The PT Cruiser Blog

How To Change The Cabin Air Filter on a PT Cruiser

2012-01-29T05:11:00.000-08:00

Changing the cabin air filter on a PT Cruiser is quite straight forward but due to it being completely hidden from view it's one of those jobs that's easy to do, when you know how.

Skill level:

Easy

Time required:

Thirty minutes

Tools required:

No. 2 Sized Philips / Crosshead Screwdriver
Long Nose / Needle Nose Pliers
10mm Socket & Ratchet

Parts required:

05058040AA - Cabin Air Filter

First things first, make sure you have the right part. I used a Mopar filter, there are other brands available. It'll look like this (click on any image to enlarge it):

Note the "AIR FLOW" directional allow, when fitted this arrow needs to point to the inside of the car:

Start by placing your wipers in the "up" position (simply turn off the ignition to keep them there), this will allow you a bit more room to play with:

Next, remove the rubber bung on the bonnet / hood stop. This will give you another millimetre or two of clearance:

Remove the four Philips screws and their captive nuts / retainers. With the screws removed you can pull out the captives with some long nose pliers. There are two here:

And another two here:

This is what they look like when removed:

Also worth mentioning at this point, is that the holes for the captive nuts are square:

When you're putting them back in to the holes, be sure to line them up as square, otherwise you'll break off one of the legs.

Now for the tricky part, you need to remove the cowling.

Start by lifting it up at the long side nearest the engine.

You'll see that the cowling is tucked underneath the rain shield at the bottom of the windscreen. It will flex a bit and it's quite strong plastic so don't be afraid to bend it a little if you need to.

I found that the bonnet prop bar was in the way so I stood at the side of the car and held the bonnet up with my shoulder, this allowed the cowling to come out a lot easier. Don't drop the bonnet!

Once removed, the cowling looks like this:

Next, you need to remove the 2x 10mm bolts that hold the washer fluid bottle in place:

With the bolts removed, pull the washer fluid bottle back to give you just enough space to access the filter:

Depending on the year of your car, you may have a plastic grille in front of the filter, if so simply unclip it from the top. If like mine, there is no plastic grille, simply remove the filter by pulling it towards you:

If like mine, yours has never been changed since the day your car left the factory, it'll be pretty dirty and completed clogged up (again, click any photo to enlarge it):

Just think, if it wasn't for the filter, all that dirt would be inside your car!

Here's a comparison of the old and new filters side by side:

Nasty...

Your new filter will simply push in to place, don't forget to check the direction of the arrow on the top, you want it pointing towards the inside of the car.

Putting everything back together again is simply the reverse of the removal procedure above.

Make sure you tuck the cowling under the windscreen rain shield as you're fitting it back in. Again, I found it easier if I took the weight of the bonnet on my shoulder so I could fold down the bonnet prop.

Be sure to check out my other PT Cruiser How To Guides!

PT Cruiser Official Parts Catalog - FREE DOWNLOAD

2011-09-10T10:03:00.000-07:00

For your downloading pleasure, here are the official Chrysler PT Cruiser Parts Catalogues for you to download.

There is one parts catalog for each year and I have put all seven PDF files in one ZIP file for you here.

Each catalog contains over 600 pages of parts and is the same catalog your Chrysler main dealer uses.

UPDATE 6 Jan 2012:

In the past I was able to offer PDF downloads free of charge but unfortunately, due to high bandwidth hosting costs, I now need to charge a very small fee for my downloads.

The download price is just £0.99p (approx $1.52 / €1.88 depending on your exchange rate)

To download the PDF, simply click on the Buy Now button below where you'll be taken to a PayPal checkout where you can use your existing PayPal account. If you don't have a PayPal account you can checkout with any major credit card:

After purchase, you will receive an email containing a link to download your PDF file.

The 32nd mod, The USA-SPEC PA11-CHR iPhone / iPod OEM Interface

2011-07-06T13:31:00.000-07:00

I've been using FM Transmitters for a while now to allow either an iPod or an iPhone to play music through the car radio.

FM Transmitters are handy and some of them are quite good, but there are just so many problems with them. All of them.

The problems might seem small, but to someone who loves his music, the problems are huge. And very annoying.

There is a constant background noise, nobody else can apparently hear it but I can, it's like a faint hiss. FM Transmitters are also quieter than the radio or a CD so when you change modes or music sources the volume comes blaring out and deafens everyone!

Also, an FM Transmitter might work fine in one area but if you drive a few miles down the road a more powerful local radio station will often come through over the top, killing your music. Another annoyance is that if there is no sound coming from the iPod or iPhone some higher-end FM Transmitters (FMTs) go in to a 'sleep' mode and stop transmitting completely. This is terrible if all you are using at the time on your iPhone is a sat-nav app. You need to hear the spoken instructions which come out ok via FMT but if no instructions are spoken for sixty seconds the unit goes in to sleep mode. The moment it does that your radio blares out some crackling white-noise as it's just lost its signal. Very, very annoying. So annoying that it's easier to drive around with the radio off completely - making the sat-nav a bit useless.

Enough was enough, I needed a proper solution.

Step in a manufacturer called USA•SPEC!

USA•SPEC are the self-proclaimed "leaders in OEM iPod Integration" (which after using their products, I am inclined to believe they are too!). They make kits that connect directly to your existing OEM head unit via the AUX port or CD Changer port and they cleverly fool your radio in to thinking it has a CD changer attached when in actual fact it has your iPod or iPhone attached instead.

The end result?

Completely uninterupted, CD quality, CRYSTAL CLEAR audio in your car, directly from your Apple device. And I mean, crystal clear.

Now USA•SPEC don't sell direct to the public, you have to buy from a reseller. I chose a firm on eBay called Integrated Solutions. I shopped around for a while and contacted a few sellers on eBay but Integrated Solutions came up trumps for a few reasons. One reason was the speed of their response to an enquiry about compatibility, another was their price (they were cheaper than everyone else) and last but not least was the amount of detail in their eBay listing, it tells you everything you need to know. Being based in the UK, I wasn't sure they'd ship from America but a quick email confirmed that it wasn't a problem at all.

My PT Cruiser had a very low spec radio built in so I had to upgrade it as mine didn't even have a port on the back to connect a CD Changer (meaning this unit wouldn't have had anything to plug in to).

With my radio upgraded, I placed the order. It arrived in just ten days, all the way from Texas, USA. Well packaged and very quick considering the distance it travelled to get to me. I was very impressed with Integrated Solutions and would fully recommend them to anyone.

What arrived in the package was the USA•SPEC PA11-CHR kit itself, plus an additional (free!) 3.5mm lead which allows you to connect auxillary devices such as other mobile phones, dvd players, etc. Anything with a headphone socket it on it really. Click on any photo here to enlarge it:

Opening up the package revealed a very (very!) clever box of tricks, plus two cables. One to connect to the radio, the other to connect to the iPod or iPhone:

Fitting this kit couldn't be easier, it really couldn't. No additional tools are required, no cutting of wires, no splicing, no blue Scotch Locks, nothing. It's a dream to fit, literally 'plug and play'. Read on!

If you're unsure of how to remove the radio from your Cruiser, see my How To Remove or Replace the Head Unit / Radio / Stereo on a PT Cruiser guide first.

With the radio removed, plug the iPod cable to the white control box like so:

The remaining cable then plugs in to the radio port on the white box:

With the two wires connected there is plenty of room to hide the control module under the radio behind the switch bank:

Once hidden, the module simply plugs directly in to the radio. In my case, in to the CD Changer socket on the back:

The other end of the wire you can then route out to the iPod or iPhone, anywhere you like (it's about 6ft long!). You could have it coming out in to the glove box or out to the centre console, etc. I've got mine coming out to a Brodit cradle so I get in the car, drop the phone in the cradle and that's it. Nothing else to do, press, connect, etc. It's "drop and play":

When you turn your radio on and select the CD Changer mode, with no phone connected you get a "NO MAG" message on the radio. At this point the radio thinks the CD Changer is connected and no CD magazine is inside the changer. Plug your iPod or iPhone in and this message changes instantly:

When you do connect your iPhone a message pops up on the screen saying "This accessory is no optimized for this iPhone". You can either click on 'Dismiss' or leave it and the message disappears on its own after 15 seconds or so:

When you play your music the display on your radio changes to show it's playing what it thinks is a CD from the changer but of course it's now playing from your iPod or iPhone:

And that's pretty much it really.

The end result?

No interference, no re-tuning the radio every time you drive through a different town, no sleep mode and radio white-noise, you're just left with CD quality audio, pure silence between tracks and no hiss.

Additional bonuses are that you can also control the tracks playing on your iPod or iPhone using the buttons on your radio. For example, if you push the 'next track' button on your radio then your iPod jumps to the next track - very clever stuff. If you have steering wheel controls fitted, they will now control the iPod too. Some other adaptors or modules 'lock' the iPhone when connected meaning you can't use the buttons or screen but not this one! You can still use TomTom based sat-nav AND have full control over the iPhone to play your music at the same time.

The module also charges your iPod / iPhone too. It even charges the iPhone 4!

It couldn't be more perfect, it really couldn't.

Get in touch with Integrated Solutions, they'll sort you out!

