months later, finally pics of my 3G TL carPC
10-26-2005, 06:47 PM
#41
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x-mode, That's an incredible job on the armrest! How the heck did you do that??? Do you have step by step photos of that work? How does the wire run? Does it block access to the cupholders completely? It doesn't get in the way when shifting? Or are you automatic? Can't tell from the photos.
10-26-2005, 07:50 PM
#42
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Originally Posted by zax123
x-mode, That's an incredible job on the armrest! How the heck did you do that??? Do you have step by step photos of that work? How does the wire run? Does it block access to the cupholders completely? It doesn't get in the way when shifting? Or are you automatic? Can't tell from the photos.
are you kidding? It has to be an auto...I'd hate to shift around that thing. Definitely original.
10-27-2005, 08:33 AM
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Yes it's an auto. I have access to 1 cup holder. The armrest is mounted on factory plate so it does go up and down and slides. I basically took the armrest off. Ripped the leather and the padding down to the bare plastic. I created 2 angles from Balsa and glued them on. Fitted the bezel of the screen and used risen with a polyester cloth to make it a solid piece. I then fiberglassed it and bondo ed it to smooth. Sent it to the unholster to get the hide...
12-02-2005, 06:43 PM
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Nice job
hey ITL,
I just want to say you done a nice job, and it fast too since like you know what you need to do.
I hope you can share more guide for us to follow your track, like where did you get the part? something like that.
Keep it up, update for pictures for us to see your baby.
I just want to say you done a nice job, and it fast too since like you know what you need to do.
I hope you can share more guide for us to follow your track, like where did you get the part? something like that.
Keep it up, update for pictures for us to see your baby.
12-02-2005, 07:27 PM
#46
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Originally Posted by ITL
I relocated the OEM LCD below the radio and put a 7" touchscreen monitor in it's place. Built into the glovebox, the computer has two fans circulating air to and from the cabin. I have a GPS module on the dash and a Wi-Fi adaptor tucked under the sunvisor. I have easy access to my navigation system, approximately 500 full albums of mp3s, pictures, about 4000 video games played via playstation controllers. The power supply delays the startup, initiates the shutdown procedure, regulates voltage, monitors the car battery voltage, and provides clean DC-DC power.
When moving the screen:
1) I had to extend four harnesses that totalled 44 wires- so that's 88 solder points.
2) The OEM LCD consists of a board with two lcd screens. The rear AC vent ducts run right below that storage compartment, so I had to trim the edges of the board to get a good fit. I'd say that I probably cut about 1/4" off of the two bottom corners.
3) The OEM LCD board is hidden by plastic that currently exists over your non-navi screen.
Since I would be cutting this plastic out for the Xenarc, I had to make a cover for the LCDs new location. I used 1/8" plexiglass cut to fit the location where the storage compartments used to exist. After measuring and taping off for the LCDs, I sprayed painted it black to hide the board.
Pics below...
Thanks to:
moahdib- your project gave me motivation to get started
Darrell- for the games
Chris- for use of your garage (and tools) before I had one
Christian(gf)- for your tolerance during this project
mp3car.com & acurazine.com- two of my favorite forums
When moving the screen:
1) I had to extend four harnesses that totalled 44 wires- so that's 88 solder points.
2) The OEM LCD consists of a board with two lcd screens. The rear AC vent ducts run right below that storage compartment, so I had to trim the edges of the board to get a good fit. I'd say that I probably cut about 1/4" off of the two bottom corners.
3) The OEM LCD board is hidden by plastic that currently exists over your non-navi screen.
Since I would be cutting this plastic out for the Xenarc, I had to make a cover for the LCDs new location. I used 1/8" plexiglass cut to fit the location where the storage compartments used to exist. After measuring and taping off for the LCDs, I sprayed painted it black to hide the board.
Pics below...
PHASE I - Testing
First case design 20GB desktop hard drive.
Acrylic adhesive not strong enough
Preview of the case redesign.
Acrylic sides replaced with nuts and bolts.
Testing fitment in glovebox.
