Upgrade to keyless entry?

[Two Shoes]

My Vue doesn't have power locks. It does have the fuses for the Power Locks in both fuse boxes. I think these fuses are present because the cargo area's door lock engages when my tranny's put in gear.

But then again, perhaps the fuses are there because they are part of a standard build? And I wonder if I can infer from the presence of both fuses that the wiring harness has the proper keyless entry wiring already in place, and I'd only need the power lock motors, keyfobs, interior door switches, and new/reprogrammed BCM to upgrade my manual locks to power locks?

Any suggestions?

I've seen "Universal power lock kits" for about $100. But I'd like to investigate "Saturn options" rather than an aftermarket design. I don't mind looking through salvage yards.

Thanks in advance.

[IMkenNY]

Aftermarket would be the way to go due to the absence of all wiring and a RF BCM module that would be neded to support keyless entry

[Two Shoes]

Aftermarket would be the way to go due to the absence of all wiring and a RF BCM module that would be neded to support keyless entry

Bummer. That's a disappointment.

You wouldn't happen to know which aftermarket brand(s) is/are better, would you Ken?

Thanks.

[IMkenNY]

Below is a link to an ebay search for "remote power locks" (1000+ results).

I cant recommend a peticular aftermarket system. My only experience has been retrofitting a vue with a factory remote keyless entry/ power windows/ map lights/ compass temp mirror system and it wouldnt be feasible without a doner vehicle for parts/ chassis wiring harness and a ton of labor.

http://shop.ebay.com/items/?_nkw=remote+power+locks&_sacat=0&_trksid=p3286.m270.l1313&_dmpt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&_odkw=keyless+entry+system&_osacat=0

[Two Shoes]

Below is a link to an ebay search for "remote power locks" (1000+ results).


Very kind of you. Thanks. :)

I cant recommend a particular aftermarket system. My only experience has been retrofitting a vue with a factory remote keyless entry/ power windows/ map lights/ compass temp mirror system and it wouldnt be feasible without a doner vehicle for parts/ chassis wiring harness and a ton of labor.

Yeah, ton of labor is the deal-breaker. That's why I was hoping the chassis wiring for power locks/keyless entry was already in place as part of a standard configuration/build.

I remember seeing a photo of the interior of a Vue which was gutted: no seats, no carpet, etc. and wiring splayed out from below the center of the dashboard. (Perhaps the pic was yours...or far2grumpy's, or Ritz', or oleg1969's; I can't remember on which thread or gallery I saw it.)

Seeing that photo was all I needed to say, "No way." I like my Chilli Red Pepper Vue. But not that much.

Thanks again for your time and sage advice.

[chillin05VUE]

Some GM cars had the wiring in place for options. I remember when I was putting in a rear defroster for my '87 Cavalier, the wiring was all there. The Wire for the rear window was tucked in under the drivers kick panel and the wire for the switch was just hanginf there behind the plate where the switch went. All I had to do was get another back window with the grind, untie the wire and run it to the back. The get the switch from the same junked car and plugged it into the switch. Next, I put in a circuit breaker and fuse and I was set. Now, all this was pre-BCM. I don't think that it would be that easy on todays cars.

Anyhow, go aftermarket. That way, the locks can wired into a keyless entry system at the same time

[Two Shoes]

Some GM cars had the wiring in place for options. I remember when I was putting in a rear defroster for my '87 Cavalier, the wiring was all there. The Wire for the rear window was tucked in under the drivers kick panel and the wire for the switch was just hanginf there behind the plate where the switch went. All I had to do was get another back window with the grind, untie the wire and run it to the back. The get the switch from the same junked car and plugged it into the switch. Next, I put in a circuit breaker and fuse and I was set. Now, all this was pre-BCM. I don't think that it would be that easy on todays cars.

Anyhow, go aftermarket. That way, the locks can wired into a keyless entry system at the same time

Thanks, chillin, for the extra info. It pretty much confirms aftermarket as the best way to go.

Cheers,
Two Shoes

[XRL]

If your vehicle has manual locks in addition to a keyless entry system (typically $100+ for a decent one, most good ones will include an alarm) you will also need door lock actuators, and to have them installed as well. It is *not* a fun or quick job. When we did them at Best Buy, it was never less than $500, and most were more than that after all the labor for the actuators and such. We tended to lose money on those cars too(they would take more time than we charged for), and would really only do them on cool cars we wanted to work on. Perks of the job.

Honestly, you would be better off just trading the car in on something with power locks at the very least. I didn't even realize you could buy an SUV with manual locks in the past 15 years, hell my '95 Explorer had factory Keyless entry. The crap GM will put out there for sale still boggles my mind. And who pays $15k or more for a car without power locks that isn't a classic?

In any case, should you decide to do this, you'll have to run power & the trigger wires into the door through the grommet from hell. The door grommet is sandwiched by the door skin, so you'll have to take that off to run the wires through the grommet. You'll also have to find a place to mount the actuator so that it can do its thing (they manually move the lock rod), and then install the keyless entry module. I would really advise against it, but it's your choice at the end of the day. Good luck.

