# Homemade Homelink Son!



## terje_77 (Dec 19, 2005)

I posted this in the other thread going around about garage door openers. 
But I thought that it deserved it's own thread considering how much energy it required for me to get off my ass and take pics of my setup.
I got the part from http://shop.cargravo.com/produ...id=28
The part included the leads and the electric connection to get the backlight to work with the rest of the interior lights. The rest of the job was soldering the leads to the right part of the garage door opener's motherboard.
Looks totally OEM.








You just pull out the buttons.








Solder the leads from the button to your garage door opener motherboard.








Tape up and tuck behind the panel. (plenty of room although if you have an old school opener you might need to modify the housing)








...and that's it. As the title states: Homemade Homelink Son!


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## vwracin86 (Mar 27, 2004)

*Re: Homemade Homelink Son! (terje_77)*

thank you.. i'm ordering parts tonight son!


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## terje_77 (Dec 19, 2005)

*Re: Homemade Homelink Son! (vwracin86)*


_Quote, originally posted by *vwracin86* »_thank you.. i'm ordering parts tonight son!

Yeah son!


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## brungold (Oct 8, 2007)

*FV-QR*

awesome! id totally do this if i had spare buttons that werent used. 
how did you know where to solder the button wires to the remote? follow the wiring of the original button?


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## vwracin86 (Mar 27, 2004)

*Re: Homemade Homelink Son! (terje_77)*

now i will have to crack open the opener and figure out where to put the wires


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## vwracin86 (Mar 27, 2004)

*Re: FV-QR (brungold)*


_Quote, originally posted by *brungold* »_awesome! id totally do this if i had spare buttons that werent used. 


what did you use the other button for?



_Modified by vwracin86 at 7:01 PM 11-15-2008_


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## brungold (Oct 8, 2007)

*FV-QR*

my three buttons were already used.. TPMS reset, ESP off, and Pass airbag light
i might want to do the sick-ass button that presns and OCaudi did.


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## vwracin86 (Mar 27, 2004)

*Re: FV-QR (brungold)*

forgot about that tpms stuff.... that stuff is for the weak. lol,


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## terje_77 (Dec 19, 2005)

*Re: FV-QR (brungold)*


_Quote, originally posted by *brungold* »_
how did you know where to solder the button wires to the remote? follow the wiring of the original button? 


Trial and error son! Just held the leads to the different points on the garage door opener motherboard and (if you have it right) press the button and see if the garage door opens/closes.
And by trial and error, I mean like 2 minutes. It's pretty self explanatory once you have the garage door opener brains on the table.
You'll have to follow the same process for the aftermarket buttons that OC and presns used.


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## vwracin86 (Mar 27, 2004)

*Re: FV-QR (terje_77)*

parts all ordered and just what i wanted. terje- your the man


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## terje_77 (Dec 19, 2005)

*Re: FV-QR (vwracin86)*


_Quote, originally posted by *vwracin86* »_parts all ordered and just what i wanted. terje- your the man


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## JLT (May 18, 2008)

*Re: FV-QR (terje_77)*

any idea how to make that button act as a mute button for the valentine one???


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## terje_77 (Dec 19, 2005)

*Re: FV-QR (JLT)*


_Quote, originally posted by *JLT* »_any idea how to make that button act as a mute button for the valentine one???

Interesting. I would start by getting the remote V1 control thingy and I guess open it up to see what the brains look like.


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## vwracin86 (Mar 27, 2004)

*Re: FV-QR (terje_77)*

i also thought about this... i just mounted mine down below the steering wheel where the adjustment lever is. works good for me so far (only had it there for like 2 weeks)


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## JLT (May 18, 2008)

*Re: FV-QR (vwracin86)*

i just had me an idea. perhaps i can wire the remote display directly into where that button spot is if i get one of those modified ones off of ebay. hrmmmm this sounds like a christmas project.


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## vwracin86 (Mar 27, 2004)

*Re: FV-QR (JLT)*

make is happen and post up some pics.


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## TechnikSLR (Jul 30, 2008)

dude terje you are sooo white!


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## terje_77 (Dec 19, 2005)

*Re: (TechnikSLR)*


_Quote, originally posted by *TechnikSLR* »_dude terje you are sooo white!

Don't make send Tp over there to e-thug you!


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## yam (Jul 18, 2005)

*Re: FV-QR (terje_77)*


_Quote, originally posted by *terje_77* »_
Interesting. I would start by getting the remote V1 control thingy and I guess open it up to see what the brains look like.

