Materials:
An interior light (can be bought at your local auto store)
15 feet of 22 awg electrical wire (white and black is preferred)

Tools:
Soldering iron
Torque wrench (buy the entire set)
Wire stripper
Standard screwdriver

01. You can but this from your local auto store. Make sure that it is 12V DC operated, not battery. If there is an on off switch, cut the wire that goes to the switch and bypass it. This way it is at a constant on position.


02. Underneath the passenger feet area, remove the foam panel by unscrewing the two plastic screws.


03. Cut a square hole that is the same size of the light cover where the light is being shined through. Don't cut too wide, because you need the material for mounting the cover.




04. Location of light. With the light cover on the outside acting as a clamp, lock the two screws down to the casing of the light unit.



05. Remove the dummies or motion sensor to get to the torque screws. The dome light unit will come off once the two screws are removed. Use a standard screwdriver to pop out the dome light.


06. Remove the light cover and solder the negative (black) wire to the contact.


07. Solder the positive (white) to the middle prong of the three prong contact.
**
This picture is wrong. Solder to the opposite side.
**




08. Assemble the light unit back together. Route the wires accordingly to prevent any obstruction when the light switch is toggled.




09. Snap the dome light unit back on. Route the wires accordingly so there is no interference.


10. Remove the sun visor and start tucking the wires inside of the panels. Run the wires all the way down into the passenger footwell area.








11. Now connect the wires black to black and white to white. Test the light out by turning the dome light on and off. Reinstall the foam panel and you're done.

After watching this video, it really angers me how people have to wear a dead animal . The animal were so inhumanely killed and practically skinned alive for their fur. If no one buys fur then they don't have to kill these poor beautiful creatures. I like to see people who wear fur skinned alive!
http://myweb.hinet.net/home8/drcolin/fur.wmv

01. You can purchase the heat resistant paint from your local autoshop. The paint I use here is red eingine enamel with ceramic with heat rating of 500F. You may also use paint for BBQ and over. You also need a fine paint brush, a cup or bowl, masking tape and car jack.


02. Open the front trunk and take out the car jack from the spare tire.


03. Jack the car up at its designated point. Check your car's manual if you don't know where to put the jack. Raise the car high enough where the wheel barely touching the ground. This way you can relievet the tention from the weight of the car.


04. Loosen all the lug nuts and remove them from the bottom up.


05. Once the wheel is removed, clean the brake caliper thoroughly.


06. Mask out area that does not require painting with masking tape.


07. Spray a little pool of paint into a cup or bowl. Use a fine small paint brush and start painting away the first coat. Let the paint sit for half an hour and paint a second coat. Let the second caot sit for about 45 minutes.



08. Now remove all masking tapes.


09. Put the wheel back on. Becareful not to hit the painted caliper with the wheel. Repeat the process for the rest of the calipers. Now let the car sit for 8 hours for the paint to cure. (that's what the paint can direction says)
Have fun wheeling around with your bright brake calipers.

I happen to stop by SF last Saturday afternoon to have lunch and I was stuck in traffic for about 45 minutes after exiting the freeway. What was going on? After lunch, I had some spare time on the parking meter, I checked out the area where the crowd was gathered. It turned out to be the Love Parade. It was interesting. It looks like an outdoor rave during the day. There was no cover charge too. I also wanted to stop by Market St. to check out the anit-war protest and see all the Bush haters but I missed that due to heavy traffic in the area.

I was at Marvin's mom's place and her cat was one of the most visious domesticated animal I have ever seen. This thing attacks at will.

Fuku Shushi in Japan town San Francisco.

Last Wednesday I got to see The Bravery at the Fillmore in San Francisco. They sounded great and there were many stage dives. Not me of course. Too old for that stuff now.

This is a simple mod if you want addition storage.

01. You can purchase the net from your local BMW dealer.The cost is about $30.00 US.
Fixing Element #: 51 47 2 263 062 (x4)
Pacel Net: # 51 47 2 261 407


02. Line up the net on the right side of the passenger footwell console. Use a small screw driver smaller in diameter than the plastic carpet screw. Insert the screwdriver into the carpet so you have a pilot hole.


