Installing Remote Keyless Entry

[magic930]

Since there is not much info on the site about this subject I thought I would add some info for installing keyless entry. My car is an 87 930 and already had central locking so I did not have to break into the door panels and add electric locks.

I chose a Black Widow BW854 for its simplicity and price (only $30). The system is quite well featured for an inexpensive unit, I am only using the basic functionality, but it is capable of starter disable, remote start, trunk release (if you add a lock unit in the trunk) vehicle find (honk horn, flash lights) if you can't find your car (I have never lost mine!). The kit included: the main receiver unit, 2 four button remotes, a relay and the wiring harness, an optional LED on another 6ft wire and a small valet/programming button on another 6ft wire. The main receiver is a small black box about 2.5 inches by 3 inches. The wire harness is about 6ft long and has built in fuses for the power connections.

The instructions are OK but do contain a few little mistakes like which button is which on the remote but most of it is easy to understand. There are a few different wiring diagrams depending on how you want the unit to work (such as having to double click to open the passenger door) I went with the simple options. First I decided that I would not use the starter disable, remote start or any horn chirps (I hate those), I might use the LED later but did not install it, nor did I install the valet button.



I installed the BW receicver unit in the front trunk. Using double stick foam tape I put it on the backside of the bent wood piece next to the brake booster, and draped the small antenae wire over the front.



Finding the existing central lock wires was easy, near to the drivers side hinge is a round white plug with 7 wires going into it. There are two of these types of plugs in this area so dont confuse them. The important wires to look for are a brown/blue stripe and brown/green stripe wires. Using snap on wire splices (not included) connect two wires from the BW unit to these wires. The Porsche locks require a negative pulse, the brown/blue is unlock and the brown/green is lock (this is opposite of a previous post I read). On the BW unit you connect a blue wire to the Porsche brown/green and a green wire to the Porsche brown/blue.

The BW unit also requires unswitched 12V so I just put this in with the power source for fuse #2, look for solid red wires going into fuses. A switched ignition wire is optional but is required if you want to reprogram the default options. I hooked the ignition wire to a switched 12V source at fuse #1, look for red/white wires going into fuses. When I say put it at the power source I mean simply clamping it in with the bottom screw of the fuse holder along with the existing wires.

There are about 3 wires from the BW unit that need to be grounded (depending on which options you wanted) so just take these to the ground next to the fuse box.

Optionally you can hook up another wire to flash the running lights when you lock and unlock the doors. Since the the Porsche has two seperate circuits for the left and right you need some diodes to trigger both. I used 6Amp 50V Recitifier diodes from Radio Shack part# 276-1661 (about $3 for a 4 pack). Install the diodes with the silver end towards the fuse connection (again you can just calmp these into the fuse screws of the parking light circuits) use one for the left lights and one for the right, run the other ends of the diodes to a wire plug and then connect this to the white wire from the BW unit. For those unfamiliar with a diode... a diode allows current to flow in one direction only so by installing it the power that gets supplied to the parking lights via the BW unit does not cross over between the left and right circuits.

Once those 5 wires are connected you are done! Just reconnect your battery.

I am very pleased with the unit, it will lock and unlock the doors from about 60ft behind the car and a little further from the front. It flashes the parking lights once for unlock and twice for lock. The only caveat is this: because I elected to connect the switched ignition wire the doors automatically lock when I turn on the ignition... but when I turn off the ignition they don't unlock so I have to remember to hit the central unlock button before turning off the ignition, use the remote or use the manual door lock to get out! This is actually the way my central locks have always worked so I was never in the habit of locking the doors while driving. I have not been able to figure out if having to have the ignition on to unlock is the way the central locks are supposed to
work. Either way I have gotten used to the way this works already. Later I plan to add the trunk release and possibly an engine compartment release.

[derkpitt]

Some units are programable for ingition door locking, like this one,
manual

Works great on my car and is installed almost the same as yours.

[Por_sha911]

David: Where did you find the BW unit?

[magic930]

I ordered it from etronics.com,
http://www.etronics.com/product.asp?stk_code=blabw854&store=&catid=297

Black Widow has a pretty good website describing their different models.
http://www.blackwidowsecurity.com/853.htm

[ayglass]

That's a very good idea... Thanks!