My three button combo is TPMS, ESP, and V1 mute. I soldered wires to the remote display mute button, and used an OEM blank switch. Had to buy a red led from radio shack, so there is a light glow all the time. The airbag light is still connected, but just stashed behind inside the dash.


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## vwracin86 (Mar 27, 2004)

*Re: FV-QR (yam)*


_Quote, originally posted by *yam* »_
My three button combo is TPMS, ESP, and V1 mute. I soldered wires to the remote display mute button, and used an OEM blank switch. Had to buy a red led from radio shack, so there is a light glow all the time. The airbag light is still connected, but just stashed behind inside the dash.


let me see some pics


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## irishpride (Feb 2, 2006)

*Re: Homemade Homelink Son! (terje_77)*

added to the diy http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## terje_77 (Dec 19, 2005)

*Re: Homemade Homelink Son! (irishpride)*


_Quote, originally posted by *irishpride* »_added to the diy http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## OCaudi (Nov 16, 2006)

*Re: Homemade Homelink Son! (terje_77)*

Wow nice....I ordered from the same guy a year ago and I got a just the button cover...does it come as a switch now?


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## terje_77 (Dec 19, 2005)

*Re: Homemade Homelink Son! (OCaudi)*

I think that you had to ask for the switch. I got mine like 2 years ago. I posted something up back then and no one gave a ****. Funny how everyone is all over this mod now.


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## brungold (Oct 8, 2007)

*FV-QR*

^ i want to make love to your garage button, and always have!


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## terje_77 (Dec 19, 2005)

*Re: FV-QR (brungold)*


_Quote, originally posted by *brungold* »_^ i want to make love to your garage button, and always have! 

Ok. But I hope you don't mind sloppy seconds


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## krazyboi (May 19, 2004)

good stuff son!


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## terje_77 (Dec 19, 2005)

*Re: (krazyboi)*


_Quote, originally posted by *krazyboi* »_good stuff son!


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## tp.wannabe.s3 (May 21, 2010)

bump anyone know if where red goes?


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## brungold (Oct 8, 2007)

dammit i should have gotten this from terje before his car went byebye


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## Rob Cote (Dec 6, 2006)

:facepalm::thumbdown:


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## BoraPimpin (Jun 23, 2003)

keeping this alive... 

just picked up my 11' A3 sportback... 

cant belive they totally did away with homelink... looks like i will be doing this mod.. any tips guys?

i need to do 2 buttons, 1 for gate, one for garage door..


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## theblue (Aug 16, 2001)

wow... this is pretty cool. but are people really spending > $50 just for a switch? there must be a cheaper way?


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## Jubal (Apr 29, 2010)

*!! 2010+ Warning !!*

I bought the switch for the my 2010 A3 from CarStyle4you and it did not fit. After sending pictures of my switch setup to CarStyle4you I got an email back stating 

"I have bad news for you
It’s not possible to fit the pushbutton in the new model 2010! Only the covers are possible!!"


CarStyle4you would not send a call tag to ship the switch back. I did not want to be out the money to ship the switch back just to have CarStyle4you decided not to refund my money. The email conversation we exchanged gave me the impression that this company may be a little flaky. To their credit it appears that CarStyle4you has now removed the option to buy this switch for this year of A3.

It is possible with some customization to make the switch fit but it will require some cutting and a bracket being fabricated. So if you have a 2010+ this mod will be tricky. 

If anyone is interested in buying the switch off me let me know. It might fit a 2009 without any cutting or a newer A3 with some work. Here are the pic that I took so everyone can see what I am talking about.


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## tp.wannabe.s3 (May 21, 2010)

Jubal said:


> I bought the switch for the my 2010 A3 from CarStyle4you and it did not fit. After sending pictures of my switch setup to CarStyle4you I got an email back stating
> 
> "I have bad news for you
> It’s not possible to fit the pushbutton in the new model 2010! Only the covers are possible!!"
> ...


your linking gmail pics.. which cannot be linked. you need to upload it. and link it
what side is it for?


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## terje_77 (Dec 19, 2005)

I miss my A3


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## neu318 (Feb 18, 2003)

terje_77 said:


> I miss my A3


Buy another one. You know you want to.


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## drew138 (Dec 3, 2006)

terje_77 said:


> I miss my A3


You can come visit your APR DP/Catback/Exhaust, PSS10s and HPFP anytime.


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## terje_77 (Dec 19, 2005)

drew138 said:


> You can come visit your APR DP/Catback/Exhaust, PSS10s and HPFP anytime.


