So, if you had a big touchscreen in your Cherokee, what would you like for it to do?


While rebuilding the lighting wiring harness in my Jeep, I have been thinking about the endgame..where do I want to go with this? I have a 10" touchscreen tablet PC that I use for little other than reading the Bible and some other books...and I would like for it to find more use in the Cherokee.

I can rig up a GPS navigation system...and a music player...and a video player. (It is not legal, or safe, to watch videos while driving..)

What would you like to do with a touchscreen in your Jeep?

I would like to be able to change certain parameters of engine management with mine....such as fuel/air ratio and ignition timing, for example. It would also be nice to move metrics such as coolant temp, oil pressure, MPG, speed and such to the touchscreen.

Would ya'll like to have real-time control over engine management and metrics?

 

I would spend the money on something different.And unless you run a stand alone engine management system you can't change anything on the stock ecu it won't let you.

 

I think it would be really killer to have an application that could turn the touchscreen into some sort of a HAM radio / Citizens Band/ GPS/ Internet / WIFI command center of sorts....

Obviously, the proper antennas are needed, and associated signal amplification, but but theoretically, the ARM / Android system can handle all of that...maybe by adding a Raspberry PI to modulate signals through it's I/O system...?

Any technogeeks out there into this kind of thing?

 

It is possible to intercept signals to fuel injectors and +/- resistance to them to modulate fuel control....as well as modulate intake air charge readings in the same way...and also O2 readings from the o2 sensor...basically, it is possible to 'trick' the stock ECU into doing as one wishes it to do...


Above all else, the system should work, period....but for those that like to tweak stuff, this might be a fun and useful alternative. Touchscreen engine management....

 

I tend to believe that the allure of the older Cherokees are that they are simple, tough and reliable. I like that! Simple tough an dreliable are great features, but what if one could just plug a tablet in and then tweak the engine parameters easily (within carefully chosen parameters, safety...)?

In essence, a simple hack could give one good engine management ability for just the price of the tablet and harness and software,,,


Just thinking out loud here...hoping others may share ideas.

 

Its called piggyback engine management and for the price of the kits you might as well go full stand alone.

 

There are open source projects for software defined radio out there, it might be worth looking into those. I've had a skim read and they're fascinating but obviously you still need an antenna! (and an Amateur license)

 

I don't want it to do a dang thing. It doesn't belong in it. It's a Jeep, not a Prius.

 

Agreed, LOL

IF I had to have one though, I would like it to control weapons systems, like a minigun turret or heat seeking missiles. You know, for all those idiot drivers on the road in front of me....LMAO

 

I like how he thinks.

 

Prius are Jeep ramps!

Great ideas! Gotta get the minigun and missiles first... Maybe a DIY turret on top?

 

I gotz mad fab skillz, LOL

 

Look up "sound man" on the YouTube, lots of how to and sells kits for installing iPads and droid tablets in the dash.

 

That is a cool channel Bustedback! Lots of great ideas there!

 

I don't care about messing with my engine management, but an iPad mini or other similarly sized tablet flush-mounted in the center stack makes a fantastic replacement for a regular stereo. If it's a cellular unit, you can also have gps navigation and stream music like pandora or spotify. just add an amplifier, wire in a charging circuit and done!