1998 dodge dakota locks

Hey guys I have a problem and was wondering if you could help. I have spent a couple hours on here reading the forums so I know there are some skilled installers whom I hope can help me. First of all let me explain what I am doing. Get ready because your gonna laugh. I have a 1998 dodge dakota w/ manuel options and I recently bought a wrecked 1997 dakota that is loaded up. I have grown up in a collision shop so I pretty familiar with vehicles and for the most part how they work.( or so I thought). I started Friday night by gutting the doors on my truck (manuel options but auto tranny) and gutting the parts truck. ( auto also). I first replaced the power window regulators and and the door wiring harness. Then I had to run a hot wire to the window switch and PRESTO I had power windows that worked from both sides like they were installed factory. I thought easy enough. Right? Wrong! I thought hey lets put the power door locks in from the other truck also. Now I know that the door locks function off of a series of factory relays or modules under the dash but I figured I could get buy that. Wrong again. I finally gave up at midnight on friday and decided I would go get a aftermarket actuator and install on my old manuel locks. Another problem I do not know how to include my factory door switch into a sequence of relays to run the actuator along with being able to use the keyless entry from the crimestopper remote start.  I also in this mess installed an Crimestopper RS900 V remote start on the truck. This works fine except for the fact that I have no power locks to use. It also spits a negative (-) pulse out at the hook ups.  I found out how to convert a negative pulse to a positive using a relay but I am about at my wits end. I am very close, I think, but I need Some help from someone who KNOWS what they are talking about. If anyone can help I would be very grateful. A local installer ( I would take there but he has a bad rep) said that this could not be done but I have a feeling I may be able to. I worked 7 hrs friday, 8 hrs sat, 6 hrs today and I havent gotten any farther than hr 3 on friday night. PLEASE HELP ME!

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Barnsy

are you still wanting to use the factory power locks or did you buy aftermarket actuators already? either way, it's pretty easy to wire up.

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Whatever you do, DO NOT let the white smoke leak out of the wires.....

I have both, but would very much like to use the factory locks. I can take the aftermarket back. I bought them yesterday and was told to bring them back if they didn't suit. They are the clip on style to vertical lock rod that I need to bend here and shim there. I am only using the wiring harness in the door nothing under the dash. Can it still be done with out the factory relays or modules? thanks for your help!

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Barnsy

Hey guys I was wondering if anyone had a chance to look at my post. If anyone could help I'd appreciate it. Thanks

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Barnsy

I was hoping to take my truck home tomorrow night to get ready to haul stuff for thanksgiving dinner. I would at least like to get my power door locks working by the switch. Could someone give me some tips? thanks

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Barnsy

I was wondering how I can convert the pulse coming out of my switch to enough volts to trip the lock. I was using a test light the other night to check it and I got the lock to trip. This was the closest that I have been so far. Does anyone know how to do this using relays?

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Barnsy

wil3404,

I don't know the working of the switch of your vehicle, but the basic ideas remains the same. The diagram here will give you the idea where to look.

Using actuator, and two relays.

If you have working factory actuator, then used the diagram with the two relays shown. At the door switch, you can convert that to ground and add that connection to the relays.    

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Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it.

Thank you very much for helping me. I follow everything except where you say "can convert that to ground and add that connection to the relays" Does this mean that I need 2 more relays? And that I will need to change the pulse from positive to negative? Then feed that through the black wire in the diagram that says "Negative output from unit? If anyone wants to look at this and help I'd appreciate it. I am trying to get this finished so I can used it tomorrow.  Thanks again.

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Barnsy

Ok I'm finally getting somewhere! I have a lot of clicking from my 4 relays but that is it. My factory door locks still will not work.( I hooked up the aftermarket actuators and the won't work either Can someone please help me wrap this up so I can quit bothering you guys on this topic.

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Barnsy

I am now installing aftermarket actuators on my 98 dodge dakota. I have all the relays hooked up to where the relays all sound like they are working when the switch is triggered but I cannot get the actuators to work. They are a 2 wire model that need a positive pulse to lock and to unlock. Anyone have any tips?

