive to 86 and 30 tabs and others have 87 and 85 tabs. The instructions that came with it have tab # 86 as ground but the relay itself is grounded where it bolts in.
Posted By: Lee7673 Re: Help with relays/solenoids - July 12th 2018 10:02 pm
Wired jumpers myself
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Posted By: jcd74 Re: Help with relays/solenoids - July 12th 2018 10:38 pm
If you want to check if the control is working, remove the blue and green take a test light and put the alligator clip on the + battery terminal and the probe inside the blue or green connector. When you press the key fob the light should come on. If it works put the green and blue on "86", If it does not fix the controller wiring, check fuses, power comes from constant source not ignition or accessory.
If it works put one solenoid wire on "87" on both relays.
Then put batt. + on "30" and your + jumper on "85"
That's a whopping 80 amp relay the larger tabs (the switch) are 87 and 30, the smaller tabs are the control (relay coil) 85 and 86. Even if you mix up 87 and 30 or 85 and 86, it should work.
Posted By: Lee7673 Re: Help with relays/solenoids - July 12th 2018 11:19 pm
Thanks I will try this. One quick question. Are you saying one solenoid wire (from one solenoid) goes to both relays or do you mean one solenoid wire (driver door) goes to one relay and other solenoid (passenger door) goes to the other relay?
I don’t have these relays jumped together. They are wired separately but there are 2 positives “jumped” on each relay
Posted By: jcd74 Re: Help with relays/solenoids - July 12th 2018 11:55 pm
Each relay is controlled by one control wire green or blue 86 (small tab), each relay controls one solenoid 87(large tab) power goes to 30 (large tab) then jumper to 85 (small tab). every tab should have a wire.

I can not stress enough to test the control box first. Take a test light and put the alligator clip on the battery ground and put the probe of the test light inside the blue or green connector. The light should come on when you press the button on the key fob.

If the light works on both wires, green and blue, install them on the 86 terminal of the relays. one wire for each relay.

Install the power wire on 30 large connector and put the jumper from 30 on 85.

Remove the solenoid wires from the relays. Use the test light again, put the alligator clip on the negative post of the battery and touch the probe to 87 on one of the relays and push the key fob again, the light should come on. check the other relay too.

Install the solenoid wires where they belong on each relay, one wire for one relay. Press the key fob door should work.
Posted By: Lee7673 Re: Help with relays/solenoids - July 13th 2018 12:09 am
Thank you. I will definitely be trying this later tonight.
Posted By: Lee7673 Re: Help with relays/solenoids - July 13th 2018 2:57 pm
OK....I think I am making progress. When I press the key fob neither the blue or green wire from the unit had power. I then took the cover off of the unit and tested each and every pin where the wires came out and the ONLY one that had power coming out when I pushed the key fob is the grey wire (which on the instructions just say 12 volts). The grey wire leaves the unit as one wire and then splits into two wires (each running through a diode...see pictures below) so I am assuming that this will be my power source to the relays (instead of the blue or green wires even though everywhere I look it tells me the blue/green wires are the feed to the relays). I am going to try hooking these two wires to the relays where blue/green would have been but I am not sure what is going to keep both solenoids from opening simultaneously since there is only one wire feeding voltage coming out of the unit and then it splits.
It shouldn't be this hard!!!! smile

Grey wire coming out of unit (the ONLY wire that puts out voltage when key fob is hit)

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Grey wire split with the two diodes (under protective wrap)

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Posted By: jcd74 Re: Help with relays/solenoids - July 13th 2018 3:39 pm
What are you using to check for power at the grey wire?
Posted By: jcd74 Re: Help with relays/solenoids - July 13th 2018 3:49 pm
You have to understand power does not come out of the green or blue wires, it's just a dry switch with no power present. If you have a test light put one end on the batt. positive and the other end on the blue or green wire. when you hit the button the lamp will light. Just try it, it may not make sense now but when you see it work, you will start to understand.
Posted By: jcd74 Re: Help with relays/solenoids - July 13th 2018 3:59 pm
I have been playing with electricity since I was 4 and I have been working with it for 25 + years, please try it. If you put a load on the grey wire it may burn out the control. When you see the lamp light you will understand.
Posted By: Lee7673 Re: Help with relays/solenoids - July 13th 2018 5:07 pm
Thanks. I will try that. I was doing the opposite. I had one end of the tester on the negative side of the battery and was testing for a positive pulse out of the unit when I hit the key fob.
Posted By: Lee7673 Re: Help with relays/solenoids - July 16th 2018 12:25 am
Jcd74 - thanks for all your help and being patient with me. I have been tied up for a few days and went back out to try what you said. I first checked everything to make sure I had power and a good fuse feeding the unit and checked that I had a good ground. I then put my test light on the positive side of the battery and put the other end on the green wire (also tried with blue) and when I pushed the key fob it did not light up but the unit "clicked" repeatedly for 4 or five times. The strange thing is the blue (and green) wire is putting out a positive signal (a little weak). When I put the end of my test lamp on the negative side of my battery and then touch the blue or green wire my test light will light up (not full strength but pretty much) and that's without even using the key fob. So it looks like the green and blue wires are leaving the unit with a positive change. This happens when blue/green wire is still on relay which leaves me to believe the relay is bad and letting some positive charge go back through the relay to the blue/green wire. When I disconnect the blue green wires from the relays and run the test (with my tester hooked up to the positive side of the battery) nothing happens when I hit the key fob. My conclusion: 1) the unit is not working correctly and 2) the relays are bad or 3) both
Thoughts? I am so confused.
Posted By: jcd74 Re: Help with relays/solenoids - July 16th 2018 11:42 am
Try taking the same test light and check for power at the wiring harness plug of the control. You may need to take a small piece of solid wire and put it in the alligator clip to do this. If the lamp burns just as bright as it did during your test recheck for power. I suspect the ground, if you go with the test light hot to the ground wire at the end of the connector, did you get the same result as the blue, green wire test?
The small positive power you are seeing may be the controls sense of a relay present, notice the control tried several times to open the door. If everything was up and running it may have only tried once.
Posted By: Lee7673 Re: Help with relays/solenoids - August 24th 2018 1:21 am
YEA!!! Success!!! I had to lay it all out for me to understand it but I now have it figured out and working. Now....to install into van and weld up the door handle holes!
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Posted By: bubbafat Re: Help with relays/solenoids - August 24th 2018 1:50 am
Right on, man. I've been following this looking forward to this!
Posted By: jcd74 Re: Help with relays/solenoids - August 24th 2018 3:52 pm
Smart you bench tested it. Good to see it going.
Posted By: jcd74 Re: Help with relays/solenoids - August 24th 2018 3:57 pm
Just one channel?
Posted By: Lee7673 Re: Help with relays/solenoids - August 24th 2018 7:55 pm
Theoretically, it should be at least 2 channel if not 3, but I can only get one channel to send a negative output when using the keyfobs
Posted By: Dyno_Dave Re: Help with relays/solenoids - August 28th 2018 4:31 pm
Good job laying it out to figure it out. yay
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