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Yet another Nexus 7 Tablet Install * lots of documentation and pics*

162K views 546 replies 118 participants last post by  Wrimik13 
#1 ·
Hey guys, I just did my Nexus 7 install yesterday. Here's yet another DIY on the process to install the tablet with a Type B bezel, relocate the OEM LCD, and configure the tablet to work properly in your car.

First off, thanks to all of the other guys that participated in the other Nexus 7 install threads on this forum, I read every single one of them ( you should too if you're about to attempt this ). All of that information was invaluable when doing my own install. I couldn't even imagine being one of the first guys that did this, without having all of the information I had available to me. True pioneers! LOL! You guys rock, thanks for documenting the hell out of your work, you pretty much did all the hard work for me. Your documentation plus my dremel ninja skills, made this a pretty easy job.

Tools needed for installation:
Heat gun ( only for plexi glass mounting bezel )
Black spray paint ( again, only for plexi mounting bezel )
Electrical tape
Double sided tape
Zip ties
Philips screwdriver
Flat head screwdriver
Interior panel puller tool
Dremel or similar multi tool with cutting disk ( at least 5-10 of them, they break easily )and sanding wheel ( one is more than enough )
Safety glasses
Guinness x 6


Total install time: 4-5 hours if you take your time and do it right the first time, possible to do it in half that time if you've done it a few times and know the process.

Install difficulty: 2/5 if you are L337 with a dremel , 3/5 if you aren't..


Parts list ( with prices )



Hardware:
Type B Bezel kit- I got mine on ebay from the seller bigcar2533 for $130 shipped, it took two weeks to arrive.
Tech Armor 3 pack matte finish screen protectors- $7.95 shipped ( Amazon )
Kensington ground loop isolator cable- $12.83 shipped (Amazon ) * please note that the Kensington cable is directional, if you plug it in backward, you will get no sound at all, the big end goes toward the tablet, the small end goes toward the aux input port you'll see what I mean when you buy it*
PowerGen 3.6 Amp dual usb car charger- $9.99 shipped (Amazon)
StarTech 90 degree angle USB cable- $5.79 shipped ( Amazon )
Super Mini ELM327 Bluetooth OBD2 Module- $15.00 Shipped ( Amazon)
Nexus 7 Tablet- 1st gen, 2012 model originally sold in 2013, 32gb, with 4G/HSPA+ , used 3 months old ( looks like brand new )- $207 Shipped ( Amazon )
Female-male aux extension cable- $4 shipped ( monoprice )
Necco24 plexi mounting bezel $25 shipped ( gencoupe.com member necco24 , contact him via PM, he's not a registered vendor so any sale must be unrelated to this forum )
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total hardware cost: $418

Necco24 plexi bezel compared to Type B metal bezel- don't use the metal bezel with a Nexus 7, it blocks the GPS signal completely. Great job here Necco24!




Kensington ground loop isolator


Powergen 3.6A 12v car charger ( the A is for Apple devices, NA is for NOT Apple.. i f*king kid you not )


Right angle stuff- I wasn't sure which angle I was going to need for the USB so I got both


The Type B bezel itself






LCD Relocator kit


Software:
AutomateIt Pro - $1.99 in the Google Play Store. You can not complete this install without this piece of software. Buy the full version. *This is mandatory*. You may also choose to use Tasker instead of AutomateIt, but I think AutomateIt works better.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=AutomateItPro.mainPackage

( all other software is optional , but I got it, and you should too if you want a drool worthy dashboard )
Sygic GPS- I paid about $32.00 for the full version, it's the best offline maps solution for Android. I use GPS a lot, and Google Maps murders my data plan. Buying Sygic outright costs me less than going 1gb over my data limit 3 times a year, so it's a smart buy for long term savings. The actual price of Sygic is more like $50 or $60 but I managed to catch a sale, and combined it with a coupon code I found online to get it down to $32. Definitely worth it. I also bought the Sygic traffic add on for $10
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sygic.aura


