Instructions to change Homelink to a RAP circuit for newish Silverado 1500. You can find videos to access the locations listed in the instructions on youtube. If you are not confident working on electrical circuits that are powered, you may want to disconnect the vehicle battery before performing any of the steps below.
RAP: Retained Accessory Power
You'll need the following tools:
- small plastic trim tool
- small flat blade screw driver
- 10 mm socket & wrench
- wire cutter / stripper
- soldering iron
- longish t15 torx wrench (screwdriver length)
- small hex wrench (don't know size)
Required parts:
- micro 3 fuse tap
- 8ft of wire #18 should be fine
- 5 amp micro 3 fuse
- solder for electronics
- heat shrink
1. Locate the passenger side cabin fuse panel. Remove the cover to expose the fuses. The cover is held in place using trim tabs so a trim tool is helpful when opening this panel.
2. Drop the overhead console that contains homelink buttons. You will need to remove two small trim panels on the console using a small flat blade screw driver. There are 2 T15 torx screws that need to be removed that are located deep in holes located closer to the windshield of the panel. There are 2 other screws further back that do not need to be removed even though it looks like they do. There are also 2 tabs that hold the console in place so a small amount of force is needed to drop the panel. A trim tool may be helpful. You do not need to disconnect most of the wiring.
3. Once the console panel is dropped, locate the homelink module in the console. Remove the 2 screws that hold the module in place using the small hex wrench and free it from the console. There should be one connector with 3 wires that runs to the homelink module. Depress the retaining clip that hold the connector in place and gently remove it from the home link module. Note that there should be3 wires in the connector colors Red, Orange, and Black. You should be able to measure +12 vdc on the red wire even when the vehicle is off(not a required step).
4. Cut the red wire so that you have enough room to attach your new 8ft #18 wire. You could use crimps but I don't trust them. If possible solder and heat shrink the connector red wire with your new wire. Tape off or use a small piece of heat shrink on the cable side of the cut red wire just to make sure it doesn't contact anything when you but everything back together. Reconnect the cable to the homelink device and use the two hex screws to secure it back in place on the console panel.
5. Remove the passenger side pillar trim panel. There are 2 10mmbolts in the handle that hold the trim in place. The bolts are located under two covers in the handle. They can easily opened with the trim tool. Remove both bolts and work the panel into an open position. You may find that you have enough room to work without completely removing the panel.
6. Fish your #18 wire from the console opening toward the opening behind the pillar trim you just opened up. Carefully route the wire along the existing wiring cable make sure to keep the wiring completely out of the way of the side airbag. As you route the wire down the pillar you should find a place where it is now easy to drop the wire into the passenger side fuse area.
7. Locate a fuse that has RAP power. In my case this was F26 a micro 3 fuse. Some diagrams list this as USB power. Remove the existing fuse and place it into the micro 3 fuse tap slot that doesn't have the tap wire connected to it. Place a 5 amp micro 3 fuse into the other slot that is connected to the tap wire. Solder the tap of the fuse tap to your #18 wire don't forget the heat shrink. Depending on you fuse tap, you may be able to place it into the F26location as is. In my case the fuse tap was too thick and I had to file it down slightly before it would fit.
8. Secure the overhead console panel back into place with the T15torx screws. Put the console trim panels back in place. Put the pillar trim panel back in place and secure it with the 2 10mm bolts. The pillar handle trim pieces should snap back into place. Snap the passenger side fuse panel cover back into place.
Your homelink buttons should now work only when RAP power is available. If the windows can be powered up and down then the homelink should also be available. You do not loose your homelink programming when the vehicle is shut off.
Hope this solves your issue.
