2001 Pathfinder Carputer - My first install

walstib · 07-05-2006, 01:06 PM

OK, so after lurking for quite a while and buying parts here and there, I am ready to begin my installation. The equipment, so far, consists of:
VIA EPIA 10000 Nano
SP-716 touchscreen monitor
512 MB RAM
DVD
200 GB SATA HDD
M1-ATX PSU
BU-303 USB GPS Reciever
Bluetooth
Atheros 5212 miniPCI

Software:
Windows XP
Road Runner with CrystalBlue skin

I thought I would document how I did everything for anyone who might want to know how I did it or do something similar.

Center console and dash before anything was done.

Remove the ashtray and the front part of center console just pulls off if you lift from the rear. Now you can lift on the rear of the small plate under the emergency brake and pop it out. There is a screw below. There is also a screw under the ashtray. You can make out the wiring harness electrical connector on the left side.

Remove the rear cover of the center console, 2 screws at bottom on each side, then swing back up from bottom. You can now remove two of the large screws from the side of the console that hold it to the floor. You will have to slide the seats forward to get to them. Once removed, this will allow you to tilt it up slightly and pull out the rear cupholder. Just push a tab on each side and pull. The cable shown is for acc power inside console. In retrospect, I should have left it plugged in since the harness is all modular and there is a disconnect further up the harness, near the emergency brake. This line may be switched and a good source for aux fans, if I need them...

Here is the console all removed. Red circles show where the screws were holding the console in place. 6 total, at least that's how many I had left.

Wiring harness connections are in blue circles. I found about $2 in change under the console, plus lots of yuck from spilled coffee, cokes, etc.

Center console parts all removed. 8 pieces total. The padded armrest part of the console is held on by three small screws, you can see the hinge/bracket on it and the slots in the rear of the console. The flat trim piece next to the ashtray covers the hinge/bracket of the padded armrest.

From here, I can do a lot of the remaining console work indoors. This is the bottom of the console. The wire is to the acc power in the console.

I removed the metal plate on the bottom. Note clip securing the wire.

The nano board.

It won't fit in to the bottom because of "fins" on the side of the console. They are there to keep CD cases from falling over in the console. You can see them better in the third picture down.

Mobo lined up on the bottom of console. I know it will fit inside.

A little Dremel work in the console... Not the neatest, but it works.

Now mobo drops right in! I think this will be plenty of room for airflow. I just need to dremel out the video, serial, USB, etc. outlets in the back wall of the console and mount it.

I will support it with plastic clips. There will be enough room underneath the mobo to run drive cables and route them out the back and up to the padded armrest area.

walstib · 07-05-2006, 01:07 PM

Now for the PSU. Amazingly, it fit right into the rear cover for the console! It kind of snaps in. It's not tight enough to be considered permanent, but it's good enough for a test fit.

Plenty of room!

I'm not sure how I will permanently mount it, maybe with plastic "rivets". You push them through a hole and then push a center pin into them to flare the ends and secure them.

That's all I have right now. Hopefully I can finish the mounting of the mobo and PSU by the weekend and start on drives, USB hubs, foldout monitor, etc. Wish me luck!

walstib · 07-08-2006, 05:27 PM

So I decided not to use the plastic clips to secure the mobo. I looked around on the net and found a lot of options like these square base adhesive backed screws. These may have been a better choice...

Being impatient, I just went to Home Depot and got 1" long nylon 10 x 32 screws, nuts and some nylon spacers 1/2" long. I drilled holes in the bottom of the console and even counter sunk them.

Then the Dremel work. It's not like a factory job, but it will do.

I was kind of bummed, it didn't line up perfect. It lines up fairly well and is close enough, I guess. Now I have 1/2" underneath for a little airflow. Here is a view from the rear.

And from the top.

From the top, here is a detail shot of the nylon screw & nut securing the board.

I decided to go with double sided foam tape to hold the PSU in place since it was a pretty tight fit already.

Mobo in console, back in Pathfinder. I missed a place to put my coffee in the mornings...

I ran the USB and VGA cables up to the front. I found that the power to the acc power jack is switched. Since I had to remove the bottom part of it to get the VGA cable attached, I will be using it as ignition wire to the PSU. Not sure where I will pull constant power from yet. I will start on the monitor tomorrow.

walstib · 07-09-2006, 03:51 PM

I decided to see how much of a pain it would be pulling the radio/CD and installing the monitor. I found some instructions on how to get the radio out a while back when my CD changer was acting flaky. There are no external screw, you have to pop the upper air vent assembly out. There is a tab behind the unit. I wrapped a butter knife with a single layer of t-shirt and inserted it where the red circle is:

Once the vent starts to pop out, you can see the tab that secured it.

Pull the vent assembly out and you can unplug the power to the clock. Next there are two screws to remove to get the main trim piece off.

Loosen the screws and pull lightly and work the trim piece loose from the right side. Once it pops out, you will need to move the shifter to L and swing the panel out. The assembly at the bottom can be popped out and plugged back in, as can the flasher and defrost buttons on the top. If you plan on driving, you need the flasher assembly plugged in to use your turn signals, although nobody in Atlanta seems to actually use turn signals. I'm not sure if the 4WD selector needs to be plugged in to drive, but why chance it? Once the trim is out of the way, we can see the four screws that need to be removed in order to get the radio and CD changer out.

Remove the screws and pull the unit out. There are a lot of connectors.

You can safely unplug all of them. They are unique and can only go in one slot.

With the units removed, you can see the screws used to hold each unit in place. They are torqued down at about 5000 ft/lbs, or so it seemed...

The mounting holes for the monitor line up great.