Nova Launcher Prime- $4 ( play store )- adds some impressive interface customization options, you definitely want it.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.teslacoilsw.launcher.prime

Project M- by far the best music visualizer ever, it's the mobile version of Milkdrop for Winamp- trust me you want it- $2.99 ( play store )
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.psperl.projectM

Beautiful Widgets Pro- $4.00 ( play store )- Build and customize widgets, makes amazing weather widgets
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.levelup.beautifulwidgets
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total Software cost: $55

Total project cost $473 for absolutely everything. I could have saved a few bucks by going with a 16gb tablet, less apps, type A bezel, cheaper ground loop isolator, cheaper bluetooth dongle, etc.. it's conceivable to do this job for as little as $350..However to do it right, be prepared to spend $473

For mobile data I chose to get a shared data plan with AT&T, since I am already a customer. My monthly service now costs $120, for unlimited minutes, unlimited texting, and 4gb data split between two devices ( iPhone 4S soon to be 5S and Nexus 7 tablet ). It's conceivable to do this for about $40 less per month if you use Tmobile.

My Nexus 7 came with Android 4.3 already installed, it is not rooted or unlocked. This entire process is done using bone stock Android 4.3.

Pre install- set up AutomateIt
You need first go into AutomateIt, and delete all of the default rules, since those rules are meant for using the device as a real tablet, and not a fixture in your car. Then you'll need to add a few new rules. The reason you have to do this is because the tablet has to know how to act when it's in your car. It has to know what to do when you turn the car on, or turn the car off. Or what to do when you're driving down the road listening to music, but don't touch the tablet for an hour. You can't have it staying on when you turn the car off, and you can't have the screen going blank from inactivity on you while you're driving around. You don't have access to the power button once it's installed and there's no buttons on the screen, so what do you do? You use AutomateIt or Tasker to tell the tablet what to do in any scenario. For example, when you turn off your car, you want the tablet screen to turn off, you want bluetooth to turn off, wifi off, 4g data off, etc, and as soon as you turn the car back on, you want the screen to kick back on, and all the wireless radios to come back on as well. You want to make sure the screen always turns off when you don't have the keys in the ignition, but the screen also can't turn off from inactivity when the car is running. I prefer AutomateIt, it makes most of this pretty easy. As i said earlier, delete all of the default rules, then add the rules below:

1. Power Disconnected Trigger: Screen Timeout 5 seconds
2. Power Disconnected Trigger: Screen brightness 0%
3. Power Disconnected Trigger: Set Mobile Data to Off
4. Power Disconnected Trigger: Set Bluetooth to off
5. Power Disconnected Trigger: Set wifi to off
6. Power connected trigger: Screen timeout off
7. Power connected trigger: Set screen brightness to 100%
8. Power connected trigger: Mobile data on
9. Power connected trigger: bluetooth on
10. Power connected trigger : set wifi on ( optional )

You may choose to set more rules beyond this for specific scenarios relevant to you. This is good enough to get the tablet functioning properly in your car. AutomateIt Pro doesn't seem to have an option to enable/disable location services or simply enable/disable airplane mode. Although I have heard that those options become available if your tablet has been rooted. With Automate It set up like this, when you turn off your ignition, the tablet screen will immediately dim, then 5 seconds later it will turn off. You can look at the status bar in the upper right, and see your wireless radios shutting off automatically. When you put your key back in, and turn the ignition on, or put the key in the ON position, the screen will immediately come back on, and you'll see the wireless radio icons start popping back up on the status bar.

Pro Tip: You can test the Automate It macros by plugging/unplugging any powered USB cable into the tablet

Pro Tip #2: Make sure to kill any running apps, and pause any running media/music player before shutting off your engine. You can also experiment with using AutomateIt to do that for you.

