MS3/MS3X in-car mounting
 

I was kind of surprised to see that this hadn't been discussed at all, but it's got me a little confused so I'll put it out there: How are you mounting the MS3/MS3X box in the car?

I just assumed that it would fit in the same location as the stock ECU ('93 1.6L - under the passenger side kick panel) in the same way as the MSPNP does, but I didn't give thought to the fact that the case is much taller until I'd finished building it. I gave it a quick test-fit this arvo and it didn't fit under the kick panel. I could give a more simple approach a go (flattening the panel, or even bending it outward), but I figured I'd check in to see if anyone had done anything more imaginative first.

And that's not your only issue - if you put it there, how are you going to have access to the SD card slot?

Why would you need to? can't you pull the data off through TunerStudio?

I went 2 or 3 years with the metal cover removed in the name of adding lightness. Never had a problem.

No, not currently.

wifi sd card?

What is that going to accomplish? It doesn't work the way you think it works, even if somehow the MS3 supported it.

It's not a "supported" feature. It basically has a wifi card and processor in it and will upload files from itself to a specified server when in range of a wireless network or hotspot. All it needs is the proper power. Only assumption I'm making is that it'll do the same for other files as it does for photos. http://www.eye.fi/how-it-works/basics

Sure, but there are a lot of tuning issues you can only catch with the speed of the SD card.

Ken

I have one in a digital camera... and that'd be sweet, but I don't think it'll upload non-picture/non-video files... need to look that up tho, as I never touch my camera.

Yeah, a quick perusal of google says that there software will not upload any other formats and they have no desire to change that.... Now if we just told it to save the files as say... .JPG and renamed them after upload I bet it would work. Anyone know how hard it is to change the extension the ms3 generates? Prolly a good question for msextra forums, cuz I'm sure they'd be willing to make a button or something to allow eye-fi usage.

You misunderstand.

I mean record to the SD card then pull that data off through the serial port/USB port.

I assumed this would be possible otherwise what's the point? ECUs are rarely easily accessable.

Pretty easily accessible in a 94/95 :)

Umm only in the USA. Everywhere else in the world it's under the passenger kickplate irrespective of year.

Did you have passengers often? I use my car for a daily, and I'd be a little nervous about the passenger accidentally kicking the case and wiring. Although I guess that it's sturdy enough to handle a light tapping, it's not like people are thrashing their legs around down there.

In regards to the SD card accessibility, it's not that much of a pain. A 5 minute job with a 10mm spanner, if that. It wouldn't need checking that often anyway (unless you were sorting a particular issue, but then just leave the cover off?)

Weird. I totally posted in this thread a few days ago and I must never have submitted it...

So I have an MS3X in the big case and had a similar problem of nowhere to put that beast. I ended up zip tying it to the underside of the dash area up against the ducting for the HVAC system. I had to cut two small plastic nipples off the bottom to get it to sit more flat and not stick down so much but it's pretty good.

The unit is not visible without sticking your head down there and the SD card slot ended up just below the bottom edge of the glove compartment so it's easily accessible by reaching down under the glove box door.

I'll see if I can get some pictures next time I'm out there.

you basically did this

http://www.boostedmiata.com/gallery2...2/IMG_3369.JPG


I did this:

http://www.boostedmiata.com/gallery2...2/DSC01194.jpg

If I need SD card it takes all of 45 seconds to access the ECU under the carpet...still have metal plate in place, just 3 hand tightened screws.

Brain, can you clarify. If you take an SD log, can you extract it without pulling the card out of the ECU?

That would be a negative, you must remove the SD card and plug it into a computer.

Kinda shite that.

wrong! you can extract them with a utility. You just dont want to because it's slow as fuck.

http://www.msextra.com/doc/ms3/sdlogging.html#utilities

Ahh, yeah this is possible, but somewhat slow for huge logs.

Ken

Yep, and that is after making it faster by compressing the logs as they are sent too (resulted in a many times speedup).

Ken

I do not think that link was around when I last looked into it. Then again last time I really looked there was nothing on datalogging written in the docs yet.

We're more or less focused on docs right now... Even before we do 1.1 or 2.0 (yes, 1.1 is back, though a lot smaller than originally planned... I'll be working on 2.0 more or less in parallel with James working on 1.1).

Ken

Has anybody stuck this thing behind the seat near the stock ECU location on a later NA? Does it interfere with the seat travel or make the carpet overly wonky?

the ms2 fits...the ms3x would lose seat travel.

Bummer. Maybe a custom case when I go MS3.......

The MS3 case isn't that much taller. It's like 3/4" of an inch larger, that's it.

So it looks like the main places to mount this is either where the stock ECU is on a early NA or under the dash near glove box? Anyone have any other places that it can be mounted?

Wherever you can run the wires to that is inside the cabin will work.

I was looking at my car Sunday night and don't think it would lose travel in a 94-97 where the stock ECU had been mounted behind the passenger seat. On those cars there is a little stop on the passenger seat rail that already limits seat travel (presumably to protect the electronics back there). It might dig into the seat back if you were to recline it dramatically, but I don't think it would be a big issue under normal circumstances.

Disclaimer - This is an educated guess, I haven't actually tried it!

Okay, thanks. When ever I recieve my tax return I'm getting the MS3/MSX DIY kits and I'll probably try mounting it neatly under my glovebox.

What year car do you have? If you have a 94-97 the routing of all the wires is going to be a bitch. You have like 5 or 6 feet of wires that you have to coil around to make it fit and there is not a lot of room up there for it.

I have a 91, what is it going to be like with that year?

Well the 91 already mounts the ecu under a floor pan at the bottom of the passenger footwell. I am pretty sure the MS3 still fits in there. Braineack should be able to say for sure though.

Ah okay, well I will await his response. Thanks.

Well, due to some work travel commitments, I haven't actually fitted mine yet :facepalm:.

I was messing around down there tonight, and I've found I can make the MS3X box fit in the stock location, but I had to use some spacers with the little part that the bottom of the floor pan mounts to, and get a bit fiddly with which nuts to completely torque down and which to leave a little loose to manage it. If I try and explain it, it will be confusing as hell, but I'm going to knock up a bracket to mount the MS on Saturday and I'll take photos then.

Fits under 90-93 panel without issue, that's where mine is.

Brain, you've got the taller MS3X case right? How did you manage to get it to fit in there? Every position I tried for the box would stop the pan coming down all the way. Do you happen to have a pic?

Not ms3, but it fits just like this:

http://www.boostedmiata.com/gallery2...2/DSC01194.jpg

Found this recently, should function properly for the SD card.
Cable
Tuck the MS away and mount SD card end somewhere on the centre consul.

sweet! great find. will probably buy one.

And this one for the USB

USB