Passat Homelink visor into Beetle

[58and03beetles]

I just picked up a pair of visors with the extending arm and homelink control on the drivers visor. They came out of a 2002 passat and I want to put them in my 2003 beetle convertible. The visors have minor details different on them such as the airbag stickers and the mirror is centered, not offset to the side , however the shape is identical and they use the same middle clip. the problem im experiencing is the base is different. the hook ok the passat is longer and larger on the portion that sticks inside the body. This could be shaved to fit, the mounting hole is a little farther back, i can use a fender nut or drill a new hole, no big deal. However the bases are actually skinnier and more rectangular than the beetle - which is no biggie. I just think it would be a lot easier to remove the visor base from the arm. The arm appears to be pushed thru the base and then heated/melted into a cone so that it cant come out. I would like to simply swap the bases and then it would bolt in no problem, but i cant figure out how to do it. VW does not offer the base seperate, so if i break it im out a lot of cash. If theres no easy way, i will go to the junk yard and get bases from another convertible and drill the visor arm out. Ill then have to cut the base off the passat visor and press the passat visor arm into the beetle base. any clue on this guys??

beetle vert on bottom,passat homelink on top


beetle vert on bottom,passat homelink on top


beetle vert on bottom,passat homelink on top


homelink keypad


left:beetle 2 prong, right beetle 3 prong


left:beetle 2 prong, right beetle 3 prong


Left beetle vert base, right: passat base


Left beetle vert base, right: passat base


Left beetle vert base, right: passat base


Left beetle vert base, right: passat base


Left beetle vert base, right: passat base

[MyOtherRidesAVette]

Ouch!

[58and03beetles]

Originally Posted by MyOtherRidesAVette

Ouch!

paper cut? lick it!

[MyOtherRidesAVette]

Originally Posted by 58and03beetles

paper cut? lick it!

Cramp in one of the two fingers I type with!

[boogety boogety]

Just wondering... why not just use a New Beetle Convertible visor with the Homelink gadget already in it? No fitment issues then... Bet you can find them somewhere...

[MyOtherRidesAVette]

Originally Posted by boogety boogety

Just wondering... why not just use a New Beetle Convertible visor with the Homelink gadget already in it? No fitment issues then... Bet you can find them somewhere...

Therein lies the problem. Extremely hard to find!

MORAV

[Duffy]

Another way of getting a Homelink unit installed is this: Purchase a visor Homelink module (no visor just the little push button box) off eBay for a few bucks. Be sure to get the mating connector for power. I installed mine under the center panel cover with double stick tape and powered from 12 volts with key on. It may work just a well under the dash somewhere too. Jumpered one of the three push button contacts (using two small wires soldered to the circuit board) and ran these down to the left trim piece opposite the bud base holder. Installed a small Radio Shack normally open push button on the bottom side of this trim piece for operation. Program the unit as normal. But the visor would be better for readily available (re-) programming. OR just power up the unit and stick it under the dash somewhere to access the buttons.

[Duffy]

58and03beetles: Need an update on this installation of your visor. Were you able to use the Passat visor?

[MyOtherRidesAVette]

He hasn't been around since just b4 Xmas. Gonna' email him and see what's up! Hope he's okay!

[4SEVEN3]

I had posted about basically tucking a "universal" remote away and soldering two wires to the contact points where the original button on the remote contacts within the unit....run the wire to a small pushbutton someplace thats easy to get to and hidden. People do this on their motorcycles and use either existing switches or a separate switch mounted in easy reach.

Id bet it's less engineering, cost and more 007-ish!

[Duffy]

That's what I've done and it works just fine. If you didn't know where the button and Homelink is located you'd never find it.

[MyOtherRidesAVette]

The concept here is having control of three different items, "home"link (get it?) not just a single garage door opener, and also have it "OEM" in both use and appearance. I'm just going to wait until I stumble across a used one from a NB or go buy am OEM. 58and03beetles got more time on his hands than I do. (lol)

MORAV

[Duffy]

Yes, my method is limited to one door, which is all I have anyway. As you pointed out, I am also waiting for a Homelink sun visor.

[boogety boogety]

I had posted about basically tucking a "universal" remote away and soldering two wires to the contact points where the original button on the remote contacts within the unit....run the wire to a small pushbutton someplace thats easy to get to and hidden. People do this on their motorcycles and use either existing switches or a separate switch mounted in easy reach.