Pro Tip #3: If you are listening to music with the engine off but the key in the ON position, then try to start the engine, AutomateIt will sometimes detect that as a power down, and then not recognize the power up. If you're doing this, i recommend turning the key to OFF first, let Automate It run the OFF macros, then turn the engine ON after that. That process seems to solve any confusion. You may also experiment with setting rules and delays in AutomateIt to get by that problem.

I would also take the time to load all your music onto the tablet now, since you have to remove the tablet from the car to add more music later. Do as much of the setup and configuration as possible before installing the tablet.

Pic of the stock dashboard:


*continued in next post*
 
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12
#2 ·
Onward with the install!

Moving along now, let's get started with the actual install! It's not too bad at all. You may drink your first guinness now.

Step 1: Unscrew your shift knob, and then pop the whole shift boot/shift surround panel off as one piece


Step 2: Remove both of the philips screws at the base of the radio panel


Step 3: pop the base of the radio panel out, and gently run your fingers on the inside edge until the panel pops out. There are 5 or 6 clips holding it in place, if you have to use excessive force, you're probably at a bad angle.


Step 4: pop the harnesses off the back of the radio panel, there are four harnesses total on my base model. Hazard light switch, passenger airbag light, HVAC control, and 12v port


Step 5: Use your panel puller tool, to gently pry the base of the LCD panel surround upward until it pops out, then run your fingers along the inner edge to pop the other clips out


Step 6: Once the front part of the LCD bezel is off, the top half easily pops out, again with 4 or 5 clips holding it in place. You can also now remove the four screws holding the LCD screen in place, and remove the harness from the back of the screen. You should also cut off the two plastic clips ( they look like big zip ties ) that hold the LCD screen harness cable in place. The harness won't reach the new location unless you cut those clips off. Then, route the harness down the gap on the left side of the radio, to the new location beneath the climate control.


It should look like this once all that stuff is out of the way


Step 7: Remove the two screws that secure the storage and 12v port to the radio bezel. Use a flat head screwdriver to pop the 12v port out of the storage cup, and plug the 12v port back into the harness in your dashboard. Remove the mounting bracket from the OEM LCD screen, and attach the mounting bracket that came with the Tybe B screen locator kit. Line up the new screen relocator bezel in the hole where the storage cup used to be, then mount the LCD screen with the new bracket onto the back of the radio panel, using the same mounting holes that the storage cup used




Step 7: The first scary part! The cutting! Take a dremel with cutting wheels, and cut from the bottom of the lower mounting screws where the OEM LCD panel used to be, cut forward from there to the edge of the dashboard, and cut along the inner edge all the way around to the same spot on the other side.

Right side is cut, left side not cut, i'm making my way over from right to left. The plastic cuts very easily with a cutting wheel




Then take the sanding wheel and grind down the dash lip a little bit all around, and generally clean up the area the cutting wheel passed through. Shave off any excess plastic you see that is non essential, and might get in the way of the bottom of the tablet behind the dash lip.
Sanding..


I cut off at least this much material


More sanding..


Even more sanding...


Cutting complete! ( actually not, i ended up sanding the lip down a little bit more later on as you'll see )



Step 8: Run your USB cable, and your Kensington ground loop isolator cable through the gap on the right side of the radio behind the dash, there's lots of space there. Then you'll need to route the audio cable to the left of the shifter, pop up the little panel under your ebrake, route the shifter through the center console , then pop up the false floor at the base of your armrest storage bin, and pull the audio cable up through there. I was able to do this by hand, without any special tools, but a coat hangar could make things easier. In my case I also have a Diode Dynamics acrylic piece at the base of my storage bin, so I drilled a hole through that to route my audio cable. My Kensington ground loop isolator cable wasn't long enough to make it all the way, so I used a female to male extension cable from monoprice


Kensington cable zip tied in place


Step 9: Once the cables are routed, you can plug the Powergen usb car charger into the 12v port, then zip tie that up somewhere behind the dash, out of the way, then reattach the harnesses behind the radio panel, and put the radio panel back in place, and replace the screws at the bottom of that panel.



