General Modernization Thread

[Cyrix2k]

A couple things I want to note:
1) this thread is intended to be a community thread, not just my project log
2) don't expect results too quickly; I need to get the car running/put back together before I get started on this

For the car phones, service no longer exists for them (and if it did, who wants to pay for a separate car phone line these days?). The best solution imo would be to convert over to bluetooth and link it to a cell phone. It would be easy to do a quick hack using a commercial bluetooth headset but the numbers on the front wouldn't work. A more involved project would allow the phone to directly communicate with a cell phone so that the numbers/display would work.

[psigti]

I think he was joking. I know I was. I have designed a new board for mine to control some dumbshit. I do pretend to talk on mine when I'm stuck in traffic though... it passes the time and makes me laugh.

Sent from my DROID4 using Tapatalk 2

[Cyrix2k]

Some of the e39 people were trying to get them to work a while back, so you never know. I have one in my e39 but not the e30... people always comment on it, usually to say it's cool. I'm just too lazy to remove it.

[lbreevesii]

i'm all about some light modernization on my car, but i have to say, I don't really want animated turn signals or anything like that on mine.

Inductive charger would be neat, but that is a simple standalone.

Lighting is done, george graves has been selling that plug n play module for a while, and its great.

I've got some E30 arduino plans, but its going to be a while before i get back on that project.

[burkey001]

I just want the windscreen washer pump and jets from my E92 on the E30.

E30 windscreen washer is like a geriatric urine stream.
E92 is like a Karcher.

Surely someone's done this already?

[nando]

I'd like to create a thread where we can post various ideas to help modernize e30s. I'll start with ideas I'd like to implement.

• Bluetooth keyless entry/start (via phone)
• Animated turn signals (animated bars in the rear) and variable brightness brake lights depending on braking intensity
• Theater lighting (fade in/out)
• Pathway lightiing (headlights stay on for set period of time after exiting car)
• Lane change signaling (single indicator tap results in three signal blinks)
• LED taillights
• Built-in inductive phone charger

Most of this I plan I to use a a microcontroller, like an Arduino or Parallax Propeller to implement. Any other ideas?

you could do a lot of that by using the modules from a later E46 or even the E90. the E46 modules are hackable.

I've done speed sensing wipers (changes speed based on your road speed, now I have 5 wiper speeds instead of 3), played with LEDs in the window buttons (trying to find a small amber LED is tough), and have been working on a cluster swap for almost a year now.

I also want to do one-touch windows someday, but more recently I've been focused on making my car less broken and less painful to drive.

[LJ851]

E30 windscreen washer is like a geriatric urine stream.

:rofl:

[Regnar75]

there was a lot more said about phones then i expected ;), how about extra cigarette lighter port, aux port, maybe even AC power socket coming out rear ash tray? i also like this...http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=268911
if its amber to match the rest of interior lights, but a bit of extra lighting when the door is open would be nice. same for the trunk, some bright LED's in the trunk when its open.

[ClayW]

This is funny

I'm new to the E30 crowd, but I've owned 2002s and 1600s for almost 13 years now. I'm fairly active on www.bmw2002faq.com. On that forum, when people ask questions about adding power locks, keyless entry and power windows, the answer has commonly been, "This is a vintage car. If you want all that modern stuff, buy an E30."

Heheheheh.

[Jalves619]

I've been putting together the pieces to replace the OBC with a touchscreen multigauge. It will likely be run off of a arduino uno or leonardo. I doubt it will be done for a long time because I'm a broke college student, and just learning how to do this stuff in my spare time.

Edit:
I did some work on the code for it, but with a different screen than I was planning on using originally, so no touch screen. Also this screen doesn't have a buffer so it takes up a metric fuck ton of ram. Anyways this is what I made so far. Shot with my phone, sorry for the bad resolution.

[ajune]

Dead thread by the looks of it but right now I'm going to begin tinkering with E46 window switches and coupe rear popout actuators, I may go a different route with the actuators and obtain a pair of caravan motors however at this time I'm going to try and use the E46 actuators.
Biggest thing I'm going to have an issue with at this time is the pin out on the e46 switches as there are pins 1-6 and I need to figure out what is what. And I need to obtain the wiring pigtails since both switches are passenger side ones.

[lambo]

Dead thread by the looks of it but right now I'm going to begin tinkering with E46 window switches and coupe rear popout actuators, I may go a different route with the actuators and obtain a pair of caravan motors however at this time I'm going to try and use the E46 actuators.
Biggest thing I'm going to have an issue with at this time is the pin out on the e46 switches as there are pins 1-6 and I need to figure out what is what. And I need to obtain the wiring pigtails since both switches are passenger side ones.

FrankM E30 wired together a functioning e46 rear pop out, if you haven't seen.

[ajune]

I'll have to try and find it, I'm also trying to figure out how to use the E46 switches for window control. They're set up for CAN-BUS, and I'll either have to figure out minimal equipment needed to run a GM5 out of an E46 and have the windows properly function, or use Arduino or some other PCB style setup to control the windows.

[nrubenstein]

I just want the windscreen washer pump and jets from my E92 on the E30.

E30 windscreen washer is like a geriatric urine stream.
E92 is like a Karcher.

Surely someone's done this already?

http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=279307

You're welcome.

[Northern]

Comfort access or similar using something that uses an RFID chip that I could carry in my wallet or on a keychain or using NFC through my phone would be awesome. Not sure how I'd feel about bluetooth though. I tried to find this DEI unit, but I don't see anything.

One touch windows/sunroof and nicer washer nozzles/system would be nice, but I don't have a huge issue with the stock ones.

Jumping from 2012 to 2014 I don't think any sort of car phone charging is really necessary now. Current gen smartphones seem to last 2 days or more now. I haven't touched my charger except for a 12-hour drive where I was using my phone as a GPS the whole time.

All the LED/flashing light stuff is pretty ricey IMO.