# New car, new mods, nexus 7 install, spare wheel sub, DRL,etc



## foster (Mar 14, 2014)

Ok i have my TT 3 months now and i love it. 
Just thought I'd share some mods I've done over the past month or so.

So she started off standard mk2, stock wheels etc etc. As you can see a nice upgrade from my celica 









First off was the nexus build, the stock concert radio was pants so it had to go. 
Radio in the glovebox, nexus 7 in the double din housing. 
Audio was a bit of a nightmare to get my head around, steering wheel controls, aux, usb dac.
I went for the Pioneer deh-x5600bt, fitted perfect in the glovebox.








Worked out perfect in the end, very OEM looking.









I had always planned to upgrade the wheels, i was looking at a set of Y spoke r8 replica but these came up at the right price so couldn't say no. Twin spoke r8 rep's.
I think they suit the car very well.
















The audio was bothering me a little, the bass in the sound system was very weak for my liking so I pop'd in one of my old subs to see did it help, and it really did. But i needed the boot space for carry box's for work etc so i decided to build a custom sub box in the spare wheel compartment.
Went for a Pioneer TS-SW301 Shallow mount sub, did all the volume calculations and build the box out of mdf. 
My first ever sub build, think it turned out very well. And sounds AMAZING!
























I have A work phone and personal phone so i needed a better solution for integrating handsfree, the headunit will only pair one device at a time. So i picked up this iO TALK2 handsfree fit. I hate accessories hanging around the car wires etc, so i rooted it up beside the mid speaker. 
The controls are beside the shifter, tried to keep it neat. 









The reg plates were filthy so i decided to get new German style plates. I always think new clean plates really helps clean up the look of a car. Sounds weird 









I really missed having my rear cam set up in the celica so i had to do something, it's not necessary but I do find it very handy to have. Went for the rear view mirror option plus license plate bulb cam.
No pics but this is the model.

















I was looking at induction kits etc, but was reading up on this forum and people suggested the pipercross panel fitter so went ahead and bought one.
Noticed a small gain when going hard on the throttle and some added noise from the engine.









One thing that really bothered me was the awful standard exhaust, it looks terrible, so i got stainless steel adapters.
Looks much nicer from the rear.









I'm looking at getting the car remapped soon and some people suggested to upgrade the dv valve, i went with gfb's dv valve upgrade kit. Car really seems to hold boost better, could just be in my head though 









Now after a year or so with the car i decided a little upgrade was due, so i went with the TTS front and back bumper with quad exhaust.

















Anyway that's it for the moment, more mods to come 

Quick vid here of some of the features,


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## davectr (Sep 9, 2012)

Nice looking car, and some very nice subtle mods


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## sebbevanb (Oct 19, 2010)

May I ask where you got that OEM looking cover for the nexus? Is it custom made or something us "mortals" can just go and buy?  Great mods so far!


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## foster (Mar 14, 2014)

Thanks lads,

The surround for the nexus is just a standard double din fascia from eBay, €24. Size is perfect for a nexus 7. 
I was going to go with iPad but would require modding the fascia. This was a perfect fit. Actually happier I went with android because of the otg rooting possibilities. 
Ignition startup etc.


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## tt-ho (Aug 26, 2010)

great work man. saw your other youtube videos. awesome installs!


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## foster (Mar 14, 2014)

tt-ho said:


> great work man. saw your other youtube videos. awesome installs!


Yea I've had a few different configurations in the past with different cars. 
The nexus does the job very well, no more carpc's etc. 
Thanks anyway.


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## LLL (Jul 2, 2014)

The nexus install looks superb. I'm seriously considering doing something similar and although I've got the confidence to give it a go, that doesn't mean I would know how to do it!

Any chance of a guide detailing how the head unit is fitted and how the nexus is connected to it and held in place? Also some details on the nexus software you're using presumably to control the head unit and how to get it to power on and off with the ignition?


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## foster (Mar 14, 2014)

Thank you and no problem.

Start off with a nexus, root it and install the cyanogen rom.
It supports startup/sleep with usb power through an otg cable. 
http://www.ebay.ie/itm/K1BO-USB-Type-A- ... 3a8849239d
Connect the otg cable to a 2.1a cig charger, so when you turn on ignition the tablet will startup etc.
http://www.ebay.ie/itm/DUAL-2-port-USB- ... 4612aab09f.

