Using the option button to control the door popper?

:confused: OK, I did a search on this question already. There were some old threads where it is mentioned but don't see that it was ever explained why it would or would not work. Tone had said that it wouldn't but did not elaborate.

My understanding is that the garage door opener kit sold as a VX accessory (which allows you to open your garage door with the "option" button on your remote) comes with a receiver box and a converter which allows you to plug it into 110v. In one of those threads, IsuZoom described installing it to open his garage door and said it was just a two wire installation, so the receiver box would apparently splice into the circuit that sends the signal to open and close the door.

If this is the case, why wouldn't it work for the solenoid that Tone sells in the door popper kit? Does the receiver box require something other than +12v?

I am aware of the other mod described recently where the lock/unlock button can be modified to open the back door popper with a second press, but I want to keep the option of opening only the driver's door or both doors as desired.

This accessory is still listed on isuzuparts.com site for $89.95 but that does not necessarily mean it is still available. But before spending $100 or so after shipping, wanted to see whether anyone knows whether it definitely would, or would not work, and why.

Not sure about the factory one, but I have a aftermarket alarm/remote start and when I had the door popper installed, he did what ever to get a signal from the alarm controller to the door popper that is controlled by the key fob remote if that helps at all.

The device you are describing doesn't sound like what you want. The number of functions mapped to buttons on your remote is limited by the number of channels your alarm system is capable of controlling. Most two button remotes are capable of sending three different signals (A, B, A+B), so if your alarm can operate on three individual channels, you can program each of three buttons to a unique function. Some remotes can have additional channels using two buttons (i.e. pressing the A button momentarily is mapped to a different function than pressing the A button for 3 seconds).

So to make a long story short, i don't know how many channels the factory alarm unit has, but if you have an unused channel, you should be able to program it to activate your door popper. If you don't have an unused channel, or don't want to give up an existing function, you can buy aftermarket alarms with additional channels.

I think it would work (with some work), afterall its just a spring loaded lever on the inside of the lock assembly. The trick would be getting the lever to move when you wanted it to even though the lock assembly doesnt.

The one thing you would need to add would be a spring that would assist the door in opening outward once triggered. The most complicated part will be getting the lever to turn as if the lock assembly were turning, only of course the lock assembly wont be able to turn without the key being inserted.

I dont really see why complicate the process and add it to a remote when all that would really be needed would be a dash switch.

Another option that would simplify it would be to remove the wafers/tumbler from the fuel door lock. Doing this would allow the cylinder to turn freely. As long as the back side of the cylinder were attached to the triggering linkage the lock itself would appear vertically straight and locked. The only difference would be that any X184 key blank would allow the cylinder to turn. However not like anyone would know that your locked gas tank cover really isnt locked.

Now you got me thinking about it again, gonna have to throw it all together i guess. lol Just out of curiosity, if I were to put a kit together how much interest is there? Just curious, so I know to keep track of pricing, part numbers, etc. during the building phase.

You'd want to wire the optional garage opener module to a relay for the solenoid popper, and that should work fine. The big issue is whether that module in encoded to the remote or if it just recognizes any Vx remote. If it isn't encoded, then any VX remote could open your rear door which isn't on the stock alarm circuit.

also if you use tone's kit which attaches the rear door to the alarm.. you would need to make sure the option button disarms the alarm when you press it, otherwise you set off your alarm

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Originally Posted by etlsport

also if you use tone's kit which attaches the rear door to the alarm.. you would need to make sure the option button disarms the alarm when you press it, otherwise you set off your alarm

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Tone's kit already taps into the alarm circuit, so all you need to do is wire the alarm to control the switch.

Rufly - I think you're talking about a gas door popper, whereas Zorak was asking about a rear door popper. But I like the idea and might be interested in a kit if you put one together!

yea, i have tones popper kit installed and the pin switch which will set the alarm off.. what i meant was that when you press the 'unlock' button on the remote, the alarm knows you are opening the doors, so it disarms... the option button doesnt do that to my knowledge, so the rear door would open, but the alarm would still be active.. so if you used the option button to pop the rear door, it would set the alarm off unless you had already unlocked the front door(s) using the remote

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Originally Posted by etlsport

yea, i have tones popper kit installed and the pin switch which will set the alarm off.. what i meant was that when you press the 'unlock' button on the remote, the alarm knows you are opening the doors, so it disarms... the option button doesnt do that to my knowledge, so the rear door would open, but the alarm would still be active.. so if you used the option button to pop the rear door, it would set the alarm off unless you had already unlocked the front door(s) using the remote

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The pin switch in the rear door taps into the wire for the pin switch in the passenger door, so when you hit the unlock button, both are disabled. When you program the alarm channel to control the door popper, you would also tell it to disarm the alarm.

