how to add hightower expressopen AND close

hightower's expressopen is one relay that basically works off the "back" arrow on the moonroof switch so that it will autoclose when the vent is up and then autoopen to the back when moonroof is shut. to get vent to auto open and the moonroof to autoclose you have to add a 2nd hightower relay to work the "forward" arrow of the switch.


moonroof switch:
1 yellow "forward"
2 purple/blue power
3 black ground
4 used to add switch illumination
5
6 black ground
7 white/blue "back"

i'm not sure if the hightower directions are still posted somewhere. i'll summerize this quickly for express open then list the express close directions. i dont know if the moonroof switch colors are the same for all contours but i'd assume so.

1.remove domelight assembly
2.remove 2 screws holding the overhead console (these 2 tabs are pretty easy to break)
3.pull back the rubber strip around the moonroof
4.slide motor cover toward rear of car. there's 2 metal clips on the back of cover
5.remove wire connector from switch
6.remove switch from motor housing
7.remove wire connectors from motor
8.remove 3 torx t30 screws from motor and drop the motor
9.see below for the wiring part

express open:
2 wires for the power motor
splice the red relay to the blue motor
splice the red/black relay to the purple motor

2 wires for the switch
splice the green/black relay to the white/blue switch
splice the green relay to the purple/blue switch

split the TOP black wire from the motor. there are 2 black wires from the motor, both in vertical line. connect the relay's 2 black wires to these 2 cut black wires off the motor.

express close:
2 wires for the power motor
splice the red relay to the purple motor
splice the red/black relay to the blue motor

2 wires for the switch
splice the green/black relay to the yellow switch
splice the green relay to the purple/blue switch

split the BOTTOM black wire from the motor. there are 2 black wires from the motor, both in vertical line. connect the relay's 2 black wires to these 2 cut black wires off the motor.

reconnect everything. test everything. if its good, use 3m doublesided mounting tape to stick the relays to the top of the inner roof, tucked away

i remember using 3m wire splice and t-taps. you'll see which wires will get in the way if you want to in the future remove the overhead console or switch. the t-taps just make it more convenient. it might've been on the litmoonroof switch mod.

i can always pull my overhead to doublecheck where i spliced and where i t-tapped.

here is a link to the original hightower express open page.

http://mrhightower.googlepages.com/moonroofrelay


this will probably be the first thing i do once i get home from school in 2 weeks.

the howto was for using hightower's actual relays. i bought 2 of them from him so i assume both were constructed in an identical fashion. i didnt make them myself. i just wired both up as i described above

i'm having some wiring issues. when you look at the plug on the motor....mine is violet at the top left with a black next to it. Below are three pins (from left to right) yellow, blue/white and another black. This is different to the instructions. Does everybody else have the same as me or the same as the drawing in the instructions ? Does it matter ? help asap.....G.

your switch's pin spots should be functionally identical, even if the colors are different. follow your wires from the switch to the motor plug. use the pin locations on the switch to match them up. if u look at the back of the switch you'll actually see tiny numbers. 1-4 on one side and 5-8 on the other. first figure out which of your colored wires match up to the directions functionally. now connect the relay wires to your respective colored wires.

gorman said:

i'm having some wiring issues. when you look at the plug on the motor....mine is violet at the top left with a black next to it. Below are three pins (from left to right) yellow, blue/white and another black. This is different to the instructions. Does everybody else have the same as me or the same as the drawing in the instructions ? Does it matter ? help asap.....G.

Click to expand...

If you have different color wires, then just go with that the plug positions are. Worst thing that can happen is your car catches fire while you are driving down the road.