2004 Accord navigation with carPC

blazer563 · 08-06-2006, 09:17 PM

This is my first post and my first carPC.

What I am trying to do is add a carPC to my Honda navigation sysem. I know it's possible but I would like some advice on the long painful process of doing this. So far I think I got it figured out.

1) Check the connection to the lcd/touchscreen.
2) Find the pin config. for it. (video signals / touch screen data)
3) Create a 3way type of switch to change from carPC to Nav.
4) Put it all together.

If possible I would prefer to change the screen with a liliput but keep it recessed in the dash with all my nav functions still working properly. Why keep the nav and not just put a nav on the carPC? Because the nav controls the A/C and CD changer and some radio functions.

Any suggestions would greatly be appreciated. THANKS!!

Evilbunny1114 · 08-06-2006, 09:22 PM

I find taht it things arent and long and painful if u read up about it and enjoy what your are doing.

ashtray360 · 01-12-2008, 12:33 AM

I'm just getting started studying CarPC installations in Honda Accord's with Navis. Definitely want to do it, but haven't found anyone else who has. I've seen folks with Acura TL's (which is a higher end Honda) do it successfully, but unfortunately, ours is too different. I know becuase I'm currently looking at the disassembled NAVI from my car. Sooo many pieces. whoo hoo!

blazer563 · 01-24-2008, 06:52 PM

Hey ashtray. I just got back to work on my carPc. So far I have the PC part done, lacking a front end. Now to get it in the car. I am trying to do the same as I saw an acura tl with 2 relays to switch between stock nav and my car pc. I don't like the way scan converter pictures look. Kind of fuzzy, not as sharp as I want it. I think my choice is going to be a video card named arcadeVGA. Just waiting for confirmation that it is going to work. The touch screen part is going to be easy. Even though I haven't done it yet. I have taken the nav screen completely apart to where the t/s is isolated to the 4 wires that feed it. Relays are simple.

Do you have the same car as mine?

ashtray360 · 01-24-2008, 08:27 PM

Hey blazer563,
I have a 2004 Honda Accord EX-L with OEM Navi and XM. The area under my Navi unit has an aftermarket DVD/MP3 player that feeds two monitors behind the headrests currently. I want to incorporate those.

I'm thinking the Video and the Audio are the easy parts.. the screen controlling the computer is what I think will be hardest. My Car2PC unit just came in and I've seen on their forums several problems with cars that have the NAVI with XM. Hoping mine goes well. Will let you know.

I don't know if you've taken apart the Navi unit, but we don't have the same 4 wire ribbon hanging off the display. We've got like one gigundo 30 pin ribbon cable coming off of it and I'm not sure which wires are used for controlling the screen. I've got the same model as the one below (although most of these images are from the TL forum and not my actual unit):

Questions are:
- Do you have the same unit?
- Is this a four wire analog resistive touch panel?
- If so, which four wires do we need to tap into.
- Will we be able to put a relay in the middle?

In any case, I'm glad to have someone doing this along side me to commiserate/celebrate with.

I'll keep you posted.

ashtray360 · 01-27-2008, 02:31 AM

The Car2PC unit from indashpc.com is in. I had to use the y cable they sell so I could plug in their unit AND my OEM XM unit. The audio from the PC sounds superb, but now XM sounds really yucky. Unplugging the Car2PC unit returns it to its full glory so I know its not the Y adapter. Also, I couldn't control my playlists via the HU. I've sent an email to their support.

I bought a Scan Do 800 off eBay for $28 to send video from my PC to the Navi screen and created a USB power supply for it. This will convert the VGA to RGBs at the necessary 15.7Khz frequency. However, I'm a bit reluctant to cut into the wires in the back of my Navi in my trunk. Hoping I can find someone that has made an adapter or just some plugs that I can make my own with.

Angrycamel and Met152 are leaders in the area of OEM touchscreen control. Their propellers are much bigger than mine. I just read the Angrycamel thread below and know that you will find it interesting too.
http://www.acurazine.com/forums/show...9&page=1&pp=25

Looks like Angrycamel has some plugs for tapping into the Navi too!

blazer563 · 01-28-2008, 03:33 PM

As soon as I finish this post I'm gonna hit ebay and look for a scan converter. I believe the 2 white and 2 red wires coming off the screen are the 4 needed to connect to the usb controller. I cannot find anywhere the location of rgb&s wires. The only response I have got is to check the service manual. Which I don't have and really don't wanna buy. So i guess i'm just gonna start cutting wires

If you get hold of a service manual please share. I'll post as soon as I get the USB tscontroller or my Scan do.