[far2grumpy]

My Vue doesn't have power locks. It does have the fuses for the Power Locks in both fuse boxes. I think these fuses are present because the cargo area's door lock engages when my tranny's put in gear.

But then again, perhaps the fuses are there because they are part of a standard build? And I wonder if I can infer from the presence of both fuses that the wiring harness has the proper keyless entry wiring already in place, and I'd only need the power lock motors, keyfobs, interior door switches, and new/reprogrammed BCM to upgrade my manual locks to power locks?

Any suggestions?

I've seen "Universal power lock kits" for about $100. But I'd like to investigate "Saturn options" rather than an aftermarket design. I don't mind looking through salvage yards.

Thanks in advance.

Two Shoes ... if you want to pursue adding power locks and key-less entry you might try bulldogsecurity.com. I've installed many of their remote starters for myself, friends and neighbors with good success (all include key-less entry - if vehicle has actuators).

I checked their website a few minutes ago and they have a set of four door actuators in a kit for $50 ... this obviously does not include the key-less entry module ... and if your Vue has a security system you'll probably need a bypass fixture if you add remote start.

At one time I could buy Bulldog stuff through Sam's Club but I don't know if thats still an option.

What year is your Vue? I can take a look for typical wiring diagrams.

[chillin05VUE]

[QUOTE=XRL;1466503]Honestly, you would be better off just trading the car in on something with power locks at the very least. I didn't even realize you could buy an SUV with manual locks in the past 15 years, hell my '95 Explorer had factory Keyless entry. The crap GM will put out there for sale still boggles my mind. And who pays $15k or more for a car without power locks that isn't a classic?[QUOTE]


My Titan doesn't have power door locks, windows or mirrors. :cry: It's the base model and I was lucky to have A/C. I was looking at the '09 Titan and the same XE model I have is almost $30k and doesn't have power anything. I'm not worried because my Titan is almost up for retirement soon. Been looking at the Silverado WT and comparing it to the Titan. But whichever one, it WILL have full power.

[XRL]

My Titan doesn't have power door locks, windows or mirrors. :cry: It's the base model and I was lucky to have A/C. I was looking at the '09 Titan and the same XE model I have is almost $30k and doesn't have power anything. I'm not worried because my Titan is almost up for retirement soon. Been looking at the Silverado WT and comparing it to the Titan. But whichever one, it WILL have full power.

I guess the real question is... why would you buy that in the first place? I could see getting them stripped out for a fleet, but if you're going to be driving it yourself... you've got to be a masochist to not get powered stuff.

NOTE: Absurdly prepped full-on track cars get an exemption from being stupid ONLY if they have NO rear seats, and the front seats are lighter than stock performance race seats.

EDIT: Your search got a lot easier, the new F150 and Rams are pimp, way better than the Chevy IMO.

[Two Shoes]

If your vehicle has manual locks in addition to a keyless entry system (typically $100+ for a decent one, most good ones will include an alarm) you will also need door lock actuators, and to have them installed as well. It is *not* a fun or quick job. When we did them at Best Buy, it was never less than $500, and most were more than that after all the labor for the actuators and such. We tended to lose money on those cars too(they would take more time than we charged for), and would really only do them on cool cars we wanted to work on. Perks of the job.

Yes, I figured that this would be a challenging project. Will it be worth it, especially in light of the fact that my 2004 Vue is a 4 cyl. AWD with the much-discussed VTi tranny? The jury is still out on that. Let's just say that until my wife can drive again, having keyless entry isn't a priority. Yet.

Honestly, you would be better off just trading the car in on something with power locks at the very least. I didn't even realize you could buy an SUV with manual locks in the past 15 years, hell my '95 Explorer had factory Keyless entry. The crap GM will put out there for sale still boggles my mind. And who pays $15k or more for a car without power locks that isn't a classic?

Good advice. However, my wife and I have already explored that option, and we can't afford the hit we'd take in the trade in value, among other things. Due to a medical issue she's been unable to work for almost a year, so money is even more tight these days.

It's a long story. Perhaps later in the thread I'll go into some of the details after I reply to far2grumpy and chillin.

In any case, should you decide to do this, you'll have to run power & the trigger wires into the door through the grommet from hell. The door grommet is sandwiched by the door skin, so you'll have to take that off to run the wires through the grommet. You'll also have to find a place to mount the actuator so that it can do its thing (they manually move the lock rod), and then install the keyless entry module. I would really advise against it, but it's your choice at the end of the day. Good luck.

Thank you for the encouragement. And for the heads up about the difficulties with the door grommet and mounting the actuators. The more I know going into this project, the better.

Cheers,
Two Shoes

[Two Shoes]

Two Shoes ... if you want to pursue adding power locks and key-less entry you might try bulldogsecurity.com. I've installed many of their remote starters for myself, friends and neighbors with good success (all include key-less entry - if vehicle has actuators).

