Hi all,

I have a '96 sport, and I know this topic has been posted plenty of times to just add aftermarket keyless entry, but I'm trying to find a way to replace my IR factory keyless entry with an RF module from Amazon, WITHOUT hacking or splicing into the factory harness. My factory system stopped working, and I'd like to keep my Jeep as factory as possible for as long as I can. I've been looking into making a "jumper" or intermediate connector to plug into the harness connector under the driver's kick panel with another connector cut from the junkyard with both the male and female sides. The factory connector would be disconnected, then connected back into the corresponding side of the new intermediate connector. This would leave the new connectors' sides with the wires facing each other. I'd splice both sides of the cut connector together, then splice the wires of the aftermarket keyless entry into the "jumper connector" wires of the intermediate connector (I would just splice the other wires I don't tap into in the connector back to each other as if they weren't cut). I just want to do this for the sake of not having to cut into the factory harness wires. I've never seen anyone talk about doing this on their XJ. Has it never been done due to the simplicity of just cutting and splicing into the factory harness? Would other issues come with it? Is it just a stupid idea? Time isn't really an issue, and if it's not possible, I'll leave the factory system as is and not add the aftermarket system.

Thanks!

 

when you say the factory remote entry stopped working, did you diagnose exactly what part of the system failed.
Could be the chip board mounted in the roof by the mirror, could be a grounded wire in the door, could be a bad fuse, could be a bad remote. What ever you do with aftermarket will be what it is, an aftermarket system.
I know you can find replacement circuit boards and remotes through "wanted to buy" on many Jeep sites, sometimes E-Bay and places like Dead Jeep . com. Possibly in local junk yards, but they are getting harder to find. I assuming that you have locked and unlocked the doors with the manual door switches and ruled out the power door lock actuators are not the problem.

 

I did this on my '88. It came with the IR keyless entry but I never got the fobs for it. Since the IR is pretty limited in range, I put on an RF based one. Mine had the lock/unlock relays under the passenger side kick panel. I just wired the lock/unlock wires from the new unit into their respective relays. I only needed a constant 12v, key on 12v and ground. I did connect the wire to flash the lights but didn't bother with the horn, fuel pump shutoff, etc. I stashed the control unit under the center console.

 

I don't know how different a 96 is from a 2000 but what I did was bought a used board and matching fobs off of ebay. As I didn't even know I had IR keyless entry until I removed everything to replace the head liner.

 

BruceB: The power locks still work from the master switch in the driver's door, and I know the fob still works. The range gradually decreased over the last two years, and swapping key batteries helped for the first year or so, but hasn't helped since. So bad a receiver on the board? Or bad key (The light on the key still works)?

I was looking to mainly swap to an RF keyless entry system for the extended range compared to IR. I was looking at eBay to find some 97+ OEM RF systems to swap if possible, but a system with a paired fob and board is $120+. I also haven't found a board and a fob to match each other at any junkyards near me.

If I were to custom-create that intermediate connector to essentially make the aftermarket keyless entry "plug and play," it'd allow for simple removal if I were to sell the Jeep and keep it completely OEM. Still curious if this is possible.