wires, buttons, and switches, OH MY!

[robcarync]

well guys, i have a bit of the engineering bug lately...ive been taking apart everything i can get my hands on and putting it back together and thinking of cool thigns to do.

the other day, my friend and i installed a push button ignition in his 96 318i. (kind of pointless since you still have to actually have the key in the cylinder because of EWS...) but it was cool nonetheless, and fun to do because i like taking tings apart and such...

that got me thinking...i have 5 blank switch places...2 by the window buttons, and three in the upper left by the gauge cluster/headlight switch.

i need to think of something to put in them! what kind of cool things can i wire to a push button or a switch?

i know in one, i am wiriing my garage door opener into a button so i dont have to have it strapped on my visor...but i cant think of anything else i could use a switch or button for other than ignition (which my dad doesnt want me to do, because as above, its kind of pointless), or an ignition cut off switch, which i would not want to have in a button thats in plain view, as it would defeat the purpose of disabling the car...

so, i come to you guys, what kind of cool things can i wire to a switch or button, that is relatively easy (or hard i guess, my pops is an electrical engineer so i can always get help), and nothing too expensive like having a drop down DVD monitor or disco ball or something of that nature. any cool ideas?!

ehh, i suppose this could have been in electrical forum instead, but hey, it is in the interior, right?

[aceyx]

brake light disable switch, for slowing down real fast (in front of cops) without perking their donut-munching ears up.

[GDB]

How about a disco ball or a drop down DVD player?


Seriously, brake light kill switch would be cool.
Independant fogs (can have them on without turning on parking lights)

maybe even this

[robcarync]

i dont have fog lights and my car isnt pre wired, so i dont think im going through the trouble to get them...

brake light disable switch sounds good...any idea where i can find a DIY tutorial for this?

it doesnt seem to be too difficult i dont think, although im not sure how to get both brake lights to disable from one switch...ill do some research?

any other ideas?

ps: i like the rocket launcher...

i definently will get the garage door remote...and i figure i might just do the ignition button , pointlesss, however its just kinda cool, and its not like it hurts anything...but other than a brake light disable, i cant think of anything else i could use a button for (that is something that id have somewhat of an idea how to do... (ie: not a rocket launcher...cool, however i wouldnt know where to get it or how to put that bad boy in))

[GDB]

Originally Posted by robcarync

i dont have fog lights and my car isnt pre wired, so i dont think im going through the trouble to get them...

brake light disable switch sounds good...any idea where i can find a DIY tutorial for this?

it doesnt seem to be too difficult i dont think, although im not sure how to get both brake lights to disable from one switch...ill do some research?

any other ideas?

Just switch the brake switch by the brake pedal, that's probably the easiest way to do it.

[aceyx]

email ron stygar (unofficialbmw.com) for schematics.


rob; after he's started the car, can he remove the key or is it required to run? would be neat to amp the antenna so it could read the key in his pocket like the new benz/lexus keyless start systems. that would be one hell of a mod.

[robcarync]

they key is required to run...

http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~cnicol/Z8%20Start%20Button/

thats what we did...

like i said, it really isnt useful, just a cool gizmo to have...plus we used a little read button...so now he can say to all the ladies 'whatever you do, dont press that little red button!'

there was another way to do it, involving an actual toggle switch to turn the car to the 'on' position, and then you press the button to crank it...but we didnt do that, not sure why...i actually just had a great revelation...it wouldnt be that hard, i should do it! i think i will do that now...it makes much more sense that way...

http://www.bimmerwerkz.com/forum/topic16746.html

with the most basic way, you actually have to put the key in, and it has to be in the 'on/accessory' mode...which is pointless...if you are going to turn the key two clicks, you might as well just crank it with a key...but its still cooler to have a little red button with the advanced way, you have a toggle switch to turn the car to the 'on' position, but you still have to just stick the key in there for the ews chip thing...

and ron stygar, i did a google search and found his site....im interested in possibly making a new sunroof switch down by the window, so you dont have to reach up to do it...got that idea from him too

[John Firestone]

Another thing he/we have added is a console-mounted interior-light button that automatically turns off the lights after 15 minutes. It also eliminates having to reach up, and keeps you from flattening the battery.

We have also done a tolerable few other things if your attention wanders and you feel moved to add electrical gizmos elsewhere in the car.

A new project is flashing the third brake light to help not get rear ended.

[Blackie]

Originally Posted by GDB

How about a disco ball or a drop down DVD player?


Seriously, brake light kill switch would be cool.
Independant fogs (can have them on without turning on parking lights)

maybe even this

That is cool! Definitely my next mod!!! This is one way to clear the traffic in the morning

[Stomp]

I used my thee switch positions near the headlights for: Neon under dash, Nitrous Arm switch, and Nitrous Purge switch.
I like the brake light disable switch idea. I might actually do that this weekend.
If you are looking for cool interior electrical mods, I highly recommend underdash Neon. They sell for around $20 per tube, and can be bought at any parts store. Really easy to install, and they look nice at night.
I have two 15 inch tubes under my dash, a 20 inch tube backlighting my chrome grille, and angel eye foglights, and I used Candy Apple Red paint on the inside of my interior spot lights (The candy in the paint is critical otherwise you will not see any light through the paint). There are lots of cheap mods you can do inside your car to give it a cool look. I am currently in the process of designing door LED's to immulinate the ground when I open my doors (Just another touch of class by "Stomp Lighting inc.")
I also recommend the white face guages. You can find them all over on Ebay for less than $30.

