How-To: One Touch Modules (Auto Up\Down)

[Booba]

Hey everyone,

In this write-up, I'll be showing you how to add an auto up, auto down, and auto up\down to your power windows. This principle can be applied to power seats, moon roofs, basically any reversible DC motor. In my case, I want auto up and auto down for my front windows, and only auto down for my rear windows (kids). This is actually a very simple and cheap mod, junkyards are your friends.

In the mid 90s, Ford used a one-touch module to enable their driver windows to roll down. These modules were mounted in the driver side door, normally on the door panel itself, sometimes on the door panel. They are pretty hard to miss. From what I have read, they came in 92-95 Ford Taurus's, Crown Vics, Mustangs, Exploders, Mountaineers, Town Cars, just to name a few. Wander the Ford section of the junkyard and rip off door panels, you will find some.

As far as tools are concerned, you'll need to remove the doors panels, cut\splice wires, and mount the modules. Use whatever tools you need to do those things.

Here's what the modules look like, I made a JY trip and bought some other things, but the modules are in a row of 5. You need one module for each "auto" operation. So in my case, I wanted auto up on the driver (1 module), Auto up\down on the passenger (2 modules), and auto down on the rear doors (2 modules).

As far as wiring is concerned, they all have 5 wires leading to them. So far, every car has had different colors wires. Since there is no common ground on wire colors, we are forced to resort to wire numbers. Each module has 5 pins, and if you unplug the harness, you will see that the numbers 1-5 are marked above the pins on the module. We'll start with adding auto up to the driver side. Here's the simplest pinout:

Pin 1: Direction output to motor

Pin 2: Direction input to module

Pin 3: +12v

Pin 4: Opposite direction (cancel)

Pin 5: Ground

Before I start explaining everything, it is important to understand one thing. Our window motors have 2 wires going to them, dark blue and brown. When the window is going DOWN, the brown wire gets +12V, when going up, the dark blue wire get's +12v. Get it? Good.

So Pin 3 and 5 are obivous, they provide the unit with power and ground. Connect pin 5 to anything metal, BOOM, you are 20% done with your wiring. Pin 3 will go to the yellow wire coming out of the window switch on the driver side (Pin 3 will change for the passenger and rear doors, more on this later). The way to figure out what to connect to pin 2 is to ask yourself, "Self, which way do I want this window to automatically roll?" If your answer is "Up", pin 2 gets connected to the "Up" (Dark Blue) wire. If your answer is "down", pin 2 gets connected to the "down" (Brown) wire. Since I'm showing you auto up right now, We'll say the answer is "up". Since Pin 2 gets connected to the Dark Blue wire, I unplugged the motor, and cut the blue wire about 4 inches from the plug. I connected the dark blue wire coming from the window switch to the wire that leads to pin 2. Next up is pin 1. Pin 1 in the output to motor for the direction you are rolling. This pin connects to other side of the wire you just cut. Dark blue wire leading to the motor was connected to pin 1. Pin 4 splices into the opposite direction's +12v, the Brown wire. This wire taps into the existing connection, so the brown wire still connects directly to the motor, I just had to splice this wire into it. Confused? Here's a pretty picture:

Passenger side and rear doors are a bit more difficult because the +12v wire leading to the window switches (pin 3) is no longer yellow. It is now...you guessed it...dark blue. So now you have to determine which dark blue wire leads to the motor and which blue wire is the +12v. This is important so take a deep breath and pay attention:

For the rear doors the Blue wire labeled "B" on the window switch connector leads to the motor, the dark blue wire labeled "D" on the connector leads to +12V.

For the Passenger connector I don't remember, I'll have to pull my door panel off and take a pic to see, or you could use a multimeter to check for continuity with the dark blue wire leading to the motor.

Passenger side is a bit harder to explain, so I'll let the picture do most of the talking. Remember, what ever direction goes into pin 2 comes back out of Pin 1 to the motor.

For the rear doors, it's basically the same as the front driver doors, except you swap the Brown and Dark Blue Wires. By that I mean you cut the brown wire, connect the harness side to pin 2 and the motor side to pin 1. Then splice pin 4 in the dark blue wire. Pic:

Sounds easy enough and makes sense-ish right? Time to get to work outside. I started on the rear doors first, then did the front passenger, and then front driver. Here's a pic of the Rear door:

I pulled a switch out of one of the door panels for testing purposes. In this pic you can see where I mounted the module itself. See the black ziptie? It's holding the module in place on the inside of the door:

Here's the Passenger side, I'll get more pics when I pull it apart again. I mounted them to the upper right a bit from where they are sitting in this pic, but I should have mounted them right where they are, but on the other side of the sheet metal. I'll probably move them when I take it apart for pics:

[Booba]

Okay so here's the driver side, I took a BUNCH of pics, so it should help with the install on the other doors.

So here we go, motor plug with the dark blue and brown wires:

Remember since this is the driver door we're adding the auto UP feature, so we cut the dark blue wire. If you were adding the auto DOWN feature, you would perform these steps to the BROWN wire.

