2016 Outlander keyfob hack. REMOTE HEATER!

[Mitch]

After failing my first test with shorting, I soldered a button to SW3 yesterday.
What should I say, it is NOT working :evil:

Will try also soldering a button on SW6 on weekend. Maybe this is working....

 

[generaltso]

After failing my first test with shorting, I soldered a button to SW3 yesterday.
What should I say, it is NOT working :evil:

Will try also soldering a button on SW6 on weekend. Maybe this is working....

If you have a 2019, it's not going to work.

 

[user 3409]

I tried this today on my MY17 Juro Commercial (2 + 1 button fob) and unfortunately it didn't work.

 

[seppette]

2017 here. What a killer mod!

Dry-run tried it by shorting (a simulated double click) the SW3 => Success! That is, the heater started in the car.

Will any tampering with the keyfobs void the warranty?

Since I have two keyfobs with "half-functioning" heating functionality (both have only the Heater off -button), I'm considering making one "fully functional" fob out of them.. I'd just loot one keyfob : strip the "Heater off" button and solder off the switch under it, then swap those with the stub ones in the other keyfob.

 

[Phil]

2017 here. What a killer mod!

Dry-run tried it by shorting (a simulated double click) the SW3 => Success! That is, the heater started in the car.

Will any tampering with the keyfobs void the warranty?

Since I have two keyfobs with "half-functioning" heating functionality (both have only the Heater off -button), I'm considering making one "fully functional" fob out of them.. I'd just loot one keyfob : strip the "Heater off" button and solder off the switch under it, then swap those with the stub ones in the other keyfob.

What!! It worked?
Is that an early 2017 then, didn’t think it worked beyond 2016 models!

 

[seppette]

Well it should be 2017 all right - although I'm not sure since I'm the 2nd owner, but the vehicle was first registered in June 2017 and was sold to me as a 2017 model.. How can I check to know for sure? And will I void the warranty if I mod the keyfobs?

 

[SunnySuffolk]

I have a 2015 4hs model PHEV with the following key-fob buttons: three silver buttons on the front (lock,unlock,electric tailgate) and 2 buttons on the sides, one of which is blank; the other has a timer symbol and the word “off” on it.
Please could someone kindly summarise what the detailed step by step process is for this hack - ideally with annotated photos and links as I'm sure others with the same key-fob would benefit from it!

 

[elm70]

There are lot of photos here

Maybe the best you can find in this page:
http://www.myoutlanderphev.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=2118&start=70

Just scan this 11 pages thread .. and you should find lot of information

 

[Zuikkis]

Heh. Here's a picture of my modified keyfob.. I'm waiting for 4 button case from ebay, this will do until then. Can start the heater from inside the house.

 

[mcalvert39]

Well... this hack is just the best. Something so simple. Ever since I bought the PHEV ive looked at that blank button and thought . . it must do something. I just never got round to playing with it .. . until today. My main reason for doing this is because I got a new phone and no matter how hard i tried i couldnt get it to connect to the car.

This Mod took me around 20 minutes and I used the standard fob case. The only thing I bought was a couple of switches.

So first of all I stripped down the fob and soldered on a new switch. Its a little fiddley but just take your time, cover the rest of the board with something just to stop any solder splatter that may jump off the iron.





I then removed the blank in the fob and cut down the 3 or 4 tiny bumps.. . the ones that are all in a line. Dont touch the two taller retaining clips.



I then cut down a small pice of WD40 straw and glued it onto the blank. I had to trim it a little more than whats on the picture I think overall its around 1.5mm long.



Next. .. make the hole in the fob case match the one on the other side. (take the 'off' button out to compare).



Put it all back together and see if it works.

So just for info my car is a 2016 GX4H.
Before I attempted this i made sure the switch would actually work by dismantling the fob, holding the battery onto the board and shorting SW3 with a screwdriver (double tap).

The car was plugged in and UNLOCKED. When the lights flashed the car also locked but the mirrors did not fold in. (not until the actual lock button is pressed).
I couldnt hear or see anything happen at first but then I remembered . . i have a in home energy meter thingy so i can see what the house is using. I looked at that and sure enough there was a draw on the system becasue the car was heating up. If i wouldnt have seen this Id never have known it worked, unless i waited 15-20 minutes.
I think it would run until the battery runs out. I do not think it would start the car simply cut out. If it did run the engine, it would as far as i know would be illigal to leave a car unattended while running.

Cheers everyone.
Matt.