Modifications to date: Parrot CK3100 Bluetooth Hands Free Phone Kit, Debadged Tailgate, 'Semi-Stealth TomTom' Satellite Navigation, Chrome Wheels, Chrome Belt Line, Chrome Indicator Bulbs (Front), Chrome Fuel Door, Clear Side Repeaters, Chrome Indicator Bulbs (Sides), Altezza Rear Lights, Chrome Indicator Bulbs (Rear), Chrome Door Handle Recess Trims, Stealth iPod FM Transmitter, Mopar Front Fog Lights, 8 Ball Gear Knob, Port Holes, 8 Ball Door Lock Pins, 8 Ball Cigarette Lighter, 3rd Brake Light Decal, Sony Xplod Subwoofer, Altezza Fog Lights, Twin Fog & Reversing Lights, LED Fog Light Bulbs, Chrome Tailpipe Trim, Parking Sensors, ScanGauge II, Headrest Springs, Billet Steering Wheel Spoke Covers, Accurate DIY GPS Tracker, Custom iPhone Car Kit, Upgraded Stereo.

The 31st mod, upgraded head unit / radio / stereo

2011-07-05T15:59:00.000-07:00

It's been another absolute age since I last did a mod, I guess I've done that much to the car that I'm now running out of things to do!

This latest mod sees the head unit / radio / stereo / call-it-what-you-will get upgraded.

There was nothing wrong with the original radio, but you'll see why I had to upgrade in order to facilitate the 32nd mod.

I've learnt the hard way in the past with car radios, often upgrading them to very high spec after-market units. The major down side with this is that some thieving toerag always comes along and either bricks the window of the car or screwdrivers the door lock out in order to then steal said radio. Having had this happen to me twice, I wasn't going to let it happen a third time so I opted for an OEM Chrysler upgraded radio as no one in the right mind would want to steal it as due to the unusual shape it will only fit a handful of models, unlike an aftermarket DIN-fitting radio.

Here is the old and trustworthy radio, click any photo to enlarge it:

You'll note the covered up socket on the back with 'DO NOT OPEN' stamped on it. On the higher spec radio, this is replaced with a socket for a CD Changer.

Some photos of the new radio. Well, not brand new, in fact a second hand bargain from eBay for just £33.33, delivered!

Again, click on any image to enlarge:

Some of the noticable differences are that this new head unit has a cassette tape player in it where the old one just had a blanking plate.

More importantly (again, this will become apparent when you read the 32nd mod) is the addition of a CD Changer socket on the back and the obvious additional buttons on the front to support it.

The new head unit also has a flashing red light on the front when the ignition is turned off.

Let me know in the box below if you have any comments or questions!

Related Posts: How To Remove or Replace the Head Unit / Radio / Stereo on a PT Cruiser

Modifications to date: Parrot CK3100 Bluetooth Hands Free Phone Kit, Debadged Tailgate, 'Semi-Stealth TomTom' Satellite Navigation, Chrome Wheels, Chrome Belt Line, Chrome Indicator Bulbs (Front), Chrome Fuel Door, Clear Side Repeaters, Chrome Indicator Bulbs (Sides), Altezza Rear Lights, Chrome Indicator Bulbs (Rear), Chrome Door Handle Recess Trims, Stealth iPod FM Transmitter, Mopar Front Fog Lights, 8 Ball Gear Knob, Port Holes, 8 Ball Door Lock Pins, 8 Ball Cigarette Lighter, 3rd Brake Light Decal, Sony Xplod Subwoofer, Altezza Fog Lights, Twin Fog & Reversing Lights, LED Fog Light Bulbs, Chrome Tailpipe Trim, Parking Sensors, ScanGauge II, Headrest Springs, Billet Steering Wheel Spoke Covers, Accurate DIY GPS Tracker, Custom iPhone Car Kit.

How To Remove or Replace the Head Unit / Radio / Stereo on a PT Cruiser

2011-07-04T23:09:00.000-07:00

Removing the radio from a PT Cruiser is quite straight forward but due to hidden clips and screws, it's one of those jobs that's easy to do, when you know how.

Skill level:

Easy

Time required:

Ten minutes the first time around, five minutes when you've done it a few times before

Tools required:

Pliers
Old rag
No. 2 Sized Philips / Crosshead Screwdriver

Health and Saftey says you should always disconnect the battery before removing the radio. I've never needed to do this, but consider yourself advised accordingly.

Start by removing the electric window switch bank which is simply clipped in place. Hold the two top buttons and give them a tug straight outwards - the switch assembly will pop out:

With the switch assembly removed, you'll see the wiring harness attached to the back. To stop the multiplug falling off (I can't see this ever happening to be honest, it's not loose), it is held in place by a red locking clip:

Simply slide the red locking clip upwards with your thumb, then hold in the black catch on the right and disconnect the multiplug:

The next step is to remove the single philips / crosshead screw that is keeping the centre dashboard console / fascia in place:

With the screw removed, you then need to remove the heater dials. They are simply pushed on and will pull straight off. To avoid scratching them, place an old rag over the dial then pull them off with the aid of some pliers - they're quite tough to get off due to them being curved:

Now with the window switch bank removed, the philips screw removed and the heater dials removed, your dash should look like this:

The entire fascia is now just held in place with a series of clips. Put your fingers inside the opening where the window switch was and pull outwards. The clips are strong so you'll need a sharp tug. The top of the fascia should pop out like so:

Once the top of the fascia has popped out, run your fingers down the outsides of the fascia and try to pull the fascia off as "square" as you can. The clips that hold it in place are large and won't take kindly to being pulled at an angle so keep it square / straight as you remove it. Don't pull it from the top down, something will snap. Keep it straight. Once the fascia is removed, you'll be left with something like this:

Now the really easy part. The radio is held in with four screws, one at each corner. Remove all four:

You can now pull the radio out. As per the fascia, keep it straight. There is not a lot of slack on the cables behind the radio so go gently. The first wire to disconnect is the antenna cable on the right hand side (as it's the one with the least slack). To disconnect it, pull the black plastic part, not the silver part:

With the antenna disconnected, you'll have more room to reach behind and disconnect the multiplug. This photo shows just one multiplug. Depending on your radio spec, you may have two (one will be for the cd changer if fitted). Depress the white clip in the middle and pull the plug off:

You'll now be left with an empty dashboard:

Re-fitting / re-assembly is a direct reverse of the above.

If you have any comments or questions, ask in the box below.

The 30th mod, Custom iPhone Car Kit

2010-11-21T08:24:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I've done anything on the PT Cruiser so a new modification was long overdue.

Having recently got an iPhone 4, the ability for it to run TomTom sat nav and its built in iPod functionality meant I no longer needed to carry a mobile phone, a sat nav and an iPod around with me, provided I could get the iPhone connected to the car.

Not being a fan of having wires everywhere, I wanted a solution that would allow me to get in the car, drop the iPhone in a holder and that be it. No suction cups on the windscreen, no wires across the dashboard, nothing to plug in or set up. I just wanted to put the phone in a holder and be done. I also wanted it to charge the phone while docked in the car and I also didn't want to drill any holes in the dashboard as this would have an impact on the value of the car when selling it at a later date. I didn't want much, did I?

TomTom make a very nice mount for the iPhone:

However, as you can see from this photo, the official TomTom mount blocks the docking port on the bottom of the iPhone meaning you can't connect the iPhone to the car stereo (or to anything else) which for my needs, makes this mount a bit useless.

After probably hours of searching eBay (in China & Hong Kong - they have all sorts of stuff like this) and Google, I thought the only way to have exactly what I want was to build exactly what I want.

I found a firm in Sweden called Brodit who make some really nice holders for the iPhone. It was here that I found the ideal holder for this project. For those of you who want the same, it's called a 'Holder with Pass-Through Connector, Padded, Apple iPhone 4' and the Brodit part number is '516164'.

This holder allows you to drop the iPhone in to the top of it and not only does it turn a full 360 degrees, but it can also be angled up / down / left / right too. Best of all however (and most important of all in this case), is the 'pass-through connector' on the bottom. This connector allows you to plug anything you like in to the holder itself, be it a charger or FM Transmitter or anything else you'd normally plug in to the iPhone itself as the connector 'passes through' the holder and in to the iPhone itself.

Here are a few photos of the holder (click on any photo to enlarge it):

So with the holder sorted, I needed a way to attach it to the dashboard of the car but again, it needed to be removable (if I ever sell the car) and leave no trace or damage.

Luckily, Brodit also make some brilliant brackets called ProClip. The ProClip brackets are available for just about every make and model of car ever made, I even found a ProClip for my fifteen year old Ford Scorpio!

The ProClip brackets require no drilling or screwing, they just clip in to the existing parts of your car dashboard and are shaped perfectly.

There are two different types available for the PT Cruiser. One mounts high up on the dash, in between the two air vents, the other mounts lower down and to the left of the radio. Unfortunately, neither of these are ideal. The higher one covers and obstructs the window switches completely (no idea why they even make this one) and the other is very likely to get knocked by your passengers legs.

Aware of this, I ordered them both anyway with the intention of rigging something up myself, using the various bits of plastic supplied. Here are a few photos of the brackets and their (badly) suggested fitting locations:

With the holder and the brackets sorted, all I needed now was a new FM Transmitter kit.

I'd previously already installed a Stealth iPod FM Transmitter but wanted something a bit more up to date.
Some more searching of the Internet came up with a Griffin iTrip AutoPilot. This great bit of kit killed a couple of birds with one stone as it charges the iPhone and is also an FM Transmitter:

The Griffin iTrip AutoPilot also has a couple of added features, one being that you can control it with an App from the AppStore but the best one, it supports RDS. This means that while the iPod software on the iPhone is playing music, the name of the artist and the song title are displayed on your car stereo. Perfect.

