This is a good idea it just a mater of time before it happens. Think about a it a computer in your car. This allows you do to a load of things. Not saying that some of this is out yet but if you have a pc in your car you could. Find out your track time from 8th to quarter. Do a dyno test while driving down the street. Surf the web while you buddy is in the beer store buying the brew. GPS in case you get lost. Surf thirdgen.org while troubleshooting engine problems. Play almost anygame. Has anyone played the new Test drive? In the game they had the in car PCs where it had somthing like a web cam in it. SO you can talk to other drivers that you were racing. That would be bad *** to talk to the people of thirdgen.org while your roll. Of course that is distracting and there is a chance that you can get in a wreck. Well krap dont **** on my parade if your going to say that. I'm going to buy one of those LCD screens and a small computer and try that. You know they have a small computer that is about 6X8" 1 gig hertz and Cd or cdw or dvd player. 499.00 base price.

 

Here is one of the small computers

<img src=http://www.boldata.com/assets/images/G1.jpg>

 

Cool yes, useful yes, dangerous as all hell, YES. Its like haveing a tv in the steering wheel, you're just asking for trouble. Get destracted for 1second and its the last second of your life. Not trying to put down the idea, it really is a neat one, and one that has comeup from time to time all over the net, but certain aspects are just not going to let it work. That would be nice though, a mobile dyno so on those nights were the humidity is just right and your car is running just right you know what you have going for ya. Maybe put to rest the open element versus stock airbox, debate.

 

What I think is going to happen is these GPS (global position systems) are going to expand so far they are just going to turn into computer sysytems. So either way people install them their self or the factory starts putting them in. This is the year 2k I'll make a sound bet that thats going to happen. Have you seen some of those SUVs? They have a nice GPS. Very distracting. Oh that reminds me I was at the drag strip the other day and this Caddy pulls up wiht a TV behind the fron grill. I think it was a porno playing or something but there sure was a tv in there.

 

http://community.webshots.com/photo/...47845489gyCsgG

other pics of car are at the link in the sig.

go to that link i did that a while back with my laptop and a cell modem i install dvd/tv navagation stuff and i hooked up the ps1 also in the car 6.8 screen was a little small bet i was able to see the laptop screen on my moniter had a mini keyboard mouse combo and on the weekend i was on the web while parked had free weekends so they hated me lol . cell modem sucked in a way due to week signals. when i changed to nextel i dont think they have the datalink cable/modem avaiable

 

you think a laptop would fit in the air bag slot in a fourth gen dash if you did a swap that empty space would be no more you could hook up a ac inverter and have it powerd that way and when your not using it just close the door. ahh what a sweet idea

 

If I were going to do this, it would be completely integrated into my gauge area. The PC would become my gauges. It would display a digital speedo and tach, as well as fuel gauge, temp gauge, oil pressure, battery voltage, etc. It would easily switch to display a GPS map, a diagnostic display, or a performance display, tied into something like the new g-tech competition unit coming out. No TV. No video games. Just automotive related displays.

 

I think a PC could be used for a lot of things in a car, especially a loaded one.

You could use it for:
A voice recognition/handprint alarm
Real-Time telemitry/gauges
Acceleration/G-Force - performance stats
To control rideheight/shocks (like an FX3 Vette or new luxo pile)
Small things like controls for lighting (no switches)
Radios that use MP3s with unlimited capacity
Precise engine controls that are adaptable (not a lookup table)

There are a million other things you could do too if you could think about it.

 

www.mp3car.com

 

A lot of the things you guys have mentioned could be done with simple microcontrollers and some programming. Granted it would make things simpler to have it all integrated into one system just had the fleeting thought that many of the lower end microcontrollers come equipped w/ enough inputs/outputs and memory to accomplish the goals you guys have listed, at a price that is most likely a fraction of what it would cost to integrate all of these things into a lap top or built in computer. All it really takes to use these things is some curiousity and ambition, I am sure it could be done rather easily as long as common sense was applied.

Joe

 

Think of the possibilities, cruising up to college or something, I could be whorin it on the boards from my car, muahahaaahaaa.

 

the best thing would be to use a Industrial-PC which works with 24VDC. I work with them, but I'm not sure what the price is if you want to buy only one piece. The size is minimal and the performance the same!

 

The price is probably tripple that of a home-built, and where are we going to get 24volts from..... Much more feasable to use an inverter or a 12 vDC-110vDC power supply.

 

Nextel actually does offer the wireless modem now. Check out http://www.nextel.com for more info

 

seriously man, that would be too much of a distraction, when i get in my car, i just want to relax, and reflect on how damn styling my T/a is hahaha but they do make a thing that plugs into you cig lighter that does your 0-60 timing, and a few other things, and hooking up something to be able to give dyno readouts would be way too much of a hassle, frankly id rather pay to get it done than to pay even more to do it myself

 

actually when i went top the first f-body nationals at etown there was a guy there with his laptop hooked up to his computer so he can see whats happening and also change things. pretty cool idea, and i dont hting it is ***** or F&F gay crap

 

If you have a computer connected to the car computer!!! you could connect it to the chip using some sort of interface and change things in real time instead of burning chips!

Imagine having some program that detect how you are using the car and changing chips in realtime, for performance or economy.

Also with all the kind of sensors that you can put on your car you can made a lot of stuff, performance wise.

I really like the Idea of the digital dashboard where you could change the arrangement of all the indicators, size etc.

But it will definatelly need a very good OS (Imagine if the computer crash while going at 70 on the highway)

Maybe if you use something between the car computer and its chip and the PC so you will need to save the changes.

