Hi all:

If you've ever thought about adding homelink to your truck, but didn't want to cut up a visor, here's another option. The Mercury Mountaineers come with their homelink buttons in the rear door of their overhead console, and it turns out they interchange with the overhead console in our trucks. The only difference is the gray is not quite the same shade - but I'm planning on ordering the factory interior paint to match it back up. It's only two wires, and it took me more time to remember how to program my garage door opener than it did to complete the door transfer (darn rolling codes - and of course I couldn't find the instructions, so I just had to wing it . . .) It works as expected!

Here's a picture:

 

That look pretty cool good work!

 

Looks good. I would like to do that. I don't like the clip on remote on my visor.

 

Thanks, guys.

GreenCrew - I found my Mountaineer console on ebay for $30 plus shipping. It was simple to do - I just tapped in to the wiring loom for the computer.

 

Finally had the time to paint the door - I got the paint from 1stford a few days ago. (I have little kids - what can I say . . .)

Anyway, the primer/paint is easy to use, and the color match with the ford paint is pretty close - it seems a tad light right now, but gets closer the longer it cures.

I'll post a new pic when I get a chance . . .

 

Saw your note on the homelink mod, you wouldn't know where I could get a picture of the circuit board itself? I popped one out of an expy, but in the process popped the cover and what looks like a small diode off the board. It's repairable, but no indication of which way the thing solders on, and it was nice and centered so I can't tell which way it came off.

Dave V

 

Do you know where or how to install the homelink in the visor? I have a 2002 FX4 and I dont have the full overhead console. I will modify the visor if I know how and where to get the parts
Phil

 

If you feel around on the visor, you will feel the outline of the homelink, if it has a spot for it. Ford puts a filler in the the visors that don't have it, so it's a matter of popping out the filler and popping in the homelink.

As far a tearing up the visor, most of the new visors are not sewn, that edge that looks like it is sewn is actually tucked inbetween two plastic edges with small teeth to hold the fabric. I pulled the edge out of my Expy to get the homelink out to work on it, and used a screen roller to put the fabric back in.

The only problem you might encounter is power. if you have a lighted mirror the power connector is probably there for the homelink under the filler. If not you will probably have to pull the fabric completely and run power wires up the pivot tube.

By the way, since my first post my Expy burnt to a crisp... electrical fire. So I got a new extended cab!!! The new f150 doesn't have lighted mirrors, but I can feel the filler in the visor. Going to get a homelink off E-Bay and mount in the overhead. Either in the console infront of the lights, or in the headliner... not sure which.

Good luck,

Dave V

 

Dave please post your progress on adding the HomeLink to the factory visor spot. I have an '05 Lariat SCrew and can feel the HomeLink connector under the visor material.....how does the actual HomeLink unit (3 button casing) actually connect - does it just "pop" in or what? Thanks

 

Yes the homelink just pops in. Make sure you are ready to pop it in when you do, because it's a real bitch popping it back out. That's how I ruined mine on the Expy... but since it burn't to a crisp that's not a problem. See photo. Once you have the homelink in place lay the fabric over it to trace the three holes for the buttons and the two slots for the tabs that hold the front cover on. I'd use an exacto knife or cuticle scissors. Once you've got the fabric in place pop the button cover on and you're done. I found it easier to pop the button cover off from the inside rather than trying to pry from the outside.

It pulls power from the same pair as the lighted mirror. Since my new truck doesn't have a lighted mirror, and I didn't see any wires when I popped the mirror out, I'm not hopeful about putting it in the visor. Also since I drive with the visor down most of the time... short people.... it would be on the wrong side of the visor. That wasn't a problem with the Expy as it had the dual visors and I used the front small one most of the time.

When I get the chance I'm going to pop the visor, and maybe the post cover to see if there's a power feed there. Who knows. Wold be nice to have a power point in the headliner for the radar detector as well. Right now I have it pulling from the overhead light. Not a problem, other than if I haven't been in the truck for a while, it goes through its power up sequence when I open the door. Evidently the overhead power is on the 40 min timer even when the dome isn't on.

If you want to check for power wires, the bottom of the mirror is held in by three small tabs on the bottom, non hinge, edge. I used my pocket screwdrive to lift the edge a little and it pops right out. Back in real easy too.

The visor itself is a hollow plastic thing with cutouts for the mirror and the homelink. They pop in the appropriate mirror, and home link if called for, and lay the fabric over it and run the wheel around the edge to tuck the fabric in and it's done.

May not get to the homelink right away. Picked up the door handle with the keypad in it today. And since I have a bad habbit of locking myself out of the truck, the keypad is a higher priority. Not as easy an install as the stick on keypad, but at $60 vs. $170 it's a no brainer. Now That I have it, it looks like I could have gotten the cover and buttons to install on my back plate, but haven't looked into the parts price vs the assembly price.

Well I'd put a pic in if I could figure out how@#^@$^_@

 

Dave - thanks - I appreciate your write up and belive I've found a Ford visor Homelink on e-bay that will work - it is from an '02 Expy and looks just like the factory '05 F-150 set up.