OEM screen on left still intact- this will be relocated
Testing software. Originally used MediaCar frontend until I tried Road Runner.
Got my 7" touchscreen monitor!
Installed. Worked 22 hours straight on this...took a break at 7am on Saturday morning to wash the car while I waited for Radio Shack to open so I could get what I needed for the audio piece.
Phase II - Completion
Case redesigned in old home amplifier stripped of parts.
Mini-keyboard on left.
Fan pulling cool air into glovebox from bottom right.
Fan blowing hot air out from bottom left.
booting up...Xenarc up top and OEM screen relocated below radio.
usb extension runs above the visor for wireless internet adapter.
Shot of Road Runner interface in action.
Wireless internet adapter behind visor
Epia Via M10000 motherboard: mini-itx form factor
Estimate of hardware purchased.
more pics of the car completed screen
First case design 20GB desktop hard drive.
Acrylic adhesive not strong enough
Preview of the case redesign.
Acrylic sides replaced with nuts and bolts.
Testing fitment in glovebox.
OEM screen on left still intact- this will be relocated
Testing software. Originally used MediaCar frontend until I tried Road Runner.
Got my 7" touchscreen monitor!
Installed. Worked 22 hours straight on this...took a break at 7am on Saturday morning to wash the car while I waited for Radio Shack to open so I could get what I needed for the audio piece.
Phase II - Completion
Case redesigned in old home amplifier stripped of parts.
Mini-keyboard on left.
Fan pulling cool air into glovebox from bottom right.
Fan blowing hot air out from bottom left.
booting up...Xenarc up top and OEM screen relocated below radio.
usb extension runs above the visor for wireless internet adapter.
Shot of Road Runner interface in action.
Wireless internet adapter behind visor
Epia Via M10000 motherboard: mini-itx form factor
Estimate of hardware purchased.
more pics of the car completed screen
Thanks to:
moahdib- your project gave me motivation to get started
Darrell- for the games
Chris- for use of your garage (and tools) before I had one
Christian(gf)- for your tolerance during this project
mp3car.com & acurazine.com- two of my favorite forums
That is nice car with perfect install. can you tell me how did you connect sound from pc to car's speaker?
12-04-2005, 01:39 AM
#47
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Originally Posted by cambonicky
Hi ITL,
That is nice car with perfect install. can you tell me how did you connect sound from pc to car's speaker?
That is nice car with perfect install. can you tell me how did you connect sound from pc to car's speaker?
I tried using a relay on Warren's TL as he wanted to keep his XM, but the XM bled through when using the auxiliary input via the relay. It may have just been a cheap relay.
12-04-2005, 04:50 PM
#49
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it was quite a bit of work moving it down there. Four wiring harnesses had to be extended and then I had to do some cutting on some electronics (nerve-racking) to get it to fit between the vents that run to the rear A/C.
01-09-2006, 11:47 AM
#52
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You canNOT use the factory screen for touchscreen input to a carPC. However, you CAN use the factory navigation screen to display from other sources.
The factory navigation screen will not give you the clarity of an aftermarket screen or computer monitor. Viewing video from DVDs or game consoles is somewhat acceptable; however, anything with small text or higher resolutions such as a computer would be pure misery if you opt to go this route.
The factory navigation screen will not give you the clarity of an aftermarket screen or computer monitor. Viewing video from DVDs or game consoles is somewhat acceptable; however, anything with small text or higher resolutions such as a computer would be pure misery if you opt to go this route.
01-10-2006, 08:42 AM
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My rearview camera looks nice on the factory display. My CarPC (XP MCE 2k5) the desktop display is somewhat ok but the text looks like crap. I s'pose that's why there's front ends like Road Runner and the many others. Displaying visualizations in Media Player looks pretty sweet! Although I have a DVD burner in the PC I have yet to play any DVDs so I can't speak to that. I was hoping I could somehow tweak the display settings on my VIA MII 12000 mobo to correct the way text is displayed.
