2nd OBDII port?

[raketeS4]

Behind the center arm rest, down by the little rear ashtray thing, there is what looks like a possible location for an OBDII port (vag-com port). Would it be possible to wire in another OBDII port there, and if so, could I hardwire my GIAC flashloader to my car (and maybe integrate it into the center console)?

[Nexus1155]

or you could unbolt the lower panel on the drivers side snip the wires extend them and use a coat hanger and router the wires through the foam and under your console like what i did for my turbo timer... alot easier and spiffier :)

[HK-Steve]

The Euro S4 has it located in the rear ashtray panel.


Cheers
Steve

[raketeS4]

Originally posted by Nexus1155
or you could unbolt the lower panel on the drivers side snip the wires extend them and use a coat hanger and router the wires through the foam and under your console like what i did for my turbo timer... alot easier and spiffier :)

run that by me again please lol

[Nexus1155]

hmmmm ok so when i was wiring my turbo timer i had to take almost the whole intrior apart so maybe when itake some pictures it might help but here we go ill explain the best i can....

Unscrew the shift knob and pop off the console there.... now throw that in the backseat gently i guess....

pop out the cup holder and rear ashtray on the middle console thinger and toss that in the back. With a 13mm socket unscrew the three identical bolts in that location..

Next unhook the e-brake handle with a clip under it....look under it, i broke mine the first time around. and unhook 2 wires down there and then put middle console in back.

next your gonna go upside down so tilt the seat back. open the side panel first with the door open and unbolt the lower 8mm bolt that ataches the interior panel. Next uncap the 2 pieces on bolt sides of the steering wheel with a small screw driver and undo those 8mm bolts. then an 8mm bolt on the lower right side. After that pull back on the piece and it should come right off. Unhook the VAG port and the light.

Now heres the fun part... untwist a metal coat hanger and snip the both sides where the unstraight parts are. Next write down the location of each wire corresponding with the vag port and then snip it with a good amount of length so you can strip and connect them later.

Now get as many wires as you need and measure out a good length with a service loop so you wont run into any troubles...extra lengths can get tucked in somewhere. and then tape those wires to the coat hanger and then run them up to the right under the dash going towards the shifter. it wont pop right out, you have to tear away some of the foam material. After thats done just route the wires to the left side of the center console and down towards the back.

Now this part is up to you for its location. Cut the size of the connector and mount it securely or cut the plastic from the piece you took out and mount that... Best place is either in the useless spots next to the shifter or do it cool and put it in the armrest being sure to measure the wires for some play. ALL SETS!!! well assuming you know how to tape wires up...

[archimense]

Originally posted by raketeS4
Behind the center arm rest, down by the little rear ashtray thing, there is what looks like a possible location for an OBDII port (vag-com port). Would it be possible to wire in another OBDII port there, and if so, could I hardwire my GIAC flashloader to my car (and maybe integrate it into the center console)?

You can wire in a second OBDII port. I talked with Ross-Tech about it, and they said it would be no problem.

[jkimspe]

i always thought about having a 2nd odb port, but then I thought how cool it would be to have a bluetooth enabled odb port for some wireless logging.

[raketeS4]

Originally posted by archimense
You can wire in a second OBDII port. I talked with Ross-Tech about it, and they said it would be no problem.

OK, let me see if i got this right... I can just tap into the wires from the original OBD port and then run some new wiring up through the console, then it's just a matter of splicing the new wires to a new OBD port which i can mount in the blank OBD space where the euro S4's have their ports? If that's the case, I'm going to either do that or maybe disassemble my GIAC flashloader and make this:

[dramaticstatic]

Originally posted by HK-Steve
The Euro S4 has it located in the rear ashtray panel.


Cheers
Steve

Yep.
A law over there, in Germany I believe, states that the person scaning the car must be in the back.

[SMUSTIN]

that would be sick to have a flshloader hard wired, take pics if you go though with it. and drama if thats a law, why do most bmw & mercedes have scan ports in the engine compartment, or were you joking?

[Nexus1155]

nice rakete good idea... i already used that space for my turbo timer, but thats a sweet idea... you could probably just use scotch taps and just rewire it instead of moving it too so you can use the port along with the GIAC Flashloader at the same time...

[dramaticstatic]

Originally posted by SMUSTIN
that would be sick to have a flshloader hard wired, take pics if you go though with it. and drama if thats a law, why do most bmw & mercedes have scan ports in the engine compartment, or were you joking?

