Doors off!! Electrical help!

caseycamby

caseycamby

Suspension Lift
Location
Marion, NC
It's been really good, warm weather here lately and even though the windows down felt great... I could just imagine how great it would feel to have my doors off, as well.

So when I got home, I wanted to see how easy it would be and it doesn't look bad. Just 5 bolts that broke away pretty easily.

Herein lies the problem... I'm pretty much wiring stupid. I get the basics but much more than that and I'm clueless haha. I know I'm gonna need some kind of wire-to-wire connectors but I'm not sure how many wires are going to the door. I would like to get some info from someone who has done something similar or knows how many wires are going to the door and what type of connector I'm going to need.

Other than taking the bolts off and making a connector for all the wiring, is there anything else I would need to do? I'm know I'm going to have to make a place for some speakers to take place of the ones that will be lost in the doors (may not be a necessity but, it pretty much is for me haha). And I would also like to be able to stop the "door open" dinging and have the option to lock the center console and glove box. However, those are just minute things that I can fix later on.

This just seems like a fun, fairly easy and cheap mod to do just in time for summer! ;) But I just want to make sure I'm not missing anything and any help with wiring issue will be greatly appreciated!!
 
obi_krash

obi_krash

Suspension Lift
Location
Richmond, VA
However you figure this out, please tell me you will do some sort of how-to. I have thought about this since I bought the thing, just never have had the time/space to figure it out.

Plus I don't know the wiring aspect, hence no off-road lights at the moment.
 
robcarync

robcarync

Sliders
Location
Raleigh, NC
Baf6 did this on clubxterra...or at least tried. Browse through his build thread over there...

He said it sucked and was a failure

I am not sure why...I haven't looked into it...but I don't see how it could be that terribly difficult. Tedious ...Yes...but difficult..I'm not sure...
 
caseycamby

caseycamby

Suspension Lift
Location
Marion, NC
obi_krash said:
However you figure this out, please tell me you will do some sort of how-to. I have thought about this since I bought the thing, just never have had the time/space to figure it out.

Plus I don't know the wiring aspect, hence no off-road lights at the moment.
Click to expand...

Yeah, once I get learnt all the wiring to it I'd be happy to pass along the info in a write-up formation ;) Everything else is fairly simple, to me at least, besides the wiring.

But I know just enough on wiring to do some basic lighting wiring and radio stuff haha other than that.... nope!!!
 
caseycamby

caseycamby

Suspension Lift
Location
Marion, NC
Xado89 said:
We're letting you be the leader at tackling this mod!? Ohhhhh boy....lol
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It's been a longgg day, man haha! I need a nap!!

robcarync said:
Baf6 did this on clubxterra...or at least tried. Browse through his build thread over there...

He said it sucked and was a failure

I am not sure why...I haven't looked into it...but I don't see how it could be that terribly difficult. Tedious ...Yes...but difficult..I'm not sure...
Click to expand...

I'll have to check it out.. What did he say was the failure?? The wiring?

bigjim247365 said:
hahahahaa!
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Jim.. James.... It's an easy misconception ;) haha
 
caseycamby

caseycamby

Suspension Lift
Location
Marion, NC
caseycamby said:
I'll have to check it out.. What did he say was the failure?? The wiring?
Click to expand...

I just saw what you were talking about.. He said he messed up on the connectors and went an entire summer without power windows, locks, mirrors or speakers haha. He did say while he had it off it was "gobbleLIKE" hahaha
 
Muadeeb

Muadeeb

Nissan al Gaib
Admin
Location
Dallas
Fauss has done the removable doors mod.

As for the wiring, you're looking at two connectors, buried deep in the dash if you want to disconnect using the factory plugs. Without that, you have ~33 conductors to deal with if you have power windows and all. To deal with the 'door ajar' signal, you'll want to disconnect the sensor in the body. If you leave it plugged in, the computer will constantly think the door is open. I can't answer what all the computer does with that knowledge, but an open door allows a signal (current) to flow to ground.

