My previous post had a tiny jpeg file that might be hard to view. This time I saved in a larger format.

To resolve the unreliable door lock actuator problem on Windstars as discussed here, especially by garysync, I bought a universal actuator / wireless remote kit. No problems installing the actuator hardware on doors, sliding door (only one on this Winnie), and rear lift gate. The problem is how to connect the wiring.

Attached is a drawing of the aftermarket kit and a rough diagram of the driver's side Lock/Unlock switch (relays). I just can't figure how to wire the kit to the Lock/Unlock switch in such a way that the wireless remote will work. As the drawing indicates (please excuse my poor graphics) the kit has a wirelss receiver that is designed to be hard wired to the actuators. What I want to do is to put the receiver in the door itself and "piggyback" on the existing relay wiring.

Just to get this thread started, any ideas?

So I assume your windstar has power locks already.?? You will need to wire the keyless entry remote unit to the main power that supplies the power to the actuators... As long as you send the power to the relay you should get something.. If you have to reverse the wires to the relay to lock and unlock then you should be ok.. I installed a keyless entry unit into a car that did not have power locks... I had to study it for a while so I would know what wires did what.. It was a bit of a pain... If you already have power locks then great.. Locate the main power to the actuators..

Yes, this 99 Windstar LX does have power locks with a master "Lock/Unlock" switch on the driver's door. I'm encouraged by your comments, as you're the official universal door lock guru of this forum.

This vehicle has only one manual sliding door (not two as later models had). I've installed the aftermarket universal actuators on 3 of 4 doors (still need to do the hardware on the rear lift gate).

I had to a little research on "relay" modules for power door locks. The master lock/unlock relay is supposed to lock/unlock all locks. Apparently it's a microprocessor-driven relay that listens for a low amperage signal and then makes the 12v switch connection. Figuring out the correct hookup is my challenge. I'm hoping I don't have to snake any wireless receiver lines through the door harness to make the splice connections that will "fire off" the lock/unlock command to all actuators.

Thanks for your reply. Hopefully revival of this thread will help many other Winnie owners out there who are fed up with the pesky Windstar power lock system.

Now you may sneak into the main door lock switch. If you can get the wires that send volts in/out then you may be able to wire the receiver unit to those.. What i do really when I mess with door locks is I take a test light and probe the wires while I hit the unlock/lock switch.. If my test light lights up I know what I have.. Follow the wires through the door to under the dash and test again.. Then you got the wires you need to unlock all the doors.. I will say some wire colors may vary from other windstars..My book showed some multicolor wires that were not even close to what mine looked like.. So sometimes they do change up wire colors..

Thanks again. This weekend I'll take a run at it. One idea I'm going to try -- something not recommended by the remote receiver installers -- is to place the receiver near the bottom (inside cavity) of the front door. That way I won't have to squirrel the receiver under the dash. Most everyone recommends under the dash, but something tells me that there's just as much metal and frame under the dash as in the door.

Be careful if you do put it there.. First. Window clearance when window is down. make sure it won't hit it.. Also moister.. You do have a little rain that will sneak in there...

Follow-up to install on universal actuators.

The universal actuator kit I ordered had:
1. 4 actuators (one was 5-wire type and 3 were 2-wire type)
2. remote receiver with cables for whole vehicle.
3. 2 remote controls.

I installed the passenger door and sliding door first (splicing to existing wires and not removing old actuators with control rods). Those went fine, once I figured out how to do the hardware and located the control (2) wires for the actuators.

But the drivers' side with the five wires, wireless receiver, and need to snake certain control wires through the ribbed rubber door-hinge access tube, was another matter. I had to use pins that slid like hypodermic needles into the wires to experiment with combinations. I used "power" pin and "unlock" "lock" pins on the Front Electronic Module (FEM) as contacts. The wireless remote diagram was undecipherable for brown and white wires. The diagram showed brown and white connecting to a two-sided switch with the words "vehicle hull" to describe the switch. I scoured the web looking for what that meant. No luck. Documentation from kit was as shown in the first graphic on this thread. After blowing five 10a fuses on fuse #21 in the engine compartment fusebox I gave up on the remote idea and swapped the five wire actuator for a basic two wire. Lo and behold it worked. These 10a fuses (no 21) would blow every time I tested the "unlock" switch, but not the "lock" switch. So now I don't have remote but do have master lock/unlock control from driver and passenger door. The liftgate is stock and barely working so I'll probably order another aftermarket two wire actuator for the rear lock.

I did physically install all the wiring and receiver unit for the wireless remote option, then tucked away the unconnected wires behide the dashboard to the left of the steering column where there is a nice cavity. Maybe when I'm in the mood and have a weekend to kill I attempt the remote again.

Then this morning I noticed my windshield wipers weren't working. Checked fuse # 6 in the engine fusebox and saw a missing 30a fuse. Put a new one in and wipers worked. But I also noticed on the fuse function notes that "Front Electronic Module" is also behind that fuse. Now I'm wondering if my bad luck on the drivers door was because of that missing fuse!

Right now I've got to tackle the non-working horn and cruise control problem. Thanks for your info on the locks!

The schematic is too small and fuzzy to read. I installed a wireless in my 96 by the door lock switch in the back. There is plenty of room behind the panel to mount it. On the 96 the switches supply a ground to the lock/unlock inputs. The information with my remote was generic so I had to figure out what it was doing so I could wire it correctly. It was an easy install. I also had to run 12 volts to it from an unused connector under the drivers seat. If you are replacing the actuators also then wire them to the wires that the old actuators are connected to. Hope this helps.

Hi there. Don't know if you're still looking at this thread or not, but I got a similar universal actuator kit for my 2006 Dodge Ram on ebay.

The diagram was a little different, but it looks like it was the same exact thing.

I connected mine and it seemed to work fine for a while. I just left the brown and white wires coming from the receiver open. I didn't hook them up to anything.

So the way I had it connected was all the actuator wires were connected. At the receiver, I had the red to 12V, black to ground, white and brown just hung there. I assume the white and brown are to connect to an alarm or something. I didn't use them.

My locks worked for about a week, and then all of a sudden, they would lock, but not unlock. The way I fixed that was to disconnect the ground (black) wire at the driver door actuator. So only the white, brown, blue, and green wires were connected to the driver door actuator.

Not sure why, but that seems to have fixed it.

Yep.. This will work in a number of cars that have electric actuated door locks.
I have used them in a few Fords.