I did this with my '03 and my '06, because the HomeLink in the '06 has not worked with my Genie garage door since day one. It has some sort of rolling code that the HomeLink has not been able to program. Yes, I've tried, yes, I've taken it to the dealer, and no, it's not so mysterious a garage door opener that the Odyssey and the R-350 couldn't program the code into their respective built-in remotes. Just the damn NBC can't do it. So I just hid my little button where I can reach it and it works just fine.

[58and03beetles]

Ok heres an update-

to install the passat visor i had to remove the mounting base- even after reshaping the hook on the mounting base, the screw hole was totally off from the one in the car body and would not be able to catch the body. base has visor arm exiting 1/2 forward on a passat so my visor was gonna sit cawkeyed. so i went to the junk yard and found a rolled new beetle convertible and removed the visor base by cutting the arm with large copper snips. i took it home and used a dremel to remove the cone on the visor arm or the passat visor. i then carefully cut a slot and slid in a c clip to retain the visor into the base-its still super snug this way. i got 1 electrical connector and the wires preterminated with the proper electrical connectors, but still need one to connect to the other side in the car, dealer ordered the female side and i needed a male side. so its still in the works. it would be sooo much easier to install an actual convertible visor bought from the dealer parts counter- but at a cost of 295.00 no thank you- that doesnt include the connnectors and wires at an additional cost of 45.00- stealership 1, me 0. im happy i bought a passat visor shipped to me for 65 off of ebay even though it is more work. anyhow, i tested the opener connected to my battery in the mean time and it works great! still not done with this install

[Duffy]

Sure sounds like having the convertible visor is the best way. Hope your efforts to modify the Passat visor works well for you. I can't and won't pay $295 for one either. Just don't need it that bad. Do you think one from a NB sedan would have fit correctly? Good Luck

[MyOtherRidesAVette]

Well, I just nailed a set off eBay for an NB, so I'll be able to let everyone know about interchange with NBC. I'm really certain these are going to be flannel gray, and not the pearl gray I'm needing, but at least I'll know about the fitment. lol

Anybody need a set for an NB in flannel gray, I'm gonna' have them if I decide not to resurrect my '02NBT! lmao

According to LKQ the fitment is '00 - '10

Here
00 10 Volkswagen Beetle OEM Sun Visor Set w/Homelink - eBay (item 190491686738 end time Jan-23-11 18:09:55 PST)

MORAV

[58and03beetles]

hey Rog,
those are pearl white! you scored the correct ones! im curious to see if the bases are the same ones as a NBC? thats the same wrecking yard i bought my passat visors from! very impressed with their packaging- they were vaccuum sealed in plastic!

[58and03beetles]

Originally Posted by Duffy

Sure sounds like having the convertible visor is the best way. Hope your efforts to modify the Passat visor works well for you. I can't and won't pay $295 for one either. Just don't need it that bad. Do you think one from a NB sedan would have fit correctly? Good Luck

after Roger gets his we will have the answer to this scooby doo mystery! The passat visor is worth the trouble because of the extending arm- this makes the visors functional for the side windows instead of just the windshield. somtimes i feel like vw was like " hmm somethings missing over the windshield- lets put some cute lil visors there for show for this humungous windshield"

[MyOtherRidesAVette]

Originally Posted by 58and03beetles

hey Rog,
those are pearl white! you scored the correct ones! im curious to see if the bases are the same ones as a NBC? thats the same wrecking yard i bought my passat visors from! very impressed with their packaging- they were vaccuum sealed in plastic!

What makes you think so about the pearl white/pearl gray. I couldn't tell anything by the interior code LKQ gave, and I thought the pearl surround came about as a standard surround color regardless of the interior color with the advent of the NBC in '03. I can not phathom that they would have two different mounts, or even two different parts, unless it is a color unique to the NBC otherwise there would be line problems, and additional parts inventory when not required. I figured you or Duffy might have been bidding against me on these (lol)! I also want to believe that the right one is a p&p, with no reworking of the harness required. Since I live in a Hotel when I'm in Houston, I'm not sure how I'm going to test this until the first time the Bug goes North!