The Max

Good alternatives for those who don't want to shy away from their OEM AV system. I don't particularly fancy going that route just because I think I've squeezed in enough gear under that dash. Thanks for the group page Colin. You could've just given us the group page name since it's public access and all. From what I can see about that Apple TV install, he's done nothing out of the ordinary so it hasn't brought anything new to the table for me. Thanks all the same though. I'll keep an eye out on that page for any more ideas and inspirations.

You're right, I was mighty busy. Being gainfully unemployed between contracts has given me the spare time I needed to pull my finger out. That and getting suspended for three months after coasting through Albury on the highway at 149km/h. Have you got a link to to the Japanese dude's work? I'd like to investigate that some before embarking on this final step. It'd be interesting to see if he did anything that I haven't already thought of, especially with the touchscreen control. The Alpine CarPlay units do look pretty good on paper, though I suspect their mounting depth is a bit too much for taking the place of the OEM screen without modifying the bezel, assuming you're prepared to sacrifice it. If you're talking about using the audio output of your iPad Mini, sure. As mentioned, I have a Sony ZX1 sitting inside the armrest pocket for all my audio. Your iPad Mini suggestion would be no different. That is, unless you're talking about retransmitting the video to the OEM screen. In which case, I'd ask, is there any point in that when you have the iPad Mini in sight since you're mounting it on the dash?

Yeah, took me long enough eh? Touchscreen control, I've seen nothing else on the market. I could come up with my own hardware design but when it comes to programming, I can only do hardware level so making a phone app is beyond my professional expertise. I'm still keeping my eyes open though. As for fitting an Apple TV unit, that's a feasible idea given the massive amount of space inside the guts of our centre consoles. Headunit, on the other hand is a bitch but with a bit of car Tetris, you may be able to squeeze one in behind the dash just above the passenger side footwell.

Agreed. For whatever reason, my system seems to operate without any modification. I did notice there was some wiring (neatly) messed about with when I initially took it apart to do the alarm and audio upgrades but whatever they were once connected to were no longer there. Needless to say though, I removed the wire taps immediately to avoid any future grief from those horrible connectors. They have their place, just not in a moving, vibrating motor vehicle! How did you go about interfacing the HDMI output with the vehicle's AV system? I've only got analogue in mine readily available and didn't want to do any major work to interface directly with the LCD.

This has been a long time coming but in all my boredom during my downtime between contracts, I decided to finally give my two Mirrorlink devices a benchtest and install the winner into the car. Looking around the internet, I finally came upon two devices around mid-2014 which offered screen mirroring for both Android and iOS devices (even though my priority is Android). Unit A: http://exploter.en.alibaba.com/product/60134524738-222336312/car_standard_Mira_Box_WiFi_S_CVBS_Manual_swith_WLAN_Display.html Unit B: http://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Carphone-CVS-8138-car-audio-video_715207809.html Both are very easy to install, basically just power and video. Unit B also has an external switch to flick between DLNA and Mirrorlink modes as opposed to Unit A, which has the switches on board for resetting the unit as well as alternating between iOS and Android connectivity. Testing them both, the immediate issue with Unit B was the ghosting of images. No point in benchtesting it, though I may try to make contact with the seller for any possibility of prior knowledge of this issue and an appropriate fix. Nonetheless, I figured I'd give Unit A a whirl and see how it compared. Trying out over a 24 hour soak test on a small TV, the unit proved to be reliable and had a decent image. I tested the audio as well, which seems to be quite reasonable for what it is. Certainly nothing to impress the discerning listener and I'm definitely sticking to my Sony ZX1 as my audio source of choice but it's good enough and certainly acceptable for listening to GPS navigation audio. So with Unit A being the winner, I proceeded to test it out in the car. Though I needed to use an isolation transformer to clean up the herringbone interference in the image, once the phone is in landscape mode and the AV system is set to Wide, the scaling is actually on the money and it's not crystal clear like the built-in GPS. It's definitely usable in the least. I'm half tempted to take the next step with remote controlling the phone and try out a MimicX2 despite all the issues others have reported with them (from ordering through to support!), to complete the touchscreen part of the equation. Installation was simple and contained within the centre console internals. The unit is currently fastened with velcro to the inside of the driver's side of the console, the power cable spliced into the backend of the cigarette lighter socket (solder and glue heatshrinked) and the video cable passed through an existing grommet in the back of the rear pocket under the armrest with no slack so no clutter. The size lends itself to a very neat installation and it remembers its functionality setting (Android or iOS) between power cycles. I was a bit too busy with it to take photos of the installation but you get the idea. So for the moment, Unit B is definitely not a good choice if you're keen on this idea for your vehicle.