Step 10: Reattach shifter surround, and put your shift knob back on


Step 11: Test fit the Type B bezel to make sure you cut enough material off for at least the top part to fit, at this stage you may still have minor clearance issues with the tablet, you'll correct that later. The Type B bezel is just laying in place in these pics, not clipped in yet. Please note that you need to remove the white metal clips from the old dash bezel, and use those clips on the type b bezel.




Step 12: The next scary part! Heat gun next to your tablet! First, spray paint your Necco24 bezel black, after making sure to note which way goes upward ( use the metal bezel as a guide ). Then run a ring of double sided tape all the way around the bezel of the tablet, making sure to keep the tape at least 1/8 of an inch away from the usable screen area. Line up the Necco24 bezel, and stick it into place. You may elect to use something like 3M industrial grade double sided tape here, but I was a little bit weary of using that stuff on the screen of my tablet, so I used regular double sided tape instead. You should install your matte finish screen protector before doing any of this of course. Matte finish is important, otherwise the glossy screen is unreadable in direct sunlight.


Next, fire up your heat gun, and try and point it as close to the base of each plastic mounting tab as possible, without the heat hitting the tablet dead on. Heat guns are usually very directional, so this seems scarier than it really is. Once the mounting tab begins to soften, gently fold it backward so it curves around the back of the tablet. One of the tabs is right above the power button, so try to fold that one back at an angle that leaves as much of the power button exposed as possible ( upper right one in this pic ). Once the mounting tab cools down, it becomes inflexible again, and holds the tablet in place extremely securely. I used double sided tape below them just so the hot plastic wouldn't damage the back of the nexus, i don't really think any tape is actually necessary for the rear. This sucker isn't moving anywhere.


Mounting bezel completed:


Step 13: Attach the right angle headphone adapter *first*, then screw the mounting bezel with tablet into the back of the type B bezel. Everything fits great! Special appearance by Jon's new HTC One, which he's very proud of lol






Step 14: Bring the Type B bezel assembly back to your car, attach the cables, and do a test fit


Almost perfect on the first try! I'm not happy with the small gap in the lower left though.. you know what that means...


...more sanding.. my favorite


Final test fitment- pretty much complete now!


Final step: Test everything- make sure your power management stuff works properly. Test your GPS reception. Test everything. Test audio, bluetooth, dash command, make sure it all works, and you're done!


Final product:





Review:

Guys.. this thing completely transforms how infotainment in a car should be. Just do it. Just do it NOW. This thing so hopelessly outclasses anything that any OEM infotainment system does, it's shocking how much better it is than BMW Idrive, or Audi MMS, etc. The sound quality is very good. Almost as good as direct input from my iPhone. It looks great, looks OEM stock. My only issues so far are that the bezel is kind of an exact fit for the screen size, and it can sometimes make pressing the lower buttons ( home/back/app list ) a bit hard to get to with my man sized fingers. Also hitting the notification bar can be a little bit tricky, nothing terrible, really minor complaints given how much functionality i've just added to the car. I'm going to try and find a solution to those minor issues anyway though, if there's an app that can resize the screen, that would solve all issues. Likewise, if there's an app that can move the home buttons to the left side, that would also solve most of the problems. Again, these issues are minor, and can be overcome by just using a different hand position.


I'll have a video demo later on! I love this setup! Again thanks to all the other guys from the other threads, your input and knowledge really made this an easy job!
 
#3 ·
Great work and write up!! I just so happened to order the relocator kit a couple days back from the same seller. I will follow your guide to get mine installed too. I will be getting my nexus 7 from my friend.
 
#4 · (Edited)
What program did you choose to monitor the car ex. Dashcommand. Also which right angle USB cable did you end up using. Was there a reason you bought another cable instead of using the one that came with the tablet.
 