01-18-2006, 01:36 PM
#54
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Originally Posted by jeff05tl
My rearview camera looks nice on the factory display. My CarPC (XP MCE 2k5) the desktop display is somewhat ok but the text looks like crap. I s'pose that's why there's front ends like Road Runner and the many others. Displaying visualizations in Media Player looks pretty sweet! Although I have a DVD burner in the PC I have yet to play any DVDs so I can't speak to that. I was hoping I could somehow tweak the display settings on my VIA MII 12000 mobo to correct the way text is displayed.
Can you post a picture perhaps?
01-19-2006, 08:45 AM
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My Plate Cam & trailer receiver hitch
Originally Posted by moahdib
Hey Jeff, where did you mount your rearview cam? I have one of those bullet shaped cameras that is supposed to go into the trunk keyhole except that we don't have one on our TL's
Can you post a picture perhaps?
Can you post a picture perhaps?
My TL's beautiful a$$ w/ the plate frame cam and trailer receiver hitch.
Cheers!!
01-19-2006, 09:17 AM
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Incredible! Absolutely incredible! 
Amazing install and a great job detailing the work.
Okay, now for the stupid question - how and when do you use all of this stuff?
The whole package is fascinating, but being a 47 year-old redneck who's biggest leap into the world of high-tech was buying a laptop three years ago, I'm curious as to its application.
Do you work out of your car?
Again, awesome job and thanks in advance for answering my questions.
Amazing install and a great job detailing the work.
Okay, now for the stupid question - how and when do you use all of this stuff?
The whole package is fascinating, but being a 47 year-old redneck who's biggest leap into the world of high-tech was buying a laptop three years ago, I'm curious as to its application.
Do you work out of your car?
Again, awesome job and thanks in advance for answering my questions.
01-19-2006, 10:41 AM
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I've got a question for all you engineer/installers......Does anyone see a way that the oem radio can be replaced by an ALpine (as an example) headunit. I would be willing to sacrifice my bluetooth and the 5.1 is already by the wayside. I would love to have a clean sounding deck in there.
02-27-2006, 01:16 PM
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I've redone my case for the fourth time. This one is much better and looks a lot cleaner, too. I'll try to take some pics soon and post them here.
Thanks for the compliments. I use it all the time. My main functionality is definitely using the system as a glorified mp3 player; however, I now have 3 navigation systems. Some have better features than others- so I can take my pick at any moment. Games, movies, and videos are enjoyed by passengers...If I'm parked or waiting on someone, I'll watch a video or play a quick game. It would be quite hard to do much work on a 7" screen, but occasionally I'll check my email, the weather, or sports.
The main problem with putting an aftermarket radio in the car is the lack of a mounting kit. Most cars have some sort of rectangular opening, be it single or double-DIN, for a radio to be mounted into. The TL doesn't have this. I've seen a couple of installations, but they don't look very good to me...also the trim pieces running up either side of the center dash would end up having two empty "half-moons" as the volume and tuning knobs wouldn't be present anymore. Now, if you wanted to put an aftermarket unit in the glovebox or storage compartments, that would be an option, too. Are you near Atlanta? 
Originally Posted by gurneyeagle
Incredible! Absolutely incredible!
Amazing install and a great job detailing the work.
Okay, now for the stupid question - how and when do you use all of this stuff?
The whole package is fascinating, but being a 47 year-old redneck who's biggest leap into the world of high-tech was buying a laptop three years ago, I'm curious as to its application.
Do you work out of your car?
Again, awesome job and thanks in advance for answering my questions.
Amazing install and a great job detailing the work.
Okay, now for the stupid question - how and when do you use all of this stuff?
The whole package is fascinating, but being a 47 year-old redneck who's biggest leap into the world of high-tech was buying a laptop three years ago, I'm curious as to its application.
Do you work out of your car?
Again, awesome job and thanks in advance for answering my questions.
Originally Posted by kyle-wdp
I've got a question for all you engineer/installers......Does anyone see a way that the oem radio can be replaced by an ALpine (as an example) headunit. I would be willing to sacrifice my bluetooth and the 5.1 is already by the wayside. I would love to have a clean sounding deck in there.
