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Hello everyone,
This thread details the installation of a cheap aftermarket RF keyless entry system. They can be bought on Ebay, Amazon, etc for around $12 to $30. I know that United Auto Security sells a system with key fobs that integrate the switchblade key but they are $160.
If you are a cheap ******* like me… read on.
This is for a 97 E420.
I HATE the IR system on our cars. My car came with the ubiquitous broken driver’s door sensor and the IR remote only works from a few feet away on the trunk or the mirror. I bought a cheap RF system from Amazon, brand name FICBOX around $12 shipped. The kit comes with 2 RF remotes, pathetic wiring instructions and not much else; it’s “universal”.
After much searching, I finally figured it out. Our cars use the vacuum pump to lock and unlock. I've read many threads regarding the W124 model, detailing which wire to cut and so forth. My install requires no cutting of any wires and gives me remote trunk release from the key fob. You also do not need to move the jumper to the pins for “pneumatic pump operation” on the RF unit.
I wired everything to the central locking switch in the dash using wire taps.
Connect the aftermarket box as follows:
Use the radio key to remove the radio and climate control.
Remove the two screws holding the ashtray and remove it.
Remove the cubby above the ashtray.
Next there are two screws that need to be removed in order to remove the wood dash trim with the hazard switch on it. They are under the radio cavity (after the radio is removed) at inside top.
Car wire "Solid Brown (GROUND)"- After the panel is removed you will see the grey harness that plugs into the back of the hazard switch. This harness has every wire that is needed! First, splice the Black keyless system wire onto the Brown wire on the car. Then splice the Yellow and Yellow/Black wire from the Keyless system to this wire.
Car wire "Red with white stripe (ALWAYS ON POSITIVE)"- This wire is in the middle of the harness, splice the solid red wire on the keyless system onto this wire.
Car wire "black & white with tiny blue dots" located far left of harness (driver side US)- this wire controls the left turn signals from the hazard switch. The keyless entry system has two solid brown wires on it. Splice one of the keyless brown wires to this wire to operate left flashers.
Car wire "black with green line" this wire controls the right turn signals from the hazard switch. The second solid brown wire on the keyless entry system needs to be spliced to this wire to operate right flashers when using keyless system.
Car wire "White with thin green line" - This White wire with thin green line is the door lock communication wire, and this is the wire that you need to connect both the “lock” and “unlock” wires from the keyless entry system. DO NOT CUT THIS WIRE!!! You just need to tap in to it. On the W210, the locking and unlocking feature works by sending a grounding signal to this “White wire with thin green line”. To unlock you just ground it out, to lock you ground it out through a resistor. It’s a little weird but the resistor value as measured is about 200 ohms. I had a 330-ohm resistor and that worked fine.
Take the White wire from the Keyless entry system (CLOSING SIGNAL) and attach a resistor to it. Take the White/Black wire from the Keyless Entry System (OPENING SIGNAL) and attach it to the output wire of the resistor, bypassing the resistor body. (SEE PICS). Splice both wires and resistor into the White wire with thin green line.
The Orange and Orange/Black wires from the Keyless entry system are not used. Tape them out of the way.
Splice the “Trunk release wire” from the Keyless entry system (in my case it was Blue) to the Purple wire of the trunk release switch (bottom left of the shifter/power window panel).
That’s it… When I hit the lock button, my parking lights flash once and system locks everything. When I hit unlock, my parking lights flash twice and everything unlocks. When I push and hold the trunk release button for about 3 seconds, the trunk unlocks and pops open.
1997 e420, 2005 Toyota 4Runner (lifted and kitted)
Thanks guys,
I see lots of views on this topic, anybody seriously considering updating their IR system to RF???
BTW, the way this is wired, the IR system is still fully functional... You just have options now, LOL.
1997 e420, 2005 Toyota 4Runner (lifted and kitted)
Not sure what you mean by "immobilizer", my 97 e420 still has a chip in the key so the car will not start with the basic metal key. The Amazon kit I posted above has provisions for placing a chipped key or just the chip into an "induction" coil sensor thingy that tells the car's ecu that the correct key is in the ignition. Then the push button just acts as the metal key to start the car. The kit has some sort of proximity sensor to allow the car to start when the key fob is within a specified range...
