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Magic invisible buttons

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by prewarcars4me, Oct 10, 2012.

  1. Ok, Ryan posted up looking for info on door poppers/solenoids. One of things mentioned was where to place the buttons. If you use a remote, sure sucks when the batteries go bad (or you fall in a lake and fry it). If you use a button in your grill or under a fender, guys will see it and know where it is. If you put a button under the car and hit it with your feet, your shoes get dirty, so what do you use? How about MAGIC? Or at least your friends will think so.

    First thing you do is find a magnetic switch or sensor. These come in all grades from super cheap to holy cow. What we most often use is an alarm sensor found at any home building store. If you pay more than $5, you got screwed. They look close to my first pic. There are 2 pieces, one has magnets inside it (it wont be strong enough, pitch it), the other piece has 2 screws for wires. That’s the part you need, sensor for each door, or 1 to open both, or if you want to get real fancy, one for each door and a third to do both doors at once.
    You also need a Bosch type relay for each switch.


    Find a place ANYWHERE inside your car that is only 1 layer thick sheet metal to put your magnetic sensor. It can be inside your headliner under the roof skin, it can be inside your door, it can be inside your trunk, ANYWHERE. Mount the magnetic sensor, however you see fit. If you can screw it to something, great, sometimes even JB Weld is used.

    Ok, now we start wiring. Follow along it is easy. Find a 12V (+) source on your fuse box that is constant on. Run a wire (doesn’t have to be heavy gauge as it is the relay wire) from the fuse box to the magnetic switch. Run another wire from the other side of the switch to the Bosch relay to pole marked 86 (see pic #2). Then run a power wire from post 87 on the relay to your door “popper/solenoid”. Post 30 goes to fused power and post 85 goes to ground. Wiring is done.


    Now, here is the magic. Use a strong earth magnet, or a “cow magnet” (pic #3) in your hand and wave it over the magnetic sensor. That click you hear is your door solenoid. If you use a strong magnet, you never touch paint, and it you are good at hiding the magnet in your hand, your friends will NEVER figure it out.
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited: Oct 10, 2012
  2. henry29
    Joined: Sep 5, 2007
    Posts: 2,872

    henry29
    Member

    That's pretty slick, too bad I like door handles on my cars.
     
  3. Me too. This was for the guys that dont :D

    You can use it as a momentary starter switch too.
     
    Last edited: Oct 10, 2012
  4. big creep
    Joined: Feb 5, 2008
    Posts: 2,945

    big creep
    Member

    thanks!!! wow that was fast!
     

  5. If you have any issues, just hit me up. We have been doing this for about 15 years. You will have guys question it everytime you pop the doors open. Even if you put it up in the top of the windshield in plain view, guys think its for an alarm.
     
  6. Clever. You're basically using the magnetic sensor as a relay to trigger the relay. :)
     
  7. Yep, when the magnet gets near it, it closes the loop in the sensor and triggers the relay. Unless you tell someone you are using a magnet, thieves wont find the lock. Of course, then they use a brick,lol.
     
  8. Don's Hot Rods
    Joined: Oct 7, 2005
    Posts: 8,319

    Don's Hot Rods
    Member
    from florida

    My Son had shaved door handles on his Cal Look bug years ago and operated the electric door releases via a remote. Twice he had to smash a window to get in because for some reason the outside lights or something else at 7-11 stores screwed up his remote signal and they wouldn't work. He had to go next door to an Autozone and buy one spark plug, smash the insulator, and use it to break the glass.

    I think his doors were operated through his alarm system somehow, and that may have been where the signal screwup happened.

    Don
     
  9. IWB
    Joined: Mar 17, 2007
    Posts: 95

    IWB
    Member

    I'm going to save this one great tech
     
  10. I have had to resue many guys (new cars and old) because those remotes had quit on them.

    Thanks.
     
  11. Ruggie
    Joined: Sep 23, 2011
    Posts: 131

    Ruggie
    Member

    I was told by a friend about a guy who used a magnet to unlock his o/t car and also waved it over the center consoul before you could start it.I always wanted to know how it was done,Thanks.
     