There is something inside the front screw holes so if you use them, you can not get much more than 1/2 turn on the screws. If you run the rear screws in all the way, they will hit the side of the screen and will stop it from extending or retracting. I just put about 1 turn on them.

As I mentioned, I am impatient. So here is a shot of a ghetto install, note the power cables hagning out the bottom.

It works! When it opens and closes, it misses the shifter by about 3/8".

I can not move it to the top position, there is no room behind for the VGA connector or the USB cable for the touchscreen.

Now for constant power and running audio wiring into the HU. I am still trying to find a wiring diagram or pinout for the wiring that originally ran to the CD changer. I am hoping mobileinformationlabs.com will also have the diagrams I need. I am also hoping the steering wheel controls are in the connector for the CD changer and I can use them for some sort of input control when computer is selected input on head unit.

This week, I hope to finish up the wiring and get this thing running.

walstib · 07-16-2006, 10:26 AM

So what am I waiting for? Why haven't I finished?
I decided I didn't want to cut up the Pathfinder wiring harness. I called some places looking for the harness coming out of the Clarion CD changer, no luck. Finally, one of the places I called gave me Clarions service number, 1-800-733-3336. I called them and was directed to Pacific Coast Parts Distribution, 1-800-421-5080, that carries the replacement harness! For $13 I can save my car harness and easily reverse the install when I sell the car. If anyone is interested, the Pacific Coast Parts Distribution part number is 854760700. This is for the Clarion PN-2302N 6 disk CD changer.

I have also decided to enclose all of the wires in sleeve from the PC to the dash. I have used Cable Zippers for the house and am doing the same for the car. On the wiring front, Mobile Information Labs had the wiring diagrams I needed. Hopefully I can get everything installed next weekend...

Change · 07-22-2006, 07:07 PM

Let me know how much luck you have with HeadUnit, for some reason it wouldn't work very well for me. It compiled, many of the functions just didn't work too well.

walstib · 07-23-2006, 09:39 PM

Will do. Pacific Coast said it will now take 11 working days to get my harness. So it will be a couple of weeks until I finish wiring. Thanks for reading my worklog.

Eubey · 08-13-2006, 11:45 AM

very interested to see how this thing ends up. I am planning on putting a carputer in my 99 pathfinder, and your worklog has really inspired me to actually do it. I want to mold the lcd to the dash to try and get an oem look, but other than that, I am pretty sure I am going to install same way you did.

walstib · 08-13-2006, 05:33 PM

Eubey,
Are you keeping the radio? If so, I hope you have a different radio than I do. I ordered a replacement harness for the CD changer (the one that goes inside the changer out to the plug) and used that as my input to the head unit. No dice. Seems the radio is looking for some sort of signal to know there is something on the CD input. Now it goes AM, FM1, FM2, Tape, AM, etc. Never goes to CD input now. I have looked all over for a kit for iPods and MP3 players, but I have found nothing for the '01. Maybe you will have better luck with the '99.

I may be forced to get a head unit with built in AUX input, but then I will have to buy a $100+ unit to use the steering wheel controls with it, if I can even find one that will work with the '01 Pathfinder. Very frustrating, I am literally 15 minutes from the physical install being complete.

Eubey · 08-13-2006, 05:35 PM

i was going to try and go head unit less, and go straight from computer to the amp, cause I am gonna try and replace stock speakers and add 2 subs.

Eubey · 08-25-2006, 04:46 PM

Yeah i changed my mind, now going to do it your way (kinda). I found a great mounting place for pc, will post in my worklog when I get it up.

walstib · 09-06-2006, 06:54 PM

Well I have given up on the Clarion head unit, I went to Crutchfield and got a new Sony CDX-GT805DX.

And a steering wheel control interface for Pioneer and Sony, a PAC SWI-PS. The Pathfinder has some proprietary closed source hardwired steering wheel controls that will only work with the Clarion

A Scosche OEM Amplifier Adapter to work with the BOSE amp.

And, of course, Nissan being so screwy, I had to get a friggin' "Diversity" antennea adapter. Leave it to Nissan to take something as simple and standard as an antennea and bastardize it. I wonder if Nissan is a subsidiary of Micro$oft?

The antennea adapter may actually work out for hooking up the SP-716 so I may be able to tune in TV stations. Crutchfield threw in wiring harness adapters, mounting brackets , the antennea adapter along with instructions and $20 off of Scosche OEM Amplifier Adapter that I had to have for the Bose amp.

Everything should be delivered Friday. Hopefully I will have sound this weekend!

walstib · 09-25-2006, 06:34 PM

So I got everything installed, almost...

The white cable hanging out below the head unit on the right is a USB female cable.
I still have to cut an opening in a blank plate so I can easily plug in devices as needed. Here is a shot where it's a little darker.

I also have a USB hub in the glove box for bluetooth, GPS and an itsy bitsy keyboard for those times when you absolutely have to type.
It's enough to get by with until you get home and can plug in a full keyboard.

I liked the head unit so much, I swapped them around so the head unit always shows. It was a tight fit and took patience to get the moitor in the top slot. Lots of stuff in the way. Below is a shot of the monitor closed and the radio faceplate removed. Doesn't look too inviting for thieves.

I still have not decided on a front end yet. Considering writing my own, but in my limited free time, it seems very doubtful. I'm convinced the software part will never be done.

legacy05gt · 09-26-2006, 09:51 PM

when did you purchase the screen? Did you do the switched power mod so that the lights aren't on unless the switched power is on?

walstib · 09-26-2006, 10:50 PM

I've had the screen for just over a year. It maybe has 10 hours of operation time. I have not modded it at all, don't want to risk it... I got it from yukki on ebay. Apparently he has not come through for some people lately.