So that was it, with all the parts sourced (holder, brackets, fm kit) it was time to take the car apart and get it all fitted!

First of all, I removed the old Stealth iPod FM Transmitter and the 'Semi-Stealth TomTom' Satellite Navigation mods as they were being made redundant by this new iPhone set up.

With the Brodit ProClips being a bit useless in their suggested mounted locations (useless for me anyway, they might be fine for you), I decided to sacrifice a heater vent and locate the phone holder there. Easy to reach, won't get knocked, good line of sight to the sky for GPS use with TomTom and not blocking any controls on the dash.

With the centre console dashboard off, this round knob was in the way of my plans:

I needed to remove the air direction control knob. The air vent system on the PT Cruiser has to be one of the most over-engineered pieces of plastic I've ever seen in my life:

No wonder Chrysler went bust...

So, air control knob removed, time to get the Brodit phone holder attached. Not being able to use the supplied bracket that blocks all the window switches, I thought I'd make my own. I drew around the shape of the front of the holder and the screw holes:

I then cut and drilled the old bracket to make a piece of plastic to match the back of the holder:

This new piece of plastic allowed me to bolt the front plate through the air vent itself and connect to the back:

A quick test fit to make sure it all goes back in place:

Don't worry about the angle, this part isn't visible once complete. I attached the holder to the newly-made bracket:

You can see how it angles and turns here:

Another quick test fit (you can never test fit too many times!):

To get power in to the Griffin iTrip AutoPilot I bought a two-in-two one cigarette lighter adaptor from eBay for £2:

I cut one of the sockets off it and wired it to an ignition-live:

This means when the engine is on, the Griffin iTrip AutoPilot is on too. I don't have to muck about switching things on or plugging things in. The Griffin iTrip AutoPilot then plugs in to the the new (and hidden) socket:

A little tip here, wrap or strap the wires of your FM Transmitter to the antenna cable of your car stereo, you'll get a much better (and therefore clearer) signal:

I stuck the buttons for the Griffin iTrip AutoPilot on the dashboard (where I could reach them) using a double sided sticky pad. These buttons provide Play/Pause and Next/Previous Track features. There is also a little digital display on the buttons which tell you the name of the track. In case you can't tell what you're listening too. Or in case you can't see the iPhone. Or in case you can't see the RDS display on your stereo. Yes, this little display does seem a bit pointless really...

So that's about it, I put everything back together and made sure it all worked:

This might all seem a bit long winded and possibly a little over the top, but this kit now gives me the ability to charge the iPhone in the car with no wires / connectors / plugs / switches / etc. I can also play the iPhone / iPod music through the car stereo plus I can also turn the cradle 90 degrees when using Sat Nav to have it in a 'wide screen' format. The spoken directions of TomTom also come out of the car speakers too. When the phone rings, the music is muted and the ring tone is also played through the car speakers.

You can also use the iPhone in the car as a Freeview TV Tuner (again, with the sound coming out of your stereo). Tempting as it might be, I wouldn't recommend you watch TV whilst driving (you might miss a bit of Eastenders):

That's about it, let me know your thoughts or questions in the Comments box below!

Modifications to date: Parrot CK3100 Bluetooth Hands Free Phone Kit, Debadged Tailgate, 'Semi-Stealth TomTom' Satellite Navigation, Chrome Wheels, Chrome Belt Line, Chrome Indicator Bulbs (Front), Chrome Fuel Door, Clear Side Repeaters, Chrome Indicator Bulbs (Sides), Altezza Rear Lights, Chrome Indicator Bulbs (Rear), Chrome Door Handle Recess Trims, Stealth iPod FM Transmitter, Mopar Front Fog Lights, 8 Ball Gear Knob, Port Holes, 8 Ball Door Lock Pins, 8 Ball Cigarette Lighter, 3rd Brake Light Decal, Sony Xplod Subwoofer, Altezza Fog Lights, Twin Fog & Reversing Lights, LED Fog Light Bulbs, Chrome Tailpipe Trim, Parking Sensors, ScanGauge II, Headrest Springs, Billet Steering Wheel Spoke Covers, Accurate DIY GPS Tracker.

The 29th mod, Accurate DIY GPS Tracker (Stolen Vehicle Recovery) For Under £75

2010-02-07T15:02:00.000-08:00

For ages now I've often thought it would be really nice to have Tracker fitted to my motor.

Tracker is a VHF radio wave-based stolen vehicle recovery system. It works by having a very small radio transmitter fitted inside your car. Should your car be stolen one day, you ring the Tracker people and they "activate" your tracker, essentially instructing it to start transmitting a homing signal. This homing signal is then tracked down by the nearest police force who go and take a look for you.

All well and good, but it's not until you look at the costs that it becomes clear it's not actually that great...

Tracker costs £449 (USD $700) to buy, which includes installation, but then you have to pay an annual subscription of £135 ($210).

Not that cheap really, so time for an alternative!

Get yourself over to eBay and do a search for "GPS Tracker". Buried in the no-doubt hundreds of results will be something that looks like this (click on any photo to enlarge it) and it'll be priced at around £70 ($109):

What we have here is exactly what it says on the tin, a GSM/GPRS/GPS Tracker, but for a fraction of the cost of the official Tracker!

This incredible box of tricks does more things than you can shake a satellite signal at. This little black box is about 60mm in size (about half the size of a packet of fags) and weighs next to nothing. What you essentially have here is a mobile phone and a GPS satellite receiver, but without the actual phone part.

Inside the box you get the main unit itself, a spare battery, a mains charger and a replacement battery cover which is magnetic (so you can stick the tracker on to something metal):

Close up:

Inside, you can see the magnets and the SIM card in place:

On a full charge, the battery lasts approximately eight days, which it pretty good in itself, but for use in your car I'd recommend buying the 12v "hard wired" charger. This isn't included by most sellers on eBay, but I found an eBay seller based in China who sells them for £6, delivered. Bargain!

You'll also get a pay-as-you-go SIM Card. Not over-keen on the O2 supplied SIM, I went to Carphone Warehouse and bought a pay-as-you-go SIM card on the Orange network instead (you can use ANY SIM card). It cost £10 and of course has £10 of credit on it. The text messages (I'll come to these later) are charged at 10p each.

To get things up and running, simply charge the battery, put the SIM card in and away you go.

You "communicate" with the GPS Tracker by sending it text messages (SMS) from your existing mobile phone. You can send it all manner of commands to turn various features on and off, more on these later.

Want to know where your car is? Simply call your GPS Tracker!

It will ring two or three times, then it will hang up on you (so the call hasn't even cost you anything). Then as if by magic, thirty seconds later you'll recieve a text message from your GPS Tracker. The text message looks like this (obviously I've blanked out some details) and has just cost you 10p on your pay-as-you-go SIM card:

------ SMS ------From: 07890xxxxxx
Sent: 6 Feb 2010 5:32 PM
lat:53.5xxxxx long:-002.6xxxxx
speed:000.0
T:06/02/10 17:31 Bat:80%

What it's telling you there is the exact latitude and longitude coordinates of your car, the current speed it's travelling at, the time and date from the satellite itself, plus the current battery level of the GPS Tracker.

All useful information, most of all of course is the lat/long co-ords. Armed with these co-ordinates, simply go to http://maps.google.com or http://maps.bing.com and type in your coordinates. You'll then be presented with a map (or satellite photograph) with a nice big green arrow on it, showing you the exact location of your car.

The accuracy is frightening...

Here is a photo of a friends house I was parked at, ignoring the old and out of date Google photo (wrong cars pictured etc), the green arrow is quite literally pointing EXACTLY where the car was parked when I rang it to demonstrate:

Similarly, here's another test I did with the car in a public car park. I rang it again and sure enough, thirty seconds later, the coordinates came back and the arrow is pointing at the third parking bay from the right, which again is EXACTLY where the car was parked:

To gain this level of accuracy took a bit of trial and error. When you install your GPS Tracker in your car, you want it hidden. You don't want any wires on view or even any possible clue that could tell people you even have one of these fitted. There are all manner of places you can hide this device at it's so small. Possibilities include anywhere (safe) in the engine bay, under a wheel arch, under the trim of your dashboard, in the roof linining, under a seat, in the boot, in the glove box, etc, etc. As every car is built differently, try a few places until you get the best GPS signal and when you're happy, then you can wire it in permanently.

I mentioned earlier this device comes with a handful of features that you can turn on and off. They include:

GeoFence: Send two sets of co-ordinates to the device. These essentially provide a ring or "fence" around your car. They can be any distance apart from 10 meters to 10,000 miles. If your car drives outside of the GeoFence it will send you a text message with it's current co-ordinates.

Movement Alert: When your car stays in the same place for more than ten minutes, the unit automatically arms. If the car moves at all, you'll get a text message instantly.

Over Speed Alert: You tell the GPS Tracker the maximum speed your car should ever travel at (ideally the national speed limit!), if your car exceeds the speed limit you set, once again you'll get a text message telling you the current location of the car, plus the speed it's travelling at.

Audio Monitoring: You can ring your GPS Tracker and simply "listen" to whatever it can hear. The tracker has a built in microphone. Listen to your car thieves?

