Alzorz, I PM'd you re some questions about Dash Command and CentraFuse too...let me know how you did it if you get a moment....

Ta

You may have just lost calibration/alignment.. did you by chance take the inner "pod" that holds the screen and swivels out of the larger surrounding dash piece? If it becomes uncalibrated, the motor will close the screen (sometimes part-way, sometimes all the way) but it will not be able to reopen the screen. This could explain the motor twitching.

I'll try to explain calibrating the best I can:
Make sure that the white plug with three wires on the inside next to the gears/motor is firmly plugged in and try hooking it back up with everything put together. Take out that black gear that connects the pod and the dash piece, and actually holds the screen in place. It's easier to do before you put the pod back in. With it all put together and connected, try the open button again a few times. If the rod that the black gear was connected to spins, you're in business. When the rod spins counterclockwise, the screen is going from open to close and when it spins clockwise the screen would be opening. If I remember, you can only access the gear in one extreme position (all the way open or close).. so just make sure the motor did the spin for the correct direction, and make sure you're either holding the screen all the way up or it's all the way down and push that black gear in from the side (no need to take it all apart again)

If that doesn't work, PM me ;)

No need to keep that exchange private! I am also interested in how Alz0rz did it :)

Well F me, it worked.

I had to remove the little three pin connector from the motor to get anything to happen, then the motor started spinning when the button was pressed. Hooked up the three pin, the motor started behaving like it should, put the cog on the rod, and it works...

Thanks a million

Progress update...
 

Okay, after some trial runs, the boot is proving WAY too hot.

A bit of a rethink was needed, and I came up with an alternative. I stripped down an iBook and it fits perfectly under the passenger seat held in with velcro straps.

With the screen removed, the iBook can breathe and dissipate heat sufficiently. I removed the 'sleep' LED, so it can be extended and mounted in the dash (to get that really cool slow pulsing glow)

The power supply performs the same shutdown/sleep functions as it does with the mac mini... and there is an added advantage of the iBook having the battery back-up when its asleep.

No bluetooth in the iBook was overcome with a D-LINK dongle. Lilliput is connected via a Mini-VGA to VGA adaptor.

Heres a photo after the screen has been removed...

http://www.deanknowsley.com/slim.jpg

A number of us did warn you, but it's awesome you're adapting and moving on. At some point you'll have to provide us a pricetag as I know Apple hardware isn't cheap.

Annoying, yet fruitful.
 

I loaded my Mac Based GUI onto the ibook today, and yay, it doesn't work well at all. The iBook just doesn't have enough grunt. It can run iTunes fine, but not the visualisers and reversing camera...which is annoying....

By chance, I was pulling apart a G5 PowerMac today and came across some awesomely powerful yet small 12v blowers....

I then took the Mac Mini out to the car and set about looking for places that it would fit into, that I could duct air into....and voila! The rear centre compartment!

Sooooo.... the project has taken another 90º turn in 24 hours! The Mac Mini will now sit in the centre console compartment in the rear...the cables disappearing into the boot....through some carefully drilled holes... Along with some holes drilled for air to escape from on the rear inner face of the compartment. A blower will sit in the cup holder compartment, and blow air through some ducting through into the rear centre compartment. The blower will be on a temp switch, so theoretically it should only kick in once things start to cook. A small solenoid on the same switch will 'pop' open the cup holder lid about an inch to allow lots of air in....

Photos to follow...

Do you have the stock exhaust still? I'm wondering if switching to a dual muffler exhaust with small mufflers, something like the MS dual-can would help decrease trunk temperatures.
Also, what's the average daily high temp where you live?

Have you taken care of getting audio into the stereo yet? I've also been having trouble finding current info on aux in adapters (that aren't iPod specific,) for the 8.

One of these days I may get around to try integrating a car PC, but I've got a few projects to get out of the way first.

Water cool it!

Sorry for the lack of news, was waiting on bits and pieces to arrive, and has work issues.

Quick You Tube now the Lilliput is in the Nav hood and the electrics are working. Screen saver is running. Let me know what you think...

Deano

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhH5vbWlNiI

That's awsome, the mounting where did you hide the board? Or did you attach it to the back of the screen itself?

The board is separate. I extended all the wires, and put the board into a plastic casing which is tucked away safely under the dash.

Thats a damn good idea.

Im looking for a navhood to finish mine and just wanted to know how you mounted the screen in there. If you used clips, or if you used something different?

I'll post some pictures in the next day or two.

The Lilliput fits in the hood like a glove. I put it in, used sheets of thin card to 'wedge' it in, then folded the metal surround tabs over to hold it in place.
Then liberal amounts of gaffer tape to make sure it stays put....

More Pics of Build.
 

Ok, quick photo post...

Here are a few pics of the build...

there are some of the mechanism to get the screen to switch off when the hood is in the 'down' position. Basically, when the hood is down, the contacts touch, completing the circuit, powering a relay, which switches the monitor off. The hood has some little flanges/stoppers which suit this purpose brilliantly. A bit of hot glue to hold everything in place, and voila! Works a treat. Press open, and the screen comes on.

http://www.deanknowsley.com/hood1.jpg

Here is a screen test, hooking up a mac to the screen....

http://www.deanknowsley.com/hood2.jpg

Lilliput in the Nav Hood

http://www.deanknowsley.com/hood3.jpg

The lower part of the Nav Hood, external, with wire glued in place

http://www.deanknowsley.com/hood4.jpg

Inside, with metal contact in place on stopper.

http://www.deanknowsley.com/hood5.jpg

Upper hood part, external, wiring,

http://www.deanknowsley.com/hood6.jpg

Contact on stopper, upper hood part.

The kit is ready to go into the 8 now...just sorting out the mac mini.

Will need to pick someones brains on the Carnetix 1900 hook-up, a few things are bugging me...but thats a bit later.

I got an AuxMod in the end. It seems to work brilliantly. No dramas.

Do you have the MacPac from Carnetix? From what I hear it makes life much easier.

Yep, I got the MacPac.

My questions revolve around wiring the 1900 into the car...do I need to beef up any wires, or does it drop straight into the ACC circuit?

nav hood removal?
 

anyone know a good DIY for removing the nav hood?

THANKS A F_ LOT - Major Set Back
 

Picture speaks a thousand words....

http://www.deanknowsley.com/thanks.jpg

http://www.deanknowsley.com/thanks2.jpg

Needless to say the project is set back substantially. I really hope they know they have just forfeited their lives.

Holy hell, you do not have good luck with break-ins and door dings eh..

I guess its time for that good ole security system!
I hope they didn't find everything, what did they get exactly?

Problem is...
 

Problem is, I DO have a good ol' alarm system!

They smashed the window, found they couldn't open the door (thanks deadlock feature), so they scratched the f*** out of the side of the door with their belt buckles leaning in and ransacking the centre console and glove compartment.

They didnt get away with much, just my driving sunglasses, my wifes sunglasses, an iPhone cradle, and a some bits an pieces of shite.

It was more the taking the time to get the window fitted that annoyed me

So your carpc components weren't touched eh?

Similar thing happened to me a few years ago when I had a BMW. Passenger door window got smashed in with a chunk of cinder block, but only after they missed once and put a big dent in the upper door frame. Door still wouldn't open, so they made off with my 4 year old backpack (had a notebook in it,) and all the quarters out of my change holder. They did about $1300 of damage for a $3 score.