[magic930]

Somebody asked for some pics to help explain this install better so here they are.

This is where the receiver is located:


This is where you splice into the existing lock system:


This is where you can pull switched power, unswitched power and how to use diodes to trigger left and right parking light circuits:

[Tcannon88]

David,

Great post and pics. I got the same unit for Xmas and installed it yesterday. No problems with the install, except I missed the notice in the box about the remotes not being programmed from the factory.
I installed withe same options as you.

The only issues i have are: the giant bird's nest of wires that I need to clean up. And, my range is much shorter, probably about 10 ft. This may be due weak batteries. But I am pretty happy, overall.

[911rudy]

Great pics and lots of help! Mine is a different unit but it is almost exaclty the same install instructions. Thanks David

[wcc]

Originally posted by magic930
....but when I turn off the ignition they don't unlock so I have to remember to hit the central unlock button before turning off the ignition, use the remote or use the manual door lock to get out! This is actually the way my central locks have always worked so I was never in the habit of locking the doors while driving. I have not been able to figure out if having to have the ignition on to unlock is the way the central locks are supposed to
work. Either way I have gotten used to the way this works already.

911rudy & Tcannon88 - Do yours work like Magic930's? As quoted above. I don't know if I'd like that everytime I try to get out of the car. I would think it should lock when you start the car and unlock when you turn it off. Can it be hooked up to do that? Or won't it work like that?

Magic930 - Very good write up! I've been thinking about doing this project too this summer.

[911rudy]

Derk,
I have the same unit as you and I am having problems. All the wires are connected but when I activate the transmitter the receiver box clicks but nothing happens. I tried blue to brn/blu and brn/gr and the green wire to both but no go. Any ideas? I also found out that the brn/blu wire is hot all of the time with the main car lock switch open or locked. Is that normal?

[Tcannon88]

Bill - Mine works the same as Magic930's. When I start the car, the dorrs lock, but they do not unlock when I kill the engine. I quickly became used to it, but it would be nice if they unlocked themselves.

[911rudy]

My doors do the same thing. Lock when started but do not unlock when turned off. The manual syas that it is possible but it needs to be programmed to do it and I can't get my unit into the program mode.

[derkpitt]

911rudy- pm sent.

[derkpitt]

911rudy,
Looked at the car.
Don't have any blues.

Yellow goes to Brown w/ green tracer.
Green goes to Brown w/ Blue tracer.

Hope this helps.

[mthomas58]

I've got the BW854 being delivered today from etronics. Is there a resolution to the issue of the doors not unlocking when the ignition is shut off?

Thanks!

[magic930]

Someone correct me if I am wrong here,
I think the problem has more to do with the Porsche side of things. Before I had the keyless entry my Central locking would not unlock from the center console switch if the ignition was off.
What is probably required is a relay to keep power going to this switch. I think the BW unit attempts to unlock the door but the power has been cut by the Porsche central locking system. Using the remote to open the door sends power from a different source.
This would be similar to the type of relay required on a stereo system which stays on with the ignition off, but turns off as soon as you open the door.

[mthomas58]

OK, I understand and think I can get used to unlocking the central locking system before turning off the ignition. Only problem I forsee is valet parking the car.....valet is not going to be able to open the doors!

Do you think it would be possible to install a override "kill" switch in the switched power line to disable the keyless system when valet parking?

Thanks!

[wcc]

On their web page they say that the BW has a "Programmable Ignition Controlled Door Locks". I wonder if you program it not to do anything like lock or unlock the doors. That would be better in my mind. In the car I'm thinking about putting it in ('85 911) doesn't have the center console so there isn't a central locking button. For me I would rather not have it lock/unlock the doors with the ignition.

Does it work like that?

[mthomas58]

Bill, that may be the solution....manual states the "ignition controlled locks" function can be programmed "on" or "off" using the valet button programming feature. I'll give it a try and report back after installation this weekend.

BTW, the build quality of the unit and look of the remote units is very good.

Thanks!

Mark

[mthomas58]

HELP! I'm having the same problem as 911Rudy. System all connected, programmed remotes. Lights flash when lock and unlock buttons are pressed, BUT not the doors do not lock or unlock.

Thanks!