Power locks on the toolbox

[tbrudder]

I'd been looking to do this for some time. The cheap lock on my aluminum toolbox was never easy to turn, and it's a pain anyway to have to fish around for the key to get the thing open. Everything else is power--why not the toolbox?



Unfortunately, it appears no one else shares my ideals. Plenty of power tailgate and topper locks, no dice on the toolbox. So, I decided I'd make my own.



Started when I found a power door lock actuator on eBay for about $2. 00. There's plenty of them available.



Mounted this to the toolbox with machine screws. Drilled a small hole in the piece of metal that rotates in front of the latch when it's locked, used the hardware included with the actuator to connect them together, like so:



#ad




Here's a closeup:



#ad




Forgive the wire taps--my soldering iron is broken.



Only problem with this setup is, the latch won't rotate unless the key is in it. So I scored the key just past the point of the last pin in the tumbler, broke it off, stuck it in the keyhole, and sealed the whole thing up with JB Weld. Nothing to grab on to and turn. I suppose you could beat a screwdriver in and turn it, but that would be about as hard as breaking the original lock open, I think.



Had a bit of trouble with it vibrating open at first, found it was the screw I'd put through the hole I drilled backing out. Tightened up with a bit of green threadlocker, and it's fine now.



As far as wiring, it's pretty simple. Ground one wire, +12V on the other, it locks--reverse the connection, it unlocks. You'd need a DPDT momentary contact switch--if you leave it energized, it will keep trying to move, and burn up. I had two extra buttons on my car alarm remote, though, so I decided to use one to lock, and one to unlock. I used the four-wire setup from the12volt.com because I had a bunch of SPST relays around--if you have some SPDT relays, the 5-wire setup only needs two.



Anyway, I think it's great. Hit one button, the toolbox unlocks; hit another, it locks again. A couple pushbuttons or momentary-contact switches could replace the alarm outputs. Only problem is, if the servo fails, I'll have to drill out the lock to get the box open.



Now, has anyone else tried this another way? Any ideas for improvement?

 

[The Adjuster]

tbrudder,



Any way this could be wired up to the original door lock wiring switch, that way when the truck is locked so is the toolbox, and of course visa versa, if it is unlocked. I have a problem of locking my truck but forgeting to lock the toolbox ... great concept ... get it refined as a kit and sell it



Kevin

 

[tbrudder]

Yeah, you could wire it into the door locks. Shouldn't be too hard--that was what I was going to do at first, actually. Then I figured that since I lock and unlock my doors far, far more often than I need to get in the toolbox, it would just be unnecessary wear on the servo. This way, I just lock it as soon as I close it, so I don't forget. Plus, I don't have to pull the door panel off, and find which wire goes negative for lock and unlock.



As far as a kit, I think I'm too lazy for that . And while the fundamentals are the same, everyone's toolbox is going to be slightly different, so a one-size-fits-all job won't work. There's not all that much to it, though--the servo actuator from eBay, some wire, and then a switch or a relay network, depending on how tricky you want to go on the operation.



--Ty

 

[mroidt]

Great Job !!!!

Thanks I think I'm gonna try that!!



Always thought it quite a bit of a pain myself,



kinda like the rolling locks. Wish someone would come



up with a way that when you put it in park, they both



unlock!!!!!



Any Ideas, I'm listening.

 

[tbrudder]

I drive a manual transmission, but I think the autos have an interlock switch that gets closed when you put it in park. You could probably use that to drive some relays hooked to the door lock switches...



--Ty

 

[mroidt]

tbrudder you wouldn't have any idea where to look for that interlock switch? I've got the manual with wiring diagram

just wondering where to start looking.

 

[RobertBolinger]

To tie it into the door locks...

This will work on 2003-2004.



Remove the plastic kick panel to the left of the parking brake.



Locate the wiring harness that goes to the drivers door.



For 2003 tap the Tan/pink and Tan/orange wires.



For 2004 tap the light green and tan/light green.

 

[tbrudder]

I'm not sure about the interlock switch. The switch itself will be somewhere on the transmission. Might be called a neutral safety switch, neutral start switch--something like that. The wire will have to come into the cab somewhere. I think the switch actuates in either park or neutral, and keeps the starter from running if it's not in one of those two gears.



Robert--nice tip on the door locks. I might have to try that some day, if I need the extra buttons on my alarm remote for an engine start or self-destruct or something.



--Ty

 

[mroidt]

Thanks

First thing I thought of but wasn't sure you were.

Did a little reading on that already. The neutral start switch connects the ground for the starter solenoid ground circuit.

So if I use a regular relay, it will send a contiuous signal to the motor!!!



Question: will motor continue to try to unlock or stop when unlocked?



Hope I'm not pushing my luck here asking, I know we're a little off your subject .



and I really like yours!!!

 

[tbrudder]

If you had it hooked to close a relay when the shifter was in park, yeah--the motor would keep pushing. You'd need a way to convert a constant output to a pulse.



Let me see... ah.

http://the12volt.com/relays/page5.asp#ctm



That would do it for you. the12volt.com has some pretty handy tricks, other than that one.



Also, I should probably say this is all theoretical--the way I did mine hasn't burned my truck to the ground yet, and I don't think it will. Going beyond this you could burn up some parts (i. e. transmission switch) if you hook something up the wrong way, so be careful.



Nice to see other people have ideas, though--I'm just surprised no one's posted anything here before. Seems like something a lot of people would find handy...



--Ty

 

[mroidt]

WOW

Thanks again , I think its to much time on my hands.

This is a ground circuit ,so from what I know, I should be safe.

I think thats the idea behind using grounding circuits,

I hope . Thanks again

 

[tbrudder]

Even if it's a grounding circuit, you might want to isolate it with a relay or something. Even if it's ground, current flows through the wire (just in the other direction). If you put a heavy load on it, you could burn out the switch (similar to guys putting 100W foglights in for reverse lights, and not using a relay--burned reverse switch). Also, if you provide an alternate path for a signal, it can have unintended consequences--say the shift interlock (for example) usually releases only when the switch is closed. Depending on how you add stuff into that circuit, it may be able to ground through the stuff you added. If that happens, you've effectively bypassed that safety switch.



Diodes can help you out there--again, the12volt.com is a good resource for that.



As far as too much time on one's hands--how do you think I came up with my little hack in the first place! Idle hands, and all...



--Ty

 

[mroidt]

Ty

I'm for sure gonna use a relay and I'm studing them diodes!!



Marc

 

[DFrank]

Originally posted by mroidt

Thanks I think I'm gonna try that!!



Always thought it quite a bit of a pain myself,



kinda like the rolling locks. Wish someone would come



up with a way that when you put it in park, they both



unlock!!!!!



Any Ideas, I'm listening.

If you don't feel thje need to have the dooors locked while driving you can set your keyless to unlock all the doors at once and not lock them when you hit drive.



there are iknstructions in the manual, but I after a few tries I had the dealer do it.

 

[mroidt]

DFrank

Yea I know about the locks ,had it on a notepad on the computer but a virus got it .

Have to do a search again.



But I guess the Park unlock thing, I was after that GM feel !!!