36 replies to this topic

[iPd Cameron]

Awhile ago i decided I wanted to do some kind of semi permanent iPod touch mount in my car. I was sick of it floating around on the seat or stuck in that little cubby hole under the ash tray. Then one day I realized that a touch is almost identical in size to the vents. In fact, just a touch smaller which is perfect.

Before I went ahead with it I photoshopped it in to see how it would look, not bad!




Next i hit up my friend in Seattle who used to post here before he was banned..... He said no problem and worked his magic and made my idea a reality.

Here is the setup. Stock vent on the right, custom holder on the left to go where that vent came out of:




IPod touch inside the custom cradle:




Detail of it mounted in the holder:




Still need to modify the dash opening a bit before I can mount this in the car and route the cable from the dock connector on the ipod to the usb input on the head unit. Gonna run it all behind the dash to keep the whole install as stock looking as possible. All wiring will be totally invisible except where the cable pops out from under the ash tray to connect to the usb hub on the front of the head unit. Next I need to find a different double din HU that has the usb hub on the back to make this install 100% invisible.

Edited by iPd Cameron, 10 June 2012 - 04:27 AM.

[Aequitas_Veritas]

Not gonna lie, thats pretty sweet.

[DScottM]

That is awesome. but wont the fan blow hot or cold air on the back of the touch now?? Or did you block the vet?

[Jazzy_J]

Cold air won't be an issue...it will actually be good for the Ipod. Hot air will not be good.

I'm curious how you plan to run the cables.

[BEJinFBK]

Appears that the duct is completely blocked.
No airflow means neither should be an issue.

The only thing I'd sweat is keeping the side
window clear in colder weather. I don't know
how bad it gets in Portland, but I couldn't do
that here in Fairbanks. Center vent maybe?

I'm not usually a fan of blocking vents, but that's
dropped in nice and clean. A lot of the boost gauges
in vents out there look pretty crappy, at least IMHO.

Well done.

[Mesoam]

nice job for sure but i will never understand giving up vents

[POSTITSORGTFO]

Nice !

I would of done it in the center one though.

Kick ass regardless

[iPd Cameron]

Not gonna lie, thats pretty sweet.

Thanks!

That is awesome. but wont the fan blow hot or cold air on the back of the touch now?? Or did you block the vet?

The vent is blocked behind it with the stock vent door piece. This'll stay clear in front of that and the vent behind it will stay sealed. A small amount of air will still get by it if the fan is on high or something, but won't be an issue.

I'm curious how you plan to run the cables.

Basically just run the cable down from the vent area and tuck it up inder the steering column/knee bolster, then into the back of the side panel to the center console. I'll likely then end up drilling a small pass through slot at the back of the center console "dish" under the ashtray. that way when it's not plugged in the cord can just sit in the dish area. The headunit I put in the car charges/plays the iPod with just the standard dock connector so it's just one cable I have to run and don't have to splice into power or anything. Nice and easy.

The only thing I'd sweat is keeping the side
window clear in colder weather. I don't know
how bad it gets in Portland, but I couldn't do
that here in Fairbanks. Center vent maybe?

The car actually has separate little side vents on the side of the dash that are kinda hidden with the doors are closed, but they angle right at the windows for that specific purpose.

nice job for sure but i will never understand giving up vents

I wasn't super keen on the idea at first either but I just couldn't figure out anywhere else to do the install as clean and integrated as I wanted it. Then I held the touch up to the vent and realized it's almost a perfect match in size and it just looked right and the spot was good so it's easy to reach and stuff too.

Nice !

I would of done it in the center one though.

Kick ass regardless

Thanks man. I thought about doing the center too but just thought is would look too "added on" if I did it in half of the center vent.



Another sweet funtion of having the iPod here is using it for car data too. Apps like Dash Command work on the touch and setting it up is super easy. Especially with the fact that dash command will communicate with wireless OBDII senders. The wireless OBDII transmitter dongles aren't even that expensive either. So for not that much more than a regular stand alone OBDII scanner I can get the wireless sender that just plugs into the port and can stay hidden + get the dash command app that reads all the engine data wirelessly from the dongle.

Screen shots from Dash Command:

[boxpin]

What wireless OBDII sender are you using in these pics?

Amazing idea btw.

[POSTITSORGTFO]

ideas ideas ideas ideas !

I like this more and more !

Might be able to just add this to a stock radio and have it built in and no need for aftermarket head unit again ... hmmm

How does it come apart , i am curious since it seems that you have to pull the whole thing out to remove the touch ?

[MattyXXL]

What wireless OBDII sender are you using in these pics?