Cut the dark blue wire and strip the ends:

Connect the HARNESS side of the dark blue wire to pin 2 of the module:

Connect pin 1 of the module to the dark blue wire going to the motor connector, no pic, but you will see it later.

Connect pin 4 for the module to the brown wire (If you were adding auto DOWN, you'd be doing this to the dark blue wire) of the motor, the brown wire is still connected to the motor, the pin 4 wire just taps into the wire:

Then you should have 3 of the 5 wires running to the module connected, Pin 1,2, and 4:

All that's left now is power and ground. This is the yellow wire that supplies the +12v to the power windows, and will supply the +12v to the module:

You have to tap into it just like we did with the brown wire above, and I chose to tap into it closer to the door instead of closer to the switch plug. This way there is les wire run to the module, and you don't have to worry about the plug reaching the window switch on the door panel. Here's the splice, before soldering:

Then connect pin 5 to ground, and connect everything up for a test run:

Once you know it all works as planned, wrap up all wires so they don't get caught up in the window, and find somewhere to mount the module. Here's a pic of mine, you can also see the grounding spot I used...the module is the blue box you can barely see on the slight left:

[Booba]

It's been a little over 3 months since I first installed these, and everything works great! After about a month I went ahead and added the one touch up to the rears, and auto close to the sun roof. Next change to the set up is to run a dedicated power wire to the modules themselves (not the switches). Situation Example:

 

All my windows are down and sun roof is open. I pull into a parking spot and shut the car off. Here's the difference:

 

Now I tap all the switches to roll everything up, I have to wait in the car until everything is closed\down. I open the door, everything stops.

 

After the dedicated wire, I can pull into the parking spot, shut the car off, hit all the switches, and get out and walk away. Everything will finish what it's doing.

 

 

I know I could just provide +12v to the window switch all the time and could accomplish the same thing, but someone would be able to roll my windows down at ALL times. Anyways, I'll be updating this thread after I finish everything up.

[ManicMechanic]

Nicely done. I put auto-down windows in my 1989 GMC yesterday using GM H/C body modules.

[carkhz316]

Great post Booba! I am totally going to do this for the sunroof in the Monte. I have a question, and forgive me if it's been stated already, but does each module only control one direction, or both? I ask because I want to do a auto open and close for the roof.

[rockfangd]

I have a question also. what if you only want to open the window(s a little bit)? or close etc...

I really like the idea of having a feature like what you mention. A one touch all close or open, etc... You could tie it into a RKE or remote start system also.

It reminds me of the BMWs where when you hold the key in the door all of the windows open and the moonroof opens, opposite direction and everything closes:thumbsup:

Very nice writeup with detailed pinouts and pictures. Who would have thought something useful from a ford

[Booba]

rockfangd:

When you hold the switch down anything over .5 seconds it behaves like a normal switch. If it's on the way up or down and you want to stop it, you tap the same direction it's going. This is all on having both the auto up AND down, of course.

I'm planning on doing exactly what you mention with the RKE, but mine will be remote start and all that as well. You can actually add the window feature you are talking about to most RKE's for about $40-$60.

 

carkhz316:

Each module only controls one direction, so you'd need one for open and close. One problem I foresee on the sun roof is the open feature. When your sun roof is fully closed, what happens when you push and hold the open button? Does it crack and stop or does it open all the way up? If it opens all the way up without you letting off the switch at all, then you're golden. Either check the schematic for your car to find out which wire goes where, or figure it out with your multimeter. If you want, I can look this up for you and make a different schematic with your car's wiring colors. Just let me know.

Edited December 30, 2013 by Booba

[carkhz316]

I have all the wiring diagrams between Chilton book and online stuff, but if you have one that would be great to for referance. Mine is a 98 Monte Carlo Z34. The sunroof switches on these are a momentary switch, with no control through a BCM, with no stopping when transitioning from vented to fully open, so it would work well in this case.

[Booba]

That it would, let me see what the 2 wire colors are going to your motor. It's really easy, actually, whichever wire (from the car) gets connected to pin 2, gets connected to pin 1 (going to the motor), then the OTHER wire going to the motor goes to pin 4. I'll draw up a schematic for ya, real quick...

[Booba]

Here ya go:

[Imp558]

Wow! Really cool post! And I'm Digging that solder, the thought of crimp connectors makes me twitch in my sleep.

[reddroptop]

What year(s) and models of GM vehicles for the modules? THANK YOU

[Booba]

I hear that GM used them in some vehicles, but I got all of mine from Fords. Pretty much any Ford car from the early 90s is going to have them, along with the Jurassic Park Explorers.

[ManicMechanic]

What year(s) and models of GM vehicles for the modules? THANK YOU

 

1993-98 Buick Park Avenue/LeSabre; Olds 88/98 and Pontiac Bonneville. I am sure there are others but I can't think of them right off hand. Those cars are so common though, should have no trouble finding them. They are located in the front door and have 4 wires coming out of them.

[carkhz316]

Here ya go:

Awesome, now I just have to find some Fords in the 'ol JY somewhere.

[Psych0matt]

Sticky PLZ! I will want to do this sometime in the future

[rockfangd]

you beat me to it lol. I second this