Anyone have experience with solenoids?

I know a few people such as CJJ have fitted "boot popper" solenoids but i have zero experience with them and wouldn't mind a bit of direction before i buy anything or such

The plan

i'd like to fit a boot solenoid and door solenoids and also have a pice of wire connected to the solenoids hidden under the carpet for when/if the solenoids fail. So that i can just pull the wire to open the boot/door

I'm planning on smoothing off the door handles and removing the boots key barrel and smoothing that so if anyone knows where high quality solenoids can be purchased cheaply as well feel free to post links i dont want them failing all the time!

I'd rather not spend a fortune btw guys, my mate martin fitted a good boot solenoid to his ZR after his old one failed (over a year ago it's still working faultlessly) and it cost £1.50

The problem

Martins solenoid was already in place and i'm not sure if there is a certain way of mounting them etc, so need help. At the same time i don't want to get somewhere to do them for me... the only place on teesside who would do them for me wanted £150 for the two doors and boot and that didn't include mounting the door button on the outside of the car!

speaking of which i have two areas where i think a good button to open to doors would be one being under the mirror like TVRs

the other being the finisher thing behind the roof... there's one each side and they have two torx bolts holding them in, im sure you know what i mean, i could make one of the bolts "fake" and a button to open the door

so basically act like i know nothing (im good at that) and help me out with ideas if you can



The end game

Will be to link the solenoids to a clifford alarm so i can pop the doors and boots remotely but that wont be cheap and i want to wait until i have the V-TEC paid for before i spend that sort of dosh.



btw regarding security, the solenoids will just open the doors, you'd still need the key fob to disengage the central locking and alarm, and as for the boot the button will be suitably hidden inside the car.

Just seen this. Will have to talk tomorrow mate as I am going to be getting ready for work soon.

The door thing is a risky one regarding insurance. If someone gets into the car and strips it, or even releases the handbrake and tows it away your insurance will be void as you never made reasonable precautions to secure it. You could talk to your insurance company, but most will walk away from it.

CJJ;11403 wrote: Just seen this. Will have to talk tomorrow mate as I am going to be getting ready for work soon.

The door thing is a risky one regarding insurance. If someone gets into the car and strips it, or even releases the handbrake and tows it away your insurance will be void as you never made reasonable precautions to secure it. You could talk to your insurance company, but most will walk away from it.

thanks Clive, i didn't ask you for help outright as i know how busy you are (and like to c*ck things up myself before i scream for your help ) mind you this way seems quicker and ultimately less painful in the long run! :yesnod:

i'll talk to my insurance but i have a modified car policy already which should help

i can't see how the car would be any less secure? the central locking will still be totally separate and the steering lock will still work, the car might indeed be more secure as there will be no door handles outside or in, just hidden buttons (true not THAT hidden) but evan if you know where the button was to open the door nothing would happen as it would still be locked? does that make sense? or am i being me again?

Anyone have experience with solenoids?

I have, but I've been given some cream thats working a treat:yesnod:




Doesn't really apply in this case but I bought a remote boot release kit off of fleabay for about £14 and it's still working fine. I have adapted it though (just in case) so that I can still open the boot with a key.
having a remote cable release for the boot and door I would think is quite difficult as both are hinged - I guess that would probably put a cable under a lot of repetitive strain?

CheesyReich;11455 wrote: Anyone have experience with solenoids?

I have, but I've been given some cream thats working a treat:yesnod:




Doesn't really apply in this case but I bought a remote boot release kit off of fleabay for about £14 and it's still working fine. I have adapted it though (just in case) so that I can still open the boot with a key.
having a remote cable release for the boot and door I would think is quite difficult as both are hinged - I guess that would probably put a cable under a lot of repetitive strain?

Repetitive strain injury?:dunno:

CheesyReich;11455 wrote: Anyone have experience with solenoids?

I have, but I've been given some cream thats working a treat:yesnod:




Doesn't really apply in this case but I bought a remote boot release kit off of fleabay for about £14 and it's still working fine. I have adapted it though (just in case) so that I can still open the boot with a key.
having a remote cable release for the boot and door I would think is quite difficult as both are hinged - I guess that would probably put a cable under a lot of repetitive strain?

the cable would just be incase the solenoid failed... so i'd use the cable (which would be then just a door handle) to open the door so i could then get the door card off and replace the solenoid, does that make sense?

£14... so less than £50 for the boot and 2 doors... seems likely ill do this sooner rather than later then

Adam-MGTF;11409 wrote: i can't see how the car would be any less secure? the central locking will still be totally separate and the steering lock will still work, the car might indeed be more secure as there will be no door handles outside or in, just hidden buttons (true not THAT hidden) but evan if you know where the button was to open the door nothing would happen as it would still be locked? does that make sense? or am i being me again?

So you would press the plipper and then press the button. OK, I see now. How would you pull the door open? The button would release the striker but then you need to apply some pulling force to open the door, without some form of handle I can't see how you can do it.

Have a look at www.lafranceautoworks.com/ They might give you some ideas. Be warned however that a) it looks expensive and b) you need working external door handles to pass an MOT.

Eagle;11471 wrote: Have a look at www.lafranceautoworks.com/ They might give you some ideas. Be warned however that a) it looks expensive and b) you need working external door handles to pass an MOT.

how on earth do TVRs and show cars get around it then? im sooo confused

didnt GW have smoothed doors?

there must be some reliable easy way of doing it as i've seen allot of show cars with them?




clive doesnt the doors pop open once the handles are pulled? I mean dont they like open a little? then i could just swing them open with my hand... without showing you i cant describe what im thinking

mind you im in no rush to do all this so at some future meet you can tell me why it wont work lol

Adam-MGTF;11582 wrote: how on earth do TVRs and show cars get around it then? im sooo confused

didnt GW have smoothed doors?

there must be some reliable easy way of doing it as i've seen allot of show cars with them?

Found this on another forum, I think it explains the problem. ?????

NO HANDLES
I was hoping that you may be able to help me with a problem regarding the MOT on my car. The intention was to remove the door handles on my 85' Fiat X19 and replace them with a solenoid system via remote control. What I need to know is whether the MOT tester will accept it what with having no handles!! If it's not acceptable then what would I have to do in order to get the car through the MOT? Thanks, Tony

This is a very interesting question. Here’s what the rules say: “Open and close the driver’s door and passengers’ doors. Check that each latches securely in the closed position. Check also that front doors can be opened from both inside and outside the vehicle.” And here’s the reasons that a vehicle could fail the MOT on door latches and handles.

“A) A driver’s or any passenger’s door does not latch securely in the closed position.

a driver’s or front passenger’s door cannot be opened from both inside and outside the vehicle from the relevant control in each case.”

It does, however, add a caveat that a failure would not apply to: “front passenger doors if the door aperture has been permanently ‘filled’ as part of a specialised customisation provided that there are no obvious apertures or gaps”.

However this latter would not apply in your case. Your situation turns then on whether or not your remote switch could be classed as a “relevant control”. That would be for the Tester to decide in any specific case. MOTT.

thanks eagle so if i read that correctly it basically depends weather or not the tester decides the "switch" is of sufficient quality to be deemed reliable?


also known as weather or not he wants to be an assh*le?

Adam-MGTF;11594 wrote: thanks eagle so if i read that correctly it basically depends weather or not the tester decides the "switch" is of sufficient quality to be deemed reliable?


also known as weather or not he wants to be an assh*le?

Looks like you had better get it tested in Stockton then !