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  #1  
Old 04-28-2003, 12:42 PM
Thomaspin's Avatar
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Keyless entry early W126 - illustrated

I completed the job this weekend.

While my experiences will help you avoid errors in the factory documentation, it's still a long, involved project and not for the faint of heart.

In addition to keyless entry, this installation provides an in-cabin diode, flashing lights and honking horns and a panic alarm.

The like system on my 1990 560SEL (albeit with completely different wiring) has performed flawlessly for 2 years now.

The Omega Crime Guard REC-11 is available from Crutchfield.com. The three SPDT relays can bought at any better automotive or electronics store. $100 in parts, $$$$ in labor.

My tests indicate a 47 yard range from behind the car - the antenna is buried under the steering column, so that's quite exceptional sensitivity. By contrast, the late W126 installlation on my 560SEL, where the antenna protrudes under the rear of the car, has a range >80 yards!

Go to my web site - Cars - Technical - Chassi - Keyless Entry Early W126.

Enjoy!

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  #2  
Old 04-28-2003, 01:16 PM
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Hey Thomas,

Another fine job. You really are a jack of all trades - engine work, interior repair, wiring, etc.

I am considering doing this install in my W124, and have a question:

What is that valet switch for? I see that it is called the programmable button, too, as it used for programming the unit, but what "valet" function does it serve?
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2001 E430, Bourdeaux Red, Oyster interior.
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1973 280SE 4.5, 170,000 miles. 568 Signal Red, Black MB Tex. "The Red Baron".
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  #3  
Old 04-28-2003, 02:43 PM
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Valet switch

Paul -

It will disable the starter interrupt feature if pressed once - not relevant to this installation as I did not add the starter interrupt - needs a further relay. Valets often leave cars unlocked, and if the brain times out in this state it will re-enable the starter interrupt, prohibiting the valet from starting your car with the key.

Now your car, by contrast, may be worth stealing, so you may want that feature.

Practically, the button is used to program the brain as set forth in the last slide. There's a lot of functionality. I just illustrated the major features. One to think about is 'relock doors after open, in 90 seconds'. You drive down your driveway (doors locked when you started) and open the driver's door to get the paper. All doors unlock and stay unlocked. They will relock in 90 sec if you enable this feature. Trouble is, what if you step out and leave the car running with the driver's door closed? You lock yourself out. The ideal solution is a sensor hooked into the car's VSS, but I have no idea how to do that. I believe the W210 and W220 use this approach - not sure. A simpler approach might be to hook the brain up via the driver's seat belt and only allowing door re-locking if the seat belt is fastened. I think I could work that one out.

As yours is a later car (sorry, I'm clueless about the W124) it may have a vac actuated driver's door lock - check by seeing if you can lock the driver's door using the trunk lock. If you can, it does.

If that's the case, consider perusing the instructions for the 'late W126' on my site. Much, much simpler, as you do not have to pull the driver's door panel and install an auxiliary actuator. Your pump may be under the rear seat rather than in the trunk (as on the W126), but the wiring s/b similar - three wires to the pump, a ground and two others (lock/unlock). You splice into one of these others with the relay setup illustrated.
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  #4  
Old 04-28-2003, 03:29 PM
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hello thomas

another super job.

one question thou... my 88 420 does not have the remote lock as standard. how does this affect my car's installation. does this add additional wiring steps??

tks again
craig
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  #5  
Old 04-28-2003, 03:39 PM
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Thomas, my W124 has the vacum operated door locks like you describe on your late model W126, so I'm sure it's the same.

Thank you.
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2001 E430, Bourdeaux Red, Oyster interior.
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  #6  
Old 04-28-2003, 03:57 PM
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Craig

The issue is whether your driver's door has a vacuum + air pressure feed in addition to electrical (to switch the pump) or just a mechanical/electrical lock. If it has vac/air/electrical, use the later installation at the pump.

Maybe the factory added the trunk key-activated central locking in 1989 or 1990 - my 560SEL is a 1990.

FastLane lists the driver's and passenger's door vacuum elements on your car (1988 420SEL) as identical (though you have to call for a price quote), whereas my 1983 300SD's differ (because the passenger front has vac/air/electrical, the driver has electrical only). This suggests you have the later system, so do the trunk install. The system will still lock your trunk when you hit the remote, just like the key in the driver's door does.

One quick check which does not involve pulling the driver's door panel would be to disconnect the vac line (the big yellow tube) on the trunk mounted pump and applying 500mBar or so vac for 3 seconds, with all the doors opened. If the driver's door locks (as well as the others and the gas flap) you have the later system, so use the later pictorial on my site - that's the easy one!

Does that make sense? I would follow up with a call to FastLane and verify the locks on both your front doors are identical - I bet they are. Take this precaution or do what I did - trust the factory manual and burn out the pump and the vacuum element as the pump hopelessly searches for vac at the driver's door.
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  #7  
Old 04-28-2003, 04:18 PM
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Impressive!

Wow, Thomas, you have outdone yourself again. I am greatly impressed, as I am sure we all are.

I thought it was JOHN Lucas, Prince of Darkness. (Rather than Joseph) Isn't it the wiring and the connectors, rather than the actual devices that failed on the old British cars? I can only remark on one MG-TD and one Jaguar XK-120 I worked on many years ago, when in high school. The ground seemed to be the biggest problem. I seem to recall working on something with a positive ground, too, years ago.

My 300TD had two horns. One was the stock and one was a replacement. Together they sounded like the wailings of a dying shrew. I replaced both of them. Now it sounds great, although I still long for the sound of an 18-wheeler.

I assume that this would require a compressor and some relays.
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  #8  
Old 04-28-2003, 04:27 PM
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Richard

Thanks.

Worth the relays - anything to get those cell phone using SUV drivers to wake up!
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  #9  
Old 04-28-2003, 07:01 PM
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Cool

Maybe the factory added the trunk key-activated central locking in 1989 or 1990 - my 560SEL is a 1990.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I have a 1986 560 SEL and it has the trunk key activated central locking......
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  #10  
Old 04-28-2003, 07:23 PM
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Re: Craig

Quote:
Originally posted by Thomaspin
Maybe the factory added the trunk key-activated central locking in 1989 or 1990 - my 560SEL is a 1990.
I believe it was added to the 126 for the 1985 model year. I believe it's essentially the same system on the 124 which was introduced to the US market in the 1986 model year.

I don't know if the system was changed for the later 124s that may or may not have the IR keyless entry system.

Passenger side key activation was added in 1985. I don't know if trunk activation was added in 1985 as well.

Sixto
91 300SE
87 300SDL
83 300SD
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  #11  
Old 04-28-2003, 10:35 PM
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It's actuallyJoe Lucas

All this time I had been sure that the founder of Lucas Electric, Ltd., aka "The Prince of Darkness"was JOHN Lucas, but no, it's Joe.

I was wrong. Sorry.

Here is an interesting theory he developed.

http://www.geocities.com/rollinmag/v1n2/0June_Funnies.html
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Semibodacious Transmogrifications a Specialty

1990 300D 2.5 Turbo sedan 171K (Rudolf)
1985 300D Turbo TD Wagon 219K (Remuda)

"Time flies like and arrow, yet fruit flies like a banana"
---Marx (Groucho)
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  #12  
Old 04-30-2003, 09:05 PM
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Posts: 586
Wink Lucas advances

Folks,

I follow a Jag mailing list, and they had a defense of Lucas there. They said he was one of the innovators of intermittent wipers. ....

And intermittent headlights, and intermittent heaters, and intermittent horns......

Glad they keep a sense of humor.

Chuck

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