1997 e420, 2005 Toyota 4Runner (lifted and kitted)
UPDATE...
I've rewired the "lock" and "unlock" wires from the RF box to the locking and unlocking wires of the pass door (no resistor needed). Effectively, I'm tricking the car into thinking I'm using the key to manually unlock or lock the car from outside. So now my courtesy lights go on when I unlock the car. I'm assuming the alarm is also activated when I lock using the "key"
The wires for the lock switch in the door are blue and black and are accessible via the passenger kick panel.
The box is still wired up in the center console, providing turn indicator flashing for locking and unlocking and remote trunk release. I simply disconnected the locking/unlocking functions from the dash switch and transferred them to the door lock.
Hello everyone,
This thread details the installation of a cheap aftermarket RF keyless entry system. They can be bought on Ebay, Amazon, etc for around $12 to $30. I know that United Auto Security sells a system with key fobs that integrate the switchblade key but they are $160.
If you are a cheap ******* like me… read on.
This is for a 97 E420.
I HATE the IR system on our cars. My car came with the ubiquitous broken driver’s door sensor and the IR remote only works from a few feet away on the trunk or the mirror. I bought a cheap RF system from Amazon, brand name FICBOX around $12 shipped. The kit comes with 2 RF remotes, pathetic wiring instructions and not much else; it’s “universal”.
After much searching, I finally figured it out. Our cars use the vacuum pump to lock and unlock. I've read many threads regarding the W124 model, detailing which wire to cut and so forth. My install requires no cutting of any wires and gives me remote trunk release from the key fob. You also do not need to move the jumper to the pins for “pneumatic pump operation” on the RF unit.
I wired everything to the central locking switch in the dash using wire taps.
Connect the aftermarket box as follows:
Use the radio key to remove the radio and climate control.
Remove the two screws holding the ashtray and remove it.
Remove the cubby above the ashtray.
Next there are two screws that need to be removed in order to remove the wood dash trim with the hazard switch on it. They are under the radio cavity (after the radio is removed) at inside top.
Car wire "Solid Brown (GROUND)"- After the panel is removed you will see the grey harness that plugs into the back of the hazard switch. This harness has every wire that is needed! First, splice the Black keyless system wire onto the Brown wire on the car. Then splice the Yellow and Yellow/Black wire from the Keyless system to this wire.
Car wire "Red with white stripe (ALWAYS ON POSITIVE)"- This wire is in the middle of the harness, splice the solid red wire on the keyless system onto this wire.
Car wire "black & white with tiny blue dots" located far left of harness (driver side US)- this wire controls the left turn signals from the hazard switch. The keyless entry system has two solid brown wires on it. Splice one of the keyless brown wires to this wire to operate left flashers.
Car wire "black with green line" this wire controls the right turn signals from the hazard switch. The second solid brown wire on the keyless entry system needs to be spliced to this wire to operate right flashers when using keyless system.
Car wire "White with thin green line" - This White wire with thin green line is the door lock communication wire, and this is the wire that you need to connect both the “lock” and “unlock” wires from the keyless entry system. DO NOT CUT THIS WIRE!!! You just need to tap in to it. On the W210, the locking and unlocking feature works by sending a grounding signal to this “White wire with thin green line”. To unlock you just ground it out, to lock you ground it out through a resistor. It’s a little weird but the resistor value as measured is about 200 ohms. I had a 330-ohm resistor and that worked fine.
Take the White wire from the Keyless entry system (CLOSING SIGNAL) and attach a resistor to it. Take the White/Black wire from the Keyless Entry System (OPENING SIGNAL) and attach it to the output wire of the resistor, bypassing the resistor body. (SEE PICS). Splice both wires and resistor into the White wire with thin green line.
The Orange and Orange/Black wires from the Keyless entry system are not used. Tape them out of the way.
Splice the “Trunk release wire” from the Keyless entry system (in my case it was Blue) to the Purple wire of the trunk release switch (bottom left of the shifter/power window panel).
That’s it… When I hit the lock button, my parking lights flash once and system locks everything. When I hit unlock, my parking lights flash twice and everything unlocks. When I push and hold the trunk release button for about 3 seconds, the trunk unlocks and pops open.
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