Thread: BMW E46 convertible install - FOR SALE!

Thanks for the newest pictures, they were very helpful! Specially the space nav solution you did find. Good job.


You're whole build looks very stock to me, great job man. Love the solution to IR sensors, I was thinking about doing that myself but, incredibly, during testing, the IR sensor worked when it was closed enough to the screen when mounted (guess the IR light can leak between the plastic in my mount (I don't use glue or bondo, just screews and double sided tape), so it will work for me that way.

Your car is looking good man. Were you the one developing something similar like the Nissan GT-R info screen, to display OBD-II data? Forgive if it's not, I may have just confused the nick names.

Very interested on the images you're going to get from the USB camera. What model is it? Have you tested at night? Does it have autofocus or you're going to use @ infiniti at all times? Does it have mic built in? I'd love to see it working with FreeIce. It's an awsome front end, do you plan to use HD radio with it? I'd love to see HD radio with FreeIce either.

Hi, I drive an e46 2000 328ci and i've been reading this thread. I too am almost finish with my carputer install. However, I have a problem with money (dont we all) and decided to stick with the stock head unit for controls and radio. I notice you had this setup at the beginning of your installed but then decided to go the opposite direction with no head unit. My question is when you still had your head unit, where did you relocate it? I decided to relocate it in the glove box but where can I get the antenna extensions if so and how was the sound? By the way if your anybody is wondering, it does fit in the glove box.

Originally Posted by RipplingHurst

Your car is looking good man. Were you the one developing something similar like the Nissan GT-R info screen, to display OBD-II data? Forgive if it's not, I may have just confused the nick names.

Very interested on the images you're going to get from the USB camera. What model is it? Have you tested at night? Does it have autofocus or you're going to use @ infiniti at all times? Does it have mic built in? I'd love to see it working with FreeIce. It's an awsome front end, do you plan to use HD radio with it? I'd love to see HD radio with FreeIce either.

I would like to add a 7" LCD over top of the speedometer/RPM gauges. I think the size will be pretty close to perfect leaving the other sensor lights intact. The screen would display a few different pages of info, speedo/rpm, fuel mileage, acceleration times etc. I don't want it to complicated but should just look cool. I just have to build some skins probably using DashXL and then running a secondary monitor somehow. Probably a usb one since I'm using a laptop.
If I don't decide to mess with my gauges I will just embed the info into another screen in FreeIce. I think a virtual dash would put things over the top in regards to coolness though. Then I can route the cameras to it as well and maybe get a nightvision CCD cam instead of the webcam and mount some IR blasters in the fog lights.

I am using a logitech quickcam pro which is not a great camera but good enough for now. I doubt it will work at night at all. I'm rethinking the whole webcam idea anyways and might go with a CCD standalone dvr solution instead. I can't find any good webcam software and when it's recording it is a resource hog. No webcam software I have found can deal with returning from standby.

FreeIce does not have an HD radio module but you can embed any program you want into it. It just will not look as integrated.

Originally Posted by hongchu

Hi, I drive an e46 2000 328ci and i've been reading this thread. I too am almost finish with my carputer install. However, I have a problem with money (dont we all) and decided to stick with the stock head unit for controls and radio. I notice you had this setup at the beginning of your installed but then decided to go the opposite direction with no head unit. My question is when you still had your head unit, where did you relocate it? I decided to relocate it in the glove box but where can I get the antenna extensions if so and how was the sound? By the way if your anybody is wondering, it does fit in the glove box.

I was never able to fit my HU in the glove box so I gave up. I even got an extra radio harness in order to extend it to the trunk but gave up when the steering wheel controls didn't work anymore. There is another connector that I would have to have extended as well.

I finished up my ipod dock and installed it in the car.

how did you intregrate the iphone in the car?
Just hooked it uo to the PC?

You might want to look at this app...
Thats if your phone is jailbroken.
http://www.iphonefaq.org/archives/97377

Thats what I use on my Carpc.
People love it, totally freaks them out..
there are a few videos on youtube also.

It's just plugged in the usb port so it's basically only good for charging or syncing with itunes. The best way to play other people ipods is through the line in jack. I don't know of any good ipod player software especially if there are DRM tracks. My girlfriend actually *buys* her music :P
I do have touchpad installed and it's awesome. Great for when I need a keyboard.

I just ordered an ELM327 usb OBDII scanner off ebay for $35 shipped. I don't get why the same ones are listed for over $120. Anyways I took the cluster out to see how I can mount a screen.
There are a couple ways I could go. I could hack up the cluster and fit the screen right over the gauges. I would have to chop a hole out of the top and hope I can still make it fit in the dash. Not likely. Or cover up the bottom digital display and hope I can recreate it on the lcd.
Or I could mount the screen on the outside glass and wouldn't have to hack up anything. Not the best way but might be a temporary solution until I figure out how to do it right.
Once my Ibus adapter arrives I can figure out how to get a steering wheel button to flip through cluster screens.
Suggestions?

Originally Posted by kelmk

I also finally figured out a good place to mount the screen IR sensor and auto dim light sensor. I took apart the button bar under the AC controls which had two empty spaces. I drilled a couples holes in it and mounted the sensors. Looks pretty stock to me.

Is this easy to get out?

Or do you have to take out the whole bottom console?

I would like to have a black button located in that strip for powering on my laptop.Not sure how to get that strip out?