GPRS: Rather than using text messages to track your car, you can enable a GPRS mode that will allow you to track your car in real time. GPRS updates are sent every ten seconds so you can literally see your car driving across a map. As GPRS costs more than a text message, this could get expensive if used a lot.

All of these features can be turned on and off by simply sending various text messages to the GPS Tracker. I guess some of these features would also be of use to fleet cars.

Another really handy feature of this unit is that if for whatever reason it can't get a satellite signal at the exact moment you call it, it will send you the last known coordinates instead. This could be of use if your car was in a container ready to be shipped abroad!

Also, you can track the movements of your GPS Tracker using the GSM network. This works by triangulating the mobile phone signal to the nearest transmitter masts. Again, a handy backup if it can't contact a satellite. Not as accurate by any means, but it'll give you a rough idea at least.

So there you have it, a full on GSM and GPS Tracker for your car at an absolute bargain price.

Now I just need to fit one of these to the motorbike!

Modifications to date: Parrot CK3100 Bluetooth Hands Free Phone Kit, Debadged Tailgate, 'Semi-Stealth TomTom' Satellite Navigation, Chrome Wheels, Chrome Belt Line, Chrome Indicator Bulbs (Front), Chrome Fuel Door, Clear Side Repeaters, Chrome Indicator Bulbs (Sides), Altezza Rear Lights, Chrome Indicator Bulbs (Rear), Chrome Door Handle Recess Trims, Stealth iPod FM Transmitter, Mopar Front Fog Lights, 8 Ball Gear Knob, Port Holes, 8 Ball Door Lock Pins, 8 Ball Cigarette Lighter, 3rd Brake Light Decal, Sony Xplod Subwoofer, Altezza Fog Lights, Twin Fog & Reversing Lights, LED Fog Light Bulbs, Chrome Tailpipe Trim, Parking Sensors, ScanGauge II, Headrest Springs, Billet Steering Wheel Spoke Covers.

How To - Change The Car Battery On Your PT Cruiser

2009-12-29T03:56:00.000-08:00

Here is a guide for you on how to change the battery on your PT Cruiser. This guide only applies to petrol models as the diesel PT Cruisers have the battery under the passenger seat (and not in the engine bay).

To start with, the original specs of the Chrysler OEM battery:

Part Number: 04671579AB
BCI Group Size Classification: 26R
Cold Cranking Amperage: 510
Reserve Capacity: 92 Minutes
Ampere Hours: 50
Load Test Amperage: 255
Physical Dimensions: 200mm wide / 180mm high / 170mm deep

Halfords sell three different types of car battery that are suitable for the PT Cruiser, they are:

Halfords Lead Acid Battery HB075 - £76.99 (520 amps / 3yr warranty)
Halfords Calcium Battery HCB075 - £86.99 (540 amps / 4yr warranty)
Bosch Silver Car Battery HSB075 - £99.99 (600 amps / 5yr warranty)

Which one you choose is down to personal preference, all three exceed the OEM battery specs so I think it's safe to say as with most things in life, you get what you pay for when it comes to this sort of thing.

Fitting is a relatively straight forward job, the only tools you'll need are 8mm, 10mm and 13mm sockets or spanners and it'll take you about 15 minutes from start to finish. Be sure to have the radio security code to hand as you'll need it when you reconnect the new battery.

Unfortunately (and the reason for this guide), Chrysler decided to hide the battery away under the air filter system for the car which means you'll have to take quite a few things apart to get to it. Don't be put off by this though, as mentioned above, it is a very straight forward job.

You can click on any photo in this guide to enlarge it.

Your battery is hiding under here:

To get to it, use your 8mm socket and slacken off the jubilee clip which holds the air intake pipe to the air filter box:

Once slackened, rotate the jubilee clip 10 degrees to the right, following the rubber location pin:

With the jubilee clip now in the right place, pull the large intake pipe off and undo the two clips holding the air box lid on:

You can now lift up the front of the air box lid and remove it. There are three lugs at the back of the air box, be careful not to snap them off when removing the air box lid:

Lift out the air filter and pull off the oil breather pipe on the left hand side of the air filter box:

You now need to remove the air filter box itself.

The air filter box simply lifts straight upwards. There are two lugs on the bottom of the filter box which push into two rubber bungs so it can be a bit tight and some force will be needed, but there is nothing else holding it in place so just give it a sharp pull upwards.

With the air box removed, you'll see the two lugs that were holding it in:

Now with the air box removed, you can undo the battery cables. Use your 10mm socket and be sure to undo the negative cable first, then the positive cable. Tuck them safely out of the way so they don't spring back and touch the battery terminals again:

With the battery completely disconnected, you can now undo the 13mm bolt holding the battery clamp in place:

The battery will now lift out. Be careful when removing it as you don't want the teminals to touch the body of the car.

With the old battery removed, simply reverse procedure this procedure to fit your new battery.

The 28th mod, Billet Steering Wheel Spoke Covers

2008-10-05T12:03:00.000-07:00

Polished billet aluminium steering wheel spoke covers are getting pretty hard to find now, PT Warehouse in Maryland still have a few left at USD$55.00 plus shipping, but other than that I couldn't find any in the UK.

However, I had bit of a result last week.

KentKruzer from the UK Cruisers club had a second hand set for sale which I managed to time perfectly and a deal was struck (thanks again Chris!).

Click on any photo to enlarge:

Fitting is quite straight forward, simply bend the covers outwards (GENTLY!) and place them over the spoke. There is a small clip that attaches at the back, held in place by the springy-ness of the billet cover itself.

Before:

And with the billet covers fitted:

I'm still not convinced about this mod yet. When I go round a corner and let the wheel naturally spin back to centre, I keep catching my fingers on the back of the clips. Might be ok once I've got used to them, we'll see how it goes...

Modifications to date: Parrot CK3100 Bluetooth Hands Free Phone Kit, Debadged Tailgate, 'Semi-Stealth TomTom' Satellite Navigation, Chrome Wheels, Chrome Belt Line, Chrome Indicator Bulbs (Front), Chrome Fuel Door, Clear Side Repeaters, Chrome Indicator Bulbs (Sides), Altezza Rear Lights, Chrome Indicator Bulbs (Rear), Chrome Door Handle Recess Trims, Stealth iPod FM Transmitter, Mopar Front Fog Lights, 8 Ball Gear Knob, Port Holes, 8 Ball Door Lock Pins, 8 Ball Cigarette Lighter, 3rd Brake Light Decal, Sony Xplod Subwoofer, Altezza Fog Lights, Twin Fog & Reversing Lights, LED Fog Light Bulbs, Chrome Tailpipe Trim, Parking Sensors, ScanGauge II, Headrest Springs.

The 27th mod, Headrest Springs

2008-10-05T11:34:00.000-07:00

I've seen these on a few Cruisers now and thought it was about time I added some!

A nice and cheap mod that takes about 30 seconds to do, simply start with some headrest springs (recommend searching eBay for the springs):

The existing headrests currently live in the down position due to me not liking the look of the plain "rods" when in the up position:

To fit the springs, simply remove the headrests, slide the springs on to the rods, refit the headrests, job done:

Easy, eh?

Modifications to date: Parrot CK3100 Bluetooth Hands Free Phone Kit, Debadged Tailgate, 'Semi-Stealth TomTom' Satellite Navigation, Chrome Wheels, Chrome Belt Line, Chrome Indicator Bulbs (Front), Chrome Fuel Door, Clear Side Repeaters, Chrome Indicator Bulbs (Sides), Altezza Rear Lights, Chrome Indicator Bulbs (Rear), Chrome Door Handle Recess Trims, Stealth iPod FM Transmitter, Mopar Front Fog Lights, 8 Ball Gear Knob, Port Holes, 8 Ball Door Lock Pins, 8 Ball Cigarette Lighter, 3rd Brake Light Decal, Sony Xplod Subwoofer, Altezza Fog Lights, Twin Fog & Reversing Lights, LED Fog Light Bulbs, Chrome Tailpipe Trim, Parking Sensors, ScanGauge II.

A fresh new forum sig

2008-09-15T13:46:00.000-07:00

Well, the current forum sig pic was getting a bit dated:

It's been in use for the last twelve months and was getting a bit tired. The car has also gained a bit of chrome since that photo was taken too.

So, courtesy of (and big thanks to) Kreecher, we now have a brand new forum sig pic to use!

Expect to see it on a forum near you soon...

Some updated photos...

2008-09-13T13:12:00.000-07:00

It's been absolutely AGES since I posted a photo of the full car.

During all the mods that I've been doing, I've been taking (quite literally) hundreds of photos. The problem is, all the photos are of bits of the car, close ups of fittings and wiring and so on, not a single decent photo of the whole car!

Today, for once, it actually didn't rain in England. I made the most of it, washed the car and took it off up to the top of Winter Hill for a scenic background and took a couple of photos.

Click on any picture below to enlarge it:

Looks a bit better than when I first bought it a year ago:

I still can't believe it didn't rain today!

How To - Change The Air Filter On Your PT Cruiser

2008-08-02T14:52:00.000-07:00

This guide is intended to help anyone who might be unsure or nervous about changing the air filter on a Chrysler PT Cruiser.

A first peek of the air filter on your PT Cruiser is a bit misleading, it might not look too bad. This is because the filter box draws air in from the bottom, then passes it up through the filter and into the engine. So don't be fooled by just sneaking a peek at your filter, take it out and check underneath as this is where the dirt hides...