#5 ·
I used Dash Command, I think I also paid for Torque, but I am mainly using dash command with the GenCoupe LFA skin. Its really neat ! Those guys ( I think Bryanjca and IGTAUTO ) did a really great job with it. I used the USB cable that would be angled downward if the tablet is mounted with the camera on the left. I think it's the left cable in the picture above. I didn't use the one that came with the nexus because it wasn't a right angle cable. I bought the right angle cables to help with possible clearance issues with the cables sticking out of the sides. I'm not sure if they helped or not but they definitely didn't hurt!
 
#6 ·
What made you choose the powergen charger instead of going with the scotch everyone is talking about. Did it seem like a better charger from your research.
 
#8 ·
The powergen charger is rated for 3.6A , the scoche is 2.1A ( it's also a pain in the ass to find ). I am not 100% sold on this powergen one yet, i'm not sure it's charging fast enough. It's also possible I am plugged into the wrong port on it. At least that's a relatively easy thing to fix:) I am also thinking I might relocate the charger closer to the base of the shifter compared to where I have it now. That way if I want to change out media on the tablet, I can just pop off the shifter surround panel, unplug the USB from the charger, and connect it to my laptop via a female-male usb extension cable, without ever actually having to remove the tablet from the car! I wish I thought of that on Saturday lol!
 
#7 ·
great write up

makes me want to do them as well
 
#9 ·
I want to do this but i don't know if it's worth getting a 7inch gps or a tablet. Basiclly all i need a GPS and back up cam, i don't kow which is worth it.
 
#10 ·
Definitely go for the tablet, the price of a N7 vs a 7 inch gps is negligible, and you gain so much functionality! Definitely go for the Nexus if you get a 7" tablet also, it's by far the best bang for the buck. I bet it costs less than almost any decent 7" gps, while being significantly better at everything
 
#11 ·
So according to automateit's FAQ here:
FAQ | AutomateIt

Question: Enable/Disable GPS or Set Airplane Mode State Action does not work or is not available on my device. Why is that ?
Enabling or disabling GPS is officially not supported by Google. Up until Android 2.2 (Froyo) this was done in an unofficial way that is no longer available on Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) and above. If you have a device that runs Android 2.3 or above and you don’t have root privileges, this action will not be available. On rooted devices this action will be available.

As for “Set Airplane Mode State Action” – This is not supported by Google since Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean) and will only be available for rooted devices running Android 4.2 or later.
 
#19 ·
It definitely seems to be charging somewhat slowly, about 15% per hour, with nothing running. I just tried changing the right angle usb cable to the original cable that came with the N7 tablet to see if that helps with charging. If not, then maybe this power adapter isn't ideal for this project and I will have to find something more suitable.

I also took the time to relocate the 12v port, and USB adapter to right next to the shifter, beneath the shifter surround panel. This way, I can simply pop up the shifter surround panel and have super easy access to experiment with different12v usb adapters without any real disassembly. Also, I can easily unplug the USB cable, plug in a female to male cable, and plug the N7 into my laptop for uploading new media later on . The USB cable, 12v harness, and audio cable are all zip tied together directly to the left of the base of the shifter. The 12v harness easily reaches almost all the way to the shifter. I definitely recommend installing your power this way from the get go.
 
#20 ·
lol, I have your acrylic stuff all over my interior and engine bay:)

And dremels ftw! Just make sure to get a real , corded dremel.
 
#22 ·
Do you plan on drilling a small hole in your ac vent to cool the tablet?
 
#59 ·
Relatively old comment but just wanted to add that if you do this, you could create a moisty/humid environment for the tablet - you don't want the possibility of condensation near your tablet. The only way your tablet will get to overheating temperatures is if there is direct sunlight hitting it. Even then I would assume that the tablet would auto-shutdown in this case - that's what my Acer Iconia does at least. So you shouldn't have to worry about it too much.
 