 

What about me?
Anyways, yes all this stuff can be done and is being done. Check out the diy-eprom board. It's all about eprom emulation and how hard it is right now. There are other projects that are VERY interesting. I'd love to have the time to spend more time on this stuff. Go with a wideband o2 sensor and have the car learn it's timing and fuel parameters all within a few WOT runs. That's how it needs to be done but it's a lot of work. Programs can't just be dished up in a matter of hours let alone interfacing with odd hardware. The microprocessor in a PC is very good but it isn't specialized in controlling operations like fuel control, sequential firing, and all that jazz. Instead it's good for the all around performance and multitasking. Here is one good reason not to have your car, radio, heater, traction control, abs, lights, alarm all work off of one computer.....CRASH. Damn, car shuts down because the mp3 you just tried to play was bad format . So don't get all hyped up about it just yet. There are very good ideas but fewer and fewer that know how to take the initiative.

 

I don't mean to suond like the punk import kids, but i'm really gonna do this.....

My motives are totally different from yours........I plan on getting a laptop computer with a yellow RCA video out.....

I can then hook it up to my in-dash LCD TV......Think of the other possibilites......download music videos, music, NO MORE CD'S, movis from the web......a screen saver, all sorts of games, DVD's........

I plan on getting the labtop this winter (or summer if you live in FL... )......I'm already half wat there by having a TV that can accept this sort of hook-up....

As for being distracted........looking in the rear-view mirror is basically the same thing, you are looking in the opposite direction of the road......i don't see people in a mass frenzy to remove those, or can you look at both at the same time...........I know i can look at my girlfriend and the good looking girl accross the way and still get away with it.....

 

the new bmw 7 series is a perfect example of where these gps systems are going. one little joystick controls all of hte cars major functions like climate control, gps, seat warmers, blah blah blah, its amazing hte all the technology they cram into cars today

 

you can keep your GPS systems, i frankly don't want anyone knowing where i am when i'm in my car. they have those damn locators in cell phones now and that's a pita as well.

GPS is one thing, but i don't think the majority of the world needs it to cruise to starbucks.


on the subject note, i for one love my laptop in my car......i have an unlimited source of mp3's to play, it doubles as a dvd player, i can run my ps2 through it for a much larger display then the largest 8" indash display, and it works great when using something like autotap or for our cars the datamaster....

i can run real time numbers and get all my info wether i'm going down the track or i'm cruising to my favorite hole. it's alot of fun.

as far as being able to adjust things on a "real time" basis, anyone heard of "DFI"; it's what it is essentially. hook it up to the laptop and it's a tuner on the fly.

lots of fun stuff, i picked up my dell used for 300 bucks and it's only a year old. datamaster was roughly 200 and the possabilities are endless. highly recommend it for those with some extra cash laying around.

i just kept telling myself it was for school............

 

Can't believe no one has thought of this one,

A company (the name escapes me right now) offers re writeable PROM's and all of the software and cables requierd to re map the ECU through the diagnostic link in the car.

How cool would it be to be able to re map for 30 extra HP to overtake while on the move, or to map for 35mpg while cruising, all at the touch of a button?

Maybe there could be something on the throtle pedal that enables the PC to remap the car according to throtle position?

how cool would that be!:hail:

 

Not very cool. This is probably going to sound like a flame but don't take it as such. I had this mind set a few years ago so don't feel bad. First off re-writeable or "flash" proms have been around for a while. re mapping the ecu through the diagnostic link is nothing special and in most cases take a while.
You don't just tune for either 30 more hp or 35mpg, you need to be safe! Tuning for 35mpg in most any v8 is near impossible. You'de more than likely burn a hole in a piston before getting the 35mpg. Secondly you shouldn't be tuning for more hp and detuned without the press of a button. When your car isn't tuned to make the most power you will loose gas milage. Yes you can do a lot of amazing things (go to the diy-eprom board!!!!!) like changing temps, timing, fuel, all that good stuff. The issue right now is that datalogging and then looking at the data, programming an eeprom is much safer and more accurate than tuning on the fly. It seems like tuning on the fly is only good when the car is stationary on a dyno.
There are already modes in our stock ecm so no need to make buttons and such. Just evoke power enrichment mode or highway mode for what you want. Understand that just dumping more fuel and timing into a car isn't not going to give you 30hp.

 

ah, i see!

I never intended the numbers to be concrete, (some smog engines can have worthwhile gains, though i dont know exact numbers - from changing smog timing - but at the expence of emisions)

Didn't know it takes a few secs to re write the PROM.

Oh well, it was a good thought! I see there is a board available that alows you to plug four chips into it, and it plugs into the prom slot, alowing you to select between sport and normal chips.

Maybee something like this is possible from the PC?

 

I second the www.mp3car.com . Some of those guys really did some cool stuff with computers. They basically take a regular computer, take it apart, and re assemble it in a custom, car friendly box. They get creative with their keyboard installs, and their operation procedures. While most of the people do it for winamp and MP3 playback, some have hooked up navigation equiptment, and car analysis equiptment. Check it out...good stuff if you are interested.
Justin

 

Came across something pretty intersesting:

The computer is interfaced via a 6.5" Touchscreen VGA LCD display mounted into the car's center console. In addition, a wireless keyboard / mouse combination is used for text entry. The DashPC has Global Positioning and Navigation (GPS), Digital Versatile Discs (DVDs), an ODBII interface, Games (SoF, UT2003), and much, much more. I can run any programs that will run on an Intel/AMD i686 class computer.

http://www.dashpc.com/

Dave

 

bluetooth technology makes many of the features you described possible.