First up, you'll need a replacement filter. For my 2004 Petrol model, I bought a FRAM CA8747 from eBay for £13.20 (delivered). The seller I used is called PartsORama.

A few photos of how a shiny new air filter looks:

In case you weren't sure, your air filter is hiding under this box:

The lid or cover is secured in place by three spring-clips:

Simply pop the spring-clips back to release the lid, also note the lid in held in place at the back by three tabs:

With the spring-clips popped back, lift the front of the air filter cover and slide it back a little to free it from the tabs, this will allow you to see the actual air filter itself:

As you'll see, it doesn't look too dirty. It's not until you take the air filter out and turn it upside down that you can see just how grubby it really is:

And even more so if you 'fan' it:

As Justin Lee Collins would say, "Bad times".

While you've got the filter out, it's a good idea to clean the air box itself. Dust, leaves and general detritus will find it's way into your air box and there's no point in clogging up your shiny new filter with old rubbish. As you'll see from this photo, I appear to have collected half of Southport Beach in my air box:

Hoover the air box out and then wipe it with a damp cloth so it's nice and clean inside.

Also in the air box is a sponge filter which covers a breather hole to the crankcase. Had I known this before starting, I'd have bought a new bit of foam and this one was absolutely filthy and soaked in oil:

If you've got some knocking about, you can clean this sponge in a small bath of petrol but ideally, replace this sponge filter at the same time as your air filter.

Now for the really scary part, compare the old air filter to the new one, you'll be amazed (and probably frightened) when you see them side by side:

REALLY bad eh?

So, with the old air filter now in the bin, pop the new air filter in and make sure it's sitting flush in the air box:

Refitting the air box lid is simply the reverse of the removal, clip the three tabs on at the back first:

If lined up properly and fitted snugly, the tabs should look like this:

Re-attach your three spring-clips:

And that's it, you're all done, your car can breath again!

Now put the kettle on.

There, an easy job eh?

The 26th mod, ScanGauge II

2008-06-24T12:36:00.000-07:00

The trip "computer" on PT Cruisers are utter pants, it's just an odometer displaying nothing more than the mileage covered since you last reset it.

Wanting to know a lot more about what was going on under the bonnet, I invested in a ScanGauge II.

Some photos taken from the manufacturers web site:

The ScanGauge II is described as:

"The integrated Trip Computer provides real-time feedback while simultaneously tracking three sets of trip data. The Digital Gauges give you real-time data for your vehicle and the built-in Scan Tool allows you to read trouble codes and diagnose potentially expensive problems before they get out of hand."

It quite literally does waaaayyy to much to list in the blog here, so check out the full feature list: http://www.scangauge.com/features/

So, onto the installation of a ScanGauge II in your PT Cruiser!

First up, you need to locate the OBD port on your car. If like my PT Cruiser, yours will be the white socket only visible when crouching on your knees, look under here:

Here it is again, viewed looking up from the foot well (nightmare photo to take!):

The problem I have with the socket being located here is that when the cable for the ScanGauge plugs into the OBD socket, it sticks out below the dash. You might not think that's such a great problem, but I nearly caught my foot on it while installing it, god only knows what could have happened if I caught my foot on it whilst driving:

Bad, eh?

So before I went any further with the installation, I decided something had to be done about the location of the OBD port and the only option was to move the OBD port on the car.

OMFG!??

Fear not, it's a 10 second job.

The OBD is (quite handily!) mounted on a bracket under the dash. Wires then run from the back of the socket up to the computer which is tucked safely away behind the dash. Removing the fuse box cover reveals the wires behind the OBD socket:

The OBD socket is clipped into the metal bracket and held in place with two plastic lugs. To remove the socket from the bracket, simply press the two lugs in and the OBD socket will pop out the back/top of the bracket. Once out, simply relocate the OBD socket to behind the fuse box access panel like so (don't forget, click on any photo here to enlarge it):

With the socket now resting in it's new home, you can plug the ScanGauge lead in and feed the wire out the right hand side of the dash and into/behind the door seal rubber. Once done, and the wire exiting a bit higher up, close the fuse box cover which should leave you with no wires in sight at the bottom of the dash and nothing in harms way:

Continue to feed the wire up the A pillar, behind the door rubber, up over the top of the A pillar trim, so the wire is now exiting the head lining at the top of the A pillar like so:

Now mount the ScanGauge unit itself.

It comes supplied with some Velcro strips so as you can see here, I've stuck it to the head lining with the bottom of the display sitting on the top of the mirror:

Once mounted, connect the RJ45 plug to the back of the ScanGauge and tuck the excess wire up behind the head lining. I warn you now, the supplied cable is about 6' long, only just long enough to mount the display above the mirror, you'll have about 3" of cable spare:

So that's it, quite an easy mod to fit. Now for the hard part, working out the 101 things that it does!

Once I've mastered it, worked everything out and decided on the best back light colour (63 to choose from!), I'll post an update here and detail the custom settings you'll need to match and calibrate it perfectly to your PT Cruiser.

Check back soon!

Modifications to date: Parrot CK3100 Bluetooth Hands Free Phone Kit, Debadged Tailgate, 'Semi-Stealth TomTom' Satellite Navigation, Chrome Wheels, Chrome Belt Line, Chrome Indicator Bulbs (Front), Chrome Fuel Door, Clear Side Repeaters, Chrome Indicator Bulbs (Sides), Altezza Rear Lights, Chrome Indicator Bulbs (Rear), Chrome Door Handle Recess Trims, Stealth iPod FM Transmitter, Mopar Front Fog Lights, 8 Ball Gear Knob, Port Holes, 8 Ball Door Lock Pins, 8 Ball Cigarette Lighter, 3rd Brake Light Decal, Sony Xplod Subwoofer, Altezza Fog Lights, Twin Fog & Reversing Lights, LED Fog Light Bulbs, Chrome Tailpipe Trim, Parking Sensors.

The 25th mod, Parking Sensors (and how to fit them to a PT Cruiser without taking the bumper off)

2008-06-07T10:57:00.000-07:00

Blimey, 25 mods...

Not that I do that much parallel parking but a useful modification none-the-less, costing only £20 quid and two hours work (which includes a cup of tea and a fag break half way through).

I bought this kit from a UK based eBay seller called TechSales-UK (aka Pull Up 2 The Bumper), they have all sorts of options from a simple stick-on two sensor version, right up to an eight sensor front and rear kit with a choice of LED or LCD screens. I'll be honest, it took bloody ages for the kit to arrive from them, 10 days in all, a bit too long for an eBay shop in my opinion. They're also a bit crap at replying to messages as I asked them no less than five times if the item had been dispatched before I got a reply. While the item itself is ok, it took forever to arrive, you have been warned...

So, onto the install. This is your guide on "How To Fit Parking Sensors On A PT Cruiser Without Removing The Rear Bumper".

The kit comes with everything you need to install (click on any picture to enlarge it), all you'll need are a few simple tools and a drill:

Four sensors for mounting in the back bumper:

The "wireless" LED display:

A power cable to connect to the reversing lights:

One control box into which all the wires go:

A 21mm hole cutter:

Four rings which are tapered on one side to allow angle adjustment of the sensors when fitted to a curved bumper:

Some really, really crap instructions and a sticky pad for mounting the control box:

The LED display also has a switch on the back to turn off just the beeping, leaving the display still turned on. Handy, as I'd imagine the beeping could get a bit annoying:

Before I attacked the car with a drill, I thought it wise to test the kit first to make sure it all worked ok. Running on Sods Law, if I spend half an hour testing the kit it'll work fine and in complete and utter Sods Law, if I didn't test the kit it wouldn't work!

Using a suitable 12v power supply (the old CB Radio power supply is still going strong, 15 years after I sold my last rig!), I headed to the work bench (ie. the dining table) and taped the four sensors to the edge of the table. I wired up the kit as per the crap instructions (honestly, the worst translation I've ever seen) and then wandered around the room making sure it could see me and that when it said an obstruction was on the left, that it was actually on the left:

So with the kit all tested, it was time to take a deep breath and get the cordless drill out...

Start off by removing bits of the car. Take out the reversing light, fog light and the offside rear light, then inside the boot remove the trim cover and take the jack out.

Next, place a length of masking tape over the back of the car like so (remember, click any photo to enlarge it):

Using a straight edge (I used a long upside down spirit level), draw a line across the middle of the bumper. Don't use the bubble on the spirit level because the chances of the surface your car is parked on being level are pretty much zero, so don't be misled. Draw a line across your tape, as per your long straight edge, wrapping the line around the bumper as you get to the ends.

Next, measure the gap between the number plate recess and the fog light and draw a vertical line straight upwards. Where your two lines cross is where you'll drill through. For the sensor on the far edge of the car, place your straight edge in the recess where the boot goes and draw a line straight down, again where your two lines cross is where you drill. Click on this picture to enlarge it and you'll get the idea:

Now for the really brave part, drilling the holes!

All being well, once you've drilled the holes, your back bumper will look something like this:

It's at this point I cocked things up for you reading this article as I got a bit carried away and forgot to take any more photos as I went on. Sorry!

I'll do my best to explain (in words only!) what you need to do next...

With your holes drilled, leave the tape on for now as it'll protect against scratches for what you're about to do next...

