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How to install factory Homelink

80K views 117 replies 34 participants last post by  BW2011 
#1 ·
this is a quick how to install a factory homelink in your challenger if it didn't come with it. first i started with a donor car. i found a 2007 magnum with the factory homelink. i removed the overhead console and wire harness from it. only kept the wires i needed for the homelink module.

then i removed the overhead console on the chalenger. it just pulls straight out with no screws. i then removed the black plug where the module would go. it is held in with 4 torx head screws. i disassembled the magnum's homelink module so i could paint the cover to match the challenger's black parts. i used special interior trim paint that's the correct satin black color. i didn't paint the 3 buttons because they light up. i may go back and paint them if i can mask off the tiny lights.

i then installed the painted homelink module in the overhead console.

then i removed the right A-pillar cover to gain access to the wire harness.

i then fished the donor homelink wire harness into the console opening and out to the A-pillar.

then i splice and added the 5 wires from the homelink into the A-pillar connector. i color matched each wire to the unused wires in the connector.
the A-pillar connector has a dozen wires, but only three were used on my car.

after it is wired up, i reinstalled the overhead console. again it just snaps into place. now you're ready to program it like the owners manuals says. it works perfectly like in was installed from the factory. it even lights up when you turn the headlights on. even dims when you dim the interior lights.


the only thing is you can't tell if you're programming it correctly without the EVIC display. but, you will know if you did it right when it opens your garage door.

if you can find a challenger donor car, all the better.

tony
 
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#2 ·
Thanks Tony.
That was well done. Incidently, how did you go about finding a donor car?
 
#5 ·
Great information Tony. I just scored an overhead counsel from a 2008 300C with Homelink on eBay. It just got listed. Now that it is coming, does the local Dodge dealer have the trim paint? :bigthumb:
 
#7 ·
Possibly, I got part of the harness. It was on a "Buy it now" and the console certainly is the same as our Challengers except for color so I snapped it up for $40 bucks + postage. I was aware of the wiring harness when I got the console, and I figured I would wait and see what I get. I can get a new harness or look for a pull or fabricate my own. I am not too worried about this, as any service manual will have the color code and connector type. It is too cold here (even in my heated garage) to do any work so I can easily wait for a few more parts and play with this inside. This console looked too clean to loose.
Homellink is made by Johnson Controls and they have a nice web site loaded with programming instructions. If I can peel out the logic from them I can likely fabricate a display or just LED's to indicate the programming cycle. However, once I know the power and lighting control I can scope out the digital signals on the other leads anyhow. Looks like a fun project.

I'll try Eastwood for trim paint. I'll let you know what comes in from eBay.
Again thank you for this post and if I get a create a simple do-it-yourself
programming indicator, I'll share it with our Challenger community.
 
#8 ·
I received my overhead console today that I picked up on eBay. It is very clean and fortunately has about a foot of the wiring harness. This way all I'll have to do is solder & shrink tube the harness extensions and keep the color code.

It is warming up, so I actually might get to it next week. There is a lot to learn and plenty of good ideas on this forum. Looks like people wipe out new cars just as fast as old ones. Another interesting source of parts I never thought about. Now I get Homelink for $40 bucks and some labor.
 
#15 ·
I received my overhead console today that I picked up on eBay. It is very clean and fortunately has about a foot of the wiring harness. This way all I'll have to do is solder & shrink tube the harness extensions and keep the color code.

It is warming up, so I actually might get to it next week. There is a lot to learn and plenty of good ideas on this forum. Looks like people wipe out new cars just as fast as old ones. Another interesting source of parts I never thought about. Now I get Homelink for $40 bucks and some labor.

Matrix, did you ever get this installed and working?
 
#12 ·
I suppose it would be helpful if I say what I actually tried. I have a rolling code garage door opener, so I followed those instructions. I pressed the "Learn" button on the garage door opener, which gives me 30 seconds for step 2. After having "cleared" the codes on the buttons, I pressed the first button twice. I held it 2 seconds each time as per the instructions. It never "coded". I tried holding it down for longer periods, I tried pressing it multiple times...no luck. Any thoughts?
 
#14 ·
I suppose it would be helpful if I say what I actually tried. I have a rolling code garage door opener, so I followed those instructions. I pressed the "Learn" button on the garage door opener, which gives me 30 seconds for step 2. After having "cleared" the codes on the buttons, I pressed the first button twice. I held it 2 seconds each time as per the instructions. It never "coded". I tried holding it down for longer periods, I tried pressing it multiple times...no luck. Any thoughts?

where is the part that you used the hand held transmitter first to train the homelink?

maybe the instructions in the manual are confusing to some. when they say garage door opener, they mean the motor unit on the door itself, and not the handheld transmitter.

first, you have to clear all codes
then, you have to train the homelink with the handheld transmitter
finally, to have to press the button by the door opener's motor, followed by pressing the button on the homelink.

done.

does that make sense? is that what you did?
 