Lol. I just might need to do that dude. 

And I am keeping a keen watch on what the new A3 will look like. If I like, I buy. If not, I'll by the last 8p quattro and turn it into an S3 like the rest of my S.F. brethren.


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## TechnikSLR (Jul 30, 2008)

terje_77 said:


> I miss my A3


get it and keep the tt as a weekend car!


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## terje_77 (Dec 19, 2005)

TechnikSLR said:


> get it and keep the tt as a weekend car!


Yeah! a-weekend-when-I-don't-have-to-transport-anything car


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## TechnikSLR (Jul 30, 2008)

terje_77 said:


> Yeah! a-weekend-when-I-don't-have-to-transport-anything car


exactly!


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## Jubal (Apr 29, 2010)

Oh sorry. The pictures work great when I look at them. But It makes since. Take two.


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## BoraPimpin (Jun 23, 2003)

oh i see what you mean, square peg in a round hole.. not good my friend.. 

what position and side is that button for? 

i would buy it PM ME! .. 

is the bracket that holds the buttons in place plastic or metal? looks plastic in the photo.. if so a lil dremel and might be good to go.

while you had it out, did you at-least check if there was a power hook up for it on the harness?

did you check the other spaces to see if they were all the same? thats a middle space it looks like, might be different.


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## Jubal (Apr 29, 2010)

The housing is plastic. It would be pretty simple to use a drimal and cut out the plastic. The problem would be to line up the switch and secure it so that it is at the same level as all the rest and make sure the gap around the switch is even. It will be a little work and probably a little frustrating. The other switch locations on the right side will require the same treatment. the front of each switch is a different shape so you need to get the correct one for each location. DONT try to pry out the switches individually from the front. The whole switch assembly unclips from the dash as you can kinda see from the pic. If you look close you can also see the pry marks I left on the blanks when I tried going in from the front


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## BoraPimpin (Jun 23, 2003)

what about the harness? is there still a extra plug in for it to at-least get it some power to it? 

Yea it would be dremel and prolly some epoxy or something to get it to stay could also cut it a lil to small then squeeze it in.. again, ill tell ya what it would be permeant.. so o well to the next owner would have a button that they have no clue about.. hah. o well.. its definitely going to need a bit of time to work on it.. i guess for the newer face lifted cars..


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## BoraPimpin (Jun 23, 2003)

i wonder could you just buy another hazard or ESP switch, then swap face covers, and tap the same wires for garage remote. then no mod would be needed. other then the face change. and its still a push button.. either the ESP or maybe another hazard?

anyone know a pushbutton that would go there?> ESP, Hazard , anything else? gonna a have to call dealer tomorrow.. this might be a good plan for the 2009+ cars. 

the Tire set might be the perfect candidate for this.. 

anyone wanna chime in if this would work?


















thank Jubal for pics.. 

OK here is the updated new switch panels.. as you can see there using some kinda BUS set up.. so the switch would have to go on the other side of the hazard... 

Boy.. im out of ideas!...


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## mtdoragary (Jan 8, 2010)

Ditto, but I need to do two for gates, and one for garage.



BoraPimpin said:


> keeping this alive...
> 
> just picked up my 11' A3 sportback...
> 
> ...


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## poli84 (Dec 15, 2009)

I'm reviving this old thread because Iv'e finally moved into a place where I can see myself for a while so am going to attempt this mod.

My problem is that I have an MY10 car with the ne, 1 piece switches.

To the right of the hazard where you have a bank of three blanks, is it possible to remove all 3 blanks and install 3 new switches?

Has anyone done this on an updated button set-up?


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## ssaylor (Jul 16, 2006)

Super old post but age old problem. Has anyone added a button/switch for a garage door opener on a face lifted A3? 

In the pics, the garage door cover looks to be a different color/texture black plastic. Are the blank covers removable from the dummy switch too? I'd just as soon have a blank switch and know it's the opener.


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## 2006_A3_2.0T (Jan 11, 2013)

Does anobody have a link for the switch/button for early 2006 A3's? I need this mod becaise Its annoying to carry the opener with the keys or lying around somewhere in the cabin. Thanks in advance


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## OCaudi (Nov 16, 2006)

The site doesn't exist anymore. Just go with the cheaper mod. 

http://forums.fourtitude.com/showthread.php?2930422-DIY-07-Homelink-install-write-up-complete


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## lausch (Mar 29, 2002)

2006_A3_2.0T said:


> ...It's annoying to carry the opener with the keys or lying around somewhere in the cabin.


"If the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy."


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