 

[derekduvalle]

Where did you get those little switches from I cant seem to find any of the correct size.

Well... this hack is just the best. Something so simple. Ever since I bought the PHEV ive looked at that blank button and thought . . it must do something. I just never got round to playing with it .. . until today. My main reason for doing this is because I got a new phone and no matter how hard i tried i couldnt get it to connect to the car.

This Mod took me around 20 minutes and I used the standard fob case. The only thing I bought was a couple of switches.

So first of all I stripped down the fob and soldered on a new switch. Its a little fiddley but just take your time, cover the rest of the board with something just to stop any solder splatter that may jump off the iron.





I then removed the blank in the fob and cut down the 3 or 4 tiny bumps.. . the ones that are all in a line. Dont touch the two taller retaining clips.



I then cut down a small pice of WD40 straw and glued it onto the blank. I had to trim it a little more than whats on the picture I think overall its around 1.5mm long.



Next. .. make the hole in the fob case match the one on the other side. (take the 'off' button out to compare).



Put it all back together and see if it works.

So just for info my car is a 2016 GX4H.
Before I attempted this i made sure the switch would actually work by dismantling the fob, holding the battery onto the board and shorting SW3 with a screwdriver (double tap).

The car was plugged in and UNLOCKED. When the lights flashed the car also locked but the mirrors did not fold in. (not until the actual lock button is pressed).
I couldnt hear or see anything happen at first but then I remembered . . i have a in home energy meter thingy so i can see what the house is using. I looked at that and sure enough there was a draw on the system becasue the car was heating up. If i wouldnt have seen this Id never have known it worked, unless i waited 15-20 minutes.
I think it would run until the battery runs out. I do not think it would start the car simply cut out. If it did run the engine, it would as far as i know would be illigal to leave a car unattended while running.

Cheers everyone.
Matt.

 

[ThudnBlundr]

FWIW photobucket don't allow you to access photos remotely any more, so all anyone else will get is a set of image placeholders if you try using them for hosting. If they actually go to the site for each photo, they will show up, but's it's a PITA

 

[mcalvert39]

FWIW photobucket don't allow you to access photos remotely any more, so all anyone else will get is a set of image placeholders if you try using them for hosting. If they actually go to the site for each photo, they will show up, but's it's a PITA

Ahh that explains why i did have some trouble puting the pics up. Thanks for that.
Do you know of another way I can upload the pics or another hosting site I can use?

 

[mcalvert39]

Where did you get those little switches from I cant seem to find any of the correct size./quote]


https://uk.farnell.com/panasonic-electronic-components/evqp4003m/switch-tactile-edge-mount-1n/dp/1761632

I THINK thats them. I should have kept the paperwork for them for future reference but i didnt.

 

[ThudnBlundr]

FWIW photobucket don't allow you to access photos remotely any more, so all anyone else will get is a set of image placeholders if you try using them for hosting. If they actually go to the site for each photo, they will show up, but's it's a PITA

Ahh that explains why i did have some trouble puting the pics up. Thanks for that.
Do you know of another way I can upload the pics or another hosting site I can use?

I've used flickr for a while. They used to allow unlimited storage and I used to backup all my photos there. Now the free service is limited to 1,000 pictures, so they're deleting my old ones and I can't add new ones :twisted: I've had to open a new account to add new photos for sharing on forums

 

[JohnR]

Adding to this old thread:

I finally got round to trying this on my 2014 GX4H, and I had to use TP5 to make it work. I've not yet modified a shell, just simply wired a switch onto my spare remote for this exercise.

I have the car on the UK 13 Amp charge cable at the moment. The car had finished charging, but when I turned on the heating the draw on my test meter rose to 2KW. What I do want to do is try the remote heating when the battery is flat and not on charge.

John

 

[littlescrote]

Can you buy a 3 key shell with both side buttons in from anywhere? TIA

 

[mmarkiewicz]

Hi,

I'm unable to see any pictures. Why? Could somebody send tutorial?

 

[mdfamily]

+1 ; anyone who might've posted to this thread over the years, with pics, could you please try going back and editing/fixing? (seems like all posts are missing pics)

 

[arundalep]

Has anybody figured out why this doesn’t work on 2017 onward PHEV’s?

I can see both side buttons show as activated in the remote key ecu (they show up as left and right sliding door, presumably the same system is used on the Delica) so the remote is doing its thing.

I have had a look at Etacs coding options but can’t see anything obvious to turn on climate by remote.