I checked their website a few minutes ago and they have a set of four door actuators in a kit for $50 ... this obviously does not include the key-less entry module ... and if your Vue has a security system you'll probably need a bypass fixture if you add remote start.

At one time I could buy Bulldog stuff through Sam's Club but I don't know if thats still an option.

Thanks, f2g. I'll check it out. :)

What year is your Vue? I can take a look for typical wiring diagrams.

It's a 2004. In addition to it's lack of power locks/keyless entry, it also does not have power windows. It's pretty much plain vanilla, options-wise.

Cheers,
Two Shoes

[Two Shoes]

My Titan doesn't have power door locks, windows or mirrors. :cry: It's the base model and I was lucky to have A/C. I was looking at the '09 Titan and the same XE model I have is almost $30k and doesn't have power anything. I'm not worried because my Titan is almost up for retirement soon. Been looking at the Silverado WT and comparing it to the Titan. But whichever one, it WILL have full power.

I'm guessing that this was similar to what the first owner of my Vue ran into: a sizable sticker price for the 2.2L Ecotec engine, the promising but then-unproven (and now discredited) VTi, and the AWD in a Saturn SUV. Who knows what his or her thinking was?

All I know is what my wife and I were thinking last autumn when we traded in a Subaru Legacy Sport wagon with monthly payments of almost $300 for our Vue which got our payments down well below $200/month. Back then, reducing our debt and monthly cash outflow was paramount.

Maybe in retrospect we'd have done things differently. But then, maybe not. Again, it's a long story.

[XRL]

I'd say you should take your VTi on a fishing trip and accidentally have it get pulled into salt water... Instant totalled.

Or at a minimum make sure it's covered under some sort of warranty. Those things are like ticking time bombs that just die with no warning.

In any case, here's some pictures of the inside of the door. The little rods are what have to be moved to manipulate the locks. The grommet enters right by the speaker on lower part of the side, it's relatively accessible on the inside of the vehicle.

http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s255/FGCA_XRL/Smurfy/PIC-0069.jpg
http://s154.photobucket.com/albums/s255/FGCA_XRL/Smurfy/?action=view&current=PIC-0070.jpg
http://s154.photobucket.com/albums/s255/FGCA_XRL/Smurfy/?action=view&current=PIC-0073.jpg

Does it have anything like follow me locks? Those are where you lock/unlock the driver door and the others follow with it. A system like that might make it a little less time consuming to do all the doors. These setups are typically used when companies want to save money by doing things in scale, but also want to sell a lowest end model without powered locks. They "technically" don't have power locks, but they sorta kinda do. Sure are fun to work with(sarcasm, they're a nightmare, they never work the same).

[Two Shoes]

I'd say you should take your VTi on a fishing trip and accidentally have it get pulled into salt water... Instant totalled.

I know you're kidding, but isn't it sad that folks would even think of such a thing out of frustration over the whole VTi mess? That my Vue, which is otherwise a fantastic vehicle, has a severely limited lifespan. Worse, any effort to swap out a different tranny to extend its life is prohibitively expensive and causes a loss of the AWD?! :upset:

Or at a minimum make sure it's covered under some sort of warranty. Those things are like ticking time bombs that just die with no warning.

Hmm. I hadn't thought of that option, now that the class action lawsuit has been temporarily suspended due to GM's bankruptcy.

In any case, here's some pictures of the inside of the door. The little rods are what have to be moved to manipulate the locks. The grommet enters right by the speaker on lower part of the side, it's relatively accessible on the inside of the vehicle.

Thank you for the pic(s). I followed the embedded URLs to see the other pics on your photobucket album. Very informative.

Does it have anything like follow me locks? Those are where you lock/unlock the driver door and the others follow with it. A system like that might make it a little less time consuming to do all the doors. These setups are typically used when companies want to save money by doing things in scale, but also want to sell a lowest end model without powered locks. They "technically" don't have power locks, but they sorta kinda do. Sure are fun to work with(sarcasm, they're a nightmare, they never work the same).

No, afraid not. Strictly manual, with no follow-me functionality. I'll need to purchase the actuators as well as the keyless entry electronics. There's several types of universal kits available on eBay, kits which include actuators, though I don't know if they'll work. "Universal" being the suspect term here. ;)

Again, thanks for the pics.

[Two Shoes]

What year is your Vue? I can take a look for typical wiring diagrams.

My Vue is a 2004. The driver's door sticker shows a 09/2003 manufacture month.

Please don't bother with looking for the wiring diags. I recently purchased a GM service manual DVD off eBay. I think it is identical to the manual you have. When I compare the PDFs you've posted on various threads to the pages I can now see from the eSI software installed from the DVD, they pretty much the same.

I do have a favor to ask of you, however. I've found the eSI search feature a little lacking. I often have to put on a virtual hard hat, grab a virtual pick axe, and go digging around to find what I'm looking for. Do you have any tips or tricks for finding a particular bit of desired info using eSI? Thanks in advance.

Cheers,
Two Shoes