Thread: Powering PC With Power Button Instead of Automatic Power

can't you simply use the usual power button, and use whatever power converter you use only to power the unit, not controlling it?

just put a momentary switch in the cabin, and run two wires to the PC, connect them to the pwr switch pins on the motherboard. That's what I have done. managed to get a BMW switch so it looks OEM, check my website for PICS

I did the momentary switch thing. Make sure it's an NO switch (Normally Open) and not an NC switch (Normally Closed). I made that stupid mistake the first time I tried it.

P.S. Don't worry about hooking up the ignition wire. Just connect the momentary switch to the Power switch jumper on your motherboard.

Originally Posted by legend5761

Yo guys,

This is what I want to do: I want to be able to power up my car pc from the dash instead of it automatically powering up, this is because I have a few family members that do not like the all the "light". haha....Well anyways can someone help me how to do the wiring now this is what I am thinking:

Run power to a distribution block in the trunk, from that run power to the amp and to the car pc. The only problem I am thinking of is what will the wire that originally should go to the ignition wire up to?

Thanks guys..

what power supply are you using?

what i have done is used a 3 way switch at the front of my car, the switch is on the ignition line that heads to the boot which controls the computer and my amps, if the switch is in position 1 it just acts like a normal ignition wire, position 2 is always on, and position 3 is always off. perhaps you could do something simmilar

yup agree with NIC,, what i have done is simply add a switch to the IGN wire that supplys the opus,, then if i want the PC to stay off when the ignis on i simply use the switch and turn it off..

So you want the PC turn have a manual turn-on, but an automatic shutdown? That's a little tricky. You need a shutdown controller that powers down but not up, and that doesn't exist. Without designing your own shutdown controller, the only thing I can suggest is putting in a kill switch. Instead of running the ACC power directly to whatever it is that triggers your bootup (like the OPUS), add a toggle switch. That way you can trick your setup into thinking the car is still turned off. Then when you want to power it up, you just turn the switch on and it will send the ACC power to your system, causing it to boot.

If you can take that concept and build a small circuit to automatically do this, you're all set.