How do the switches work on our rear view mirror?
I know the Dimmer switch is a basic ON and OFF function.
However, the Homelink system seems to work differently. I believe they are momentary. Meaning they only work when they are pushed down and cutoff power when they are released. Is there a way to change this so they stay on after one press and turn off after the second press?

I want to keep away from replacing the actual switches. Is there a way i can wire it up externally without hacking open the mirror itself?

 

I doubt there is a simple way to do this. Since the button works with a press, I am pretty sure that it is set up as a contact switch. In order to change this, you would need to change it to a switch that can stay in contact with the button press and release upon the next. With these buttons, it would probably be a digital switch, which would mean a lot more circuitry. I doubt there is any room to put it in there.

 

what do you mean by digital switch? how do these work? also do you think i could wire up a secondary switch(hidden somewhere) to the primary switch(on the mirror)which would stay ON after the first press and OFF after the second press? A relay maybe?

thanks for the help

 

Sorry, terminology and me kind of have problems. A digital switch is essentially used for a binary output, which in this case, can be set up to emit the specific voltage range of the "on bit" when turned on. Most of these are around 5V, but I am not sure what the homelink mirror uses. Needless to say, you are going to have to tear the mirror apart, if only to determine the voltage range used. Then you can do as you suggest and create a small circuit to output that particular voltage when the button is pressed, and cut it off when it is pressed again. This is where a digital switch would come in. Also, a very basic digital switch is a relay, so you are on the right track. In fact, I would suggest that you use relays entirely.

 

rtm...........

 

i did read the manual. maybe i overlooked something. I never read a section where they talk about switches and electrical wiring. Post a page number.


Thanks for the help MonkeyBoy. Dont worry about terminology. I dont know much about electronics. The closest ive gotten to circuits was in college physics. But anyway I will look into it. Thnks again.

 

It will be a tough job if your not entirely confortable with circuits and relays to change the way those switches work. Plus, i'm pretty sure there won't be much room inside to play with either.

But that aside... i am curious, why do you want them to function this way for?

 

basically I want to use these switches to turn things on an off in the car. I like incorporating things in the car which are stealth. Something that goes with the original contours of the car and remain hidden to the public eye. For now I want to try to wire my radar detector to one of these switches. Eventually I will move on to more elaborate functions. BUt for now I just want to figure it out and keep it simple.

I have some general understanding of circuitry. Mainly from taking everything apart when I was younger. I've built radios and alarms a WHILE back. So I know how to solder and such.

I know space will be a problem. I could probably tap into the source for the switch and route the wires to a relay which would be hidden somewhere else in the car (headliner? A pillar? maybe).

Does anyone have any experience taking apart the HOmeLink system? Pics and schematics would be awesome.

Thanks again.

 

This places it a bit more in perspective. I was thinking that you wanted the transmit capability of the homelink system to be constantly running. Do you have a touring? If not, instead of using the homelink buttons, I would suggest that you get the buttons used for the heated seats and use those instead. I remember a person relocating his VDC/TCS button to the center console using the button layout from the touring edition. It ended up really smooth and there is a lot more room to play with there.

I found the thread that I remember had an example ... it was a G35, but the concept is still the same.

https://my350z.com/forum/showthread....ght=vdc+switch

The only reason I would go this route instead of the homelink is due to the transmission capability of the homelink system. I am not sure if it can sustain prolonged operation, since it was not designed to do it in the first place. You might make a really cool mod, but have it break down within a year.

 

There is also an empty slot next to the VDC/TCS (two if you dont have either). This area also has the added benefit of being close to the fuse box for easy wiring. I am hoping that I can just order another VDC switch and put it in the second slot, but I haven't bothered checking if it will be that easy.

 

Yeh Ive already considered all these options. I really want to figure out this Homelink mirror though. All those options are really nice though. Thanks for the suggestions.

MokeyBoy you made a really good point about the homelink being on all the time. But if I hook up a relay to this wont I be able to overcome this problem? From my understanding of a relay(not much) it will be triggered to complete the circuit once a certain voltage is applied. Then it would turn off once a second voltage "pulse" is applied. Is that right? I plan to draw power from the battery or the fuse box. So the only power that would be used from the homelink system is the voltage pulse needed to turn the relay On and Off. DOes this sound right?

 

Since the homelink sends out a signal that you teach it, could you not program it to send a signal to a switch hidden somewhere in the car (under a seat, etc) and have it activate the circuit and turn it off later. This would be performing the same function as it does with gates and garage door openers and would still be accomplishing what you want. It would also not make size as much of an issue and you wouldn't have to crack open the mirror. Maybe you could even buy spare garage door opener parts to build it.

Just my two cents.

Bob

 

Yes, you can use the switch itself to send a pulse to a relay in order to turn it "on" to whatever component you want to wire it to. You have the right idea, although I believe a relay will not suit your needs. A relay takes a signal, amplifies it a bit and pushes it on. The signal received must be constantly on for it to have a device running at all times.

You could create a circuit to receive the pulse however and design it to where the pulse acts as a switch for a circuit supplying the necessary power to your devices. I would actually take this one step further, and design a wireless circuit that responds to the frequency emitted by the homelink mirror, that way you do not even have to open the mirror up. Should not be too difficult, all you need is to select the right components that tune in the frequency of the signal used by the homelink. I am sure there is documentation about this, since the homelink can be used to activate devices within your house.

 

From the homelink website ....

 

Damn you guys are reading my mind or something. I was looking for RF switches the other day. I didnt really find anything. Could someone direct me to a site?

I hope these things arent too expensive. Thanks again you guys are great.

 

wonder what frequency these run on?
http://www.desatech.com/heath/mainPr...&model=SL-6150