#16 ·
Yes and no, SS Dodge. The Homelink works fine as I did a test with it by just a quick wire in at the passenger pillar harness. So that part is fine. I thought that would be a safe bet before playing around with me overhead console.

Then I got tied up on a few other projects and finally picked up the trim paint.
The real issue why I haven't installed it was that it became obvious that the twisted pair (orange white/white) coming from the pigtail was the CAN Bus lead using the Homelink as a sub-node. I thought it would be nice to pick up the Homelink code in a controller so we could have the advantage of the several message codes. However, I could get a CAN -> USB converter and catch it on my notebook, but thats another hunk of cash for a device that I have little use for. Johnson Controls has too much crud to go through to get myself listed as a developer. There might already be a single purpose Homelink controller around as Johnson Controls has the market cornered. I can't seem to find one on the WEB so I'll stop by my audio/electronics shop that installs all the typical goodies and ask them.

If that fails then I'll just stick it in, as it does work and its nuts to spend any more time on it. You just need to follow the training instructions and it helps to have two people to train the garage opener if it has a roaming code.

All the information you supplied me with was right on target. Thanks
 
#17 ·
SS Dodge I was looking at my 09 Challenger SRT's Homelink the lenses are not painted and have green plastic lenses so I'm going to paint the one I just bought off E-bay for my wifes SE dark slate grey then scratch off the paint on the lights. I also have an SRT dash cluster coming so the steering wheel button project will be near complete. I will need the 4 wheel tire moniter and figure out were to put the oil/water temp sender if I even use it.
 
#18 ·
you won't get the four individual tire pressure readings to work. there is more invloved in the premium tire pressure system than the wheel sensors. also, i'm not sure the compass/temp gauge in the EVIC will work even if you add the homelink. that feature may still need to be enabled.
 
#19 ·
When typing, it is hard to get what you mean without a long explaination. Anyway I didn't mean the 4 wheel sensors in the wheels I was thinking the actual module in the car were ever it is. When I get all the parts then I will take the one out of the SRT and plug it in and see what happens. I think you are right about programming tho. Also remember I replaced the under dash wiring harness to match my SRT. I even have the plugins for the start and go which I know there is more to that then just the modules and Win and such.
 
#20 ·
You will probably need to get the generic 6 way connector from Chrysler
it's part # 05183472AA. As stated before you'll need wires from the 6 way connector and splice into the connector 12 way #C204 located in the passenger A-Pillar.
 

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#29 · (Edited)
My Hero



You're the man jmr. This is the part I got and it has the clips on the ends of the wires. I'll need 3 as the ground will be tapped up by the light switch since it is taken by the light switch ground.

Long story short, I couldn't get the clips into the socket so I tapped into the feed on the other side of the connector. If you want to buy the 3 remaining wires I have and try it yourself, PM me.
 
#22 ·
What did you guys connect homelink pin 5 (pink wire) to? It's the acc power for lighted button and I don't have a like colored wire. In the 12 pin connector which one is it?
 
#24 · (Edited)
My bad the buttons lite up now with the lights on, in the daytime it's tough to see them.:)

I installed a homelink from a 08 Challenger SRT8 (no painting required but no harness either). The wiring guide that I used from the Chrysler wiring website that shows just pins 1-4 being used.

BTW it's a sweet website Mopar Connector Repair Kit Website
 

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#25 ·
I installed the home link module in my 2010 challenger SE without out any problems. I will add a few comments for those who will be adding home link to their challengers.

1. Donor console was from a 08 charger SRT which of couse is gray in color. I was able to use aluminum duct tape to mask off the 6 rectangular light lenes then did minor touch up with a tooth pick and magnifing glass.

2. I purchased a spray can of flat black that is used to paint dashes and vynal surfaces from a local auto parts store.

3. My donor console had the pink wire which I did not hook up. Even though there is no EVIC on the car you still need to hook up the CAN BUS lines to control the lights in the home link.

4. There is plenty of room to snake the wires from the console area to the A-pillar post area.

5. I had the rolling code type door opener so if you have if push the learn button on the garage door motor assembly then push the home link button 3 times. Two seconds on two seconds off and everything should work fine.

