I'm currently in the middle of a power window and locks upgrade - and just got some brand new factory keyless remotes in the mail!! This will be a new found luxury for me! I got them new (NOT refurb or used) from http://www.keylessremotesforless.com at a LOT less than the dealer. About $25 bucks a piece. One of the only things holding me back is finding some tan door panels for a 97-98 F150 with power windows/locks. I've been religiously checking ebay and hounding the local salvage yard and have found a set of grey panels online and and the salvage yard but not tan. I don't feel like spending 400-500 dollars EACH for new at the stealership.... Anyhow one of these days some must turn up and I can get this thing done! Winter is coming so maybe someone will total theirs and I can get my hands on the parts... Although I would never wish this on anyone! But hey - still anxiously awaiting my newfound luxuries! Its the next best thing to getting a new truck!

 

You could always buy the gray ones then find a good Auto Interior repair company and have them painted the right color. I had a door panel done in my Mountaineer a few years ago and it came out good.

 

Patience is the key. I was needing some special seats and I went months checking on ebay and nothing. Then out of the blue, there they were and for a price I was not going to let go. Your time will also come and then you'll be in clean air and feeling good.

 

you think so? I'm just a little leery of that... I wouldn't be surprised if the factory ones are just painted the same but I worry about scuffs showing or scratches taking off the top paint layer or something. I may as a last resort but I'm willing to wait some months to find the right ones in decent condition.

 

I have a feeling it will work out this way. I've had it for 9 years already with manual everything so whats a few more months? Its more budget friendly anyway.. I plan to do all the wiring in a month or two when I can get access to a heated garage anyway and maybe replace the heater core as a precaution since the whole dash will be out anyway while I"m doing the wiring - all my homework is done though and I've figured out where to make the splices, got a new starter interrupt relay slot in my RPO relay block and even installed the ignition cylinder anti theft switch for the alarm already. I can just leave the wiring behind my existing door panels and install the lock actuators - unless I need the wiring to be pluged into the switches I'll at least have the keyless entry. Then when the door panels are located I can replace the window regulators, door panels and be done!

 

Well, just ordered the last of the window regulators and lock actuators I need - got the remotes too - now all thats left are those door panels! hopefully some will pop up on ebay for a MUCH more reasonable price than I'd have to pay new!

 

Just a little help for you maybe in making up your mind about the option of painting door panels....I have a 97 F150 and I painted the panels black (they were grey). I used a spray gun (not a can) doing thin coats (about 4 or 5) and also baked (used a heat gun) the paint in between each coat. Took me about 3.5 hours, that is with taking the panels off and letting the paint cure a little in between coats. I have had the same panels on that truck now for over 5 years and do NOT have any peeling. A few scratches yes but that is expected. One thing to keep in mind if you do do it, make sure to use the proper paint, metal paint will not work.

 

how hard/expensive is it to install just power locks and keyless entry in a 1997 F150 XL?


do i need to change door panels?...or can i just cut them and install a switch...or go with no switches(and just use FOB)

is there anything under the dash i need?

prefferabley i would like power locks and keyless entry...on my current doorpanels...and hopefully nothing under the dash.

can it be done?

THNX
Duggy

 

Well, Its not going to be a cake walk for what I'm doing but its deffinitly doable - it depends on what you're looking for. The easiest and cheapest way for the keyless entry would probably be to go the aftermarket route with a simple alarm system and aftermarket actuators etc. This route would allow you to install the wires under the dash - rather than behind it with a stock setup which gets to be pretty labor intensive.

What I'm doing is going all OEM - I got a wire harness from a donor truck that goes from one door all the way accross behind the dash to the other door with no connectors or breaks so I have to take out my entire dash to install the factory wires. This harness has a wireless module that plugs into it thats mounted up under the dash that I will have to install as well - the wire harness then has 3 plugs that hook into the main dash harness. There are SEVERAL wires missing from the main dash harness to these three plugs that you'll have to splice in yourself from the proper circuits. (for instance a starter interrupt relay, a lock anti theft switch, park/backup lights for anti theft module, etc.) I have the connector pins that will simply snap into my existing 3 connectors so I can wire up these circuits so I'm essentially adding in these wires from the missing factory splice to the connector.

To answer more of your questions, if you're just doing locks you won't need new door panels and you'd just use the key fob,

No matter what the route there would be some wiring involved - going with an aftermarket alarm/lock system they may have detailed instructions on where to splice the wires without taking the dash out and simply running the wires underneath the dash, probably the easiest and cheapest way. You can also go to best buy or some electronics store and price out installation costs etc.

The reason I"m going factory is that I want a stock look, if parts fail in the future there will be parts available and it will be relatively easier to troubleshoot where the problem is. A factory service manual DVD is crucial to this project to trace the circuits unless you also swap out the entire dash harness where you wouldn't have to add splices - simply change all the wiring in the cab which is a big job too pulling out all those wires! I have started to put a couple pics in my gallery to explain the process too so check them out. It'll give you a better idea of whats involved going the stock route.