Audi Cabriolet remote central locking installation

[fritzvis]

When I bought my Cabriolet a few months ago, there was central locking but it did not have the remote function unfortunately.

I bought a remote control for my B4 Audi online few weeks ago. Payed just £10 for 2 switchblade keys and receiver. (see picture 1)
Duplicating my original key to the switchblade keys was more expensive than the whole Lanbo set payed £15 for that... and £2 for 2 Audi logo doming stickers to attach to key fobs.
Keys are of excellent quality. The hardest thing for the installation was removing the panel on the (UK) driver side. That is where the vacuum pump is installed for a Cabriolet. For other models it seems to be in the trunk.
For those who are interested, here you have a small "How to..."

- remove 2 screws on bottom of cushion (left and right) behind carpet lip to loosen rear seat cushion and pull cushion out
- remove 2 screws on bottom of backrest and push backrest upwards to remove from the car
- remove cushion attached to panel. only 2 screws on top (from where the softtop folds in) then 2 screws on right side and 1 screw on the bottom side
- now you are ready to remove side panel:
--- remove 2 unbraco screws located where flaps open te let softtop fold in and out.
--- remove 1 screw from where soft top folds in, on top right of the panel
--- remove cap from seatbelt holder on top and remove bolt. Watch out there is a spacer underneath so it wan't fall inside car body
--- remove bolt from seatbelt holder on bottom and slide seatbelt over the chrome bar to free it from the bottom. (it is under plastic trim
--- remove screw in middle of lef side of the panel. you might have to cut of rubber cover from screw to be able to lose it
--- there is 1 more screw on bottom of panel, and 2 screws on left side of panel
- remove panel from car.

now you are ready to cut some wires and install receiver:

- picture 2 : location of vacuum pump that opens and closes doors
- picture 3 : cut tie rips to free vacuum pump and remove from insulation
- picture 4 : needed wires are in plug 1 and 2
- in plug 1 you find the 12V and Earth wire you need to power your receiver, splice them and attach wires from the receiver
- in plug 2 you only need to find 1 wire and that is the blue/green wire. this is the trigger wire. Wire this one up as the needed (can vary for system to system). I had to cut wire and attach it to 2 wires coming from the receiver. There is always a drawing with the system. Follow this guide, but remember, you only need blue/green wire
- picture 5 : all wires connected
- picture 6 : put pump back in the way it came out
- picture 7 : find a decent location for receiver. I taped the antenna wire along the car body facing upward
- picture 8 : all back in place and ready to retrace your steps to install panel and seats back...

I didn't bother to wire the windows, left and right turning lights and the led warning light that came with the system. I just needed the remote opening and closing function of the system.

It works perfectly, I'm very happy

There is 1 problem I have to address! The OEM key has a transponder in it, the 2 swithblade keys that came with the receiver don't... so I can turn key but car won't start. I will take care of that this or next week!

bye

[fritzvis]

here you have next pictures from previous post:

- picture 6 : put pump back in the way it came out
- picture 7 : find a decent location for receiver. I taped the antenna wire along the car body facing upward
- picture 8 : all back in place and ready to retrace your steps to install panel and seats back...

[msh]

Common location for aftermarket alarms/keyless entries is somewhere around fusebox, and nicer, though requiring more in-depth knowledge, solution for this is installation of late B5 central locking pump, to which B5/C5 keyfobs can be adapted.

[fritzvis]

Originally Posted by msh

Common location for aftermarket alarms/keyless entries is somewhere around fusebox, and nicer, though requiring more in-depth knowledge, solution for this is installation of late B5 central locking pump, to which B5/C5 keyfobs can be adapted.

Hey msh,

would indeed be much easier if you wouldn't have to remove the rear seats and panel. I searched for a lot of info on different forae but the only thing I could find is to search for the trigger wire going into the vacuum pump, which I did. Rest I had to figure out on my own.

Once seats and panel were out, from then on it was a piece of cake and with my basic knowledge I was happy with the result I'm no engineer, just a salesman tied to his computer screen from morning till evening and happy to be able to reset the mind in the weekend enjoying a classic Audi

[msh]

Yeah, I understand you - I've been at this point some 10 years ago

[quattrodave]

I traced the wires out of the central locking in the drivers door and tapped into the wire in the drivers footwell easy when you find the wires and know the colours this was when I did the B4 avant quattro a few years ago.

[fritzvis]

Originally Posted by quattrodave

I traced the wires out of the central locking in the drivers door and tapped into the wire in the drivers footwell easy when you find the wires and know the colours this was when I did the B4 avant quattro a few years ago.

Hey Quattrodave,

I thought about that too, but there are so many wires and I didn't want to take the risk to start cutting and messing up the wrong wires That is why I searched for the pump to make sure I was looking at the correct wires
It also gave me the opportunity to clean underneath and behind the seats. you can not believe how dirty it was in there after 17 years. It is also very easy to clean the seats once they are out of the car.
And my wife was happy too, I was in the garage for all weekend so she had the time to go Xmas shopping all alone... ( at least that is what she told me )