I finished the harness and fuse panel wiring, and intended to install it this weekend but the PNW wildfires have blown all their smoke up here in the West Coast of Canada. The air quality index is very high (the Canadian index goes from 1 to 10+ and we have been at 10+ for the past couple days). I can't even see down the street its so hazy. Since I live in an apartment, my Jeep is in the shared parking garage..which constantly had the outdoor air pumped in. It sucks, I'm dizzy, it hurts to breathe and my nose is irritated and bleeding. There aren't any good masks around so I'm staying in my apartment and not going to work on the Jeep in the smoke.
I am doing what I can in the apartment though. I got a board to use to make the center console lid and will do that from the safety of my apartment. I also have been working on making stuff for our cargo bike (with the rest of the plywood and the crazy carpet).
This is going to continue to be a problem in the future, so it got me thinking about making a cabin air filter again for the XJ. This has been on the back burner for a while but I feel like with the baby we should probably do it before next summer. It should be quite easy, just need to make something to adapt the filter to the intake under the cowl. I have thought about 3d printing but have other ideas.
Drove to get groceries the other day and I realized I didn't have pics yet of the dash lights. After ripping out all the old LEDs I had in there, replacing with some good ones with actual data sheets and replacing the contacts in the old bulb sockets, I have all of the instrument lights working for the first time ever. As usual, check engine light is on. I should double check the codes but I had battery disconnected recently so I'm used to seeing it after working on the Jeep.
Edit: adding photo of socket replacement
I bought new sockets but they don't fit as well (too tight) so I pulled the contacts out and put the new contacts in the old plastic sockets. Works great!
Also, after we had our turn signal flashers replaced we actually have turn signals on our front marker lights. I never had those working before - just the ones under the headlights. I didn't actually know thst was how it was supposed to be work! Its so weird - I don't know if it was the flasher or the rest of our wiring troubleshooting that fixed it, but it's working!
Still stuck inside. Air is improving but slowly. I am working on center console lid in my apartment, but need to pop down and measure and test fit what I have done. Photos when I get a little further.
Air is cleaned up outside, so I spent some time getting the fuse panel wiring set up today.
I made the harness a week or two ago. 8 gauge wire, everything spec's and sized for 50A. I will start at 20A and go to 40A eventually. Right now my relay is only rated to 30A i think, so I will need a new high current relsy when i upgrade to 40A. I have an inline fuse to come off the battery, soldered in. The ground wire is to tap to the M10 stud behind the kick panel.
Routed the wires under the hood. Connected to the battery and covered in split loom.
I used Velcro to attach the fuse box under the dash.
Looks messy but it's actually quite neat. I still need to clean up some wires though but I'm pretty picky.
I am using the clock circuit to trigger the relay. When I took the clock out I made a harness which plugged into the stock harness and had a knock off weather pack connector on the end. I then plugged this into my other harness that runs a USB port and Aux power port to the back seats.
For the relays I just unplugged the USB port harness from the clock circuit and plugged the clock circuit to a harness I made for the relay.
Then the USB harness connects to a harness I made to connect to the fuse box.
I broke a connector and need to crimp a new one to my harness, so gave up today before being able to connect the USB harness fully.
I also need a maxi fuse so no power to the entire thing until I can get that.
So some work needed still but it's little stuff now.
Today was frustrating because I kept messing up. I dropped my wrench behind the headlight when reconnecting the battery. It was not a day to keep working hahaha.
Today I finished the custom center console lid.
Issues with the old center console lid:
Doesn't fit very nicely now that I have my custom cupholders installed
Did not match the colour of the interior - and was dirty and mildew'y still from when we originally bought the XJ. We cleaned what we could off, but the leather is stained from the mould
It's kind of a waste of space. There's no storage in it, which is kind of a shame. I've been planning better organization of our center console for road trips and this is part of the plan.
Some notes about the one I made:
I made it mostly out of wood
I upholstered it over the past week using foam and pleather that I bought at a local fabric store. This involved some sewing and stapling.
It fits on the center console and uses the stock hinge, but this one fits my custom cup holders nicer. It also is colour matched to our interior.
I don't have any wood tools, so I basically made this with a corded drill, hack saw and utility knife. Near the end I pulled out some needle files and sandpaper but that's pretty much it. I'm very impressed with how it turned out.
Frame:
I used a pine board that I got at the hardware store for about $4 CAD. Originally I was planning on using some scrap wood someone left behind in my apartment, but that got cleaned out a couple weeks before I started this project so I needed to buy material.
