I decided I wanted to get rid of my garage door opener off my visor and added HomeLink to my visor. I could have just bought a visor from Ford that came with the HomeLink installed, but they wanted $386 for the visor. There was ONE on eBay, but they wanted almost $250.

I then went to an audio shop and they wanted $169 for the HomeLink module, but would not install it in the visor, but instead offered the headliner. I didn't want to cut into my headliner, so decided to tackle the job myself.

If you didn't already know, all the visor-mounted HomeLink modules are the same no matter the car manufacturer. I went to Pick & Pull and found two HL visors (one from a Chrysler Sebring, and one from a Chrysler Cirrus I believe). Come to find out, the Cirrus / Stratus visor is identical to the F150's with the exception of the molded plastic section for the screws, but the screw spacing is correct; so if the color had been correct, I could have just used the visor out of the Chrysler. If you're wondering, the visors cost $8 ea.



Anyways, after feeling around the section of the visor where the HL goes, it felt like the area was already set-up the accept the module. I opened up the sacrificial visor to "extract" the HL module and to see what was going on in there. I then CAREFULLY opened my visor to find the mounting areas present, but the opening where the module sits not removed. There are no visible cut lines, but there are holes in the corners that make up the cut-out area. If you cut straight lines from hole to hole, you will end up with the required cut-out. I used a dremel to cut mine. The pic below shows the corner holes. I didn't take a pic of mine after it was cut.



Before I installed the module, I ran the wires (2) through the visor tube / rod and then pushed the connector onto the module. I then installed the module into the visor and closed it up. I used a combination of hot glue and cyanoacrylate to do this. Working through the mirror opening you can systematically work from the outside in, once you get the extreme outside together. The mirror will be last the thing you install and it just "pops" in.

No pic, sorry!

Now you just solder the connector that was exiting the visor rod back on that was cut off from the sacrificial visor and your visor is done. Now all that is left is running power and ground in the truck to power the module. When I took the visors out at the junkyard, I also cut the wires on the pillar side to keep the connector intact. I took the pillar side connector and soldered on a short ground wire and eyelet for the ground side and much longer wire for the power to run down the pillar to under the dash. I secured the ground wire with the top bolt that secures the pillar trim through the eyelet. This kept things neat and easy. The power wire was tapped into constant battery power and will be on an individual basis.

No pic, sorry!

After simple programming (they all program the same too), it was DONE!!





This is not for the faint-hearted. Also, it may be a good idea to have a "spare" visor available or ready just in case something goes wrong or you change your mind after you have begun the process. Sorry for the lack of pics, but I didn't intend on doing a write-up, it just turned into one once I started writing.

 

sick!! good job

 

Nice!!! Good to know because mine is acting up.

 

How did you get inside the Ford factory visor ? I looked at this mod years ago and didn't know if you cut fabric covering or just how to get inside so I did the head liner just ahead of the sunroof. Yours looks good, I would have rather put it there.

 

You separate the visor right at the edge; it opens like a clamshell. The edge is the easy part and comes apart rather easily. The problem comes in after you get the edge apart. The inner section is "glued" or put together using either heat or glue. If you notice in the "cut-out" pic (sacrificial visor), you will see where the visor came apart at the joint and you can also see where it didn't separate at the joint and ripped the visor. If this happens, you might be out of luck. Mine separated properly because I was very careful during the separation process. I was not so gentle with the donor, and this shows you what can happen if you aren't careful. Notice where it begins to "rip", it is separated properly, then begins ripping as soon as the joint stops separating. This shows very well at the lower arrow on the "ripped" section.

 

Ahhhh it's all coming back to me now, that is why I didn't do it the way you did, I just couldn't bring myself to splitting the visor cover on a new truck without knowing if I could get it back together.

 

I had to try it, and glad I did!

 

Hey all,

I am adding illuminated/homelink visors to my truck. went to LKQonline and purchased both visors for $25.00 each, in my color. The covers were very dirty and not cleanable. I found (headliner) material at the local fabric store Han**** Fabrics, a chain store nation wide. It was $15.99 a running yard. 36"x36" Can be purchased by the inch x 36". Bought extra just in case.

Carefully remove old cover. I found by using 2 nail sets, you can insert in between the clam shell (visor) and carefully pull the material out of visor. Save cover for a pattern.
ON the opposite end of the visor, from the mounting flange there is a plastic tube that the visor swivels (up & down) on, can be removed. Once you get the material removed to that point you can see the plastic tube is held in by a metal pin. Place a small screw driver in and pry the pin out the end of visor.

Now you can cut the headliner material to your pattern and install it. Take your time and you will have a new visor.
Any question I will try to help.