Electric-Life’s power door...
Electric-Life’s power door lock and window kits provide everything we needed for the full power conversion. The door kit comes complete with two actuators, pull rods, keyless entry alarm and two key fobs, and all necessary wiring harnesses.
Reaching across to the passenger door to unlock it or to crank the window down is a pain in the ass. Take it from us who have had to drive around in a semi-late model truck that wasn’t purchased with all the bells and whistles. Those little extra packages cost money, man! Although the side lunge motion has turned into a quick, convenient way to get a little exercise we’d rather save the effort for the gym.
We conducted a bit of research on just how we could update functionality, and we liked what we saw in Electric-Life’s products. They offer quality power window and door lock kits with keyless entry capabilities that looked relatively easy to install. With calculator in hand, we tallied the total price for all the parts we needed to successfully pull off the full power conversion. For just over $300 and what looked to be a few hours of work, we were finally convinced that placing the order for parts would be worth every single penny. Look out drive-thrus—here we come!
Watch and take notes as the Orange County Rod and Custom crew from Anaheim, California, add a little electricity to our S-10’s caveman interior.
1. The Colibri universal power...
1. The Colibri universal power window kit includes window regulators, switches, a variety of gears, handle crank hole covers, wiring harnesses, and all hardware necessary for the job.
2. Leo Carbajal, Orange County...
2. Leo Carbajal, Orange County Rod and Customs’ talented go-to guy, began the S-10’s power transformation by first removing the manual window crank, door lock bezel, and a few bolts that secured the door panel in place.
3. With the panel and inner...
3. With the panel and inner cover removed, Leo assessed the location of the factory door lock rods and window crank and figured out a game plan.
4. Leo drilled out the three...
4. Leo drilled out the three rivets that held the window crank bracket in place and removed the bracket completely since the Colibri regulator would be connected directly to the window crank gear.
5. With the Colibri regulator...
5. With the Colibri regulator in hand, Leo chose the correct gear sleeve combo and slipped it onto the handle pivot end. Since this is a universal power window kit, Electric-Life supplied many different sizes of cranks and sleeves to select from, which have been labeled and cross-referenced in the directions for a correct, application-specific fit.
6. With the gear mechanism...
6. With the gear mechanism properly assembled, Leo placed the handle pivot into position and added support with the supplied metal tapping screws, rubber bungs, and brackets.
7. Using similar hardware,...
7. Using similar hardware, Leo then strategically positioned and secured the motor-end of the regulator. There was just enough space alongside the window mechanism, so we measured twice and drilled our holes once. The instructions indicated that this process was to be done with the window rolled down, which allowed Leo to check for any contact between the motor and window glass.
8. With the power window setup...
8. With the power window setup in place on the passenger side, aside from all wiring, Leo next moved on to the door lock kit by first screwing a provided mounting strap to the actuator.
9. Mounting the actuator required...
9. Mounting the actuator required much caution because the lock rod that connects to it and the factory lock rods operates much better when given a straight plane of travel. Leo selected a great mounting location that allows for seamless actuator operation—the lock rod connected to the actuator extends while unlocking the door and returns to the locked position on the most direct plane imaginable for our application. Leo also strategically positioned the actuator in a spot that would tuck flush behind the door panel upon reassembly.
10. The fastening clamp that...
10. The fastening clamp that connects both the actuator lock rod and factory lock rod was tightened using the tool supplied in Electric-Life’s kit.
11. After Leo repeated the...
11. After Leo repeated the same steps thus far on the driver-side door, he began routing the wiring...
12. ...which was made easier...
12. ...which was made easier by accessing the open panels behind the glovebox and underneath the steering column.
13. Once the wiring was routed...
13. Once the wiring was routed from the driver side, Leo connected the power window motors and door lock actuators...
14. ...and we now had the...
14. ...and we now had the makings of our power upgrade bolted on and wired up.
15. With the door panels buttoned...
15. With the door panels buttoned back up and Electric-Life’s new alarm/keyless entry installed under the hood, Leo simply selected and connected a grommet and cap combo from the kit, which covered up the hole left from removing the manual window crank.
16. Since we didn’t want to...
16. Since we didn’t want to make any unnecessary holes in the door panels, we decided to ditch the coin slot in the center console and mount the window switches there. Although the switches were almost a perfect fit, Leo used a Dremel tool to widen the sides of the opening and notch the inner tab for adequate room for the wiring attached to each of the three switches.
17. Although Electric-Life’s...
17. Although Electric-Life’s power window kit came complete with black plastic illuminated switches, we opted for a set of the company’s optional billet switches to give the S-10’s already dark interior some sparkle. These switches added another 150 bucks to the total, but billet interior accessories are always easy on the eyes.
18. Once the billet switches...
18. Once the billet switches were connected to the power window harnesses, they were secured into place using a silicone epoxy. We now have power to both passenger- and driver-side windows at a finger’s reach.