BTW yeah I do have the same unit. same car.

ashtray360 · 01-28-2008, 06:06 PM

Instead of splicing the OEM wires from the Navi in the trunk for the video, I bought a DIY harness from Angrycamel dot com's website. Just click on the Harness link in the right and you'll see an AH20 Connector DIY. You can also have him put it together for you but I'm wanting to put it together myself.. that way I can make sure the pinouts are exactly right for my scanconverter. I'm waiting for that and I've already received my 4PDT relay from Digikey to switch between the two.
fpena from another forum (http://driveaccord.net/forums/member.php?u=5281) I know has a Scan Do 800 which he had for sale. You can go there and PM him if you want. He just wants what he paid for it.. ~$100.

ashtray360 · 01-29-2008, 06:43 PM

I think those two white and two red wires are to power the backlight of the lcd panel.. not the four wires for the touchscreen. It would be too easy otherwise. Let me know if you learn different.

I found the following pinouts posted on the driveaccord.net forums:

04 back of NAV.pdf
04 nav connectors.pdf

The original post this comes from is: http://driveaccord.net/forums/showth...101#post149101

blazer563 · 02-10-2008, 08:10 PM

Hey Ashtray any luck with the touch screen part? I finally got around to getting a scan converter. It's not a scan do but it has the same specs I think it looks a little cleaner too. What about the ah20 connector from angrycamel? Any chance I could get some close up pics of it? I am going to get my nav system out of my accord tomorrow. I have to leave my car at a shop for a few days. So plenty of time to play with it. I have the 1 of the 2 relays I need.

ashtray360 · 02-12-2008, 12:51 AM

Hey Blazer563, I don't want to divert the topic at hand. I get excited every time there is a new post here. I've planned on posting a thread of my install when I'm done (if it works

). I've sent you a PM asking for your email address so I can email you my AH20 photos built with the AngryCamel DIY kit.
As for the touchscreen, I'm awaiting results from this forum. Honestly, I would do the met152 trick if I could, but my Accord's NAVI touchscreen doesn't have the obvious 4 wire control. I contacted Sharp (the maker of my OEM touchscreen) to get the wiring diagram and they said that it is was built proprietary for Honda and they have no info on it. He also mentioned that Honda would also be very unlikely to share details as this is their prorprietary info.
I would love to build a passthrough harness similar to the AH20 for my naviscreen so I can play around and figure it out. I saw a guy on another forum fry his system while 'playing' so I'm a bit hesitant.

Work done so far..
- Wiring power from battery to trunk with 10guage and fuse done. NOT near as bad as I thought. My wire routing was different than AC's Acura but the same generally. Accord Automatic - Driver's side firewall grommet. Accord Manual - Passenger side firewall grommet. I had the automatic.
- Wires from trunk to center console done (but I forgot one so now I have to remove the back seat again.. damn).
- AH20 video harness done
- I've got the DIY C Connector harness from AngryCamel also, but I'm going to wait for the module that I can splice into it before I put it together. Note to AC: I want something I can splice into this puppy! Solve the problem already! ;-)
- Scan do 800.. mine was fried.. waiting for a replacement.
- Car2PC.. STILL having issues but they are still working with me. They are sending me a chip that will capture all IEBus packets. For some reason, something on my IEBus is telling WinAmp and MediaPlayer to STOP playing music whenever I start playing music. Sent them log info to diagnose.
- Disasembled and Reassembled the dash too many times now. Those little spring clips.. they fly pretty far. Where can one buy extras?
- No interior/exterior blemishes yet from my futzing.. but i can use some extra spring clips.
- Still having fun!

ashtray360 · 02-12-2008, 06:25 AM

Hey again.. I realized this is a different thread just now. Haha. Too many threads in my head. I'm watching AngryCamel's thread on touchscreen control and had it mixed up with this one. Still though.. send me your email and I'll email you the photos.. I'm not yet ready to post my total install.. still a ways to go.

Which scan converter did you get by the way?

blazer563 · 02-14-2008, 10:33 PM

If for whatever reasons it is not possible to get the factory touch screen to do work on a carPC, my next guess is going to be to get a touch screen panel and lay it on top of the factory one. I know it's easier said than done but, I can live without the factory touch screen working. But it is easy to have the same switch that switches the monitor from nav to carPC disable the PC touchscreen. I was unable to get the nav sys out before my car was taken to a mechanic shop.

Hey ashtray what is the tvandnav2go going to be used for? Is that necessary or just something you want? If i remember correctly you mentioned that before.

Also you can get the clips that you say are getting loose at home depot or lowes. Just goto the hardware department where there is different screws and bolt. Look for a sign that reads: hard to find parts or something like that.

Just an off the topic tip: always use Honda factory parts of you will end up paying more later.

Til next time...