The biggest problem I see is trying to get the door lined up again. The mount for the door is large enough to allow some adjustment, and you really need two people to get the door in the proper position. Without lining up the door properly, you risk damage to the latch mechanism, which will require you to replace the entire door.

I'm only saying the reality of dealing with the doors. Read up on Fauss's thread on how he did his doors, as he doesn't appear to have any alignment issues when he puts the doors back on.
 
caseycamby

caseycamby

Suspension Lift
Location
Marion, NC
That's good info. I was actually just thinking about cutting the wires right there where the gap is between the door and dash. And once they were cut, adding a connetctor from there. Is that possible?? haha
 
Xado89

Xado89

Skid Plates
Location
Ocala, FL
caseycamby said:
That's good info. I was actually just thinking about cutting the wires right there where the gap is between the door and dash. And once they were cut, adding a connetctor from there. Is that possible?? haha
Click to expand...

I think you would need to make multiple plugs. I've thought of doing the same thing. There's too many wires for just one giant plug, at least from what I know...
I mean, with enough tinkering, someone here will get it.

To Maudeeb, I noticed Fauss' doors had a small metal piece welded on to press the door indicator, which is cool. Also, the hinges weren't taken off the X for his, he used the X's hinges and just made the tube doors mount to those. Is that why he possibly has much more ease removing and replacing the door?
 
Tay-Lo

Tay-Lo

I'm the king of junk food!
Location
Upstate SC
I would say that is possible.....its what I had thought about in the past.

As for the door switch, anybody know if its NO or NC? In my field that would seem like a safety issue so it would alarm if the circuit is broken (switch contacts are open) either way that could be solved by taping into the switch wires and putting a switch there to basically by pass the normal switch when the doors are off.
 
Tay-Lo

Tay-Lo

I'm the king of junk food!
Location
Upstate SC
Also check state laws about doors. I know in some states if you dont have a lip at the floor area you have to have some kind of door.....my best guess this is to keep trash in the vehicle and not on the road
 
S

Steeze

Guest
I've made tons of connectors in the navy. We use cannon plugs in the jets. I would figure out how many wires you have and use cannon plugs. Really easy to build and perfect for the job. That's what I would do...
 
gamecock257

gamecock257

Skid Plates
Location
Clinton, SC
Good luck on this man. I used to have a Jeep and doorless driving is really the only thing I can say that I've missed about it.

But like others have said, it's going to be a PITA getting it lined back up without messing anything up. Jeep doors were heavy enough for me to put on by myself and they were designed for it...
 
Prime

Prime

Shut up Baby, I know it!
Admin
Location
Denver Adjacent
Steeze said:
I've made tons of connectors in the navy. We use cannon plugs in the jets. I would figure out how many wires you have and use cannon plugs. Really easy to build and perfect for the job. That's what I would do...
Click to expand...

This is exactly what I was thinking. Get a cannon plug that has the right amount of the conductors for the door and have one quick disco that does all of the door wires in one shot.
 
Muadeeb

Muadeeb

Nissan al Gaib
Admin
Location
Dallas
Steeze said:
I've made tons of connectors in the navy. We use cannon plugs in the jets. I would figure out how many wires you have and use cannon plugs. Really easy to build and perfect for the job. That's what I would do...
Click to expand...
I was thinking about some sort of CPC as well, but the only ones I can think of are friggin huge.
 
caseycamby

caseycamby

Suspension Lift
Location
Marion, NC
Xterrafauss said:
Yes indeed
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Xterrafauss said:
Everything in the door is quick discoed except the power locks. You have to make one for that
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Blake, could you explain exactly how you did the wiring on your doors? haha I can't visualize it in my head.

Steeze said:
I've made tons of connectors in the navy. We use cannon plugs in the jets. I would figure out how many wires you have and use cannon plugs. Really easy to build and perfect for the job. That's what I would do...
Click to expand...

Yeah that does look like it'd be perfect for this. The only thing is getting it small enough so I can still be able to close the door when it's on..
 