Not a clue why they're in the engine bay.
I think the law is actaully that they can't be sitting in the drivers seat or something.

[raketeS4]

Nexus - im having problems fully understanding you tonight lol... wanna run this by me one more time

Originally posted by Nexus1155 nice rakete good idea... i already used that space for my turbo timer, but thats a sweet idea...

ok i'm good up until this part

you could probably just use scotch taps and just rewire it instead of moving it too so you can use the port along with the GIAC Flashloader at the same time...

but that's where you lost me

[Nexus1155]

just like run the wires like i said, but dont cut the original vag connector just use scotch taps to tap into the existing wires so you will be able to use the flash loader AND the vag if needed side by side without the hastle of like moving the whole thing.... i guess i explained it right?

[raketeS4]

Originally posted by Nexus1155
just like run the wires like i said, but dont cut the original vag connector just use scotch taps to tap into the existing wires so you will be able to use the flash loader AND the vag if needed side by side without the hastle of like moving the whole thing.... i guess i explained it right?

i got it... that's exactly what i was planning on doing lol

Originally posted by raketeS4
I can just tap into the wires from the original OBD port...

the only problem I can forsee is that after i use my flashloader, it has to be manually disconnected to kill the connection to the ecu... i guess i could run some sort of master kill switch that would cut the connection between the hardwired flashloader and the original wiring but i dont know if i could figure that out

[Nexus1155]

just wire another switch in to the power wire and just switch it off when not in use...

[raketeS4]

any chance you know which wire is gonna be the hot wire?

[Nexus1155]

just take a wall thinger thumbtack and put it in the wire of the flashloader that you think it might be... most liekly red... put the multi meter on it and turn on the car... if it jumps to 12v thats the wire.... if theres more than one! then ... i dunno lmao...

[raketeS4]

"a wall thinger thumbtack" ????

i dont know what you're talking about again lol but yea i guess i could just test all the wires and see which one(s) is/are hot

[raketeS4]

Ok so i took apart my flashloader last night to see what the internals look like. After the disection, I don't think i'll be able to make a custom switch panel myself, so when I go back to Connecticut I'm gonna ask a friend who is an electrical engineering major to help figure it out with me. I want to have a custom printed circuit board made, with the same type of buttons as the original handheld flashloader, but with red LED's instead of green, and with different dimensions (rectangular instead of square). The mobile tuning file buttons will also be eliminated. If I could have that done, this whole process could be a snap... im gonna look into it later today

[Edit]: Just talked to my buddy and he said we could have a batch of 10 or so custom printed circuit boards made up for a reasonable price... if that's so, I might piece together Flashloader hardwire kits and list them in the classifieds if there is enough interest...

[Nexus1155]

interested here when i get my giac!

[raketeS4]

i'm gonna design the hardwired switch panel to go in the front ash-tray... im gonna have a couple made and afterward i'll post pictures and if anyone is interested in the kit's they should be in the classifieds shortly

[DDQ]

Originally posted by raketeS4
i'm gonna design the hardwired switch panel to go in the front ash-tray... im gonna have a couple made and afterward i'll post pictures and if anyone is interested in the kit's they should be in the classifieds shortly

Dude, your sig takes up like half the page on each post.

[raketeS4]

Originally posted by DDQ
Dude, your sig takes up like half the page on each post.

haha yea it kinda got out of control... im actually reworking it in notepad right now lol

[Nexus1155]

noooo my ashtray is broken!!! It won't come outs1!!!

[richmonds4]

Maybe you could use the original square display/button pad in the arm rest.
Its wired for a cell phone .
You could wire the programer to only be powered up with the lid up by useing a pin switch to interupt the 12v power supply to the proggramer , or open the comunication wire to the ecu ....

[raketeS4]

Originally posted by richmonds4
Maybe you could use the original square display/button pad in the arm rest.
Its wired for a cell phone .
You could wire the programer to only be powered up with the lid up by useing a pin switch to interupt the 12v power supply to the proggramer , or open the comunication wire to the ecu ....

this would work, but if the ash-tray idea is gonna be as easy to do as it looks, then why not just do it there? i use my center console/arm rest unit to store a bunch of stuff but the ash-tray is empty as of now... i'll take pics of the process and if the idea interests you afterwards, maybe you can buy a kit