This one works fairly well
http://www.amazon.co...s=wireless odb2

[iPd Cameron]

What wireless OBDII sender are you using in these pics?

I dont' have one yet, but there's lots out there. The PLX kiwi one gets good reviews, but it's like $149.00 so I don't have my heart set on it yet. Still have to do some more reading before I decide which one to get.

ideas ideas ideas ideas !

I like this more and more !

Might be able to just add this to a stock radio and have it built in and no need for aftermarket head unit again ... hmmm

How does it come apart , i am curious since it seems that you have to pull the whole thing out to remove the touch ?

Oh, I think you could absolutely do it with the stock radio. Specifically, couldn't you use the GROM unit with the stock radio? Then just broadcast the music wirelessly via Bluetooth to the Grom/stock HU? iPod touches are bluetooth capable so I don't see why not. Then you'd just need a power source for the touch but something like THIS should work for that. I mean, that one in the link is also RCA line out which of course would work for anything with a RCA input, but the key part of that harness is the +12v and ground wires to power the iPod when the car is on. Lots of ways to skin that cat depending on what head unit you have with what capabilities.

Don't have to pull the dash or anything crazy to remove the touch the way it sits in the cradle, but do have to pull the cradle/touch assembly to remove the touch. I don't have a picture handy, but the holder/cradle has access on the sides. The touch slides in from the right side and has a slot on the left side to plug the dock connector cable in. So just pop the cradle with the touch in it into and out of the vent spot same way you'd do it with the regular vent. Since I have all music and stuff that I'd be loading onto the iPod on my laptop I will just use the laptop to load/update the music on the touch. Since the way I set it all up it just uses the standard iPod cable to connect with the car all I have to do is plug the cable into my laptop instead and it connects up like normal to the iPod. Easy peasy If I were doing it totally hidden with a USB hub in the back of the head unit I'd just put a USB disconnect/coupler somewhere inline that was reasonably easy to access to connect the laptop up to when it was time to change music on it.

To make the whole "assembly" fit in there right I will have to modify the dash pad a touch and the vent control as I alluded to earlier. I'll have to just remove the wheel piece that opens and closes the vent and cut off the 2 small brackets that hold that. On the left side of the hole I'll just have to cut a small slot/hole for the dock connector connector piece off the iPod to poke through the dash pad there to route the cable back there too. Bonus of that is with the new piece installed there (or with the stock vent plugged back in if I so desire) that hole will be invisible.

Edited by iPd Cameron, 11 June 2012 - 07:12 PM.

[POSTITSORGTFO]

I will have to email atom .... hmmm ideas !

[iPd Cameron]

hmmm ideas !

I know right?? Speaking of your thought above about wanting to put the touch in the center.... if you used the center vent that is double wide you could ditch both of those vents and make an insert there that holds 2 touches. That way you could get say a 64g touch for one side to store a shit load of music on and do a matching one next to it of a smaller hard drive size to save a few bucks and use that just for car apps. Wire the music one into the stereo and wire the other one just for power. Then run any/all the ODBII apps you want on the touch for just apps and run any other app stuff you might want that is car related.

Edited by iPd Cameron, 11 June 2012 - 09:30 PM.

[sconeman]

Nice Cameron!
I have a new KIWI for sale at a discount if you decide you want one. Don't need it. pm is interested I want to get rid of it.

[the most modern GLT]

the double idea is great but that'd put me to 1 air vent

[Logan2224]

This is too cool!
I picked up a spare vent at the JY this morning, I'm gonna give this a shot.

I have the grom unit with the cord run to the center console, but I'm tired of lifting the console to change music, especially when I've got a drink lol.


And a question for those with the wireless OBD2 readers... Did you modify the OBD port so that when the reader is plugged in, the console cover will still shut?

[the most modern GLT]

im assuming they dropped the obd port into the console more but kept the obd cover on so it looks seamless.

[the most modern GLT]

so i have an USB to OBD2 cable, you think if i run this with one of theses (http://www.amazon.co...b to female usb) plugged into my touch dash command will work? these screen shots are all standing up, can they go horizontal?

['93 Dave]

I know right?? Speaking of your thought above about wanting to put the touch in the center.... if you used the center vent that is double wide you could ditch both of those vents and make an insert there that holds 2 touches. That way you could get say a 64g touch for one side to store a shit load of music on and do a matching one next to it of a smaller hard drive size to save a few bucks and use that just for car apps. Wire the music one into the stereo and wire the other one just for power. Then run any/all the ODBII apps you want on the touch for just apps and run any other app stuff you might want that is car related.

keep your vents and just do a car pc install where the stereo is. /done

not a bad idea just overthinking it a bit imho