Adding a Physical Interior Liftgate Power Switch

[mkhuffman]

This is the switch that I bought from an online auto wrecker. I just swapped the liftgate switch from the Exploder cluster to my original (and buggy) MME switch cluster. ??

Same here. So now +2.

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[waldo22]

Yep, but my point was really that the liftgate/fuel door combo switch could be removed from that Escape cluster and give someone an extra momentary contact switch to use for another purpose, and the foglamp switch from the Exploder cluster could be repurposed as well, possibly as a latching (stays on) switch.

I just got one from eBay from an Exploder without the foglamp switch that came with 6" of cut harness with the connector, so I'll be able to re-use those pins.

I'm really concerned about just jamming wire into the connector. It's not just the unreliability, it's having a loose wire flopping around that can cause shorts. It either needs to be properly crimped, or use repair wire with terminals that @markboris posted above. (about $17 plus shipping, though, yikes. The dealership is asking $130. For 5 wires. Absolutely ludicrous.)

Here are some open-barrel crimping tools:

• open-barrel crimpers, $18
• box of 0.1" terminals, $8
• box of 6 different sizes of terminals, $20

 

[waldo22]

Quick update, I bought 3 different types of these switches, both with the foglamp button and without, and with the fuel door / hatch combo button and did some testing.

The good news is that the fuel door button gives us an extra normally open momentary contact closure switch, as we hoped!

The disappointing news is that the foglamp button doesn't appear to connect directly to any pins on the connector, but probably instead triggers a message on LIN bus #15 (pin 6 in the connector).*

When you press the liftgate switch on the cluster, it shorts pin 12 in the connector to ground. In addition to pin 1 in the connector, GND is also found on pins 3, 5, 11 and 13. That means instead of having to tap the ground wire to make this work with the aftermarket Autoease kit, you can just add another pin to any of those 4 locations that are empty in your connector and crimp it into the Autoease wiring harness instead of drilling a hole in your dash for their aftermarket switch.

This behavior is the exact same with the standalone liftgate switch and the liftgate/fuel door combo switch.

Pressing the fuel door button connects pins 2 and 4 together instead of connecting anything to GND, so you can use it to control anything that uses a normally open momentary contact closure switch, which is a lot of things.

I now have 2 extra liftgate buttons and 1 liftgate/fuel door combo assembly if anyone wants one!

*an ambitious person could hook a cheap LIN device to bus #15 and listen for the button press, then drive a relay for some purpose. It would look stock! That's above my pay grade though.

 

[BCool]

I have a 2022 that was delivered without the active park assist module due to the supply chain problems at the time. However, I have the park assist button on my console. Is there a way to convert the park assist button into the momentary switch for the lift gate?

EDIT: I see that @voerman did it. Sorry that I did not carefully read all before asking this question.

 

[ack154]

Wellll.... looks like I'll have another project to do at some point. Like someone else did, I may tie this in with my dashcam install. I have the front/rear cam from my last car that I haven't installed in my Mach-E yet because I'm super lazy and not motivated. Sitting around just like the rear sway bar I bought.

 

[waldo22]

Sitting around just like the rear sway bar I bought.

Go ahead and do the rear sway bar now, along with the Koni 8241 1240Sport shocks and Steeda 555-4452 bump stops. It made an immediate and noticeable difference for us, and has greatly increased our enjoyment of the car.

EDIT: If you have the GT PE with Magneride, you don't need the Konis, but everyone else should do it

 

[HuntingPudel]

He

Go ahead and do the rear sway bar now, along with the Koni 8241 1240Sport shocks and Steeda 555-4452 bump stops. It made an immediate and noticeable difference for us, and has greatly increased our enjoyment of the car.

@ack154 has a Magneride car, so the Konis are not necessary and would make the car throw all sorts of errors. ??

 

[waldo22]

He

@ack154 has a Magneride car, so the Konis are not necessary and would make the car throw all sorts of errors. ??

Right, didn't notice the GT PE in his signature. Thanks for the correction!

 

[markboris]

He

@ack154 has a Magneride car, so the Konis are not necessary and would make the car throw all sorts of errors. ??

However, as soon as I can find a proper front strut to go with the rear Koni’s I’m getting rid of my very soft Magride shocks unless I can modify the VDM. I already have devices to plug into each corner at the shock/strut that will bypass any errors.

 

[grein002]

Quick update, I bought 3 different types of these switches, both with the foglamp button and without, and with the fuel door / hatch combo button and did some testing.