From what I hear, it's a pretty difficult venture at the moment. If you can wait, then by all means, keep scouring but I know there's no way I'd wait even just for the simple fact that it's cold out there (and gets occasionally wet)! Have you found out from your local dealership's spares division how much you'd be looking at for a new one? If you're in Sydney, try my pick of the bunch - Steve Jarvin Nissan.

Are you looking for a used window or something aftermarket? You'll struggle less if you look for a new genuine one from a dealer but of course, that'll be at a hefty premium by comparison.

Bahahah. No way! I'm having too much fun now.

More like "Suspended License Cruiser". Yep, definitely Grand Tourer.

Heheh. Yep. Good to see someone actually read Ben's story.

I'm simply a grammar Nazi. I do it to absolutely everyone all because I value the importance of good communication skills and I believe it's dwindling over time, which genuinely concerns me. If that leaves you feeling I'm trying to demonstrate some kind of superiority, well, that's your opinion. What personal situation prevents someone from walking into a shop? I'm not all that difficult. You just believe it to be the case. As above, yes. If that's abhorrent behaviour, then so be it so long as something good comes out of it. "You're" If my efforts are insulting rather than inspiring in any way, that's the other individual's problem. I don't believe I have a sledgehammer approach but I don't sugarcoat anything either. Seems to be all the rage these days, being sensitive and politically correct. Don't like it? Harden up a little. You must've hated your stern teachers in school. Just another contributor in the world. Simply passing on knowledge as humans have done over several millennia. People should seek what humans have always sought for through the course of evolution - skills, knowledge and common sense. No dirty talk, please. Goes against what I've been arguing this time. Besides which, I have plenty friends.

Off to a great start there. There's no need to be that defensive. People here are wise enough to know when someone has actually tried to search for their answers, particularly when it's a common question. Anyway... Definitely agree on the electrical stuff. While I found plenty of similarities between my '09 JDM coupe and the '10 USDM coupe to get me through my audio system upgrade, there were also other significant differences such as the BCM pin 39 not responding to the lock/unlock signal from my car alarm as intended by the DEI XpressKit DB-ALL bypass module. Definitely find out as much as you can about any electrical bits before you go buying them to avoid disappointment. As for the rule about GST and customs duties, I've always been told by customs that it does include the cost of shipping. I thought it was quite retarded myself but wherever I have been taxed, it has always been for the goods plus shipping charges.

Heheheh. I remember a certain guy in his 50s telling me he'll spell "reply's" "how the f**k" he wants, while probably stamping his feet at the same time. Annnnd you're still at it as well. Look, it's pretty clear we all have differing viewpoints on this. Some of us are happy to spoonfeed people just so that we don't go hurting their feelings. Some of us prefer to teach people a little about self-sufficiency (or self-virtuosity as one of my lecturers called it in engineering). When I needed a power steering hose for my BA shitbox, I looked at if it was a common problem (Google search revealed it was), I looked at whether I should go genuine or aftermarket (Google search took me to a forum discussion which had this already investigated in detail), I looked at how much it was to buy a decent aftermarket one on eBay and then I gave my local AutoPro guys a call to see how their prices compared for one which was of comparable quality (as in US made vs Chinese made). I bought it from my AutoPro guys and was back on the road by the end of the day. As Ben would put it, I walked into a shop and I didn't even need to start another thread asking the same repetitive question as I often find in many other forums on various subjects. People these days just don't bloody search and it doesn't take much time to do it. I'd like to think by being that arsehole you consider me to be, someone will learn to gain a little bit of that self-virtuosity. Otherwise, we may as well become like the characters in Wall-E. Highly philosophical, I know but that's my dream. If I die a hated man for it, I honestly wouldn't care. The world will continue to turn without me and it will certainly continue to turn when we make ourselves extinct. So, let's just agree that you think Ben and I are arseholes, while I think that you and mycarhaspossessedme need to come out of your bubble of sensitivity and give people that nudge in the right direction to make them the masters that they can be if they just tried a little. Wow, talk about veering off on a tangent. Bedtime calls for this unhelpful arsehole. 'night 'night fellas.

