A keyless entry system on your Chevy truck offers safety as well as convenience. Prepackaged keyless entry kits make fumbling for keys a thing of the past, and installation is about as simple as installing a new head unit on your car stereo. A little electrical know-how is helpful for this project, however a keyless entry kit should provide you with all the materials and instructions you need to make installation as painless as possible.
Disconnect the truck battery by removing the negative terminal from the truck battery.
Take out the door trim. Use a clip removal tool to remove the window crank clip. Remove the rest of the door trim by gently prying loose the spring clips.
Remove the door panel. Behind the door lock knob, remove the screw holding the panel in place. Lift the door panel off the door.
Remove the bolt holding the handle to the door.
Unclip the door lock rod from the door handle. This rod connects the door handle to the door latch.
Peel away the plastic moisture barrier from the inside of the door. Save this plastic sheeting for re-installation later.
Find a spot inside the door that is parallel to the door lock linking rod and does not interfere with the window mechanism.
Mount the door lock actuator inside the door. Using the supplied strap from your power lock kit, screw it to the inside of the door and mount the actuator on the strap.
Bend and cut the actuator linking rod to match the original door lock rod.
Align and center the actuator, following the manufacturer's instructions. Securely tighten the actuator to the mounting strap.
Remove the kick panel and the panel under the dash.
Run the main wiring harness from under the dash, through the rubber door boot and into the door. Secure the wiring harness to the inside of the door with tie straps to ensure that it does not get in the way of the window mechanism.
Connect the wiring harness to the actuator. Match the wire colors from the harness to the actuator.
Mount the door lock module and keyless entry module under the dash. Be sure that it does not interfere with the truck's other functions.
Wire the power lock system. Power locks require battery power and a ground wire to operate effectively. Connect the power lock system to the battery wire and to a ground source. In most Chevy models, the thick red wire provides power and the black wires are ground wires. Solder and tape the power wire to the battery wire, and connect the ground wire of the power lock system to a stud on the chassis.
Wire the keyless entry system power. A keyless entry system needs ignition, battery, and ground connections. Solder and tape the power wire and connect the ground wire to the chassis. In most Chevy models, the pink wire indicates the ignition wire. Solder and tape the ignition connection to the ignition wire.
Wire the locking mechanism to the keyless entry system. Connect the lock and unlock wires from the keyless entry system to the power door lock system. The coloring of these wires varies, so it is best to check your vehicle's wiring diagram or the power lock instruction manual.
Wire the parking light function. If your keyless entry system has a parking light option, you will need to connect the parking light wire. For Chevy trucks, it is best to connect this wire from the keyless entry to the headlight wire. Pull one of the front headlights forward and connect the parking light wire to the parking light wire on the headlight assembly. In most GM models, this wire is brown.
Reconnect the battery and test the power lock and keyless entry system to make sure that it is functioning properly.
Replace the kick panels, moisture barrier, and door panels, making sure all wiring is neatly tucked away and secure.