The good news is that the fuel door button gives us an extra normally open momentary contact closure switch, as we hoped!

The disappointing news is that the foglamp button doesn't appear to connect directly to any pins on the connector, but probably instead triggers a message on LIN bus #15 (pin 6 in the connector).*

When you press the liftgate switch on the cluster, it shorts pin 12 in the connector to ground. In addition to pin 1 in the connector, GND is also found on pins 3, 5, 11 and 13. That means instead of having to tap the ground wire to make this work with the aftermarket Autoease kit, you can just add another pin to any of those 4 locations that are empty in your connector and crimp it into the Autoease wiring harness instead of drilling a hole in your dash for their aftermarket switch.

This behavior is the exact same with the standalone liftgate switch and the liftgate/fuel door combo switch.

Pressing the fuel door button connects pins 2 and 4 together instead of connecting anything to GND, so you can use it to control anything that uses a normally open momentary contact closure switch, which is a lot of things.

I now have 2 extra liftgate buttons and 1 liftgate/fuel door combo assembly if anyone wants one!

*an ambitious person could hook a cheap LIN device to bus #15 and listen for the button press, then drive a relay for some purpose. It would look stock! That's above my pay grade though.

PM'ed you...

 

[New2EV]

I've avoided doing this mod because pushing the button on the screen "isn't that bad". But after turning off the car, I don't have enough time to answer the rear seat sensor question, and then get into settings to open the back before the screen times out.

After missing this sequence dozens of times over the last 3 years, I finally broke down and added a button...the smallest one I could find. https://a.co/d/0db2Wwfc. And I hid it where I can't see it, but can easily reach.

The mod was simple to do and works perfectly. Thanks to the OP @markboris !

 

[steveg95]

I was at a friends this morning who also has a Mach-E and she said the one thing she misses is a simple power button to open and close the liftgate. She doesn't like having to turn the car to accessory and make three selections on the center screen. She just wants to push a button.

I thought it couldn't be that difficult to wire up a switch to do this and I was right. I took a look at the wiring diagram and found that both momentary switches in the liftgate do nothing more than short an incoming wire from the BCM to ground. The BCM is located at the front passenger footwell at the top. Extremely easy to access just remove the panel that hides it and you can get to the wiring. The wire that is needed to tap into is solid brown and located at the large top plug connection. I tapped into it and ran the wire to the center console where I installed a small momentary switch just below my subwoofer volume control. For the ground I used the black/blue wire going to the parking brake switch in the console. All the black/blue wires throughout the car are grounds. I had this momentary switch laying around but I am going to change it out with one that is much flatter.

I now have a working power button that will open and close the liftgate from inside the car without having your key fob, or phone. The car can be on or off but the doors have to be unlocked and in Park. It works just like the one in my 2014 Escape did. I could have mounted the switch is several easy to see locations but like to conceal my work (like I did the subwoofer volume control) so nothing looks "added on". Just drop your hand down in front of the console and they are both easy to use. Besides if I ever needed to remove it, all I'd have to do is put a little flat plug in the hole and no one would know any different.

It took me about an hour to do the entire thing but now that I did it, when I do hers, probably should only take 30 minutes. I took quick photos of where I tapped into the wiring and it was before I permanently attached and taped up the wires.

Edit: After getting my GT when I did this mod, instead of adding a button on the console like I did on the Premium, I replaced the max defrost button on the headlamp switch with a liftgate button from a bronco found on this post #57

Where did you route the wire from the console to the point where you tapped in?

 

[markboris]

Where did you route the wire from the console to the point where you tapped in?

Hey Stephen, you can mount a switch anywhere you want but if you choose the front of the console like I did, running the wire is very easy. I actually started from where I tapped into the wire at the BCM and ran it over to the left along the lower edge of the console between it and the carpet then shoved it up to where it popped up in that area where I was going to mount it. Not sure if that makes sense. I don't have my car at the moment but will later today and can take some detailed photos if you want.

 

[steveg95]

Hey Stephen, you can mount a switch anywhere you want but if you choose the front of the console like I did, running the wire is very easy. I actually started from where I tapped into the wire at the BCM and ran it over to the left along the lower edge of the console between it and the carpet then shoved it up to where it popped up in that area where I was going to mount it. Not sure if that makes sense. I don't have my car at the moment but will later today and can take some detailed photos if you want.

Makes sense. Thanks for the response.

 

[steveg95]

Makes sense. Thanks for the response.

Detailed photos would be awesome. Does the console come off by just pulling up?

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