Hi,

I am not sure how I will do this, I will find some way – Someday…But I want your feed back on icons and “options” that I want to add in the future…

I have a full “American” switch row to start off with…I want to add in these “options” as I see the switch row being full…here is my logic – Let me know your thoughts!

Driver Comfort
Heated seat - Sindelfingen install
Cooled seat - Could be OEM factory parts, could be aftermarket – I am hoping the vented sport seats will work with this idea and not need a full perforated bottom cushion…How will this work with the heating element being in the seat cushion cover?

Driver controlled safety
Parktronic - Using both factory and aftermarket parts on this (for my car)
Air horns - For use when traveling at higher speeds or on country roads

Passenger Comfort
Rear sunshade - Sindelfingen install
Foot well lighting - will use aftermarket parts unless there are factory parts – do the C350s and higher C-Class cars have foot well lighting?

Nature controlled safety
ESP - Sindelfingen install
Deer alert - Aftermarket powered deer / animal alerting device

Locking
Un-Lock - Sindelfingen install
Lock - Sindelfingen install

Rear passenger safety
Headrest fold - Sindelfingen install
Rear power plug - Aftermarket or OEM parts to install a plug in the rear console area, driver can control power to it with this switch (Like newer Chrysler products)

Alarm Systems
Tow away - Sindelfingen install
IMS - Would have to be OEM factory parts

Passenger Comfort
Heated seat - Sindelfingen install
Cooled seat - Could be OEM factory parts, could be aftermarket – I am hoping the vented sport seats will work with this idea and not need a full perforated bottom cushion…How will this work with the heating element being in the seat cushion cover?

Let me know your thoughts…I have no clue still how I am going to “etch” the logos on the buttons, if the buttons are all made the same for a consistent finish – and if this is possible…But Photoshop and dreaming are easy!

Thanks,
Jake

 

Haha, those icons look good, I want those features, too.

 

i like the deer icon.

 

You can't "alert" something that has the intellect of a cabbage.

 

Yes…It seems hard to alert deer – they are a very unpredictable animal. However there are a lot of deer related accidents in the area where I live and I will take any “defense” against a possible collision I can receive. There have been some stretches of road being fitted with audible deer and large animal warning devices that have proven to be affective. With this information in hand I am looking into a 12v deer alert that can be switched on and off (for residential use – in a neighborhood I wouldn’t want to upset dogs and cats) and used on some of the back roads my wife and I travel on. There is a main back road we use to get to a local shopping area and two of my buddies where run into by deer – the deer hit them on a door and on a quarter panel.

Any other and all feedback is welcomed – please share your thoughts – If you would put something else in, want another option or change something – please let me know…I have a while as I brain storm first how to etch these logos into the switch – then I need to see how my dad and I will make the “switch blanks” actual switches…then they need to be back lit that cool orange color…And the little red light that comes on when the switch option is on…man – there is a lot to figure out!

Thanks,
Jake

http://www.cabelas.com/link-12/produ...6523264a.shtml

 

wow, that's pretty cool

 

Okay...I think I may have found a way to make the logos / icons...

IF the individual buttons are all molded in the white translucent material and then over coated in satin black finish, maybe I can get some place to LASER ENGRAVE the logos…I am reading that laser engraving machines can follow contours, have a set depth of burn, and work as thin as 00.003”…And they run off of vector cutting paths! They also are used in mass production!

Step 1 may have an answer…

 

So I'm confused, these are all factory options? Right?

 

How much for the boot drying in the sun (the one below the rear sunshade) shipped?

 

So I'm confused, these are all factory options? Right?

- No, these ARE NOT factory options; they are my attempt to fill the switch row. In my opinion the switch row even when fully optioned looks empty and unorganized. I am trying to imagine options to put into the switch row and have them operate realistic options or features. I also want each switch column to have logic.

How much for the boot drying in the sun (the one below the rear sunshade) shipped?

- $125. On a serious note - That is my first crack attempt at an icon for foot well lighting. Do you have a suggestion on how to improve the icon?

Thanks,
Jake

This is my car stock…

 

Airhorns (City/Highway/Country) were an option before NYC sound laws...
Jake

 

hahahaha.. the ******* boot drying in the sun thats awesome... i def want one of those.

ive been drooling over air conditioned seats ever since i took up a part-part-time weekend job at a local country club (both to drive cool cars and play free golf on one of the best courses in GA for free) alot of the cars there have the air cooled seats and theyre AMAZING. i slap those babies on as soon as i get in the car its great in the summer.

on another note. i think it would be prety hard to set up that mod but good luck. the only car in a "smaller" sedan size that comes with air cooled seats is the new lexus IS. bmw and mercedes, along with audi, do not offer air cooled seats in their compact sedans...