I wired one of these behind the tablet to make it easier.
Just connected the wires to the radio harness, 2 wires ignition and ground.
http://www.ebay.ie/itm/2M-Car-Cigarette ... 53ff76cf20

Install the nexus in a standard double din fascia plate. bit of dremeling might be needed to get it to fit the way you want.
Install it with the side buttons facing down, it will make things handier later on. 
http://www.ebay.ie/itm/Double-Din-Radio ... 5d4da36307
I just used a hot glue gun to secure it in. It's never coming away from the fascia. If you ever want to remove it just tape off the back of the nexus and then glue it in.

I bought this cable - http://www.connects2.co.uk/ProductInfor ... x?id=17098
This is used to connect an after market radio to the audi wiring harness, it also supports steering wheel controls.
Now whatever radio you buy, sony, pioneer etc you have to purchase a separate cable to connect the radio to the connects2 box, its only £6.

I installed the radio into the glovebox, you can see theres a spot for the optional cd to fit, or you might even have one. 
Pull out the glovebox, only few screws holding it in and pull the compartment where the cd charger goes and install the radio, its the exact size of the radio.
Root the harness down behind where the glove box goes and connect it all up. 
I fit the fascia it using strong double sided sticky tape around the edge of the fascia, its handy if i ever need to pull it out to mess around.

Audio is sent over bluetooth from the nexus to the stock radio, its handier this way because if i was using aux jack i wouldn't have steering wheel controls. This can be done with a bit of modding but thats a plan for later. 
I'd rather better audio so i plan using a usb dac.

Anyway i hope this helps for now, i'm terribly hungover and i'm sure i've missed a few parts so if you have any quries just pm and ask


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## hugy (Dec 4, 2007)

You've done a great job on the ICE install Foster,well done.


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## gogs (Dec 22, 2010)

Really good install Foster 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## LLL (Jul 2, 2014)

Thanks for the details Foster - much appreciated. Got a couple of questions though and can't PM yet until I get my post count up!

The method you are using to power the nexus - is this to facilitate the start up / shut down with the car ignition? Could the nexus not be plugged in directly via USB to a head unit with a rear USB port or would it be likely that the HU would not be able to provide enough power to charge a tablet?

I know unlike an iPad that a nexus can't charge and play music via the micro USB connection so this would potentially mean it could be powered via the HU USB but play music via Bluetooth connection. A very quick google search seems to suggest you can mod a nexus to charge and play music via USB so could be worth looking at but I'm not very savvy with jailbreaking and rooting etc...!!

Assuming the above wouldn't work, when you say you wired the cigarette adapter into the radio harness (2 wires ignition and ground) - is this straight forward, and can you detail how to do it - without guidance I'm pretty sure I'd end up frying or damaging something!

Final question (for now!) - with your install, what's the best way to listen to the radio with the HU being in the glovebox?


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## foster (Mar 14, 2014)

Thanks for the comments lads, much appreciated.



LLL said:


> The method you are using to power the nexus - is this to facilitate the start up / shut down with the car ignition? Could the nexus not be plugged in directly via USB to a head unit with a rear USB port or would it be likely that the HU would not be able to provide enough power to charge a tablet?


Yes the HU can power the nexus, but when using bluetooth/wifi/gps and screen up full, depending on the HU it might not be able to give enough power to charge the nexus while in use. In my case the pioneer i was using only provided 500mAh.
you need at least 2.1A to get any charge while using the tablet.



LLL said:


> I know unlike an iPad that a nexus can't charge and play music via the micro USB connection so this would potentially mean it could be powered via the HU USB but play music via Bluetooth connection. A very quick google search seems to suggest you can mod a nexus to charge and play music via USB so could be worth looking at but I'm not very savvy with jailbreaking and rooting etc...!!


If you root the nexus then install cyanogen rom, it provides audio over usb.
You can connect a usb hub to the nexus from the otg cable and connect multiple devices like usb storage, usb dac, iphone etc all into the nexus. Or even run a usb from the usb hub then to the HU.



