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Posted

Credit goes to Dave.R from www.feoc-uk.com

 

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This is hardly classified as a mod, as the GTI and the Ghia have this fitted as standard, but Ford decided to leave it out for the lower spec models. Most likely for cost cutting, so they could bring such a great car to the masses....

It's an easy job to do, with no personal risk and it's very unlikely you'll damage the car. It's basically putting in the switches in the provided holes, and running a lead to the existing wires. The whole thing should take no more than a couple of hours.

 

This was written for a Mk6 Escort, the principal is the same on the Mk5, but check the fuse number to be sure.

 

Anyway. You will need:

2 door release buttons - from Ford at £2.75 each

2 screws - to hold the above in

(take one out of your front door in the carpark to make sure you get the right size)

5 metres of wire - I used speaker wire

(It only needs to be a single cable, as it is earthed through the bodywork at the switch).

4 Piggyback spade connectors - Halfords, £1.50

Philips screwdrivers Pliers Wire cutters Insulation tape Stanley knife / craft knife Feed wire

 

 

1. Firstly, disconnect the battery. Actually, I didn't do this, I just removed Fuse 29, that controls the interior light, stereo and clock.

2. Pull the door seals out of the way, and then remove the trim below the doors on the passenger side doors and take out the two screws from the front seatbelt trim (no need to remove).

3. Inside the passenger front door between the hinges is a button like the ones you have from Ford. Take out the screw and pull the switch out as far as you can. Disconnect the wire from the switch, and then tape the wire to the car with insulation tape - if you lose this back through that hole the inner wheelarch has to come off and everything.

4. Thread your wire through this hole and into the car's footwell. The feed is about an inch lower and an inch in on the right hand side, and it does go, so be patient.

5. Attatch one of the piggyback connectors to the other end of the wire, crimping it tight with the pliers. Use your wirecutters to take the plastic surround off of the original wire (the pair of wires won't fit through the hole otherwise), connect the old wire to the piggyback and then wrap the pair in insulation tape.

6. Connect the switch onto the two wires, and then screw back into place. Replace the fuse, test the switch (operate the interior light), remove the fuse and we'll carry on.

Rear Passenger side door

7. If you open your rear door and look where the switch should be, you'll see a slightly raised disc under the paint, and if you give it a poke you'll find it's soft. This is where they covered the hole with a sticker and then painted over it. Take your craft knife and cut the hole out, as well as the hole for the screw.

8. Run the lead from the footwell along the door edge (there are wire clips down there to keep it tidy), and then up past the seatbelt retractor, and out through this hole. Give yourself 3-4 inches extra play, and then trim the wire to length.

9. Attach a piggyback connector to this, and then tape it to the side of the car so it doesnt fall down the hole.

10. The Mk6 has a warning buzzer that goes off if you open the drivers door while the lights are on, and you don't want this going off when you are dropping people off at night, so we are going to run the drivers side rear door switch off of this cable instead of the drivers door. So, run another cable up past the seatbelt retractor and out of this hole, attatch a piggyback connector to the end (you can cut the spare piggyback connection off with the wire cutters), connect to the other connector, and tape up with insulation tape.

11. Connect the switch and then screw it into the door. Replace the fuse and test - how cool is that!

12. Run the wire that's going to the other door under the carpet under the rear seat, and then replace the panelling and the door seals.

Drivers side rear door

13. This is virtually the same as the last door, but without the second lead. Take out the fuse, take off the trim, cut out the hole, run the lead up and out the hole, attatch the last connector and cut off the piggyback, tape up and attach to the switch, and then screw in the switch. Test and replace.

 

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Hope this is of some use! :)

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