Behind the thin plastic bumper you've just drilled through is some thick foam, maybe 2" deep or so, behind the foam then is a rock solid metal plate. What you need to do now is create a path for the sensor wires to run through the hole you've drilled, through the foam and out through your fog light opening.

To do this, I got a sharp screwdriver and simply punched it through the hole I'd just drilled, aiming diagonally downwards (towards the middle of the fog light recess). Once the screwdriver was through, I made the hole in the foam a bit bigger by just hacking away at it with the same screwdriver. You need the path/hole through the foam to only be about 6mm in size as the plugs on the ends of the sensors are very small.

Alas no photos, but hopefully that makes sense, you need to make a hole through the foam, aiming diagonally down towards the middle of the fog light recess, keeping on your side of the massive steel plate. See now why I said leave the masking tape on your bumper?

Check your sensors, each one is labeled A, B, C or D. They need to run from left to right across your bumper so you're installing them in alphabetical order. Ok?

Once you've punched your pathway through, simply feed the end of the sensor wire in through the hole in the bumper, running it through your newly made path in the foam and pull it out through the fog light opening. The sensor then just snaps into place in the bumper. The end result will be two sensors fitted with both wires now exiting out through the fog light opening. Do this on both sides of the car so you now have all four sensors fitted with two wires coming out of each fog light recess.

Now for a slightly tricky part, you need to grab the two wires exiting from the reversing light recess, reach into the recess and put your hand through the metal plate and into the depths of the bumper. Once in there, feed the two wires over to the right hand side of the car. The aim of this being that you'll end up with no wires coming out of the left hand side reversing light recess and four wires coming out of the right hand side fog light recess. An assistant would come in handy at this point as they can reach in from the right hand side and feel for the wires you're passing through from the left.

Again, readers, I'm really sorry I didn't get any photos for these parts.

So, now you're left with four wires for your sensors coming out of the right hand side (offside) fog light hole and no wires coming out of the left hand side (nearside) reversing light hole. With me so far?

Now for another tricky part. Grab your four wires and again reach into the depths of the bumper, in past the solid metal at the back, so you're right inside the bumper with four wires in hand. Now feed these four wires out to the right hand side of the bumper. They will exit underneath the rear tail light you've already removed. Again an assistant would be handy at this point to grab the four wires and pull them up through the rear light recess. You should now be left with no wires at all coming out of the reversing and fog light openings and four wires now coming out of your rear tail light opening instead. Still with me??

There is a rubber grommet inside the tail light recess into which the wires from your tail light pass through and go into the jack storage area in your boot. Press the grommet into the car, from the outside. Once inside, snip a small hole in the grommet and feed your four sensor wires into the car. At this point you can now run your power cable through the same grommet. What you should be left with now is four sensor wires inside the car plus one power cable and then just the one power cable hanging out of your tail light recess. Squeeze the grommet back into place, it should fit snugly around the hole in the body work.

You haven't screwed any lights back in yet have you? If you have, take them out again!

You now need to connect the power cable to your reversing light wiring. This means you have to drop the power cable down through the tail light recess and aim it for the fog light recess. Once you have it in the fog light opening, you need to pass it through the back bumper again (behind the number plate area, where you ran the two farthest sensor wires) and it needs to exit where your reversing light is. Using a couple of scotch locks, connect the power cable to the wiring for your reversing light bulb. I've modified my rear lights so I can't tell you which wire is the positive feed on your car I'm afraid, perhaps someone who knows could post a comment at the end of this article?

So what you should be left with now is the four sensors fitted in place, the power wired up to the existing reversing light bulb, no wires hanging out of any recesses and five plugs in the boot of your car (four sensors, one power).

Still with me so far?

It was around this point that I remembered I had a camera and took some more pictures. Once again I'm really sorry about that, if ever I take my fog lights out again I'll be sure to snap loads of photos and post them up here.

Connect your five wires to the control box, ensuring the wire labeled A goes to port A on the control box, B to B, etc. As this kit was the "wireless" version, there is nothing else to plug into the control box. If you bought the "wired" version, you'd now plug your LED display in too. Attach the supplied sticky pad to the back of the control box and stick it as far up inside the jack recess as you can, so the jack doesn't interfere with your wiring. Use a few cable ties and tidy up your wires so they don't snag on anything. Still don't screw any of your lights back in yet, just in case something doesn't work!

A photo of the control box tucked far up inside the jack recess, nightmare trying to take this picture:

Time now for your tea break (and if you smoke, your fag break too).

Now all that remains is to wire up your LED (or LCD) display. The original plan was to sit the display on top of the rear view mirror but when placed up there, the mirror is a somewhat oval shape, meaning there were massive gaps on the bottom left and right of the LED display as the mirror curved away. So on to Plan B, sit the LED display on the top of the dash which would also mean a bit less fiddling about running wires through the head lining and down the pillar, etc:

You can of course place your display wherever you want and plug it into the fag lighter but I chose cut the plug off the end and wire my (fused!) display to an ignition live. The display doesn't turn on until you put the car in reverse so wiring it to an ignition live will be fine.

As mentioned above, the display comes to life as soon as you put the car in reverse and shows a digital read out of the distance to an object and also a little bar graph showing whether the obstruction is on the left or right hand side of the car:

To test the accuracy of the LED read out, I reversed up against the fence until the display read 0.5m and then I turned the engine off. I measured the gap between the back bumper and the fence to see how accurate the LED display is and I measured 0.45m (that's 45cms!) so the display is just 5cms out. Not bad for a £20 quid kit to be honest.

Some before and after photos. The sensors blend in really well and are barely noticeable:

So that's about it really. Quite a straight forward mod, just a couple of little fiddly bits.

Anyway, let me know your thoughts, questions and comments on this mod using the link below and if anyone knows which colour wire is the +12v live for the reversing lights, let us all know!

Modifications to date: Parrot CK3100 Bluetooth Hands Free Phone Kit, Debadged Tailgate, 'Semi-Stealth TomTom' Satellite Navigation, Chrome Wheels, Chrome Belt Line, Chrome Indicator Bulbs (Front), Chrome Fuel Door, Clear Side Repeaters, Chrome Indicator Bulbs (Sides), Altezza Rear Lights, Chrome Indicator Bulbs (Rear), Chrome Door Handle Recess Trims, Stealth iPod FM Transmitter, Mopar Front Fog Lights, 8 Ball Gear Knob, Port Holes, 8 Ball Door Lock Pins, 8 Ball Cigarette Lighter, 3rd Brake Light Decal, Sony Xplod Subwoofer, Altezza Fog Lights, Twin Fog & Reversing Lights, LED Fog Light Bulbs, Chrome Tailpipe Trim.

The 24th mod, Chrome Tailpipe Trim

2008-04-24T14:04:00.000-07:00

If there was one thing letting this car down, it was the dull (formerly chrome) and dowdy exhaust tailpipe:

Well, all that's changed now, courtesy of Don, aka Eastcoast Cruiser!

Don mentioned on the UKC forums that the supermarket chain Lidl was selling chrome tailpipe trims for the princely sum of £4.99 - bargain:

Alas, after a 40+ mile round trip to two Lidl stores, neither of them had any left. Don to the rescue again, he very kindly picked one up for me from his local store and posted it over (so yes, I owe him a beer!).

The oval shaped tailpipe trim simply slides on over the existing tailpipe and stays put with the aid of a massive Jubilee Clip:

It's also bloody shiny:

Once fitted, the back end of the car now looks ten times better (but it needs a wash!):

Thanks again Don!

Modifications to date: Parrot CK3100 Bluetooth Hands Free Phone Kit, Debadged Tailgate, 'Semi-Stealth TomTom' Satellite Navigation, Chrome Wheels, Chrome Belt Line, Chrome Indicator Bulbs (Front), Chrome Fuel Door, Clear Side Repeaters, Chrome Indicator Bulbs (Sides), Altezza Rear Lights, Chrome Indicator Bulbs (Rear), Chrome Door Handle Recess Trims, Stealth iPod FM Transmitter, Mopar Front Fog Lights, 8 Ball Gear Knob, Port Holes, 8 Ball Door Lock Pins, 8 Ball Cigarette Lighter, 3rd Brake Light Decal, Sony Xplod Subwoofer, Altezza Fog Lights, Twin Fog & Reversing Lights, LED Fog Light Bulbs.

The 23rd mod, LED Fog Light Bulbs

2008-04-21T14:40:00.000-07:00

Hot on the heels of the Twin Fog & Reversing Lights mod, I wasn't keen on red bulbs in clear lenses (much like I'm not keen on orange bulbs in clear lenses either!) so decided to replace the red fog light bulbs with clear LED bulbs (that (of course) shine red when lit).

I bought one set on eBay from the only genuinely UK based seller of 3157-type LED bulbs called CSM Supplies. When they arrived, one didn't work anyway (yeah, cheers mate) and they just weren't right. Even after some silver paint (to hide them in the lens) I wasn't impressed. Mainly because they only shone straight outwards which is fine if you were right behind the car, they'd dazzle you, but go off center by the slightest bit and the effect would be gone and they just looked dim as hell. The real problem was the reflector itself just wasn't being lit properly, due to the cluster of 12 LEDs shining straight out of the lens:

Not long after fitting these I took them out and put them in the bin, they're pants. So is the eBay seller of them.

So, back to eBay, this time for some proper LED bulbs!

