SAT NAV screen - switch off?

[pvr]

That is the double window button

 

[jarrow]

Just get yourself an Intravee kit, lots of satnav screen programming available for hours of pleasure, including a GPS control of the car clock to always have exact time.

I spend half the time watching the road, the other half on playing with the iPod screen on the nav unit

+1

 

[pungo]

I'd be suprised if you can simply drop a switch inline anywhere outside the unit, as it will be a digital signal whizzing around the bus and presumably grounding somewhere. The only way would be to pull the unit out, dismantle it and find the internal 12v supply to the motor. Interesting challenge.

I'm with pvr though I love the screen and how it's high up on the dash visible, etc., but that's just persoanl choice of course

I don't understand why a "digital" signal would be "whizzing" around the bus if I disrupt power to the LCD display. My understanding is that the "nav computer" is in the rear console with the DVD unit. I would suspect that the "nav computer" sends a video signal to the LCD screen and also sends a signal to the LCD screen motor to open or close it. I don't have a schematic to verify this, but it logically makes sense. Am I totally off base here on where the nav computer is located? Does anyone have access to a schematic and or detailed nav operation? I have 30 years experience engineering complex telecommunication testing equipment, so I'm familiar with electronics, communication buses, and if there's a way to disable/enable the operation of the nav screen, I'll try to figure it out.

 

[cj10jeeper]

pungo - you have way more experience than I will ever have on such electronic systems so I'd defer to your knowledge on it.
The nav is in the rear console as you say. The screen however will be taking inputs from a swathe of areas - MFSW, telephone ulf, information computer, etc. Some of those drive the screen too, say if the phone rings the screen pops up on mine.

Anyway good luck and let me know how it works

 

[pungo]

Anyway good luck and let me know how it works

If anyone cares about this, I found an easy way disable the nav screen from opening that even a caveman could do it. Fuse #49 is for the nav screen, I simply pulled it and the nav screen doesn't open, plug it back in and the screen opens when you use the open switch. I don't think this will cause any problems since all I'm doing is turning power off to the nav screen and motor. I simulated the operation of the switch by pulling the fuse and plugging it back in. I did this several times and everything worked as expected.

Now I just need to take 2 spade terminals, a fuse holder, a switch and some wire. I will make a simple harness with the fuse inline with the switch and mount the switch somewhere.

 

[srhutch]

Anyway good luck and let me know how it works

If anyone cares about this, I found an easy way disable the nav screen from opening that even a caveman could do it. Fuse #49 is for the nav screen, I simply pulled it and the nav screen doesn't open, plug it back in and the screen opens when you use the open switch. I don't think this will cause any problems since all I'm doing is turning power off to the nav screen and motor. I simulated the operation of the switch by pulling the fuse and plugging it back in. I did this several times and everything worked as expected.

Now I just need to take 2 spade terminals, a fuse holder, a switch and some wire. I will make a simple harness with the fuse inline with the switch and mount the switch somewhere.

I Would suggest if you are going to do this that you use the panel under the heater controls as it is easily replaced if and when you remove your switch and if you use the right switch invisible in everyday use.

 

[cj10jeeper]

Sounds a pretty simple solution given the Nav screen has its own fuse. Agree with srhutch that the blanking panel is a good place to hide the switch. Easy to reach but out of sight so no issues over it looking consistent with other switches.

 

[pungo]

Sounds a pretty simple solution given the Nav screen has its own fuse. Agree with srhutch that the blanking panel is a good place to hide the switch. Easy to reach but out of sight so no issues over it looking consistent with other switches.

Good suggestion, I was actually thinking about using the "blanking panel" to mount a switch for a garage door openener. I looked the panel up on realoem and found item 3 part # 51459128397
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=DU53&mospid=49423&btnr=51_4949&hg=51&fg=30
Anyone know if this is the correct part? I found it for $5.98 at Tischer which is local to me. I'd like to buy the spare panel and use it to install the switches.

 

[cj10jeeper]

The profile, way it is positioned in the exploded diagram and description makes it look like the right panel

 

[Breaker]

I spend half the time watching the road, the other half on playing with the iPod screen on the nav unit

Glad you don't live near me when I'm out on my motorbike then!
"Sorry officer, I didn't see the motorbike as I was looking for a track on my iPod!" :roll:

 

[Cloudberry]

During driving at night, the light from the monitor may be annoying. But instead of popping the monitor down (and having it popping up immediately after :roll: ), why not turn off the monitor off by using the choice in the main menu….?

 

[pungo]

During driving at night, the light from the monitor may be annoying. But instead of popping the monitor down (and having it popping up immediately after :roll: ), why not turn off the monitor off by using the choice in the main menu….?

Good idea if you are using the screen open at nite and want to turn it off. This works until you change to the next song or the change channels on the radio then the screen comes back on. My idea to disable the screen from opening to extend the life of both the motor that opens the screen and the LCD monitor itself. I generally keep my cars for a really long time, so extending the life of its parts are important to me. Every time I turn my car on and turn it off the screen opens and shuts. Most of the time I just keep a CD full of MP3 songs in the stereo and really don't need to see the screen. A CD full of MP3s = about 10 regular CDs. I sometimes want to skip a song using the steering wheel controls and then the screen opens or will come back on if I use the "monitor off" function.

I have already temporarily wired up a switch and it is working exactly as I wanted. Took all of 5 minutes to do. Now I just need to order the blanking panel and run the wires to this panel.

 

[wooter]

If you set the brightness settings at night, it won't affect the brightness screen settings during the day. So you can have a dim screen at night and a bright screen during the day.

I think that the built-in satnav screen is much better than what VDO Dayton used for their aftermarket models.