#23 ·
No, I have no plans to ever drill into my AC, ever. I saw another guy did that and I wondered what the f*cking point was. I know that there is some worry about certain li-pol batteries overheating and catching fire, but why exactly would it overheat when you're in the car, engine running, and the AC is blowing or windows are open? The only worry about the distant, remote possibility of a li-pol battery overheating is when the car is off, windows closed, direct sunlight hitting the car, interior over 130 degrees, etc.. So if the only issues are when the car is OFF, what's the point of drilling holes in your AC system? Exactly none.


On another topic though, has anyone ever thought of using a 12v-AC inverter to power the Nexus instead of the 12v-usb thing? That would allow you to use the actual wall plug in nexus charger , which would definitely always keep it charging faster than you need.

The Powergen charger is a piece of crap, and does not charge the nexus worth a damn. I already ordered a different 12v-usb adapter. Definitely DON"T GET THE SHITTY POWERGEN.

This is what I am thinking of trying next, maybe not this specific one, but along these lines
 
#24 ·
I just ordered this inverter:


It was $28 including 1 day shipping using Amazon Prime


I think this will be perfect. I get wall outlet full speed charging.
 
#25 ·
Oh before you guys ask- the reason I chose that specific one ( i just checked out about 100 different ones on amazon ). It's small, has no internal cooling fan, barely gets warm, operates silently, and only provides the power I need ( 30 watts max ) so there's no real risk of popping fuses or anything burning out. I think this will definitely work very well!
 
#26 ·
I remember a guy mentioning he used a power investor in the nexus 7 installed thread.
 
#27 ·
The USB charger I bought was an Enercel 4.2amp model. Dual USB charging @2.1amps each port. My plan on it was to break it apart, solder in 2 leads to the power pick ups for the cig adapter and hard wire back to a dedicated 12v source with inline fuse. This way your tablet is always getting juice whether the car is on or not. It can be hidden away behind the control bezel and secured to something with zip ties so not to bounce around and be annoying. Of course, you'll have to find a different method for Tasker or Automate to send the tablet to sleep mode and shut down any running apps.
 
#29 ·
The factory bezel might actually still fit, you do have to cut off the lower two mounting tabs, but the two on the side are still there. The top part will go back no problem, the front part should still be able to be held on by two clips.
 
#30 ·
Nice write up man. I'm using a power inverter with my Acer A100 at the moment, no probs. I plan to use it with my Nexus 7 FHD too once it comes in. Technically using an inverter is a little inefficient, because you're converting dc to ac then back dc again. It works well though so I guess it's not a big deal.
 
#31 · (Edited)
So I decided to pull the tablet out of the car last night, and unlock and root it.

I used Wugs Toolkit to do the unlock and root. You can get it here:

[Toolkit] Wug's Nexus Root Toolkit v1.7.2 [Updated 08/26/13] - xda-developers

Pretty easy process but it took a while.

ProTip: If you use Windows 8, use the RAW Driver option when you do the USB driver setup.

The downside is that rooting and unlocking wiped my device, and I have to start all over again with the configuration..

The second downside is that once you're rooted, an Over the Air update will wipe out your root and put you back to an un-rooted status.

The upside is that the rooting, as far as my particular install goes, is that it opens up new options in AutomateIt, such as the ability to set macros for airplane mode and gps radio on/off, among other things.

Also, if you select the "custom recovery" option, it will disable OTA updates and you don't ever have to worry about losing your root.

The app itself is pretty easy to use, not quite iOS jailbreak easy, but not brain busting either. It took me under an hour to figure it all out and get it done the first time through




So I have now added the rules:

Power disconnected- disable gps
Power connected- enable gps

I tried setting Airplane Mode with the rules, since it shows up in AutomateIt now, but it didn't seem like it was working, so I went back to setting individual rules for each wireless radio. If I could get that airplane mode rule working properly, you could really simplify the rules, down to about 6 total.

I think my AC inverter will be delivered today!
 
#32 · (Edited)
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