I'm infamous for my vulgarity but I always ensure I spell my vulgarities correctly.

Much better.

Excellent. So you understand how society has become too lazy to do some legwork of their own for something so simple and let's face it, generic. It's not like V36 has a funky windscreen which demands a special rubber compound for cleaning the glass. Excellent. So you've seen the degradation of people's intelligence over the course of time. It's there for those who deserve it. If the OP asked what brands we preferred to use, that would be a different story - much like asking what is the preferred brand of headlamps or petrol. But this was more the equivalent of asking for a local supplier of petrol. I wouldn't need a keyboard to ask the same question Ben did. It was a "quip", not a "chip". At least you spelled "arse" correctly. Still, that last part, sort of tells me you're not really in your 50s. Spell it however you like but always know you're still wrong.

No, you need to understand how things used to work back in the old days before this gosh darned internet came about: 1) Find phone book 2) Make phone calls to local suppliers 3) If suppliers did not have, ask them if they knew of anyone else who might 4) If no supplier available, look to the dealerships, who would certainly have them Notice how it always required the person looking for the stuff to actually do the legwork and it didn't take much. It was called initiative. I seriously doubt the OP even bothered to do any hunting locally beyond maybe all he could find on Google's results for online shops. Auto parts stores, by and large, still live in the dark ages in that regard and the only way to find out if they have such products is to call them, just like the good old days. You want a friendly environment? Show me that you can feed yourself and don't need me to chew it for you and spit it down your throat like an infant bird. I don't equate friendly with laziness. Edit: I forgot to add, the word is "replies", not "reply's". No such thing.

Snake oil stuff, just like the old Slick 50. The only cleaner I throw into my vehicle is the Amsoil Engine Flush before doing an oil change.

Seems simple enough. I'm still tempted to buy one to rip open and figure out what's in it. Being only two pins, I can't imagine it would be terribly complex.

Hah! I went the reverse - from a '92 J30 Maxima for nearly 17 years until the V36 coupe took its place when I was 35.

How old are your HID lamps? Change them for new ones.

I only changed the muffler, or as they call it, the axle back exhaust. The stock pipes are just fine as they are and even my exhaust guy encouraged me to stick with them. I bought it from a performance shop in the US back in 2012. Took them a few months to get it out to me but I was overseas for all that time so it wasn't an issue and it was the cheapest I found at the time.

I think you're making wild guesses and the more you toy with your car without actually properly diagnosing it, the less return you're going to get from it and perhaps even do more harm than good. His engine has half the wear of yours. I wouldn't be surprised if you're pushing less power than he is due to simple engine wear, lowered compression, etc. Guesses are wasteful, if not dangerous. Get an expert to make measurements, such as compression tests and whatnot. Only by properly diagnosing the engine through measuring instruments will you have a better idea of what's going on so that you can fix the root cause of your issues. Photos of what you've done to the vehicle will not help, I'm sorry to say. This needs to wind up in the hands of a professional.

You're sure the other vehicle is completely stock? If so, maybe he just has a freak motor? Not all motors are created equal off the production line. He might just have a bit more horsepower and torque than you.

Never heard one. I personally have a Meagan Racing muffler on mine. About double the cost but it sounds really nice without being obnoxious.