I stumbled upon an eBay shop called Calmotor Inc who have the most ridiculous bulbs in stock, they're fantastic. After a bit of thinking, I settled upon these monster 57x LED bulbs:

Yup, that's right, FIFTY SEVEN LED bulbs, in one cluster. These mofos are BRIGHT.

Fitting is obviously a straight swap. I wasn't sure about the depth of the lens at first, these things are quite long and I thought they might hit the lens but no fear not, they clear the lens with plenty of room to spare.

Modifications to date: Parrot CK3100 Bluetooth Hands Free Phone Kit, Debadged Tailgate, 'Semi-Stealth TomTom' Satellite Navigation, Chrome Wheels, Chrome Belt Line, Chrome Indicator Bulbs (Front), Chrome Fuel Door, Clear Side Repeaters, Chrome Indicator Bulbs (Sides), Altezza Rear Lights, Chrome Indicator Bulbs (Rear), Chrome Door Handle Recess Trims, Stealth iPod FM Transmitter, Mopar Front Fog Lights, 8 Ball Gear Knob, Port Holes, 8 Ball Door Lock Pins, 8 Ball Cigarette Lighter, 3rd Brake Light Decal, Sony Xplod Subwoofer, Altezza Fog Lights, Twin Fog & Reversing Lights.

The 22nd mod, Twin Fog & Reversing Lights

2008-04-19T13:38:00.000-07:00

I've never been keen on cars with just one fog light and one reversing light on the other side, it just doesn't look right. Granted, the Cruiser has red lenses by default, masking the white of the reversing light, but we all know it's there really!

So, following the Altezza Fog Lights mod, I was left with one white bulb for the reversing light and one red bulb for the fog light. I was also left rather unimpressed, considering the lengths I'd gone to in the past to fit the entire car out with chrome bulbs, so something had to be done.

The Altezza Fog Lights I bought had a couple of holes drilled in them already where strobes were used by the previous owner, so I thought I'd make use of the holes and convert the lights to run twin fogs and twin reversing lights, all in the one lens. The plan was to have the normal 3157 type bulbs as fogs and add some smaller clear bulbs for the reversing lights.

I started off by drilling out the existing hole already made, but just the outer skin first, leaving the hole in the reflector itself a little smaller:

The reason for this was to allow the bulb holder to remain completely hidden and only have the bulb itself on view. The Clear Side Repeaters I bought previously came with bulb holders that I didn't need, so not being one to waste anything, these seemed ideal to hold the reversing lights. I chopped one up (I had loads) and soldered a couple of wires on to test all this out in theory before committing to anything:

I then used a Dremmel to make the outer hole just the right size for the holder:

The bulb holders were then be smeared with mastic to both seal them and to hold them in place. I would have used Superglue or something stronger, but Superglue fumes plus clear plastic don't mix well, also if a bulb blew, I'd need to break something to change it. Mastic is waterproof, pliable and easily removed if ever I did need to change a bulb. Here's what it looks like with the new bulb and holder fitted (ignore the crap led bulb, that was a wiring test for another mod):

So with the lenses suitably modified, it was now time to do the wiring. First I removed both of the existing lenses and ran two lengths of suitable gauge wire between the two light apertures. This was quite easy to do, there is a hollow void inside the bumper so the wire fed through very easily:

There are two lengths of wire here as one needs to run from the existing fog on the right to the new fog on the left and the other length of wire needs to run from the existing reversing lamp on the left, to the new one on the right (with me?).

I then chopped off the bulb holder / plug from the existing reversing lamp, as I needed this to become the bulb holder for the new / extra fog light. The plug was rewired onto one length of wire. The other end of this wire was then spliced into the existing fog wiring on the right hand side. You need to be careful at this point. If you plan on using ordinary bulbs, no problem, but if you plan on using LED bulbs, you have to get the polarity the right way round or the LED bulbs won't light up.

At this stage I now had two wired up fog lights and no reversing lights. With the bare wires left over from chopping the plug off the reversing light, I attached one of the new bulb holders for the reversing lights. I also then attached the second length of wire which would power the other / new reversing light. Again, if you plan on using LEDs for the reversing lights (not recommended in this mod due to the small size/brightness) be sure to check your polarity.

So once the wiring was done, I simply screwed the Altezza Fog Lights back in, applied a dab of chrome paint to the screws and Bob was indeed my mothers brother:

Update 21/04/08: These bulbs have now been replaced with massive LED Fog Light Bulbs.

Update 04/08/08: Well, I wasn't sure it would pass an MOT with twin 5w reversing light bulbs. I'm pleased to say, it did!

Modifications to date: Parrot CK3100 Bluetooth Hands Free Phone Kit, Debadged Tailgate, 'Semi-Stealth TomTom' Satellite Navigation, Chrome Wheels, Chrome Belt Line, Chrome Indicator Bulbs (Front), Chrome Fuel Door, Clear Side Repeaters, Chrome Indicator Bulbs (Sides), Altezza Rear Lights, Chrome Indicator Bulbs (Rear), Chrome Door Handle Recess Trims, Stealth iPod FM Transmitter, Mopar Front Fog Lights, 8 Ball Gear Knob, Port Holes, 8 Ball Door Lock Pins, 8 Ball Cigarette Lighter, 3rd Brake Light Decal, Sony Xplod Subwoofer, Altezza Fog Lights.

The 21st mod, Altezza Fog Lights

2008-04-13T08:45:00.000-07:00

Still very impressed with the Altezza Rear Lights mod, I first spotted Altezza style fog lights on Kreecher's motor and thought they would be a perfect match (click any photo here to enlarge it):

UK suppliers of these are a bit limited (and so are the American ones to be honest), here are the prices I was able to find:

eBay: £49.54 (from America)
PT Company: £45.50
Auto Truck Toys: £42.03 (from America)
PT Cruiser Store: £37.50

However, I had a stroke of luck. While looking for the best price, ReetPT said he had a set for sale. There was a small hole drilled into the back of each lens where he had strobe lights fitted but other than that, they were in perfect nick. The drilled hole would come in handy for a mod I had in mind at a later date so it wasn't really a problem, chrome bungs seal the holes for now.

Another straight forward mod to do, simply unscrew the old lenses, remove the bulb holders, plug the bulb holders into the new lenses and fit them back to the car. I put some chrome paint on the black Torx screws to make things a bit shinier. One thing to note, you will need a red coloured bulb for the fog light as the OEM bulbs are both clear.

Some photos of before (again, click to enlarge):

And after:

Most definitely a perfect match.

Update 19/04/08: These lights have now been modified to Twin Fog & Reversing Lights.

Update 21/04/08: The bulbs in these lights have now been replaced with massive LED Fog Light Bulbs.

Also a minor change to the blog, photos will now be centered, plus this (and all future modification posts) will be named "The 21st mod, Mod Name" rather than "The twenty first modification, Mod Name" as it's getting a bit long winded in the headline!

Modifications to date: Parrot CK3100 Bluetooth Hands Free Phone Kit, Debadged Tailgate, 'Semi-Stealth TomTom' Satellite Navigation, Chrome Wheels, Chrome Belt Line, Chrome Indicator Bulbs (Front), Chrome Fuel Door, Clear Side Repeaters, Chrome Indicator Bulbs (Sides), Altezza Rear Lights, Chrome Indicator Bulbs (Rear), Chrome Door Handle Recess Trims, Stealth iPod FM Transmitter, Mopar Front Fog Lights, 8 Ball Gear Knob, Port Holes, 8 Ball Door Lock Pins, 8 Ball Cigarette Lighter, 3rd Brake Light Decal, Sony Xplod Subwoofer.

Blimey, a fresh new look!

2008-03-29T11:04:00.000-07:00

I thought it was time for a change...

The old Blog had been around for about nine months. It started off with a black theme (due to the car being black really) and looked ok, but it was all very dark really wasn't it?

So, spring is here (apparently!?) and it's time to freshen up the Blog. None of the content has been changed or been lost, it's just the front end that has been brightened up a bit.

Hope you like it!

The twentieth modification, 800w Sony Xplod Subwoofer

2008-03-29T09:38:00.000-07:00

Gotta love bass!

And it's about time I had some in this motor!

When fitting I.C.E. in a car, I'd usually invest in a decent amp, a decent set of 12" subs in a bandpass box, oxygen free speaker cables, gold plated connectors everywhere, 1" thick power cables, you get the picture.

However, due to having so many car stereos nicked in the past by thieving chav scum, I'm still relucatant to change the (rather pants to be honest) head unit in the Cruiser (hence the recent iPod mod, etc). Along with that, I'm also fed up of having zero boot space because of the subs so I've taken a completely different route on the PT audio this time round.

Introducing the 800w Sony Xplod Active Subwoofer:

Being in the Sony Xplod range this box features the usual pentagon-shaped subwoofer, built in crossovers, high and low level inputs, a phase change switch and a remote volume/level control for it which you can put on the dash somewhere:

As mentioned earlier, normally I'd drill through the bulk head to run power from the battery, I'd strip half the interior of a car to run the cabling and so on. This time I took the easy way out. As the OEM head unit in the Cruiser doesn't have low level (RCA) outputs, I had to use the high level (speaker) connections into the amp. Also, the amp is fitted with a 20 amp fuse which quite handily, matches the fuse rating of the power socket in the boot. Perfect.

