For those of you interested, here are the part numbers for the black connectors you see in the picture above and pins to go with them. These plug into another set of the same connectors that are crimped on the factory wiring.

I put these on the wires where I cut the factory wiring near the dvd unit in the trunk. It allows you to easily go plug the factory wiring back together. Although it made the install take a little longer, it was well worth it.



I was doing the install for 2 cars so I ordered double the amount of everything. You will need 2 of each connector type, and 8 of each pin. I ordered a few extra pins, I suggest you do the same. They're easy to lose/mangle.

 

How much of the install would you want me to do? Where are you coming from?
It will be expensive

 

In a NON navi, figure how to display the OEM info on an aftermarket touch screen so the LCD's can be removed completely.

K

 

Now why did you need to tap into the orginal dvd? or what is that relay for?

 

I would need you to start from scratch with my car. Time is money and I'm sure this project would take plenty of your time. So if you are willing to do it I'm willing to pay (depending on the price of course) haha. But I do realize that the craftsmanship of your work won't be cheap. I'm from Northern VA/DC area.

 

The video on the OEM navi screen comes from the dvd unit in the trunk. That's where I tapped into these wires.

The relay switches between the Acura navigation system and the carpc video.

 

Man I would love to do this. Actually Met you doing this has given me hope that an ipod device can be made and have touch screen controls..........I hope.

If I wasn't putting in new brakes soon I'd be on the list for this relay. But it would just sit for awhile. I do have a mac mini that sits in the closet now since work buying me a new macbook pro a few months ago. Hum.............

 

still looking forspare navi screen to make pnp.

 

I do believe that Acura has a touch screen cable kit for IPOD that they can install for you professionally as long as your Acura TL is 2005 or newer...

 

I don't understand the diffrence in making it Plug N Play or not? Once the computer is on or off it should be able to switch between the 2 without rebooting...

 

What i mean by PNP is so all you have to do is put the switch somewhere, give it poover and connect it to the nav screen py just switching connectors. No guess work on wires, no messing with solder. Also I need the navi screen so i can see the proper order of wires to hook up so if i mess it up, i still have a working navi screen that i can put in my car.

 

It is not really a touch screen interface that controls the ipod, it is just a cable so the IPOD canbe heard through factory speakers and be controled by the steering wheel controls.

 

thats what i'd like too!

 

Send me a PM and we can work something out for the install.

 

Hey met,

This is f'in fantastic! Excellent work!

I had practically given up on putting a carputer in my navi TL and ended up blowing my wad on a 50" plasma and stand. Then I end up stumbling on this thread and now my interest is at an all time high. If you wouldn't mind, I would love to swing by your place to check this out. What part of steeltown are you in. I'm out in Robinson Twp.

I just need to figure out a way to hide the cost and install of this from the wife and try to break it in gently. As cool as she may think this is, I can't spring another $600-$800 on her right now.

Thanks!

 

Hey Deutch,
I live in the south hills of Pittsburgh (baldwin/whitehall area). Let me know if you're going to be in the area and I'd be glad to show you the setup.

Mike

 

keep me away!!! keep me away!!!! I need to go blind before I change my mind from the latest DVD install to this =(

 

met - i was wondering if you would consider making the relay for the touch screen and the relay for the video. For instance maybe for the touch screen controller have everything set together so all one would need to do is take the lcd screen out and cut the shielding on the back of it. So really for the touch screen all you would need to do (aside from taking the dash apart and cutting the notch out of the back of the lcd screen) is plug the 4 pins from the car into the relay, the other end into the lcd screen, the 3rd plug into a usb controller and just have maybe a small power and ground wire (could splice into it and make it longer if need be).

Also the same idea for the trunk. Just possibly make the relay and leave any wires that need to be connected from the relay sticking out and labeled so that more or less all you would need to do is connect the wires that you already have prelabeled.

I know myself as well as many other people would pay you for your time and the parts. Im sure there are alot of us that are comfortable making everything except the relays, everything else is pretty straight forward. I don't have enough posts to PM yet but if your interested in doing this shoot me an email at ponorati@gmail.com. I'd be glad to pay for the parts and your labor just send me a price in the email or just post reply here if your interested in doing it for multiple people.

Thanks bro
-paul

 

hey met, can we also get some pictures of where and how you ran the wires from the front to the trunk? did you go under carpet and where?

 

I'm in the process of protyping them and most likely selling them soon.

 

Nice!!!

 

csmeance - awesome sounds good man. Do you have another post started with updates or progress thus far? so i could monitor the progress w/out bugging the hell out of you haha

 

Sorry, but I didn't take any pictures of where I ran the wires. The pictures you see in this thread are all of the pics i have taken.

The wires run under the center console and carpet in the center of the car. YOu'll need to remove the center armrest/console and also the rear seat (just the bottom). Then you'll have to feed the wires under the carpet. It's pretty easy to do. A wire coat hanger straightened out will help with the wires taped on w/ electrical tape.

 

nice thanks for the coat hanger tip too... i'm still working the page some more too...

 

This sounds really great guys. Besides still awaiting come remaining parts for my project, this is the main things thats holding me back because I am a little uneasy about cutting into the OEM navi screen. Something about it just screams 'ouch' to me. Aside from that I'm waiting on 2 PSUs that I've had to send back for exchange or alterations.

Met, I also have a question and I know its pretty newbie to ask, but I would feel a lot worse if I didn't and then got some nasty surprise. I purchase the AverMedia iMicro scan converter, and was wondering if you could provide me with a detailed description of how the video is connected to the Navi head unit. There doesn't appear to be any standard connection that I am familiar with. I think you mentioned that you tapped into the signal coming from the Navi DVD player in the trunk, yet I am still uncertain as to how this was done. Any guidance would be appreciated. Thank you.