I stacked three boards to make it work. The top two boards have a lip on the front that goes over the cup holder a bit, and is easy to grab onto to lift the lid. The bottom board has a notch cut out for storage.
Everything is glued together and eventually I ran some wood screws through.
I embedded some nuts in the wood so I could use machine screws to attach the hinge. These are pressed into the wood and glued in.
I chamfered all corners and edges and made sure there were no sharp edges, especially off back where anyone in the back seat could smack the heads against it in an accident.
Upholstery
I wrapped in foam and stapled it. Used wood glue to keep the foam down too.
I then wrapped it in pleather. I had to stitch the corners. I chose to stitch them by hand rather than use our sewing machine, just because the fabric is so stiff. After sewing, I had to really wrestle it over the foam but I am very happy with how snug it fits.
Storage Pocket
I then used aluminum L channel and cut it to fit on the inside edge of the storage notch. The 45 degree cuts were a pain in the *** to do with my hack saw! I drilled holes and ran elastic cable through. Unfortunately after running the elastic, it takes up some space on the edges and the corners fit a little tighter than I planned. Then I nailed it down and now have a nice pocket on the bottom side of the lid. I used upholstery nails - and you can see one screw that I put in temporarily. I need to replace at least four upholstery nails with nice button head wood screws (which I need to find in amongst all my crap). The upholstery nails pulled out from the tension of the elastic so I need at least 4 screws to keep it in place. It's snug with one screw.. but that's not a permanent solution.
Final photos.
The elastic pocket is awesome! In case it's not obvious - the pocket is quite large (4"x8").
I don't have final photos in the Jeep, so these are the ones from when I test fitted it, but it's done.
Baby is coming.. very soon so I think I need to wrap up the aux power wiring, change the oil and call it quits for a month or so.
High priority - low cost:
Center console lid - also planning to make a custom one with storage integrated. Maybe end of summer. [DONE]
Custom built tool box for cargo area (current tool bag doesn't fit with all our gear, have to put it on rear passenger seat floor which won't work with the baby) [I have some plywood left over and might use that. I have a design sketched out but it's so much work to do without wood tools]
Finish wiring aux power in interior, with additional power plug in the cargo area for a refrigerator [IN PROGRESS]
high priority - high cost
Refrigerator in cargo area. With COVID19 we need to be more self sufficient and a cooler doesn't work well enough for our usual trips. And with a baby we will need to carry more food or be able to cool bottles [I've looked at options, and am wiring in power to the back along with my fuse panel install but we need to time the purchase at the right time. We tossed our cooler so next summer we'll need to take the plunge probably]
Entertainment center - stereo, screen, etc for kid. I'm thinking of making a custom one from raspberry pi, but that depends on time.
New rocker panels/steel tubing. - ours had been a bit rusty when I bought the Jeep and "temporarily" repaired them with fiberglass. It's been years. I should do this. There is a local shop I'd like to have install steel tubing but it'll be expensive. It's be nice to do myself but no space or tools.
med priority-try to get done
Valve cover gasket - very small leak. Not a problem but would be nice to do and paint valve cover
New aux fan - cooling is not a problem but this fan should be better.
Under hood lights
Low priority - maybe never
Paint wheels to colour match Jeep [Eh, taking this off the list. It's never getting done.]
Got the console lid actually installed. Looks great!
Also topped up the oil. I think I need to finally replace the valve cover gasket as I've been planning for like 2 years. Looks like a slow leak. It was low. Now it's not, but I'll need to spend time on this probably before the summer.
We have rain advisories all weekend. Its a long weekend here so maybe tomorrow, while we are stuck inside from the rain I'll finish the wiring for the fuse box. I really don't have much left to do.
Wrapped up the fuse box install today. I have the rear USB ports and the dash cam plugged in so far. Eventually I'll use it to pass power to the cargo area to power a refrigerator.
The clock circuit is used to trigger a relay. So these items are only powered on with ignition.
It works! No magic smoke, no blown fuses.
No photos but I tidied the wires up and you can't even really tell it's there unless you look up for it. I mounted a stud under the dash to hold the relay.
Now with the rear seat USB ports working again, I plan on hanging some USB powered fans off the cargo net to point at the car seat so the baby stays cool in the summer.
I also mocked up a toolbox for the cargo area with leftover plywood and I think it'll fit nicely and I wont have to buy much more material.
Also started and idled the engine for a bit to get oil moving around after I topped it up yesterday. The Jeep might sit for about a month when we get the baby so wanted to make sure we had it running before leaving it for a while.