Hope this helps. And if you need electrical pointers, or ideas for running wires, let me know. I am always here to help fellow gadget and lighting freaks like me.

~Stomp~

[John Firestone]

Originally Posted by Stomp

I am currently in the process of designing door LED's to immulinate the ground when I open my doors (Just another touch of class by "Stomp Lighting inc.")

Ah, right.

Soooooooo, you are adding puddle lights as well. What sort of LEDs are you using and where will you mount them? I thought about a 1W Luxeon LED with heatsink in each door panel but decided it was simpler and easier to use 10W floor lamps from the X5. As Ron Stygar noted after adding his, they also light up the inside of the door if you ever have to fiddle with the locks or windows. Old fashioned incandescent lamps also cast a lot of light and fashionably dim with the existing interior lighting.

At the moment, I am working on other projects until it gets dark enough that a couple puddle lights might show some effect. (It is close to Midsummer and I am far enough north it doesn't get really dark.)

[L84THSKY]

I have the cable assessory, but need the female socket connector to make my modification. The picture shows the cable connecting to a socket in the glove box. We don't have that socket on the 318ti, but the coupes and sedans have it...I think.

Can anyone find in the REALOEM site the part number for the socket that is mounted inside the left side of the glove box?

Originally Posted by robcarync

well guys, i have a bit of the engineering bug lately...ive been taking apart everything i can get my hands on and putting it back together and thinking of cool thigns to do.

the other day, my friend and i installed a push button ignition in his 96 318i. (kind of pointless since you still have to actually have the key in the cylinder because of EWS...) but it was cool nonetheless, and fun to do because i like taking tings apart and such...

that got me thinking...i have 5 blank switch places...2 by the window buttons, and three in the upper left by the gauge cluster/headlight switch.

i need to think of something to put in them! what kind of cool things can i wire to a push button or a switch?

i know in one, i am wiriing my garage door opener into a button so i dont have to have it strapped on my visor...but i cant think of anything else i could use a switch or button for other than ignition (which my dad doesnt want me to do, because as above, its kind of pointless), or an ignition cut off switch, which i would not want to have in a button thats in plain view, as it would defeat the purpose of disabling the car...

so, i come to you guys, what kind of cool things can i wire to a switch or button, that is relatively easy (or hard i guess, my pops is an electrical engineer so i can always get help), and nothing too expensive like having a drop down DVD monitor or disco ball or something of that nature. any cool ideas?!

ehh, i suppose this could have been in electrical forum instead, but hey, it is in the interior, right?

[John Firestone]

From uucdigest.V3.5570 Wed Aug 21 19:12:49 2002
Cc: bmwuucdigest@uucdigest.com
Date: Wed, 21 Aug 2002 11:32:05 +0200 (CEST)
From: John Firestone <john.firestone@nord-com.net>
Subject: Re: [uuc] Glovebox flashlight hardness & socket

On Tue, 20 Aug 2002, Gregory Bradbury wrote:

> I want to add the handy flashlight in a glovebox to an older, legacy BMW
> (M1) which is not so equipped from the factory.... Would anyone know if
> there is a p/n for the socket & something to mount this?

Some BMW part numbers to try:

61 13 1 366 929 -- E36 glovebox flashlight receptacle housing

61 13 1 369 411 -- strip of 10 live-contact pins for E36 flashlight receptacle

The first number was courtesy of Ron Stygar to which I added the second.

- -John
'96 318is

[robcarync]

l84thsky:

i know you did your lighter mod where you relocated the lighter to the part just behind your emergency flashers.

i was going to do that...actually in the process...and i have the console and everything in the middle removed, but i had a question about the wires to the lighter...it seems my wires arent long enough to just move over there...did you have to splice a new wire to make it longer to reach there, or is there some magical trick to get the wires over there?

http://www.geocities.com/l84thsky/ArmrestUp1.JPG

also, just for everyone to know, my firiend and i finished up his car, and we have a toggle switch to switch the car to the 'accessory/on' position, and then you press the button to crank the engine...then you flip the switch off to turn the engine off. its pretty cool, but my pops is more of a fan of 'mods with a point' and told me not to do it to 'his' car since its pointless

[L84THSKY]

You are 1000000% correct. Splice a wire onto it.

Originally Posted by robcarync

l84thsky:

i know you did your lighter mod where you relocated the lighter to the part just behind your emergency flashers.

i was going to do that...actually in the process...and i have the console and everything in the middle removed, but i had a question about the wires to the lighter...it seems my wires arent long enough to just move over there...did you have to splice a new wire to make it longer to reach there, or is there some magical trick to get the wires over there?

http://www.geocities.com/l84thsky/ArmrestUp1.JPG