Dehandled door release

[?Marty?]

I've got remote central locking run off my Toad alarm. At the moment my car's de-locked, but i'm de-handling it too, so i'll need to be able to open it from the outside.

The question is, can i use the same solenoids that i use now to unlock the doors, to open them? i.e. to just connect the push/pull rods to the door release, rather than the lock mechanism? Or will they not be strong enough?

Although my alarms a Thatcham Cat 1, so i'd invalidate the vsib certificate tampering with any part of it, so should i just add a second solenoid in each door then (with buttons under the mirrors) ?

[ade]

what ever you use needs to be strong enough to pop the doors past the catches and hold them there or else they will just click shut again.

You also need to be able to push close them so they latch for mot purposes.

Personally I dont like them - cause fire brigade sh1te loads of probs if you are in a side impact - no way of opening doors quickly.

What about fitting discrete handles insteat - like the ones on the rear of some alfas - built into the rear quarter panel and look like the trim?

There was a good post in styling about a month ago about dehandling - you can buy tvr kits that can be fitted I think...

Ade

[?Marty?]

Yeah, i thought about different handles, but i prefer having none at all. In my opinion having sleeker ones is just a half job of totally flushing them.

I've bought some stronger solenoids and will wire them up (with buttons in the mirrors) as well as the central locking ones. I'll leave them on permanently, since it'll be like pulling the handles with the locks on. Plus it won't affect my alarm, since it'll be totally seperate.

Though sometimes i think i should just leave them as they are, it's just so much more convenient! And i'm going to have some deep spoilers and skirts, and a huuuuge rear wing, so maybe there's no point as it'll just 'balance' the looks of the side-profile. The eye won't be drawn to the handles as it'll be 'distracted' by other things, and it'll just look bare and lacking something if i remove them completely!?

[mikeoxford]

id do it.

go for it m8. if you dont like buy a another set of doors for cheapo and sell the ones you dehandled for $$$s

i am *thinking* along these lines too. respray will be the very last thing i do though so if and when i do it - might not! :roll: ill do it before the respray

[mikeoxford]

id do it.

go for it m8. if you dont like buy a another set of doors for cheapo and sell the ones you dehandled for $$$s

i am *thinking* along these lines too. respray will be the very last thing i do though so if and when i do it - might not! :roll: ill do it before the respray

[?Marty?]

Done this today. The handles are still on, but now disconnected and thus redundant.

The best place to mount the solenoid is in the outer corner of the door (not the hinge side). However, there's not enough depth in the door for both the central locking mechanism AND the door 'pop'.

I did not go with the 'buttons under the wing mirror idea' as if someone decides to rip/kick them off, there'd be no getting in either (depending if the wires got damaged/pulled out).

If you have remote central-locking run off an alarm (preferably with a rolling code), then just connect the solenoid rod to the door pull mechanism, instead of the lock. So then you open the door on disarming of the alarm, with it being unlocked all the time.

Sounds dodgy, but since there's no handle/buttons, there's no way of opening the door (without the remote control). Just remove the door pin as well, so people can't see that it's unlocked (not that it maters).

For the passenger door, do the same, but have it connected to a button inside the car, so you press it to let them in once you get in. Plus you can then have the doorcard totally flush too (with just a grab handle to close it), as you'd use the same method to open the door to let them out.
Sounds dodgy, but you can't get in as there's no handle

[djp_y2k]

I used e second solenoid. The gt ones are only about 7.50 each. and work a treat.

[Ric 16v]

It wouldn't be too hard I would have thought, get a heavy duty solenoid wire it to a swich and then run a positive and a negative from the battery to it through the swich and then it should work just like swiching a light on flick the swich to open the door and flick it back to reset the solenoid so u can open the door again when u close it

[wisewood]

i owuld do that - but using a push button instead - so you can never forget to reset the switch. Push it opens door - let go and it is reset again... none of that double clicking of the switch.

[?Marty?]

I've used a switch for the passenger door, and the drivers door is run off the alarm key fob (that way it can't get damaged, plus there's no need to have a latch/button inside, as i just press the key fob to open the door again). It get's reset by the alarm.

I could have fitted a second solenoid, but i'd be in a different place and where it's now is the best place for it, for exerting as little stress on the solenoid, and max pressure on the door pull. It's all to do with the length of levers and stuff.

<--- talking shit, pretending to know what he's on about. He's actually an 8 year old called Timmy and drives a three wheeled tricycle. [his mummy]