ORIGINAL: ErikJohnson

Adding power options to non-powered optioned cars.

For both two and four door cars, some electrical checks need to be preformed to see if the work will be worth the effort.

Parts list:
-power window lifts
-power lock motors (in the door latch assembly)
-power mirrors
-door wiring harnesses
-power window switches/pods
-power lock switches
-power mirror switches
-door panels (optional, front only, more on this later)
-30-amp circuit breaker
-FSM or Haynes or Chiltions repair manual

To start…follow these directions.
On the front door, either passenger or drivers, locate the rubber hose that wires pass through the car to the door. What you need to do is pull off that rubber hose from the a-pillar. Then, take a flat head screwdriver and pry out the plastic plug that snaps into the a-pillar. You are looking for a bunch of wires, on the dashboard side of this plug that I just had you pop out. If you have what looks to be every pin on the car side of the harness, you have the easy route. If you only have the two speaker wires, you will need to either get a harness out of a car that has the power options, or you will need to run each wire yourself between the doors. Not fun.

For the lucky ones that have all the wires:
The plug that I had you pry out of the a-pillar is actually a harness plug; this plug mates the dashboard of the car, to the door of the car. You have the easier route…all you will need is the internal door parts, and the door wiring harness. You will need to remove your parts, and replace your parts with the factory power pieces.

For the unlucky ones that don’t have the wires:
First off, I feel bad for you. If you still want to do this swap, you will need to either go to a junk yard, find a car with all the power options, and not only get the power options, but you will also need the entire dashboard wiring harness. To get at this, the entire dash needs to be removed from the car for best access. If your not up to that task, you will need to run all the wires from the power options to hook them up to the fuse box, and then connect the two or four doors together. Either way, you’ve got a big job ahead.

I had the complete dash harness, so the rest of this how-to will be written from my viewpoint.

To test everything:
Disconnect that battery. You will need to remove both rubber tubes on both sides of the car, and unplug the door harness from both sides of the car. Plug in the new, power harness to both sides of the car, and lay them on the floor. Plug in all your new power options, and switches. Install the power window circuit breaker in the top of the fuse block in the dashboard. Connect battery. Test all operations, locks, mirrors, and windows. You will need to have the ignition turned on for the mirrors and windows to work. If something does not work, track down the problem. Make sure that everything is plugged in. Test for voltages in the switches, according to the FSM, or a Haynes book. Once you get everything working, you can proceed. When I did the swap, all of my new stuff worked flawlessly.

Install:
The first thing I did was disconnect the battery. Then, remove the door panels, and all your non-power stuff from one door only. This is so you can look at how everything fits on the other if you forget how something went together. You’ll need a torx bit to remove the door latches. I first installed the new latches, and then the power mirrors. Then, remove the window regulator, and install the new power one. After all that, run the wiring harness through the door to all your new power goodies. Put the door panel together with the switches and pods. Plug the harness into the door panel, but do not re-install the door panel. Repeat for the other side. If you have a four door, install the rear power latches. You can re-install the rear door panels if you so choose at this point.

Next, locate the fuse block on the driver’s side of the dashboard. At the very top of the gray block, there will be a spot for a circuit breaker. Install this circuit breaker; this is for the power windows. Then, reconnect the battery, and turn on the ignition. Test all the new power options. Make sure that the power windows work properly, and do not interfere with any of the wiring. Make sure the locks work. Make sure that the power mirrors work. If any of the above doesn’t, fix the problem (either defective part, or not plugged in), and re-test. When you are satisfied, re-install the door panels. Give yourself a pat on the back, you are done.

More on the door panels:
If you only want to add power windows to your Neon, you do not need new door panels. You can simply cut out the hole for the power window pod, and install there. You will not be able to modify your factory panels to accept the factory power mirror switch, or the factory power lock switch. You can find plenty of switches that are in other cars that work the same as the Neon factory switch, and be able to modify the factory non-power door panel to accept this switch. I have found that the power lock switches from old Volvos will work. Proceed at your own risk.

Final notes:
The way that out Neons are set up, there are NOT any relays for the power mirrors, locks, or windows. The switch handles all the current of the power options. Do not attempt to look for any relays, you will not find them.

Try to get parts from a ’99 Neon. There were a few TSB’s regarding knocking noises coming from the power window regulators. They do not affect performance in any way; they are just not silent during operation.

If you cannot perform basic maintenance, or basic electrical work, do not attempt this swap. There is very little electrical work involved, and only basic mechanical skill required, but…if you screw something up, it will be a big deal.

This how-to was written on the assumption that the operator of this operation has mechanical knowledge.

ORIGINAL: spudsterier

i will have to remember to rip them outa my other r/t before i junk it

ORIGINAL: spudsterier
ok so i found out that i have all the wires waiting by the door, so its just plug and play with the wire harness