02Xterra

02Xterra

Wheeling
Location
Central VA
A buddy of mine did took the doors off of his '01 Xterrra. He has all of the power options, so a ton of wires. If I remember right, he went to the junkyard and got a Jeep Cherokee connector b/c it disconnects right near the door and has a lot of connections.. so he took his time and matched up all of the wires.. works great.

Luckily, I just have the positive and negative speaker wires, so a 2-pin weatherpack connector was all I needed to run my tube doors. And for the record, I've never had any problems aligning my doors back up.. and I've had them off probably 20 times over the years with the tube doors.
 
caseycamby

caseycamby

Suspension Lift
Location
Marion, NC
02Xterra said:
A buddy of mine did took the doors off of his '01 Xterrra. He has all of the power options, so a ton of wires. If I remember right, he went to the junkyard and got a Jeep Cherokee connector b/c it disconnects right near the door and has a lot of connections.. so he took his time and matched up all of the wires.. works great.

Luckily, I just have the positive and negative speaker wires, so a 2-pin weatherpack connector was all I needed to run my tube doors. And for the record, I've never had any problems aligning my doors back up.. and I've had them off probably 20 times over the years with the tube doors.
Click to expand...

Hmm.. that's interesting.. Would you happen to know what year the Cherokee was?
 
02Xterra

02Xterra

Wheeling
Location
Central VA
Well unfortunately, I was a bit wrong lol. While he definitely had to take a good bit of time to complete it, he just used male/female spade connectors and tagged them all with different #'s.. if you do them one at a time that shouldn't be too bad
 
caseycamby

caseycamby

Suspension Lift
Location
Marion, NC
02Xterra said:
Well unfortunately, I was a bit wrong lol. While he definitely had to take a good bit of time to complete it, he just used male/female spade connectors and tagged them all with different #'s.. if you do them one at a time that shouldn't be too bad
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No worries. Would he happen to recall exactly how many wires there was going to the door?
 
Roadwarrior

Roadwarrior

Titan Swapped / SAS'd
Founding Member
Location
Probably in class..
I think it is 33 wires in our doors with the power options.

If I took these off, I would re-do the way that these doors are attached. I would set them up like my Dad's Jeep is and just have a peg slide through a hole. Then the tube doors, half doors and my regular doors would all interchange easily.
 
Prime

Prime

Shut up Baby, I know it!
Admin
Location
Denver Adjacent
Roadwarrior said:
I think it is 33 wires in our doors with the power options.

If I took these off, I would re-do the way that these doors are attached. I would set them up like my Dad's Jeep is and just have a peg slide through a hole. Then the tube doors, half doors and my regular doors would all interchange easily.
Click to expand...

Yes. Very much this. If I could come up with a ready made universal solution for the wiring I'd build me some half doors.
 
caseycamby

caseycamby

Suspension Lift
Location
Marion, NC
33 wires?!?! What are they all going to??

Not trying saying you're wrong or anything but whoa! Haha. That's a lot to do and undo individually when you want to take the door off!
 
Xado89

Xado89

Skid Plates
Location
Ocala, FL
caseycamby said:
33 wires?!?! What are they all going to??

Not trying saying you're wrong or anything but whoa! Haha. That's a lot to do and undo individually when you want to take the door off!
Click to expand...

Hold on guys, I'll be right there after I plug my door back in.......22,23,24,25,26,2...damnit! I lost count!

Sent through an exorcism and salt flavored shotgun shells.
 
Muadeeb

Muadeeb

Nissan al Gaib
Admin
Location
Dallas
33 pins on the connectors is what I counted. I'll have to look at the FSM again to know what does what

Sent via wild ferrets on crack
 
Prime

Prime

Shut up Baby, I know it!
Admin
Location
Denver Adjacent
Off the top of my head I can count 28-29 depending on how certain switches are wired. So 33 wouldn't surprise me.

Now, I've seen 35 connector cannon plugs. I'm wondering if it would be possible to cut the stock wiring in half. Open up the body frame where the wiring goes in so that you can sink one end of the cannon plug in there and then make a pigtail out of the other side. So when completed, it's literally:

1: Open Door
2: Unplug cannon plug
3: Remove pins
4: Remove door
 
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