New To All Of This ... HELP!

Sbushel7 · 10-07-2007, 03:19 AM

Right I have just brought a 1999 Vauxhall Corsa...(it looks a bit crap), but im not really the mechanical type so i dont know how to 'pimp' it, if you know what i mean. can somebody please help me with that

Also i want to install a car pc, can some body please tell me where to get all the parts, i am also curious how it all gets power without goin through the cig lighter. and how hard is it to put a screen in the dash?

Anybody Help Me Please...... Much Appreciated

Thanks

DarquePervert · 10-07-2007, 05:23 AM

http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/advfaq.php

Sbushel7 · 10-07-2007, 07:26 AM

Ok i have read that....

i have a pc that i want to use as a car pc... what steps should i now take?

RedGTiVR6 · 10-07-2007, 08:13 AM

Apparently you haven't read it all then, because there's a thread that tells you how to get started.

I'd suggest you do some serious reading, because asking the questions you're asking isn't going to get you very far.

http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/faq-...n-feeding.html

Sbushel7 · 10-07-2007, 12:45 PM

Ok... now i have read all of it... but what i really need to know is how to connect the power wires.. the rest shouldnt be a problem (nor is money)

and do mp3car.com ship to the uk?

RedGTiVR6 · 10-07-2007, 12:52 PM

Yes, MP3Car.com ships to the UK.

I'm not sure what you don't understand about connecting the wires?

The owners manual for your PSU will tell you where everything goes.

If you're not sure about how to actually MAKE the connections, you should read up on that as well as that's a CRUCIAL aspect of a CarPC install...

Sbushel7 · 10-07-2007, 12:59 PM

i dont know how to connect it to the car battery....

Grrrmachine · 10-07-2007, 02:10 PM

Take a length of wire. Connect one end to the red battery terminal. Find a way through the central wall between the engine and the cockpit. Connect the other end to the carPc.

The reason we're not giving you the information you need as you ask for it, is because you really need to know WHY you're doing something, so that you're not putting yourself in danger. Not only are you sitting half a metre from four rapidly exploding pistons, but you're in the middle of a big metal electrically charged box. Choose the wrong thickness of wire, or put the wire in the wrong place, and your 1999 Corsa will become a charred out shell being sprayed down by the fire brigade.

Take your time, read ALL of the FAQs, look at what some other people have done, and THEN ask questions. If you don't want to do that, take your fat wodge of cash to Halfords and let THEM sort it out

Sbushel7 · 10-07-2007, 02:35 PM

if i buy a a case from mp3car.com will it come with the correct cable? and is it the same process for the touch screen?

Pint · 10-07-2007, 10:23 PM

IMHO I think the point is that you need to know which wire it should have. I was/am in the same boat as you. I didn't know much about CarPC's and I still have lots to learn.

One thing I have picked up is it's expensive when you get it wrong, so it's best to get an idea of what you need to do before hand.

Wire Gauges -
http://www.powerstream.com/Wire_Size.htm

Fuses are important too. These depend on how much current you intend to draw and how thick your wire is, and how long it runs for.

But firstly IMHO you probably need to establish what features you want, what sort of setup you want and how much you want to spend. From what I remember Corsa's (which I think used to be the Nova?) are small cars so space is a consideration.
There seem to be a number of ways to attach a screen. Considerations are - do you
want to cut a hole in your dash
have enough room,
want a screen mounted on a stand somewhere
or want a motorised display which fits in your standard 1 din slot.

There a lots of options and down to your own preference, the amount of time you have, and the amount of money you have to spend.

Sbushel7 · 10-08-2007, 01:45 AM

Rite... im not gonna start building my carputer until im 100% sure of what to do....

do you use a different psu than you do in a desktop (with the 3 pin adapter)?

2k1Toaster · 10-08-2007, 02:10 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by Sbushel7

Rite... im not gonna start building my carputer until im 100% sure of what to do....

do you use a different psu than you do in a desktop (with the 3 pin adapter)?

Yes... In your desktop that is an AC-DC PSU. The car has DC voltage. Now you can use an inverter, but that is messy and causes problems so you would be going DC-AC-DC and each conversion power is wasted as heat and the AC signal causes havoc in your speakers and video display. So we use DC-DC PSU's designed for the car with SDC (Shutdown Controller) built in so you dont have to press the button every time. If you read any of the power FAQ, you would know this, and so I point you there.