Fitting was quite straight forward. Remove the trim panels on the D posts to reveal the speakers in the back. Remove the speakers and tap into the wiring for them, running the wiring under the rear boot trim and into the toolbox area, right behind the power socket which is also where I picked up the live and earth from. The power socket comes on when the ignition comes on so I simply joined the amps "remote" wire to the same live so when the ignition comes on, so does the amp:

The end result leaves me with just one wire to unplug from the a subwoofer when I need to use the Cruiser in van-mode, leaving just the multiplug in the boot area:

Obviously this unit is a lot smaller than the usual two 12" subs I'd have in a boot (yet this box takes up a third of the boot area) so I wasn't quite sure what to expect in terms of bass. This is also the first active unit I've ever owned. However, I thought that as the boot of the Cruiser is actually "inside" the car (my usual type of car has a separate boot therefore blocking a lot of the bass), it should still kick.

Well, I'm pleased to say, it kicks. Hard. It's nice to have the music on a low volume yet still feel the bass, rather than hearing it. Turn the head unit up and it kicks hard enough to make the door mirrors unusable (due to them vibrating so much) and it also plays havoc with your teeth after a while.

Perfect.

Modifications to date: Parrot CK3100 Bluetooth Hands Free Phone Kit, Debadged Tailgate, 'Semi-Stealth TomTom' Satellite Navigation, Chrome Wheels, Chrome Belt Line, Chrome Indicator Bulbs (Front), Chrome Fuel Door, Clear Side Repeaters, Chrome Indicator Bulbs (Sides), Altezza Rear Lights, Chrome Indicator Bulbs (Rear), Chrome Door Handle Recess Trims, Stealth iPod FM Transmitter, Mopar Front Fog Lights, 8 Ball Gear Knob, Port Holes, 8 Ball Door Lock Pins, 8 Ball Cigarette Lighter, 3rd Brake Light Decal.

The iPod had to be moved

2008-03-28T11:12:00.000-07:00

Not too long ago, I did bit of a Stealth iPod FM Transmitter mod with all the electronics hidden behind the dash and the iPod stuck to the passenger side air bag cover, just above the glove box.

While this was all well and good in theory, it was a different matter in practice...

Two reasons why it didn't work out as planned. One was because due to this particular generation of iPod being so small, I couldn't read the screen from the normal driving position and the second reason was because it was just simply too far away to reach and I had to lean right over the middle of the car to use it. Not very safe whilst driving!

So, the iPod had to move. I tried all sorts of locations around the center console and dash area but couldn't find a suitable place that didn't obstruct something like the heater controls, etc. Also to consider was the fact that the wire from the transmitter had to exit the dash somewhere to plug into the iPod. After a lot of deliberation and holding it up in various places, I settled on it being mounted between the clocks and the air vent on the drivers side of the car (sorry in advance to any front seat passengers who wanted to play DJ!).

The electronics for the FM Transmitter are now mounted behind the dash (easy to get to if needed due to the drop down panel under the steering wheel) and the wire exits just under the dash fascia (click any photo to enlarge):

Much better. I can read it clearly and change tracks etc without moving from my comfy seat. Sorted.

However, a couple of minor problems have arisen from this mod. One was the fact that the wire and plug for the iPod are pure white, it stood out a mile to thieving chav scum. The other was that the wire is just sticking out in mid air and doesn't look too good when not in use:

I've solved the problem of it being all white by simply wrapping the wire and plug in black electrical tape. The issue of the wire just hanging around in mid air will need a bit of thinking about (suggestions welcomed).

The Nineteenth modification, 3rd Brake Light Decal

2008-03-28T10:11:00.000-07:00

When I joined the Northern Devils PT Cruiser Club last year I was given a membership pack which contained a 3rd Brake Light Decal of the PT Cruiser logo (thanks again for this).

However, like all the other mods I've done, I have to admit that I didn't actually fit this mod myself, someone else did it for me. After a bit of debate and a potential raffle, the job was assigned to Reet from the Northern Devils, along with 65 other people supervising the job at the Cruise The Blackpool Illuminations meet last year.

To be honest, I'd forgotten all about this mod as I (obviously) don't see it myself, it was only when a friend commented on it the other day that I remembered it and thought it had to go on the blog.

Anyway, quite easy to fit, simply remove the trim from inside the boot lid, press the decal into place (make sure it's the right way up!), replace the trim and job done.

Not the easiest thing to take a photo of with the typical British weather, but you'll get the idea (click the photos to enlarge):

Modifications to date: Parrot CK3100 Bluetooth Hands Free Phone Kit, Debadged Tailgate, 'Semi-Stealth TomTom' Satellite Navigation, Chrome Wheels, Chrome Belt Line, Chrome Indicator Bulbs (Front), Chrome Fuel Door, Clear Side Repeaters, Chrome Indicator Bulbs (Sides), Altezza Rear Lights, Chrome Indicator Bulbs (Rear), Chrome Door Handle Recess Trims, Stealth iPod FM Transmitter, Mopar Front Fog Lights, 8 Ball Gear Knob, Port Holes, 8 Ball Door Lock Pins, 8 Ball Cigarette Lighter.

The Eighteenth modification, 8 Ball Cigarette Lighter

2008-03-20T14:54:00.000-07:00

Well, following on from both the 8 Ball Gear Knob mod and the 8 Ball Door Lock Pins mod, this mod just had to be done too!

Probably the easiest modification I've ever done, simply take out the old cigarette lighter and fit the new one. Total time to do this mod, around two seconds!

I found this 8 Ball Cigarette Lighter on eBay, a UK based seller (for a change!) called Best Auto Bits:

It's universal and comes in two sizes, 21mm and 22mm. Just so you know, the 22mm one will NOT fit a PT Cruiser so if you're buying a new fag lighter for your Cruiser, make sure it's 21mm in size.

The end result (matching fag lighter, door lock pins and gear knob):

Modifications to date: Parrot CK3100 Bluetooth Hands Free Phone Kit, Debadged Tailgate, 'Semi-Stealth TomTom' Satellite Navigation, Chrome Wheels, Chrome Belt Line, Chrome Indicator Bulbs (Front), Chrome Fuel Door, Clear Side Repeaters, Chrome Indicator Bulbs (Sides), Altezza Rear Lights, Chrome Indicator Bulbs (Rear), Chrome Door Handle Recess Trims, Stealth iPod FM Transmitter, Mopar Front Fog Lights, 8 Ball Gear Knob, Port Holes, 8 Ball Door Lock Pins.

The seventeenth modification, 8 Ball Door Lock Pins

2008-03-19T05:19:00.000-07:00

Following on from the recent 8 Ball Gear Knob modification, this one seemed only natural.

I found a fantastic firm based in Colorado called Classic Car Goodies. The company is run by family duo Roger and Betsy and they sell everything you could possible want for your classic car or hot rod, including of course, these 8 Ball Door Lock Pins:

I contacted Roger last week and he was quite happy to ship these over to the UK and sure enough, they arrived safely just a week later (thanks again Roger!).

When I ordered these door lock pins from Classic Car Goodies, I knew they wouldn't be a direct fit for the PT Cruiser due to these pins being machine threaded and the Cruisers not. I could have forced them on, but it wouldn't have been ideal.

So, on with the modification!

The Cruiser door pins are made of nylon, coated with rubber to give them their look:

These things must have been put on by a machine going by the hexagonal shape on the bottom and the fact that they were just so bloody tight! To remove the existing door pins, make sure the door is unlocked (with the pin up) otherwise you could lose the thread down inside the door card (nightmare). Unscrew the existing pins counter clockwise, you might want a pair of pliers at this point. With the pin removed, you're left with a tiny amount of thread on view (again, be careful not to lose this thread down inside the door!):

I test fitted the new 8 Ball pins, but as mentioned previously, the threads are wrong and there was also a rather large gap around the shaft of the pin (as the new ones are thinner) that would have meant the pins rattling around a bit:

This convinced me something had to be done. Luckily, the head unscrews from the new 8 Ball pins (again, machine threaded), so we now have the head of the new pin, the shaft of the new pin and the old pin:

So, to make the 8 Ball heads fit the existing plastic door pins, I took a sharp blade and first chopped the head off the old pin completely, being sure to leave a bit to play with (click any photo here to enlarge it):

The next stage was to (very) carefully start trimming the head of the old pin into a tapered point that would then fit inside the head of the new 8 Ball:

Once suitably tapered, it was simply a matter of screwing the new 8 Ball head onto the old pin. The machined thread inside the 8 Ball head nicely cut itself a thread onto the tapered plastic of the old pin:

If the 8 Ball heads do ever detach themselves, I'll simply put some epoxy resin on the top of the old pins and screw the heads back on, try coming off then!

So, the end result is an 8 Ball pin which fits perfectly and doesn't look out of place at all:

(Thanks once again to Roger at Classic Car Goodies for shipping these to the UK!)

Modifications to date: Parrot CK3100 Bluetooth Hands Free Phone Kit, Debadged Tailgate, 'Semi-Stealth TomTom' Satellite Navigation, Chrome Wheels, Chrome Belt Line, Chrome Indicator Bulbs (Front), Chrome Fuel Door, Clear Side Repeaters, Chrome Indicator Bulbs (Sides), Altezza Rear Lights, Chrome Indicator Bulbs (Rear), Chrome Door Handle Recess Trims, Stealth iPod FM Transmitter, Mopar Front Fog Lights, 8 Ball Gear Knob, Port Holes.