02-27-2006, 06:21 PM
#61
Originally Posted by vandido626
What kinda connection did you use to run the PC to the OEM navi screen?
Will the PC run off an RCA connection?
Will the PC run off an RCA connection?
the screen he is using is an aftermarket screen
02-28-2006, 07:15 AM
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Originally Posted by vandido626
What kinda connection did you use to run the PC to the OEM navi screen? Will the PC run off an RCA connection?
Originally Posted by Acuraluvr
O CRAP that is awesome........ will u do it for me when i get the car damn that is awesome
BTW how do you get internet??? just cuz you got a wireless connecter, how do you get signal???
props to you man, great job
BTW how do you get internet??? just cuz you got a wireless connecter, how do you get signal???
props to you man, great job
-Well, I use wi-fi if near a hotspot. If not, then I use my cell phone for connectivity.
-Thanks very much.
Originally Posted by kyles32vtectl
great setup!
Originally Posted by dan.....k
I saw ITL's car yesterday at the Atlanta meet. I was very impressed. He did a great job on the install!
07-12-2006, 10:35 AM
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ITL, this is wonderful and I plan to do same thing on my 06 TL. did you remove the two storage bins under factory audio? where can I find information on taking apart the console or whatever I need to?
thanks!
Ming
thanks!
Ming
07-12-2006, 11:21 AM
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yes, I relocated the OEM LCD to the space where the two storage bins are located. There is a lot of info on removing the console around this forum...do a search or check the Garage.
07-13-2006, 01:10 PM
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Sweet install, great job. Was looking at something similar for my non-navi '06. Love the fact you have the option to go with different styles of navigation to suit your needs. IMO, the additional functionality of the carputer way outdoes the OEM navi by itself. So would you be willing to do this install for a fellow Auburn grad? 
Was looking at something similar for my non-navi '06. Love the fact you have the option to go with different styles of navigation to suit your needs. IMO, the additional functionality of the carputer way outdoes the OEM navi by itself. So would you be willing to do this install for a fellow Auburn grad?
07-13-2006, 01:28 PM
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thanks, dan....k. I haven't been avoiding your calls, lately. I've been swamped with another carpc project. I've upgraded and this new system is even more badass than the first one. Trying to develop this new system for myself. If all goes well (and it IS so far), I'll be putting an identical setup in a 3G TL the first weekend of August. Feel free to swing by the garage if you get bored...This pc is cooler (temparature), faster, quieter and I'm adding a USB DVD for movies and backups....working on an automated recovery solution as we speak.
Liquidorca10, I'd be willing to do one for a fellow Auburn grad at a discounted rate I'd love to do it for free, but there's so much time, planning, and just plain work involved in getting it done, it just wouldn't be worth it. PM me for email address and we can talk about it.
Liquidorca10, I'd be willing to do one for a fellow Auburn grad at a discounted rate
I'd love to do it for free, but there's so much time, planning, and just plain work involved in getting it done, it just wouldn't be worth it. PM me for email address and we can talk about it.
07-27-2007, 08:08 AM
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07-28-2007, 12:24 AM
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Originally Posted by saturated_fat
08-31-2007, 08:17 AM
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My current carpc is a 1.7GHz Pentium M with 1GB of ram. It actually stays pretty cool, now that I have really good airflow in the glovebox. It has never overheated, unlike my very first couple of designs in the glovebox.
09-08-2007, 11:55 PM
#79
I might have missed it, but what kind of power supply are you running, and what is your boot time? Is the program you run during normal operation Linux based, or Windows based? Is there a signal that powers down the computer when you turn off the car, or do you have to do it manually? I plan on doing something similar, but my car is a navi, and I want to use the factory screen. I thought I remembered someone here hacking the touchscreen for use on a PC, but I can't be sure.
09-09-2007, 02:56 AM
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Does anyone know if there is a program that I could use on Mac OS X? I’m a huge Mac user and was thinking of putting a MacMini (small simple box) in my car. It has the Intel Core 2 Duo so I could use Bootcamp and boot into XP but I would rather stay in OS X.