LLL said:


> Assuming the above wouldn't work, when you say you wired the cigarette adapter into the radio harness (2 wires ignition and ground) - is this straight forward, and can you detail how to do it - without guidance I'm pretty sure I'd end up frying or damaging something!


When you buy the connects2 harness, wire into the iso connecter on the back of the HU. 
So when you look at the wires coming out from the back of the HU, generally black is ground and yellow is ignition.
If you have a multimeter just test first.
As alway googles your friend 



LLL said:


> Final question (for now!) - with your install, what's the best way to listen to the radio with the HU being in the glovebox?


All new sony and pioneer radio have the appradio function, so you can control the HU with the app.
I was testing a sony radio that when i downloaded an the app on the nexus and opened it, i could change between cd/radio/bluetooth function sso full control.
Do a quick search, i'm going to upgrade mine to one of the sony HU when the certain model i'm looking for comes into stock in my local auto shop.


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## foster (Mar 14, 2014)

This is an early flow chart i did to try work out all this, it might help 
It's changed a little since, i got an Y OTG cable so i can run 5v 2.1a direct to the Y OTG cable connected to the nexus and not to the usb hub like in the picture. Just small things like that.


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## LLL (Jul 2, 2014)

Still debating whether to go with the same install as yours or whether to see if I can just plug the nexus directly to the head unit USB input and control the music through the nexus - the pioneer website says the head unit you've installed should be able to play audio via USB using the media transfer protocol (MTP) as long as it's running OS 4.0 or higher.

Any opinion on whether this would work? I guess I loose nothing by trying it - if it doesn't work I can go with your advice above and stream over bluetooth. Ideally I'd like to leave the bluetooth free to connect to my OBD dongle - presumably yours is a wifi one to connect to dashcommand or can you connect the OBD dongle and stream music at the same time?


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## foster (Mar 14, 2014)

My obd dongle is bluetooth, you can connect multiple bluetooth devices of different sort. so you can stream music and connect osb dongle.
That's the way my set up works.

You can connect using usb and using mtp, but i didn't find it any good. 
Streaming works best at the moment for me.

Just fit it and play around see what set up works for you.


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## newday2a (May 24, 2014)

Amazing install there.

Quick question: how do you add new music to the Nexus?

Might be stupid :roll: but thought it worth an ask!


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## foster (Mar 14, 2014)

Ha ha no it's not stupid, it's something I had to think about too. 
The nexus is only held in with double sided tape, so I can pull it out handy enough. 
But I have a USB hub connected to the otg cable. The hub is situated in the glovebox so I can connect a USB dongle, storage or phone and transfer music or any media. 
but tbh I mostly stream everything. Spotify.
You can see the key next to HU in the pic.


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## newday2a (May 24, 2014)

Ah, USB hub. Genius!! Nice pic too. Thanks.

Earlier you wrote:

"Install the nexus in a standard double din fascia plate. bit of dremeling might be needed to get it to fit the way you want.
Install it with the side buttons facing down, it will make things handier later on. 
http://www.ebay.ie/itm/Double-Din-Radio ... 5d4da36307
I just used a hot glue gun to secure it in. It's never coming away from the fascia. If you ever want to remove it just tape off the back of the nexus and then glue it in."

Couple more questions for the 'fascia challenged' i.e. Me!!

1) How much dremeling did you actually do? It looks messy and I've got a feeling I could cock it up WAYYYYYY to easily! :roll:

2) I'm confused as to the glue and tape. Did you tape the nexus to the fascia and then glue over the tape? I can't figure out how it's solidly glued in, but removable 'cos it's only taped in. :?

Thanks!!!


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## foster (Mar 14, 2014)

There's not much dremelling, the aftermarket fascia has tabs at the back on the top and bottom to hold the fascia in the din slot in the TT. 
To help get a nice fit close to the front inside of the fascia i cut the tabs off on the bottom so the tablet could sit flush to the front.
When i have the nexus sitting correct in the fascia i just hot glued it around the sides to hold in to the fascia.

It's hard to describe, If you had to two in your hand you can see yourself you'd understand, i don't have a picture handy.
It's not alot of work, 5 minutes of careful cutting then glue.

The double sided tape goes around the perimeter of the fascia, the side walls. 
The fascia is a neat fit so doesn't need alot to secure it into the din slot.


