how do I remove the center console

[rwithop]

I posted this before but it got erased.

Anybody know how to take the center console out?

I want to hide some devices and wires under the center console that fits between the front seats.

Is it easy to do?

Thanks for your help.

[efusco]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(rwithop\";p=\"70883)</div>

I posted this before but it got erased.

Anybody know how to take the center console out?

I want to hide some devices and wires under the center console that fits between the front seats.

Is it easy to do?

Thanks for your help.[/b]

It's very easy. Take a look in the Knowledge Base area at my article on installing the NAV speed sensor defeat switch. There are pictures and an explaination.

[xevious]

Devices? Wires? Sounds so secret-ops...

What'cha makin'?

[XravenX]

A: Remove the seats
B: I believe the console is attached with 4 screws, two on each side.
C: There should be a wire you will have to remove that is connected to the Power Outlet.

[Brian]

You don't really have to remove the seats. When I installed my iPod2Car kit, i ran the wire to the center console, and I got it out without removing the seats.

[rwithop]

Thanks guys, (and Evan as always.)

Yes, it is very top secret indeed. It is a government funded project to bring specially equipped Prii (is that the plural for Prius?) into the battlefield. Actually it is for the insurgents. If they are going to blow up cars on the roadside, they should at least be environmentally friendly about it!

No...not top secret. I am building an interface for my MP3 player, through the touchscreen. I am also building an XM satellite radio interface. The MP3 player interface is pretty much done and I just got the XM working, but have a long ways to go. Then all that is left are the rocket launchers.

Ryan

[jkark]

I am building an interface for my MP3 player, through the touchscreen.

Very cool! I'm interested in doing something like that for a carputer based on the mac mini. I would like to avoid a separate touchscreen and use the MFD even with its low resolution.

Which MP3 are you using? Please let us know how the project goes.

The rocket launchers will be useful for those stubborn and hard to clear traffic jams.

[rwithop]

Yes, rocket launchers would be handy, but I am not finding too many other people interested in adding it.

The Mp3 project is going well. I am using a Creative Jukebox Nomad. It has 20GB, better battery life, better price, and better audio output than the iPod but is not nearly as pretty or slick interface wise. The software/hardware I am putting together can run any Creative, Dell, Rio, or iPod device.

I saw that Coastal Dave seemed to have worked out the touchscreen commands with his little video experiment for the iPod. I have thought about the mac Mini concept but thought, "Gosh that is a lot of money to dish out...few hundred for the video adapter, few hundred for the mac, few hundred for the iPod." There has got to be a better way.

Anyway, I will post my progress on the site with pics as soon as my video controller comes in.

How is the mac Mini project progressing? What are you using to control the iPod?

[jkark]

LOL on the rocket launchers...

Agreed on the cost differential re: ipod and creative, etc. not too mention the costs with respect to getting a carputer going... still having issues figuring out what to do about power (standby) for the macmini

Right now, I'm waiting for parts to arrive. I've ordered the Xenarc touchscreen (as featured in the GTI writeup for the macmini), and auxbox unit with abtoy wiring.

My plan is to re-purpose the touchscreen to my media pc when coastal dave has a touchscreen solution for the MFD available OR if one is not forthcoming from coastal, possibly rip out the tuner+cd changer and put a carputer with the xenarc in front of it where the tuner/cdchanger used to be.

When I get the touchscreen/auxbox I plan on using my powerbook as the computer in my prius for a little while until I get the macmini (it suddenly occured to me that the laptop charging and battery system is ideal for my use in a car). If I like how that works out after a brief test (with the powerbook tucked out of sight, etc.) then I will go whole hog and figure out something final around the macmini

Re: the ipod, I don't need it if I have the computer in the car running itunes already (it took me a while to realize that! :-)) so I will save my ipod for when I workout or am otherwise mobile (away from my prius).

I will post a complete summary when I get it all put together (possibly with work in progress if I can get the time to do that).

[rwithop]

Similar to what I'm doing.

Cheap laptop under the passenger seat. Putting the laptop in "hibernate" mode, so it doesn't need power when I am not in the car, but can reboot rather quickly.

Yes, you can use iTunes directly out of the computer, instead of using a portable mp3 player. Three things to consider though:

1. Is your hard drive big enough to fit all of your songs and do you want to have one more place to keep your collection updated?
2. Will you be able to customize iTunes to be wasy to use while driving?
3. Most importantly, the sound coming out of your computer will be seriously degrading when compared to a portable audio device. You would have to buy another piece to digitally enhace the audio and provide a new output.

Good luck. Sounds like a fun project.