I don’t usually care too much for 5 spoke designs but this just looks right.
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What did you do to your Boss 302 or S197 today?
- Thread startergremlinsteve
- Start date
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Thank you, Chris!
So the Army has me quarantined in the billets (away from my family) on base for 28 days while I am doing shift work in our operations center. No contact with anybody...but they didn't say i couldn't turn wrenches in the parking lot! Spend the other day with the clay bar and some wax for some overdue TLC...
Bill Pemberton
0ld Ford Automotive Racing Terror
Tough times, and glad to see you are staying mellow yellow!
Second project...Rowdy is going to be my daily driver when I move to Germany later this summer and I wanted navigation as i get around over there. I decided to go with the idatalink maestro system paired with a wireless carplay Kenwood unit. The idatalink is pretty cool as it interfaces with the OBD port. This provides some additional information like gauges, tire pressures, etc... The kit replaces the existing center stack where the AC controls are also on the kenwood. Only been one day since the install, but is customizable/programmable and is very user intuitive.
Cool. Does it also interface with the steering wheel buttons for the radio and phone?
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Wow c2fx your car looks so good! I love Yellow Blaze! And the new panel is super cool - getting tire pressure monitoring alone would be worth it. Would love to hear more about the unit, how difficult the install was, etc.
Yes it does, both sync and non-sync equipped vehicles. You can also program a secondary function for the buttons. For example, the music button on the steering wheel changes inputs and, when held down for 1-2 seconds, activates siri. Forward/Back buttons on the steering wheel, when held down, also adjust the temperature up/down. For the row of buttons in between the two screens on the center stack, those are also customizable and even comes with 20 buttons or so with icons printed on them. The gauge button I used, second from the right, brings the gauges screen up on the stereo, and when held, brings up the vehicle information screen. When the rear defroster button is held down, it activates the front defroster. There are many ways to do it, but that's how i did mine.
Thanks. The install wasn't much worse than a normal stereo install, but there are some added connections that must be made. The harness has a lot of the normal connections that i soldered to the kenwood harness (speakers, +12, acc, illum, etc...), nothing crazy. There is a "brainbox" though that has the added connections (OBD and several offshoots between the adapter harness). It did take a while to figure out what i did and did not need in the harness as it's a generic S197 harness that works for all the various options that were available. I was able to remove quite a bit of wires from the harness as the boss is a non-shaker and non-sync vehicle. there is also a small plug that plugs into the plastic centerstack portion that provides the connections for the row of buttons.
Some other added connections were required for the wireless carplay feature. These included a gps puck i put on the dashboard and tapping into the vehicle speed sensor wire that is located above the glovebox. the wireless carplay is a pretty cool feature, where the receiver creates a wifi network that your phone automatically connects too and gives you full control from the receiver.
Last thing i'll add with this kit...the fit and finish on the plastic centerstack piece is OEM quality. You would not know the difference. The cubbyhole is nice to have and has a nice, thich non-stick rubber pad. It is tough to see from the pictures, but there are two usb ports molded into the top part of the cubby hole about an inch or two behind the front lip. This provides your wired carplay connection or just a place to charge.
Bottom line, I am very happy with how this turned out. I was very apprehensive about fit and finish and adjusting to touchscreen controls over knobs and buttons (which i generally prefer). It has proven to be very responsive and easy to use though.
Edit: One last thing...The OBD interface is a two wire plug that just plugs into the existing OBD port. I'll go back in later and just splice into OBD harness to keep the port open and have a bit of an easier install.
Does it use the OBDII port, or can you still use it for something like OBDLink MX+ and Harry's Lap Timer?
Also, instead of the cubby hole, can you retain the factory buttons for heated seats? Or is that available on the screen too?
Thanks!
Also, instead of the cubby hole, can you retain the factory buttons for heated seats? Or is that available on the screen too?
Thanks!
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Excellent, thank you very much!
As someone who knows zilch about car audio replacement (well, unless you count exhausts as "audio"!), are you saying that if someone wanted just the OBD info like tire pressures and engine gauges, the unit like yours simply plugs in with no extra wiring/soldering, etc? I am not interested in Carplay or anything audio related, just the car's real time information.
As someone who knows zilch about car audio replacement (well, unless you count exhausts as "audio"!), are you saying that if someone wanted just the OBD info like tire pressures and engine gauges, the unit like yours simply plugs in with no extra wiring/soldering, etc? I am not interested in Carplay or anything audio related, just the car's real time information.
No, you need two things: the idatalink maestro module and an idatalink capable receiver. crutchfield has a very easily filterable website to determine whcih receivers are idatalink capable.
Also, i can assure you that wiring up a receiver is not that hard. You get the wiring diagram and match color coded wires. You don't even need to solder if you don't want to. Butt connectors are an easy and acceptable way to connect wires. I spent a couple of hours in my "room" laying everything out, understanding what goes where, and soldering it up. The next day I spent about 3 hours on getting everything taken apart, connected, ensuring good fitment and routing, and then testing it up. No specialized tools were required. Just a 7mm socket and a philips head screwdriver.
I have not swapped out the factory speakers, nor plan to. Was looking more for the user interface. If you want to tackle this, or anyone for that matter, PM me and I can talk you through the process in more detail over the phone or send some additional photos.
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Hey thank you so much for all of that detail! I had no idea that such a device was available for our cars. If I do decide to do something like this, I will definitely ask you some more questions. For now, I will just stare at the pictures of your beautiful car.
Haha...thanks.
$809 for everything...but my receiver was $499. There are are much cheaper idatalink receivers available. Cheapest one right now is a JVC for $279. That would total out at $589.
goddamn those rims look so perfect on that car. Theres something about michelins sidewalls that make rims look so much better
Thanks. Those OEM lug nuts are bothering me something fierce. I just keep forgetting to order some new ones in black.
drano38
Wayne
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c2fx, that mod is outstanding! Great job.
If I drove my Boss more, I'd like to do something like this.
If I drove my Boss more, I'd like to do something like this.
Had a busy weekend working on the Boss:
Installed new Ford Performance Hubs with ARP studs
Replaced driver's side spindle and control arm (passenger side previously replaced, I had been procrastinating doing the driver's side)
Swapped back to street rotors and pads since it may be a while before seeing the track again
Got my Apex 18x11 EC7s and 295/35R18 Yokohama Advan A052s installed!! (stuck with 295 for classing, otherwise would have gone at least 305)
Test-fit the S550 PP 6 piston Brembos
Swapped my stock ABs for some used Flowmaster American Thunder ABs, still not sure if I like them better. They are barely louder than stock, and although they are lighter and seem to flow more freely out the rear, I think there is less sound coming out the side pipes now. TBD on keeping them.
Hopefully the tracks open up sooner than everything else, desert racetracks are a great place to social distance!
Installed new Ford Performance Hubs with ARP studs
Replaced driver's side spindle and control arm (passenger side previously replaced, I had been procrastinating doing the driver's side)
Swapped back to street rotors and pads since it may be a while before seeing the track again
Got my Apex 18x11 EC7s and 295/35R18 Yokohama Advan A052s installed!! (stuck with 295 for classing, otherwise would have gone at least 305)
Test-fit the S550 PP 6 piston Brembos
Swapped my stock ABs for some used Flowmaster American Thunder ABs, still not sure if I like them better. They are barely louder than stock, and although they are lighter and seem to flow more freely out the rear, I think there is less sound coming out the side pipes now. TBD on keeping them.
Hopefully the tracks open up sooner than everything else, desert racetracks are a great place to social distance!
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