 

The thread is here: Navigation Screen USB PNP interface

 

met do you have any videos of your carputer in action? i want to see how the switch is used to move between OEM Navi and the computer video.

 

It's on the first page. Post #12.

 

Got it....thanks.

 

If you find some install instructions for Doms tv and nav2go unit, you can find out the wire colors for the R G B and sync wires that you'll need to cut at the navigation unit in the trunk.
I took a quick look at the unit that you purchased, but the details i was looking for weren't posted on the site. With the Scan Do converter that I purchased, the manual gave me the pinouts for the unit. I was able to determine which wires carried the RGBs signals.
I don't think that all scan converters out there will have the capability to output RGBS, hopefully yours isn't one of them.
The other thing the made the Scan Do a good choice, was that it required 5Vdc @ 2A. I was able to power it using the computer power supply. Since yours is 7.5V, you'll need to find a way to power it. And preferably not using an inverter because that will introduce unnecessary noise.

Good luck.

 

No drilling required no except for the back-up camera. One of my relays got fried and I have to go to classes during the day so this all gets done on weekends. After I get it perfected and get everything ready, vendorship here I come. And if this does go well and I have some spare time, I can do installs at my home for you guys.

 

Hey guys, I don't want to impede on the thread, but can you guys please just go on this thread and just add your names to the petition even if you guys already have exhausts, whether comptech or not, whether you want an exhaust or not, i need names (bodies) to sign up on the petition so we can get GReddy to manufacture us a catback...Thank you for your cooperation. Here's the website:
https://acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=153880

 

Oh Met, you spotted something I had greatly overlooked, which is the 7.5V power requirement for the unit. I guess as an alternative, I can use an inverter.

I was planning on using an S-Video-to-RGB Component cable adapter or a SCART RGB-to-RGB Component adapter to hook into the head unit. Do you think this is a possibility or am I asking for trouble? Should I return the unit for something else? ( I wasn't able to find another Scan Do 800 converter)

I seem to have hit a bit of a snag with this topic and a power supply problem (can't power the PC with an M2-ATX PSU or Opus 150W PSU <yes I got both>). I must be doing something wrong here because the odds of both being DOA is pretty unlikely. The PC powers on without problems from another standard ATX PSU.

Also, you mentioned Dom's TVandNavtoGo unit. Are you suggesting I look up the Acura OEM Navigation wiring diagrams or are you suggesting buying the unit, because I wouldn't like to cough up another $300 for it, this project is already costing me a pretty .

 

Compare ALL of the pins on your DC-DC PSUs to the one in the house that worked. I assumed all PSU were alike, but ran into this issue with one of my carpcs which wouldn't power on. A pin was missing on an older PSU harnesses...

What all do you have plugged into the PC? You may be overloading one of the rails with too many accessories. Try to turn it on with as few accessories as possible.

Does it even try to turn on? I bought an M2-ATX to replace an M1 that couldn't provide enough juice. With the M1, the PC would try to start up, but I couldn't ever get it to POST.

 

Haven't been in this forum in a while but as the original CarPC installed on a 3rd gen TL (non-navi), I wanted to congratulate you on an awesome install... GREAT work on a conversion.. I can see all the hard work you spent paid off in a big way.

I have a full flash skin for RR soon to be released which comes standard with the acura logo hehe I'll send you a download link for the beta I'm trying out if you're interested.

link to video here.
http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=98049

Again..welcome to the carPC community. Nice to see fellow TL carPC modders at work.

 

Hey, thanks for the compliments!
I checked out the video of your freedom simplistique skin. I love it. I'd definitely like to try out the beta if you'll send me a link. You can PM it to me if that's alright.
It looks like a great skin.

 

I saw some pics of other Carputers where the mobo's were installed in the glovebox in custom housings and others under the seat and a few in the trunk. Sorry if I didn't use the search function properly but did you ever mention where all of that hardware is placed? I saw the dvd and usb hub in front compartment, scanner in back and switch in cup holder but no other hardware (hd, mobo, videocard and wires from there to dvd), I may have even missed placement of Dom's TVandNav2go but I'm assuming its mounted in the trunk panel somewhere. Great job by the way...

 

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I thought that blue box in the trunk may have been the pc but wasn't sure until I found this enclosure, now things make much more sense.

 

Just as an update on this PNP thing:
I ordered the parts and they should be arrivng soon. I will reip apart the TL again and hopefully nnone of my relays get fried. If it does all work properly, I will star tbulk ordering, and making them and as well as signing up for vendorship status. Some final conclusions i would like to make is no Cutting required and also this will be mostly plugn play for the most part. I will offer install services at my home on weekends if available.

 

Sorry for the delayed response...
There are other ways to power the video converter. My first choice would be the opus or ms-atx psu, but they don't put out 7.5V so you'll have to go w/ another solution.

I could be wrong, but I think RGB component isn't the same as RGBs. There might be some differences. Maybe someone with more experience with difference video formats could chime in here. I only know that the Scan Do works great for me, so that's all I can make an educated comment about.

I only mentioned Dom's unit for wiring diagram purposes. If you do a search for this, you should be able to find the Acura wiring diagram pretty quickly. I'm not suggesting you buy the dom's unit if you're getting a scan converter.

You need the scan converter OR the Dom's unit.. but I suggest the scan converter because it should give you better video quality.