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Barnsy

The actuators require positive and negative to function, reversing the positive and negative feeds to the actuator makes the actuator move in the opposite direction.

Follow this diagram

can this be used with a switch? It says amout not using a switch. How can I change it to use a switch. Thanks

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Barnsy

“The only problem there was nothing on the working on the lock. I used a light(I haven't gotten a meter yet) to check and found that both legs of the motor were hot all the time. Is this correct?”

No it is not. The actuators as you have found out require a positive and negative current to function.   When you reverse the positive and negative feeds to the actuator, the actuator move in the opposite direction. To make it work without having to manually switch between the two wires a relay is added. This eliminate the manual function of switching the polarity on the two wires going into the actuator.   

“. But unfortunatly it is not that easy to do with relays. Can you see where I may have went wrong or what I can do. My switch is a 3 wire it has a constant hot and a wire for lock pulse and unlock pulse.”


Actually, it is very easy! I sense the fact that you are having a hard time trying to grasp the concept of the relay switching polarity, which is the part that is slowing you down. Try understand the function of the relays from the figure that is posted. It may make the explains a bit easier.

Before you start running.
Are you able to get the two relays and the after market actuator working? Take a step back for a second, because I think if I can get you to understand this, you will laugh at yourself that you over look something so simple. Without further instruction from me, try playing with the connection using the two relays and the actuator. Do this on the work table . Pull the battery off the truck so you are not tempted to work on it. I think you must have been at it long enough.   If you get stuck continue to post your question. I am sure if you beat it down long enough you will get it done.



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Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it.

Your right I will give it because I refuse to give up. I have been at in long enough about 30 hours! I know sounds insane but It's true. I have tried every wiring diagram I can imagine might be it but still not it. I am going to do what you suggested and see if I can go from there. Does is still seem possible to be able to hook up the factory lock system and switch? Or should I throw the factory lock away and use the aftermarket unit with switch. I would really like to use the factory set up but that is driving me nuts. Thanks for your time man I appreciate it.

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Barnsy

Good news. They WORK! Man what a project. I really thank you guys who took the time to help me out.  "thepencil" you were right when I saw how simple this was I laughed but then thought about crying when I realized how much time I have wasted.  Oh well I guess we all have to start somewhere. Thanks again.

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Barnsy

have a nice holiday guys I have to get home and get ready to see the "IN LAWS"

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Barnsy

You are like me, if it’s a challenge it going to be working, a coffee, no sleep; lunch, dinner and we are off again. My significant other goes nuts on this stuff because of the faulty trait that I got.


“I am going to do what you suggested and see if I can go from there.”


Yes, do that. Take the battery off the truck. Use the battery to power up the relay and actuator for your experiment. When you think you have enough that when you will began to see the forest from the trees.


“Does is still seem possible to be able to hook up the factory lock system and switch? “


Yes you can!   
Were you able to find the two wires from the factory actuator that feeds to the factory system?   Were you able to test them and get them to worked. What I mean by testing is when you applied – and + to the factory actuator wire, were you able to get them moving up and down? If you got to this part you are one step closer. If the factory actuator are working you will have less work to do now because you will no longer need to put the after market actuator in, but instead us the existing factory actuator.   In my options, if you have not been able to figure out how the connection from one truck goes on to the other truck. Forget it. The wire maybe be different from both truck all together. Unless, you have the actual wiring schematic of both truck you are just wasting your time when you applying the guessing technique. It maybe over your ability at this point to do that, but going around this with the basic principle that I show you using the two-relay diagram. The result will just be just the same, a functioning power door locks that you insisted upon getting. The switch on the door shouldn’t be a problem because you now know how the relay works. You are going to use the existing wire on the switch and convert the polarity to fit the working of the two aftermarket relays you have install. Hint, it will be converted to negative.   I hope it’s making a little sense to you now.


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Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it.