6. Many donor consoles with homelink are available on Ebay for arround $50.00. Just make sure it includes the mating connector with some length ow wire to splice to.

7. I tried to find a mating connector for the A-pillar area but gave up and just spliced in to the wires.

Over all it took about an hour to install the unit after I painted it.
 
#26 ·
only two wires are needed to make the homelink work. 4 wires if you want it tied into the canbus system. and 5 wires if you want the compass to work. i needed all 5 wires.

my color picture of the a-pillar connector is even better that a wire diagram. you don't need to know what the wires are for or do. just need to connect them like i showed in the picture.

as for the metal ends on the wires, i just pushed them into the connector until they snap and locked into the connector. but, i used a wire harness from a donor car.

another option for connecting the 5 wires to the a-pillar connector is use wire taps. you can tap into the correct wire from the other half of the connector. aftermarket stereo installer use wire taps all the time. no need to cut up any harness and completely removable. that is just something to think about if you don't have the right metal ends on the wires (the repair harness has the metal ends on the wires)
 
#40 ·
Tony
I understand the Pink wire is for the compass, but I don't see that listed on the 12 pin connector, were did you hook that up to? I don't really see it in you picture.
 
#27 · (Edited)
Well, I couldn't find any wiring harness.

I bought the paint and painted it. However, it is black and not dark slate and there is a difference. Suppose I should have gone to the auto supply store. It is not that bad. I put a piece of Scotch tape over the buttons and used a sharp knife to cut around the lights. It worked, but when I was done, there is noticeable scratches in the buttons. Guess I should have left them alone. Again, not that bad. My friend gave me some wire and I cut it into thirds as I was going to bring down three wires and tap the ground on the light ground wire. When I tried to use a tap on the supply side, it wouldn't close that easily as the wire he gave me was the next size thicker and had a hard jacket. I was squeezing with my fingers and I couldn't get it. Evidently one needs to use a pliers. Also, I was down to the inch of needed wire and I knew when I was going to close it up, it wouldn't reach or something like that. So I'm going back to the the store for some thinner wire.

However, there is little wire to work with on the supply side and I don't know if I can get three taps in there and still bend the wire around to fit in the clip. Plus there is hardly enough room to work near the windshield as there isn't any play in the feed wires.
 
#28 ·
try using a matte black interior paint. too bad you're having a hard time with the wire connector. chrysler makes and sells a repair wire connector for nearly all connectors in the car. if you had a good dealer parts man, he could get the gray A-pillar connector with the wires for you. the best part with the repair kit is the wires are not snapped into the connector yet and they have the little metal ends on the wires already.

look at the link for the connector that jmr posted.
 
#31 · (Edited)
Finally --- I got her done. Thanks to all the guys who posted on this thread as I never could have done it without you. Well, maybe, the colored wires coming off the HomeLink match the back side of the plug in the A pillar.

This is my host I got off of Ebay from LKQ for $50 + $15 shipping. I had to look for Chrysler Overhead Console HomeLink or Magnum since Dodge or Challenger didn't come up with anything in the last month. I had to look for the wiring harness, however, if you get part # 05183472AA Wiring Repair Kit for $15, you get 6 wires with clips and the black clip which will allow you either build your own clip or to insert the wires into the 12 way in the A pillar. Good luck. I think you need a special tool. Best to get a console with the harness.



A closer look at the HomeLink harness. Why LKQ takes pictures from the other side I don't know. I had to wait for the right one so I could see if they included a harness. Some don't have them. The wire on the right is #1 which goes to #10 in the 12 block. The next one goes to #4, the red is the line feed which goes to #1 and the black goes to #12, but I just hooked it next to the black up at the lights in the console. The pink is not needed. It must be something on the 300. The only tool I needed to buy was a T10 Torx bit. It came on a card and that was enough to unscrew the HomeLink from the console. I also bought wire, taps and splices to complete the job. I can't decided if I should try to sell the host console on Ebay or keep it in case I break the lights in my console. I did have to replace one in my 93 van which is the same design as the Challenger.

 
#32 ·
Tony
A couple quick questions on this upgrade. Reading the Adding EVIC post it made it sound like you need to get a sales code update to add Homelink, but I don't see any mention of it here. When I got the RDZ code upated for the audio switches, I asked the service manager if they could update the car for that as well, he said no, the homelink panel had to be installed first. I though I read in the other thread that you could.

Blues143 sent me a PM and said he had a panel, so I bought it from him, should be here soon. Wiring doesn't look too hard. Is the box on the panel for the EVIC? I wouldn't think the garage door electroincs would not need that big of box. Just curious.

Thanks
 
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