  12. chopolds
    Joined: Oct 22, 2001
    Posts: 6,208

    chopolds
    Member
    from howell, nj
    1. Kustom Painters

    I've used these for years!
    BUT, I put the sensor behind something non-magnetic, like a corner of the windshield, or behind some stainless trim. That way a smaller, less powerful magnet will trip the switch. I've epoxied the magnet to a key fob or can opener on a key chain so it stays with the keys.
    I have also learned that putting an emergency pull cable is a REAL goo thing to have as a back-up! Goes though the door jamb and hides in the wheelwell or under the bumper, behind the grill.....
     
  13. Those work like the proximity switch that ford used in the '90s on their passive restraint system When the door closed if the switch was on they made the seat belt strangle you.

    Good idea.
     
    Last edited: Oct 11, 2012
  14. Don's Hot Rods
    Joined: Oct 7, 2005
    Posts: 8,319

    Don's Hot Rods
    Member
    from florida

    I imagine you would only have to install an emergency cable release on one door, not all the doors, because that is all you would need to gain entrance if the electric system failed for some reason.

    Benno, I remember those passive restraints. What a horrible idea those were.

    Don
     
  15. We had a '93 T Bird (after its 5th or 6th recall we got rid of it) and the switch went bad on a road trip on the way from Portland, Ore. to Cloverdale, Calif. in the middle of the night no less. At least 5 hours of ding ding ding. I clipped the wires and tied them together when I could get at it in the day light. no more passive restraint on the pass side and no more ding ding ding. :D

    What I have been doing on ther last few that I have done is using a micro switch and leaving the key lock in the door. You turn the key and that trips the microswitch. But it does not completely smooth out the door.

    This is a way neater idea.
     
  16. snopeks garage
    Joined: May 25, 2011
    Posts: 556

    snopeks garage
    Member
    from macomb MI

    I just keep my window down a bit. Its way cheeper. Hah
     
  17. DirtyJoe
    Joined: Dec 1, 2011
    Posts: 268

    DirtyJoe
    Member

    I used a universal choke cable into my rear wheelwell when I built my 46 Ford pickup.
    I never did have to use it.

    This is a much better idea than a key fob.
     
  18. Gearhead Graphics
    Joined: Oct 4, 2008
    Posts: 3,890

    Gearhead Graphics
    Member
    from Denver Co

    Cool idea. I've got a friend who is a quadriplegic, he controls his lift from outside the van via a magnet switch hidden under the tail light lens, never thought of it for door poppers.
     
  19. That's slick willy.
    I've used reed switches on my cars but never thought about the home alarm version.
     
  20. As for the cable pull backup. You should do that no matter what type of switch you use.

    Chopolds, I use a much smaller magnet too. Only reason I said to use one of those, is they can trigger it from a few inches away. I usually epoxy a magnet to my ignition key.
     
  21. Hows that work in the rain? :D
     
  22. great and CHEAP idea!
     
  23. 49ratfink
    Joined: Feb 8, 2004
    Posts: 18,828

    49ratfink
    Member
    from California

    I'm only shaving the passenger side door handle.
     
  24. I heard that you did that, but it was the inside handle in your "free candy" van :D
     
  25. dadseh
    Joined: May 13, 2001
    Posts: 526

    dadseh
    Member

    Classic!!!!!!
     
  26. Mojo
    Joined: Jul 23, 2002
    Posts: 1,872

    Mojo
    Member

    When I was taking autobody in high school, I heard a story of someone that brought their 4dr car in to shave the door handles. They shaved all but the driver's side door. It was the only way to get into the car...
     
  27. sr808
    Joined: Aug 4, 2007
    Posts: 129

    sr808
    Member

    I remember reading a magazine article about magnetic switches years ago. I always thought it was a good idea. I like the hidden pull idea too. Thanks for posting!
     
  28. Nothing say's "Traditional" like the word "Magic"!
     
  29. 312
    Joined: Oct 5, 2012
    Posts: 3

    312
    Member
    from Cali

    Use your hidden cable pull to pop the trunk, then, inside the trunk, hide a second cable pull to pop one of the doors. Bad guy has to find 'em both to get in the car...
     
  30. manyolcars
    Joined: Mar 30, 2001
    Posts: 9,176

    manyolcars

    spend your time pulling cables ... in a driving rain... while lots of people watch and learn how you do it
     

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