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## foster (Mar 14, 2014)

You can see the tabs in this pic, i cut along the yellow line and took the side and bottom plastic off. Just helped it side better.
The red is where i put the double sided tape.










Hope this helps


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## pattb (Jul 22, 2014)

Foster, I see you are in Dublin. Whereabouts? You have to help me do this haha :lol: 
honestly, i saw the pic of the io talk and the houses in the background and thought i recognised the place.


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## newday2a (May 24, 2014)

Ah, right. So you cut the tabs off the fascia, glued the nexus to the fascia, and then taped the fascia to the dash?

Am I close??!!!


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## foster (Mar 14, 2014)

How's it going man? Yea I'm based in palmerstown, majority of the housing estates around Dublin look the same so you can always see the similarity 
Yea if you need any help don't be afraid to pm. 
I'm pretty new to the TT scene myself, bought the mk2 in march.



pattb said:


> Foster, I see you are in Dublin. Whereabouts? You have to help me do this haha :lol:
> honestly, i saw the pic of the io talk and the houses in the background and thought i recognised the place.


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## foster (Mar 14, 2014)

newday2a said:


> Ah, right. So you cut the tabs off the fascia, glued the nexus to the fascia, and then taped the fascia to the dash?
> 
> Am I close??!!!


Yea that's it. Easy job really.
I suggest just putting a layer of tape around the nexus first, just encase you want to remove the nexus from the fascia later on.
Easier to pull the tape off the nexus with the glue attached, rather than picking the glue of the nexus itself


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## pattb (Jul 22, 2014)

foster said:


> How's it going man? Yea I'm based in palmerstown, majority of the housing estates around Dublin look the same so you can always see the similarity
> Yea if you need any help don't be afraid to pm.
> I'm pretty new to the TT scene myself, bought the mk2 in march.
> 
> ...


Yeah thought it was around there, was thinking cherry orchard. I work only down the road in Inchicore. From Coolock but live in Trim. Not got the TT just yet but very soon.


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## newday2a (May 24, 2014)

Thanks Foster, can't wait!!

8)


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## pattb (Jul 22, 2014)

Want to do this now haha


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## foster (Mar 14, 2014)

Just an update on a few little changes i done to the car.

Got a set of aluminium pedals to replace the boring rubber ones. 









My passenger front tweeter was acting up so upgraded to a set of alpines. 
Added a nice little boost to the high's, happy to the result.

















I also got the chrome strips for the front grill, completely overpriced from audi but it does make the grill look alot better.
And just completed a drl strip mod. This was a nightmare to figure out how to do it without opening the headlight. 
But worked out well i think.

















I'd like the strip to be more white than purple so i might redo at a later stage. Should of colour matched before doing the install.
Still happy with the result.


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## pattb (Jul 22, 2014)

I'm dropping over to you to show me how to do the drl's and nexus fit haha


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## foster (Mar 14, 2014)

pattb said:


> I'm dropping over to you to show me how to do the drl's and nexus fit haha


Ha ha no worries mate, busy for next few weeks holidays etc, but i'd be happy to meet up after and go through everything.
Want to redo the DRL at a later stage anyway.


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## pattb (Jul 22, 2014)

foster said:


> pattb said:
> 
> 
> > I'm dropping over to you to show me how to do the drl's and nexus fit haha
> ...


Love the DRL addition. I'm not so handy when it comes to electrics though. Colour blindness doesn't help!


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## Mrjonty (Jul 7, 2014)

DRL looks great, nice work!


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## XavarionTT (Mar 14, 2014)

What do the DRL look like with the indicators on?


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## foster (Mar 14, 2014)

XavarionTT said:


> What do the DRL look like with the indicators on?


quick side by side, there a lot brighter in person than the pic, just as bright as before.


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## XavarionTT (Mar 14, 2014)

Do you reckon that it's not a hindrance to the indicators? Maybe the photos don't do it justice.


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## foster (Mar 14, 2014)

XavarionTT said:


> Do you reckon that it's not a hindrance to the indicators? Maybe the photos don't do it justice.


Doesn't effect the indicators, , had my friend check when he was driving on front of me yesterday.
The strip is only 7mm in width like and is roughly 4 inches on front of the indicators, loads of light getting around them.