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Originally Posted by kpaske

Rufly - I think you're talking about a gas door popper, whereas Zorak was asking about a rear door popper. But I like the idea and might be interested in a kit if you put one together!

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Ahh, your right, dont know why I had gas door on my brain when reading that.

hmm i must be confused.. i was under the impression that wire that tapped into the alarm wire from the pin swtich was just part of the "set off the alarm when this circuit is grounded" (or however it works) circuit and the actual disarming of the alarm came from using the unlock button on the remote, i used the door unlock relay for mine, but i remember the rear door solonoid being on a seperate circuit from the alarm


edit
ahhh! reread your post.. we are on the same page... my concern is that by using the 'option' button on the remote to activate the solonoid, the back door will open, but unless you hit the 'unlock' button the alarm will still be active, b/c as far as i know 'option' doesnt disarm the alarm
.. i think :confused:

etlsport - I think you have it correct - you will still need to disarm before popping the rear door, but you will probably end up doing that anyway since you're walking up to your car with four bags of groceries in your arms.

kpaske - the factory alarm does not recognize or respond to the "option" button, so you can't just wire in the door popper to a second alarm channel. Only the in-your-garage receiver unit Zorak was talking about responds to that button.

Zorak - I think you are back where you started from - theoretically, it could work, but only if the switch operates on the same voltage as your door popper circuit (12 VDC). If you have a garage door opener, throw a multimeter on it and you'll find out. You should be able to rig up whatever DC voltage you need to power the switch. AC voltage may be a little trickier. I wish there was more help to give you, but if you've checked the "similar threads" listed below, you'll see that this topic has come up before, but it seems that only one VXer ever got the opener, and he didn't know enough about electricity to tell us how it worked and whether it could be modified for use as a rear door popper.

Good luck!!

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Originally Posted by VehiGAZ

kpaske - the factory alarm does not recognize or respond to the "option" button, so you can't just wire in the door popper to a second alarm channel. Only the in-your-garage receiver unit Zorak was talking about responds to that button.

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Yeah - that's what I suspected but wasn't sure - the factory alarm doesn't have an available channel to program. That's why I was suggesting replacing the alarm system for one with additional channels - you could probably pick up a used system on eBay for next to nothing, and IMO it'd be more worth the effort to replace the entire alarm than to try to rig up a device that wasn't designed to be in the vehicle (assuming it's 110V) in the first place.

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Originally Posted by kpaske

Yeah - that's what I suspected but wasn't sure - the factory alarm doesn't have an available channel to program. That's why I was suggesting replacing the alarm system for one with additional channels - you could probably pick up a used system on eBay for next to nothing, and IMO it'd be more worth the effort to replace the entire alarm than to try to rig up a device that wasn't designed to be in the vehicle (assuming it's 110V) in the first place.

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No, it's NOT 110v (that's why it comes with a voltage converter). Don't really want to replace my factory system that works fine (with exception of LED on dash never lighting) with an aftermarket system just to get this function.

Was hoping that someone had already done this, or at least attempted it, but seems that the only ones who ever bought this accessory never come around here anymore, and they only used it for it's intended purpose (garage door) anyway.

I would think that they did not just one frequency for this option but I guess that, like the operating voltage, is something I will have to find out if/when I buy it.

Thanks for all the input; I am going to contact Merlin to see if this part is even still available ;)

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Originally Posted by Zorak

No, it's NOT 110v (that's why it comes with a voltage converter).

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If it's intended to be a receiver for the garage door opener, then it was designed to be in the garage - my guess would be that the converter is from 100v (Japan) -> 110v (US). Unless it's a 12v device, you'll also need an inverter to use it for your door popper.

Unfortunately I can't figure out how to import the picture of this accessory from isuzuparts.com website (apparently copyrighted) and the picture is such poor quality that zooming in on it still does not make it possible to read the label on either the converter or the receiver. However the converter looks like the typical 4.5-6v converter that is used on any small electronic device that can also be used with batteries to enable you to plug it into 110v.

I have no idea what a 100v to 110v converter would look like.

Even if the receiver operates on less than 12v it could still be used with an inverter(as you pointed out) with the 12v system, or else connected to a battery pack.

This may be all academic as this accessory may not even be available anymore. Will advise what I find out.