DIY: A Sunday well used to Install Autocop Keyless Entry in Ritz Vdi

[SirAlec]

Hello fellow Petrol Heads,
I have not been a regular in the forum lately. But whenever I have time I will comeback with some unique quirks, and that is a promise.


The Patient a.k.a Bakra
2 years old Ritz Vdi.

The Car Job
When i bought it, they had no option of remote even in high end model. It was an addon from nippon, which cost some Rs5500/-. Later Limited Edition 'Genus' had this on Key itself (how genius) but what hideous color it came in.

Synopsis
A dealer friend from Ahm. send me an Autocop system for dirt cheap. He insisted I come to his place for free installation but when ever i visit Ahmedabad, i am on a very tight schedule. Also me being the one who is always happy to get my hands dirty, who would miss an opportunity like that.

Now the problem, these system comes with an actuator that is bolted to the door handle linked with cheap iron wire. and the actuator are bolted haphazardly.
Maruti already installed a great central locking system which is very intelligent, why they didn't add a remote and a box to it at factory is beyond my head. The feature is very well thought. I don't want to fiddle much with it. So decided to hot-wire the Autocop system to the existing system without using the actuator.

The idea is to use the control box relay to use it as switch instead of it supplying the 12 volt which activated the actuator that it came with.
The switch is used in conjunction (parallel) to the factory switch fitted on drivers door. Clever me!


Tools and Essentials
1. Open and box spanner 10, 12, 13
2. A good (Taparia) Flat head Screw driver with proper grip
3. A good (Taparia) Philip head Screw driver with proper grip
4. Soldering Iron, Paste & flux
5. Pliers and Wire cutter.
6. Insulation tape
7. Sharp Paper Cutting Blade
8. Multimeter, i use both digital and analogue but only analogue will do. Analogue to check continuity, And digital will provide accurate resistance reading, while checking continuity. (Very handy to find which wires are going to switches)
9. Plastic Cable ties, very cheap but handy.

Images
Enjoy!! and comments are welcome, also suggestions too.

Driver's Door switches and controls.


Driver's Door switches and controls. (Back)


Door panel removed. Neat Eh! who wants to drill through it to put a desi actuator!!


It took 15 minutes to completely figure out the actual cables responsible for lock and unlock.




Very Essential Tool, i have 2 sets of each analogue and digital, One set is always in the car that I travel in.


Main Control Unit - The remote Receiver


The remote Receiver - component side. It has three relay, a microprocessor, couple of transistors, resistors and caps.


A blinker Relay, Lock Relay & Unlock Relay


Actual modification that i did. The theory is fairly simple, I cut off 12 volt supply going to actuator and instead use relay just as electronic switch,


For those who want to know more about working principle of Relay.
Relay - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Disclaimer
Fiddling with 12 volt electronics of the car is very dangerous. Nah! you will not receive any shock as its low voltage DC, but you may end up frying other stuff. That other stuff can be the one that is most expensive in your car.
Even if you chose to tread on this path of madness and spoil your perfectly relaxing Sunday or your Car author and owner of this wonderful site holds no responsibility whatsoever.

Thanks for Reading

Cont....

[SirAlec]

Continued...

Two relay removed. Had to do it as its a double sided PCB and i need to isolate 'Normally Open' part of relay completely on both sides


Bundled Actuator, that i did not find any use of.


Hooter


Wire stripped to my specifications.


Now this can be labelled funny, Soldered an antenna of a damaged Wifi router from office.


Receiver installed discretely under the dash.


Located the wire that are connected to the factory switch.


Hooter installed. I hate this but my boys insisted I install this too.


Trying to explain as simple as I can what I actually did.

Thanks for taking time to read.

[swarnava.m]

That's a great DIY. However, it suddenly seemed to have come to an abrupt end. That's all that goes into it?

Please also post how well the system works. I don't know, somehow in general it seems incomplete.

That however should not take anything away from the fact that it's a great post. Thank you very much for the same. I shall need to go through it a couple of more times to figure it out properly, but time permitting, I think I am going to try a similar stunt myself.

[Sankar]

Very nice stuff! You are right why botch up another actuator on the door when there's already a factory provided central locking in the car. Has the range increased after you installed the WiFi antenna?

One small suggestion if you are redoing/doing up another car use heat shrink tubing instead of the insulation tape wherever you can. It looks neat and is secured for life.
Heat-shrink tubing - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Btw i think if you had bought the OEM Nippon remote locking module then it would've been plug n play on the Ritz since its a V model.

[mayankk]

Awesome.
Thats a sunday gone for me too now!!

That color coding on the wires, that will be VERY maruti specific, wont it?



By the by, I just love how all DIYs by us guys here end up inside the house on the bed for the photo shoots, and delicate works.

[SirAlec]

Originally Posted by swarnava.m

That's a great DIY. However, it suddenly seemed to have come to an abrupt end. That's all that goes into it?

Please also post how well the system works. I don't know, somehow in general it seems incomplete.