The USB powered fan is installed in the back to keep air flow around the baby. It gets a bit hot back there in the summer and a bit stuffy back there in the winter. Hopefully the fan helps with that.
I need a 1m long USB cable extension and need to run the wires below the rear seat, so that's next. I needed to mount it before I could sort out how long of an extension cable I needed.
The USB cord will plug into the ports I installed behind the center console. The fan is adjustable but runs at one speed. I plan on keeping the "on button" switched on and just plug/unplug the USB port to turn it on or off from the front seat or from the other rear passenger seat.
I know it's a little thing but for comfort, this little fan seems awesome for really anyone in the back seat. I tested it out already and it's pretty powerful when I had it running off of USB power in my apartment (I'm guessing it could be less powerful if running on AA batteries, especially after the batteries die). In a pinch we could also use it or a similar one in a tent when car camping.
Just updating my to-do list. I've taken stuff off that I finished in the past couple weeks.
High priority - low cost:
Custom built tool box for cargo area (current tool bag doesn't fit with all our gear, have to put it on rear passenger seat floor which won't work with the baby) [I have some plywood left over and might use that. I have a design sketched out but it's so much work to do without wood tools]
high priority - high cost
Refrigerator in cargo area. With COVID19 we need to be more self sufficient and a cooler doesn't work well enough for our usual trips. And with a baby we will need to carry more food or be able to cool bottles [I've looked at options, and am wiring in power to the back along with my fuse panel install but we need to time the purchase at the right time. We tossed our cooler so next summer we'll need to take the plunge probably]
Entertainment center - stereo, screen, etc for kid. I'm thinking of making a custom one from raspberry pi, but that depends on time. [I've been thinking about this and some comments further down]
New rocker panels/steel tubing. - ours had been a bit rusty when I bought the Jeep and "temporarily" repaired them with fiberglass. It's been years. I should do this. There is a local shop I'd like to have install steel tubing but it'll be expensive. It's be nice to do myself but no space or tools.
med priority-try to get done
Valve cover gasket - very small leak. Not a problem but would be nice to do and paint valve cover
New aux fan - cooling is not a problem but this fan should be better.
Under hood lights [I'd like to get this done if I can within the next year. I'm thinking a short LED bar from SuperBrightLEDs.Total this should cost me like $20 CAD and it should only be an hour or two max including soldering the wires]
Low priority - maybe never
Center caps for wheels
Okay - so some notes on the entertainment system.
I'd like:
Something that can be used with a back-up cam
Something that can play digital media/ audio over the speakers
CD are optional - not necessary. I have like four CD's but we bought them because we have a CD player. I'm fine playing music from my phone.
Doesn't need to be loud or really good audio quality. Maybe use the built in amp in the deck like our system has today.
So that all means: single DIN but with a screen. Maybe Mech-less. No amp necessary depending on the specs.
Optional is having navigation/ google maps built into the system. This is optional because our phones work fine for navigation currently.
Must have an FM radio. This is a must have for road trips.
I'd also like to run a 13 in screen in the back seat for the kid or for us when hanging out while travelling. I would likely control the media with my phone either through the deck or separately.
Originally, I was thinking I'd look for a single DIN deck with a larger 7" + screen, and wire up secondary video to the rear seat.
The deck alone would cost $700 CAD +. The cheapest deck I can find like that is around $780. Then I need cables, install, maybe an amp. With tax I'm easily at around $1,000 and I don't like that.
After that I realized I could make a deck with android auto using a raspberry pi. For the design I sketched out I would need:
Three PIs as three separate inputs (radio, front media, rear media).
FM receiver board
Digital to analogue amp board
Car amp
Screen
Power / shut down board for car
physical buttons
the OpenAuto software
It's still cheaper than $700, but a lot of work. I think it would only save me a few hundred bucks which is a trade off with a LOT of labour. It would be sweet though. No guarantee it would work and there is a risk it would suddenly stop being supported.
But more recently I realized I could do this:
Get a single DIN deck with a small screen built in like this one - JVC KD-X560BT.
This handles the stereo and media up front. Tonnes of input options.
The small screen would work for a back-up cam
The built in amp is similar to what my deck currently has, so no loss there
I could either get a SIM card with data for some trips, or just use it as a wifi router within the car. I could wire this up inside the garage door opener compartment on the Overhead Console.
Get a chromecast and plug that into the 13" screen I have for the back (currently using it for working from home). Connect the Chromecast to the wifi hot spot, and cast content from my phone to the back.
