Thread: 02 VW Golf TDI 7" Eee PC Budget Build

it would also be cool to replace that button with something a little more OEM, like this:

Progress:

Cut the back side of the LCD housing for a full LCD test fit:



Note: You can see in the second pic above that I may need to trim the bottom edge just a touch more. Also, I may have to grind down the edges that it rests on to be just a little more flush.

Otherwise, I think its coming along great.

No comments on the LCD fitment? Oh well....

More Progress:
- Drilled the hole in the blank panel for the extended power switch.
- Soldered wires for extended power switch and tested it.
- Put the bottom part of the computer back together:
- Removed the factory adhesive heat pads over the processors (CPU, GPU, Mobo) and used Arctic Silver 5 for contact between them and aluminum heat spreader.
- JB Welded the heatsinks and heatsink/fan combo to the aluminum heat spreader.
- Extended the stock microphone wire to move it to the right speaker grille.
- Got my Parrot CK3100 in and hooked it up and tested it... Works Great!

All I've got left to do is:
- Trim the back LCD cover a little more.
- Fit the touchscreen panel.
- Trim the radio cage a little more.
- Trim the place in the dash where the radio cage goes a little.
- Mount LCD and CPU to radio cage and test fit.
- Wire auxiliary CPU fan connection.
- Wire fuses for Eee charger and Aux Fan connections.
- Mount Parrot CK3100 boxes.

Don't feel bad about the lack of comments; no one gets much attention -- or many posts -- on Saturdays. A lot of us are in our vehicles or work areas making things happen for our own worklogs.

You're doing fine, from the looks of it. Keep pluggin' away.

well done!

Yeah great job so far regarding the LCD adaption. It's like ASUS made just for your dash.

thanks for all the support guys!

Originally Posted by hexxamillion

Yeah great job so far regarding the LCD adaption. It's like ASUS made just for your dash.

Yeah, it really does look that way when I put in the pop-out cupholder above and the ac control panel below. However, it's a REAL tight fit and I've already cut back the ASUS bezel as much as possible without losing the built-in retaining clips, so I think I'm gonna have to trim back the cupholder flip-up cover to make it operate properly without catching on the LCD bezel....

For anyone else attempting this: Make sure you can Dremel at or near where you are working on the computer, because there will be a lot of little trimming and fitting to get things just right.

Progress:

Today I did some more cutting and fitting and I really think I'm almost there. Just a few more little things and I should be ready for the install by next weekend for sure.

I cut into the radio cage some more to get the mobo to fit:



I test fit the LCD front and back bezels with the cupholder and AC controls, and the cupholder front flap got a little stuck on the top of the bezel, so I had to cut it down just a hair.


Then I went car-side to cut those pesky plastic tabs that were preventing the computer from going all the way back into the radio cage cavity:


Not pictured are the holes in the LCD back panel that I drilled for the Parrot Mic and extended Eee built-in Mic to go behind the speaker grilles. I've also gotta test fit and drill out a larger hole where the camera used to be in order to fit the infrared repeater eye there for the stereo...

I devised a way for the LCD back panel to attach to the radio cage via some of the extra screws that I pulled from the Eee and some tiny drilled holes. The LCD front bezel will attach to the back panel through 3 of the remaining usable clips, 1 screw, and the rest will be mounting tape and velcro. The Eee mobo assembly will attach to the two "arms" of the radio cage through strategically drilled holes and zip ties.... In addition, I'll probably have to cut some of the Eee's bottom casing where the hinges used to be for clearance.

My goal is to have the computer fully assembled as if it were in the car and working on the bench by the end of the week.

Progress:

Here it is: The first (almost) fully assembled bench test:






And just for kicks, a shot of the completed dash switch:


Now, I said almost fully assembled because I don't have the touchscreen overlay on yet, nor are the IR repeater or either of the microphones in their respective places... So, I'd say this is about an 85% complete bench test.... Still coming along nicely IMO