I'm trying to design a neat little item for SC owners. When I was in school we worked with PLC's (Programmable Logic Controllers) and I was always fond of the Mitsubishi FX PLC since it can be easily programmed and carry out several functions both digital and analog.

If you do not know what a PLC is, I'll try to explain gently. You get "X" number of inputs and "X" number of outputs. Inside, there are relays, coils, chokes, and all kinds of goodies that make the electrical world go round. You plug this unit into a computer and program the PLC to do whatever you want. Once the program is in the PLC, it will do what it has been told to until you change that program.

As an example, you can program the PLC to accept the input of the door trigger when the door opens. As a result of the door opening, you can tell the PLC to turn on the drivers door entry lamp, the pass door lamp, or both. You can tell the PLC not to turn the lamp on at all, but if the pass door opens to turn all of them on only if the drivers door was opened first.

Now, you see where this can get fun, right? Let's say you open the drivers door and the windows and sunroof open automatically because that's what you have told the PLC to do. Nice, right?

Let's say you have the PLC programmed to roll the drivers window down, but only to open the sunroof and lower the passenger window if you tap the drivers window switch down twice. I love PLC's.

I want SC owners to tell me what functions would be cool to program a PLC to do for our cars, and likely the PLC will be able to do everything suggested and shoved all into one box. I am trying to get idea's on what we can do to our SC's with a PLC.

Below is the PLC I will be using on my SC.

 

possible to control the automatic door closing mechanism that's seen on the LS430? I'm looking into doing this mod, since the doors are so heavy, friends hardly ever close the door on the first try, havin that automatic door closing feature would be nice.

 

like the old camaro hatches where you close it, then it pulls closed and locks? As long as the mechanism is there, that's just a pin switch operation, no need for a PLC.

 

I like the idea of an automatic door but I would have to say that this idea wouldn't be as feasible as one might think (unless you have lots of money?)

Anyway OLT. Here is an idea to mess around with, I'm not sure if this will work with your PLC idea though.
Maybe when we first fire up the engine all of the needles can rapid fire to the end of it's destination and back to where it is supposed to be (i.e. back to mid of coolant temp gauge, back to 1k of rpm gauge, back to 0mph on speedo, back to 1/4 mark of gas gauge).

 

Maybe the BMW mod where the door window glass closes when you lock the car...I like that mod..

 

Can be done.


Calvin, I want to focus on the car.

 

but our cars have frames around the window and the bmws don't. Isn't that kind of useless on our cars?

 

I think he means...when your windows are down and you leave your car, the windows will close simply by locking the car.

 

Door lock delay after drive off.

Service reminders (oil etc..)


Or door lock when in second gear (5 speed) I suppose this could be done with a switch though..

 

Perhaps the stereo being automatically lowered to a certain volume when you shut off the car as to not get blasted out next time you start the car.

 

This sounds pretty interesting..I like that light idea where if you where to press the remote on the key to unluck the doors all the lights including the headlights would turn on. The window one sounds cool too. Like if you were to park your car and you turn off the motor. Instead on waiting in there until the windows go up you can just watch them go up.

 

I think the best mod would be a very Lexus type mod... like the windows and sunroof to open if you unlock the car 2 times.

I love the open all windows and sunroof feature on my mom's LS430. It would not only help cool off our greenhouse of a cabin, but also help modernize our cars a bit.

 

It is part of the car, and as cool as automatic windows/sunroof.

But yea, when you shut down the car after driving or arm the alarm a certain amount of times and everything closes or opens.

 

Ones i like

Lock car twice = close all openings (windows, sunroof)
Press "auto down window" twice = rolls BOTH windows down automatically
Press roll up window twice = auto roll up the window selected

maybe something fun like a combination of touching switches in the car that would enable the ignition

 

can you integrate ignition/fuel pump kill switch in this? like say 3-5 minutes after you start the car if you dont push a certain button the fuel pump is killed or ignition is cut off ?