This seems quite a bit cheaper. The deck is $190, the wifi hotspot is $50 and can be used in the hotel room while travelling or as I said, to get internet from data if we need it in a pinch. The Chromecast is less than $50. so total this is under $300 and seems straight forward.
I'm leaning that way, but thinking several months in the future at this point.
Our baby arrived this morning! A healthy little boy. Everyone is healthy and happy and everything has been quite easy and straight forward.
Work on the XJ will slow down, but hopefully once my wife has recovered we will use it to get out more with the baby. We have a cabin rented in early February as well to guarantee we actually get out! I might have to transition to posting trip reports more.
I'm not sure if I will be logged out for the next month due to a lack of work going on with the XJ, or logged in a lot to keep myself occupied while holding the baby. If I don't talk to anyone for a little while - take it easy!
Get a single DIN deck with a small screen built in like this one - JVC KD-X560BT.
This handles the stereo and media up front. Tonnes of input options.
The small screen would work for a back-up cam
The built in amp is similar to what my deck currently has, so no loss there
Get a wifi hotspot like this one. I could either get a SIM card with data for some trips, or just use it as a wifi router within the car. I could wire this up inside the garage door opener compartment on the Overhead Console.
Get a chromecast and plug that into the 13" screen I have for the back (currently using it for working from home). Connect the Chromecast to the wifi hot spot, and cast content from my phone to the back.
This seems quite a bit cheaper. The deck is $190, the wifi hotspot is $50 and can be used in the hotel room while travelling or as I said, to get internet from data if we need it in a pinch. The Chromecast is less than $50. so total this is under $300 and seems straight forward.
I'm leaning that way, but thinking several months in the future at this point.
We had gotten the Chromecast for home anyways, and I set it up today so we could watch TV while chilling with the baby.
I have both the 13 inch screen and the Chromecast running off of a USB power bank. Everything is quite compact and if I install in the Jeep I could wire USB power directly from ignition to the screen. Or I could have a cheap power bank to make it portable and so the entire thing could run when the Jeep is off.
I know this is pretty much just a tablet, but it's way cheaper and I can control the media with my phone from the front seat. We can also take this assembly with us in hotel rooms, or wherever we go. If we unplug the wifi module and bring it into hotel rooms that would give us a constant easy wifi hotspot. Bringing the Chromecast and screen into hotel rooms would let us stream anything we want from Netflix. So it'll be nice for trips.
So I think this option is the most likely one for me to go with. I just need to build a mount and buy the stereo and wifi module.
Also, our little guy is super easy. We haven't been out much - only in the Jeep once so far to pick up a grocery order, but he is so chill and calm. I'm hopeful he will stay like this and be cooperative on trips. I really think we have lucked out and don't want to jinx it.
Someone has been breaking into our apartment garage multiple times this past couple weeks and stealing bikes and small items. While I'm not worried about the Jeep being stolen (it's not that kind of theft, it's someone stealing bikes and propane tanks) I'm worried about it being broken into or our bikes (which we lock behind the Jeep) being stolen.
I have a dashcam with an auxiliary battery (Blackvue B124) so it doesn't deplete our starting battery. One battery lasts about three days. This system is expandable - you can daisy chain "extension" batteries to expand storage. Since we only drive every week or so, the battery keeps dying before each break in and the dash cam misses the thefts of our neighbours stuff. So I broke down and bought one extension battery (B124E) and installed it today under the rear seat. It's really easy to do and have me an opportunity to nicely route the USB cable that powers the fan I have plugged in and pointing to the car seat.
It was nice to do something on the Jeep although not very sexy.
That rear USB powered fan is working out awesome and seems to keep the air circulation going in the cargo area and rear seat. I'm really impressed.
Pic of the batteries. Under rear seat. They get velcroed together and to the floor. Small foam pad bellow the bottom one to raise it in case of water running along the floor.
You connect to the batteries via Bluetooth to view status (charge, voltage in/out, current in/out,, battery temperature, etc). It's a pretty neat (but expensive) system.
Drove over a bumpy road today and our "park" fuse blew again. Ugh. Dash lights went out and the corner turn signals stopped working.
Luckily I remember what happened last time and unplugged the brake fluid level sensor and replaced the "park" fuse. Everything works now.
I guess I gotta replace the sensor or the connector. This is the second time this happened and unplugging the sensor fixed it. For now, driving without a sensor to tell us if we lose brake pressure is safer than driving without dash lights at night or only with half our tuelrn signals so it's staying unplugged for a while until I can find time to fix it.
