I've elctronicified the Mini

"ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability" (italianjobr53)
08/08/2019 at 11:25 • Filed to: electronics

Exhibit 1:

That screen thingy is an Ultragauge, I bought it for the sole purpose of monitoring the coolant temp (15 year old BMW and all). It has already helped me once when the radiator fan quit(again) while driving around in town. It hooks up to the obd port and requires no additional power.

The little black box in front to the tacho is a Bluetooth transmitter. Aux cable goes from it to my head unit. It draws power from my phone charger. I mounted it there so since its the only place where the mic is directly in front of me and also it’s the area with the least vibrations. Quite nice to have handsfree for $20. Its this thing if anyone is wondering:

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

Exhibit 2:

Its an Aukey Dash cam. Draws power off my phone charger as well. This and the Bluetooth thingy dra w power using a Y cable from the same USB port, I’m assuming that the Bluetooth thing doesn’t draw too much current to burn out my fuse. We’ll see.

DISCUSSION (22)

Michael > ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability
08/08/2019 at 11:31

Make sure you utilize the alarm settings in case you’re not paying attention

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability
08/08/2019 at 11:32

I can’t believe how useless the stock water temperature gauge is in these. If that needle so much as moves you have a serious issue. By the time the needle moves off the center marker you are already talking 250F+ which is insane.

MrDakka > ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability
08/08/2019 at 11:39

How is the dash cam

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability
08/08/2019 at 11:39

Go od idea on the dashcam....I’ve not legitimately needed mine yet, but I’ve caught idiocy on it many times...

sony1492 > TheTurbochargedSquirrel
08/08/2019 at 11:39

In the r55 they got rid of any relevant gauges, then operating temp is around 220°F

sony1492 > ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability
08/08/2019 at 11:43

So the future of t acking on extra equipment to keep an older car usable is finally here.

VincentMalamute-Kim > TheTurbochargedSquirrel
08/08/2019 at 11:47

That’s how most (all?) manufacturer’s set up their gauges. When they used to read accurately, too many people complained that their water temp was 205deg instead of 200deg. Factory temp, pressure gauges are now fancy looking idiot lights. The needles don’t move until it’s serious.

I think I’m gonna get an Ultragauge.

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > VincentMalamute-Kim
08/08/2019 at 12:00

I get that most manufacturers tune the gauges so that they sit in the middle for any reasonable operating condition. The problem with the 1st generation Mini’s gauge is that you have damaged the engine before the gauge gets half way from the center point to the 3/4 marker.

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > sony1492
08/08/2019 at 12:06

Which is scary to me because in the 1st gens if the light has come on it has gotten hot enough that you have warped the head.

Discerning > TheTurbochargedSquirrel
08/08/2019 at 12:09

I always liked how my C5Z could tell you the precise coolant temp, oil temp, and oil pressure through the DIC.

VincentMalamute-Kim > TheTurbochargedSquirrel
08/08/2019 at 13:32

Nevermind! I thought I was imparting wisdom to the uninformed!

I hear what you’re saying about the 1st gen Mini. They changed it on later gens? I haven’t had overheating engines so don’t know how my gauges would react. I suppose every manufacturer sets them differently. BMW must have thought Mini customers are different somehow from BMW buyers?

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > VincentMalamute-Kim
08/08/2019 at 13:43

The 1st generation is the only one with an actual gauge. The rest of them only have idiot lights.

All BMW temperature gauges at the time were pretty useless, the Minis just managed to be extra super useless.

facw > ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability
08/08/2019 at 14:16

Yay cybercar! How hard is it to get the A-Pillar trim off? You could probably hide that dashcam cable a lot better without much work (even though I haven’t bothered with a fuse tap, I’ve always run the cable for under the glove box and up inside the A-pillar (trying not to impede the airbag) and then al ong the headliner, which keeps things pretty tidy.

Bylan - Hoarder of LS400's > ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability
08/08/2019 at 15:33

If you’re ever looking for a more permanent and totally hands- free blue- tooth solution, check these out: https://www.amazon.com/iSimple-Hands-Free-Calling-Streaming-Smartphones/dp/B00FRU5UNA

Plugs into the FM antenna and takes over 1 of the radio signals. Crystal clear and has saved me from static, charging blue- tooth thingies, and having anything that doesn’t look OEM in my Lexus’ .

ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability > TheTurbochargedSquirrel
08/08/2019 at 19:17

Precisely the reason why I got it. That gauge might as well be not present in the car.

ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability > Discerning
08/08/2019 at 19:18

I love the heads up display in mine!

ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability > Bylan - Hoarder of LS400's
08/08/2019 at 19:19

Wow, that looks like a pretty nice solution.

ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability > facw
08/08/2019 at 19:20

I can get it off, the problem is the headliner is sagging everywhere. So, when I do take off the liner and replace it , I will route the cable properly through the pillar

ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars
08/08/2019 at 19:21

Waaay to much idiocy in Indy. I’m just being cautious. TBH I should have gotten a dash cam a long time ago...

ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability > sony1492
08/08/2019 at 19:22

In a couple of years:

ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability > Michael
08/08/2019 at 19:22

Yup! I’ve coded the alarms for coolant temp, max 250F

ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability > MrDakka
08/08/2019 at 19:24

Its pretty good. I’ll go grab some footage.