Carputer pics part 1: Empeg install

It started with a recon mission. I had to figure out the best place to install the empeg player.

The center panel started out with the stock Bose head unit above the climate controls.


The empeg mostly fits down inside the center console

but according to the developers, it would be a bad idea to mount it vertically. Also note that when the lid is closed, it needs space to go down inside... this isn't going to work.

Maybe on top of the air vents, just under the clock (or even replace the clock)

but that would require major surgery on the dash and a lot of work to make it look decent afterwards.

Hmm... it appears to be about the same width as the climate controls

this will require further investigation.

It's a little bit deeper than the climate controls


Seems like it could be mounted in the same frame along with the stock head unit


Ok, but then where would the climate controls go? In the armrest?

doesn't seem to fit.

Ah, but taking the faceplate off, there's plenty of room.

I think we have a winner.

Next problem: the wiring for the climate controls has about 3 inches of slack... I need an extra 3 feet! I'd rather not cut the wires and splice in extensions. That'd be really ugly and hard to solder all those wires sitting in the car. At this point, I should also mention that I'd like to be able to put the car back to stock so I want to avoid any permanent changes.

I called Nissan and asked if they sold connectors for the climate controls (should be quite easy to make some extension cables). The conversation went something like this:

• Me: "Hi, do you sell a wiring harness for the climate controls in an '02 Maxima?"
  
• Nissan: "Let me check... yes, it's about thirteen fifty or fourteen fifty, depending on the model. Read me your VIN so I can find the right part."
  
• Me: "Well, I'm driving, but that's a good enough estimate. Do you also sell a reverse wiring harness that matches that?"
  
• Nissan: "No, just the forward. But for your fourteen hundred, you get all the wires for the entire dash, what else would you need?"
  
• Me: "Fourteen hundred?! I don't need all the wires for the whole dash, just a $10 harness for the climate controls."
  
• Nissan: "Sorry, can't help you with that."
  

That was disappointing, but not enough to make me give up. I brought the climate controls in to work and a coworker helped me search through AMP's catalog of connectors. Eventually, we gave up as there's no part number or model number on this connector, nor on the circuit board.

(plugs on the back side of the climate controls)

Still determined, I started to wonder how hard it could be to make a connector that would fit on to the back. Then realized that I'd also have to make a counterpart to be the other end of the cable.