 

There is one HEAVY flaw in your plan. The empty spots on your switch row are not swtiches, and they cannot be replaced individually to add a switch in their place. The only way to get more "switches" is to replace the entire switch row, out of a more optioned model (most people on here use the full optioned CLK switch row), but even then, you'll still have blanks in the row.

 

Oh, I should hope.

 

In Europe, the parktronic button is sometimes placed on the transmission tunnel, right between the gear selector and the cup holder.


These are some very creative ideas. Looks somewhat James Bond-esque. All the best Q!

 

that pic looks like an in-dash camera getting shots up a womans crotch, fantastic...

 

I think the battle plan will be to get a full switch row - from a w209...then go from there...My dad and I have installed a few things in our day - almost anything can be done...You just ahve to do it! I am not afraid to crack open a switch row and wire it to operate other things...that should not be a problem...As an example - This is the steering wheel in my w123 - the Cruise Buttons work...I have a switch row on my bench and it looks like they just mold a tab to the buttons that do nothing and do not mold the tab for buttons that detent...So remove the tab and the button should move...As far as icons and such - seems I should be able to laser engrave them...as far as back lighting - Have to look into that - shouldn't be hard...My whole w123 is back lit (including gauges) green to match my Sony Head Unit...Just need to do it!

Here is my new design for "Foot well lighting" - Please let me know your thoughts - I am trying to reference to over head lighting...Should have started there!

This is a plan for rear heated seats...seeing that I am sure I will never add in Distronic - I could try to wire up the rear heated seats to be with the stand alone engine heater...Thoughts? I could try and do what has been done - and add w202 (other) switches to the rear - under the center vent...

Thanks all!
Jake

 

Well I tore into my spare switch row – it is a pretty normal part with a PCB, a few contact pins, rubber push buttons and some really neat molded parts…Every “Button / Switch” position is open with a rubber momentary and a PCB contact – not all of the goods are there – IE – Cooled seat LEDs are missing…Etc – But once the circuit is found from the “button” – a signal now can be sent through contact….

I cut two “tabs” off of the blanked switches and the unit / button started to move a little easier – not as well as a true switch – I only gave it a little time last night – so I have not yet figured out how to break down the actual buttons from their group carrier – and being ABS I am trying not to break anything…It also seems that all of the buttons are molded in a clear or translucent white – so adding an icon may work out! The only bummer is that the back arms that actually close the circuit (the white part that looks like a cone) are in white on the actual switches and are missing from the switches that are blanks…and the inner layer is white on “real switches” and black on SOME non used locations – but not all…

Onward and upward!
Jake

 

Well, it's fine. It's gone from "Boot Baking" to "Shoe Shower".

But that's the beauty and ingenuity of international symbols: it takes an amazing amount of research to determine what symbols will be interpreted by every language on Earth as representing "gibberish".

 

that's crazy stuff...
in socal, we need possum/coyote alert button instead!

 

I know...I am trying to think of a "Universal" animal warning licon...If there is one...Could it be a few letters to match the [ESP] switch?

As far as the foot well lighting - is there something in a W220 to work with this...I looked at the overhead, reading light icon and used that with a shoe...

But how does this work?
A 208 820 65 01 W220 Footwell LED Light

Ideas? I am stewing on the switch row and the PCB...
Jake

 

This is both informative and amusing.
I say go with the leg with the heels on.
And actually do put a camera there and connect it to the command screen.
Have the lady's give you a show....mmmmmmm

How about a Bigfoot instead of a deer?
And something incorporating a large handgun?
Like on the anti-tow icon? Or something to do with the alarms?
How about an 'anti-carjack' icon for turning on the
electrified exterior? Something with a guy getting his brains fried....

Can't wait to see how it all turns out.

 

Well the buttons are apart now from their carriers...now I need to start reading the signals the PCB are triggering...FUN!

 

Hi,

Still working on the button PCB...Those that have a FULL CLK switch row - or a switch row with icons not being used - I have read that some people will want to / or can upgrade them to a feature later - does anyone have information on that? I am trying to learn how the CAN BUS sends information to a SAM unit and if I can do anything with that.

I have seen some Coupes with a switch row that had a powered rear sun shade button - and read of the hopes to make it "do" something else - Anyone???

Here is a new crack at an animal alert button...plays off of the lettering on the ESP button...

Thanks,
Jake

 

Hey Jake - good luck on your project. If you want to learn more about CAN BUS, Wikipedia is a good place to start. There are a number of CAN BUS single chip solutions, but you are looking at a pretty involved electronics project to build your own encoder/decoder set, and have it work in conjunction with what's already engineered in the car. I suspect you'd be better off re-fitting the circuit board with microswitches, and driving your "new" options that way - *lots* simpler!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Controller_Area_Network