The Keyless Entry Project That Never Happened.
I was ready to add aftermarket keyless entry to the wagon. Then the factory power locks started working properly again, and adding more wiring suddenly felt like a solution in search of a problem.
What happened to the keyless-entry plan.
Was keyless entry installed?
No. The aftermarket kit was never installed on the wagon.
Was any factory wiring cut?
No. I did not cut, splice, or add wiring for this project.
Why did I cancel the installation?
Cleaning and lubricating the original lock mechanisms restored factory power-lock operation. The module would have added convenience, but it no longer solved an active problem.
Was the aftermarket kit defective?
I do not know. Because the kit was never installed or tested in the wagon, this page is not a review of its quality, fit, or reliability.
Could I reconsider keyless entry later?
Yes, but the project is currently canceled. Working factory locks and untouched original wiring matter more to me than remote entry right now.
Mission: Leave Well Enough Alone.
I originally planned to install an aftermarket keyless entry system in the wagon. I liked the idea of remote lock and unlock, and the existing factory power locks made it seem like a reasonable upgrade.
Then cleaning and lubricating the original lock mechanisms brought the factory system back to life. Remote entry would still have been convenient, but it no longer felt worth splicing an aftermarket module into forty-year-old wiring.
I had already solved the real problem. The locks worked again. The remaining question was whether pushing a button from ten feet away was worth adding more connections and more things to troubleshoot later.
Why I Wanted It
Keyless entry seemed like a fun upgrade.
The wagon already had factory power locks, so adding a remote seemed like a natural modernization project.
Press a button. Doors unlock. Instant luxury.
At least that was the plan.
What Changed
Before installing anything, I cleaned and lubricated the factory lock mechanisms.
The locks started working properly again. That became its own completed repair, which I documented in the Power Door Lock Revival.
Suddenly the keyless entry project stopped feeling necessary.
The original problem was solved without installing anything new. Keyless entry would have added convenience, but it was no longer necessary to make the lock system usable.
Not every project needs to happen.
Buy the keyless entry kit.
The original plan was straightforward: install a remote entry system and enjoy modern convenience.
Get the factory locks working.
Cleaning and lubrication brought the original system back to life before I cut or connected a single new wire.
Start asking uncomfortable questions.
If the locks work, is remote access worth adding more wiring, more connections, and more things to diagnose later?
Imagine future troubleshooting.
If something stopped working later, would the problem be the factory system, the aftermarket module, or something I accidentally did?
Do absolutely nothing.
For once, the smartest decision was leaving the wagon alone.
What I Learned
Final Result
The wagon still requires an actual key.
I am completely okay with that.
The power locks work.
No new wiring was added.
No new problems were created.
For once, stopping before the project started feels like a victory.
What supports this page.
The completed lock repair documents the cleaning and lubrication that restored the factory system and changed this project decision.
Los Angeles Public Library Chilton access is the service-information starting point for the wagon's factory door-lock system.
Everything I've Done records this canceled installation within the larger wagon project.
The BWG repair archive connects this decision to the completed factory-lock repair and the rest of the wagon's documented work.
The factory locks got the final vote.
The keyless-entry idea ended, but the lock repair did not. Cleaning and lubrication restored the original system, and that was enough for me to put the aftermarket kit back on the shelf.