That however should not take anything away from the fact that it's a great post. Thank you very much for the same. I shall need to go through it a couple of more times to figure it out properly, but time permitting, I think I am going to try a similar stunt myself.

You are 100% right. Its bit incomplete as it rained by the time I finished all work. The system works fine. Only blinkers connection and security switch needs to be installed, rest the remote is working. The system comes with many options. I can install inertia/mercury (optional) switch, 6 pressure release switch each in four door, boot and bonnet. I am not sure if I want to install them, but blinkers will be definitely installed when i have time next

Originally Posted by Sankar

Very nice stuff! You are right why botch up another actuator on the door when there's already a factory provided central locking in the car. Has the range increased after you installed the WiFi antenna?

One small suggestion if you are redoing/doing up another car use heat shrink tubing instead of the insulation tape wherever you can. It looks neat and is secured for life.
Heat-shrink tubing - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Btw i think if you had bought the OEM Nippon remote locking module then it would've been plug n play on the Ritz since its a V model.

Dunno if the range have increased, haven't tested it from too far yet.

Heat shrink tubing is a good option, but some of the disadvantages of living in a small city, they are simply not available.

Originally Posted by mayankk

Awesome.
Thats a sunday gone for me too now!!

That color coding on the wires, that will be VERY maruti specific, wont it?

By the by, I just love how all DIYs by us guys here end up inside the house on the bed for the photo shoots, and delicate works.

Definitely! there is a color coding difference even in same model of different year batches. Outsourcing! you know.

[VM1]

Wow - impressive!

As you mentioned, it is really risky (for the car) to fiddle with the electronics. So, anyone even attempting such a thing should be damn sure about which wire goes where.

Would like to know how the experiment went and if the antenna gave you any better range.

[Hashim]

Great work!! How about using that Bundled Actuator in boot as push button/remote boot opener? BTW can't we check continuity using digital multimeter also by putting it in diode checking mode?? I do that every time.

[SirAlec]

Originally Posted by VM1

Wow - impressive!

As you mentioned, it is really risky (for the car) to fiddle with the electronics. So, anyone even attempting such a thing should be damn sure about which wire goes where.

Would like to know how the experiment went and if the antenna gave you any better range.

I dunno if it increased the range, but works from 400mtrs.

Originally Posted by Hashim

Great work!! How about using that Bundled Actuator in boot as push button/remote boot opener? BTW can't we check continuity using digital multimeter also by putting it in diode checking mode?? I do that every time.

Diode section is indeed given to check the continuity, but to check the continuity instantly analogue is useful, instead of waiting for jumping numbers. Using the actuator in the boot is a good idea, but i cannot in this situation as i modded the system.

[mayankk]

Originally Posted by SirAlec

I dunno if it increased the range, but works from 400mtrs.


.

You sure?? ??
That's almost half a kilometre!

[ghpk]

Originally Posted by SirAlec

I dunno if it increased the range, but works from 400mtrs.

That's a missile range sir, If you are able to lock-unlock from this range, its great but with a risk of Accidental unlock.
For the Autocop in Santro, I got 50-60 meters max in line of sight, tested this when started using new remote with new batteries.

please check if the car re-locks/Re-arms itself if any door is not opened for 30-60 seconds after unlock, kids or even you can might unknowingly push a button and you will have no way to check if it was locked or unlocked, and with such a huge range its risky for sure.
A unlocked car from this range can be a risk for at-least the belongings left in the car.

Apart from the above Risk, this is one of the most tactical DIY project i've come across lately.

Edit: Another thing, do check if all four doors get locked/unlocked when you lock/unlock the drivers door without using remote, if they work the install is perfect.
If you would have used the actuator which came along lock, this feature is not attainable without a multi throw actuator(charged extra, installable by only qualified).

If possible Post a video as concluding part on your post as its silent at end.

Keep up the good work.

[SirAlec]

Originally Posted by ghpk

That's a missile range sir, If you are able to lock-unlock from this range, its great but with a risk of Accidental unlock.
For the Autocop in Santro, I got 50-60 meters max in line of sight, tested this when started using new remote with new batteries.

please check if the car re-locks/Re-arms itself if any door is not opened for 30-60 seconds after unlock, kids or even you can might unknowingly push a button and you will have no way to check if it was locked or unlocked, and with such a huge range its risky for sure.
A unlocked car from this range can be a risk for at-least the belongings left in the car.

Apart from the above Risk, this is one of the most tactical DIY project i've come across lately.

Edit: Another thing, do check if all four doors get locked/unlocked when you lock/unlock the drivers door without using remote, if they work the install is perfect.
If you would have used the actuator which came along lock, this feature is not attainable without a multi throw actuator(charged extra, installable by only qualified).

If possible Post a video as concluding part on your post as its silent at end.

Keep up the good work.

yeah it is correct. Its when i can see the car across the polo ground, that we have here.
if you understand electronics and my make shift circuit, you can see i never fiddled with actual central locking. which is very intelligently made my maruti. so accidental lock/unlock is minimized.

also its still incomplete. as i have to hot wire the indicators. i am very busy right now along with failing health, due to traveling in hot weather.