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## mojott (Aug 24, 2015)

Car looks the biz Foster! I'm about to start on my own Nexus project and trying to work out which Connects 2 interface to get. See here: viewtopic.php?f=19&t=1090274

I see you went for one supporting full Bose, do you know if it's compatible with non Bose / half Bose systems?


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## SwissJetPilot (Apr 27, 2014)

"I decided to build a custom sub box in the spare wheel compartment. Went for a Pioneer TS-SW301 Shallow mount sub, did all the volume calculations and build the box out of mdf. My first ever sub build, think it turned out very well."

I'd say it turned out VERY well indeed! I could see some definite commercial value for other TT owners. Might be worth taking orders and selling them yourself. Beautiful work.

If you'd like a nice wiring diagram like the one I did for the reverse camera, let me know. Just send me a message and a PDF of your final drawing. I'd be happy to make one for you to post for everyone.


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## foster (Mar 14, 2014)

mojott said:


> Car looks the biz Foster! I'm about to start on my own Nexus project and trying to work out which Connects 2 interface to get. See here: viewtopic.php?f=19&t=1090274
> 
> I see you went for one supporting full Bose, do you know if it's compatible with non Bose / half Bose systems?


Cheers mate, haven't updated this in a while. I've gone with a full tts bodykit and exhaust. Car looks the business now. 
Not sure which interface you've to use but contact connects2 and ask them, that's what i did they were more than helpful.


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## foster (Mar 14, 2014)

SwissJetPilot said:


> "I decided to build a custom sub box in the spare wheel compartment. Went for a Pioneer TS-SW301 Shallow mount sub, did all the volume calculations and build the box out of mdf. My first ever sub build, think it turned out very well."
> 
> I'd say it turned out VERY well indeed! I could see some definite commercial value for other TT owners. Might be worth taking orders and selling them yourself. Beautiful work.
> 
> If you'd like a nice wiring diagram like the one I did for the reverse camera, let me know. Just send me a message and a PDF of your final drawing. I'd be happy to make one for you to post for everyone.


Cheers mate, yes i could see this being very profitable as there definitively is a market, but i wouldn't haven't the time myself to do it. Thanks for the offer as well, i'll let you know if there are any other projects in the future i might need a diagram done. :mrgreen:


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## dea (Jan 3, 2015)

Foster, nice looking build mate! Few questions though: do you use an aftermarket amp or OEM and could you share your sub box dimensions as well as construction sketches/guide?


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## foster (Mar 14, 2014)

dea said:


> Foster, nice looking build mate! Few questions though: do you use an aftermarket amp or OEM and could you share your sub box dimensions as well as construction sketches/guide?


Cheers mate, I use the factory amp, but i use a separate sub amp drive the subwoofer.

Think i might have some drawings in work mate, i'll check tomorrow.


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## dea (Jan 3, 2015)

foster said:


> Think i might have some drawings in work mate, i'll check tomorrow.


Any updates? I'd be interested in the construction (materials, dimensions) of the box as well as the wiring of the sub. It has been decades since I constructed my last sub box


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## foster (Mar 14, 2014)

dea said:


> foster said:
> 
> 
> > Think i might have some drawings in work mate, i'll check tomorrow.
> ...


The Cylinder is 52cm (D) x 13cm (H)

Here is a picture i found, you can see i cut the top and bottom in solid. 
To make the walls, i cut 4 strips to make a full circle, then rotated the next level up 45 degrees. 
I use wood glue and then nailed the strips down and did the same until i put the top on.

I then used fibre glass on the inside to reinforce and hide on cracks etc.

I also used 1in mdf board.


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## dea (Jan 3, 2015)

Thanks! I'll see if I can find PVC pipe of that diameter and then insert the MDF front and backplates, seal the cracks with sealant and use wood screws to drill through the plastic and into the MDF. I'd go for the fibreglass route, but I don't have any space to play around with it.

I haven't yet checked the boot of the car and where the amp is. How did you wire this to it? I'm looking at using a newer version of the same element that you have there.


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## warmshed (Aug 15, 2015)

Where did you get the rear view camera and does it fit the TT easily?


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