03. Start with the left screw and work your way clounter clockwise and snap the frame of the pacel net on as you go.

I finally believe the rumor after receiving the e-mail from CEO George Shaheen that Oracle will acquire Siebel Systems for $5.85B this morning. Over the past two years, I hear too many rumors about the buy out but today was the last rumor at Siebel. This will be the second aquisition of the companies I work for. First it was UpShot and now Siebel Systems. Now BridgePointe campus will have a big Oracle sign.
I think this is a good thing because Siebel has a kick ass CRM OnDemand service that is far superior than SFDC.

During a live television fund raising program on 9/3/2005, Kanye West went off script and ripped into W. Bush's action on the Katrina hurricane relief effort by declaring "George Bush doesn't care about black people". It is so true.

It also runs in the family. Here's what the old bitch mama Bush has to say about the underpriviledge.
"What I'm hearing, which is sort of scary, is they all want to stay in Texas. Everyone is so overwhelmed by the hospitality. And so many of the people in the arena here, you know, were underprivileged anyway, so this is working very well for them."

What can I say... too many press conferences and not bother sending help to New Orleans the day after, the second day after, the third day after and the fourth day after.

I happen to be around San Jose yesterday and remembered that The Lovemakers were performing at Rasputin on Bascom to celebrate their record release. So I stopped by to see them live. They were great and the music was good and enjoyable. They are a local band from Oakland and I hope they make it bigger because they are that good at what they do.

Live shot:

Record signing. I got to meet them and they are very nice people.

Tonight I saw this local San Jose 3 piece band that rocks. I really enjoy watching them perform. I also remember seeing them before on Tech TV, The ScreenSavers. Their three track demo CD is really good too. The songs are the ones on their web site.
Blood on the Tracks
Check them out and support local bands.

Other local bands worth mentioning which my buddies are part of:

Marvin's band - Hi*Lo Souls

Rob's band - Parting Glance

You may use this information as reference for hard wiring your remote garage door opener to an additional rocker switch. This works only if you don't have the heated seat option. Even though this is not a major modification, you are doing it at your own risk. I will not be responsible for your action. Make sure you know what you are doing or else consult your Porsche dealer.
PURPOSE:
Integrate your remote garage door opener to an additional rocker switch. This will eliminate the pressing of the garage door opener by hard wiring it to the rocker switch. The remote garage door opener still uses battery and tucked underneathe the console. The new rocker switch will be illuminated by sharing power from the left window rocker switch. Overall, the look is aesthetic.
TOOLS:

Window Rocker Switch ($26.00 from Porsche dealer)

01. This is what my console looks like. I'm going to replace the top dummy rocker switch with my garage opener switch.


02. I bought a window rocker switch from a Porsche dealership. It cost about $26.00 +tax. The reason I chose the window rocker swtich is that the image on it resembles a garage door opening and closing.


03. Start by removing the ash tray from the console and unscrew the two plastic torque screw with an "L" torque wrench. Mine came with the car bra I bought.


04. Once the screws are removed, pull the console out. Disconnect the light wire for the ash tray light.


05. Unlodge the top dummy rocker switch. This may require a flat head screw driver.


06. Pop the new rocker switch in the location of the dummy switch. The orientation of the switch should be the same as the window rocker switches. Click to zoom in.


07. It should look like this after the new rocker switch is popped in.


08. Disconnect the white window switch connector. The power for the new rocker switch light will be shared with this.


09. Solder two wires to the terminals one at each end of the white connector. This is the power source for the light. Left terminal of window connector to left terminal of new rocker switch. Same for the right side. Re-connect the white connector. See zoom image above for detail.


10. Take apart your garage opener and locate the contact switch. Use the digital multimeter to find out which legs of the contact switch provide the contact when the button of the garage open is pressed (sorry you have to be a little technical here). Solder a 1 foot wire to each leg.


11. For my garage opener I found the two legs that provide the contact to open the garage when the button is pressed. Click to zoom in so you'll have an idea of what its like.


12. Make a hole through the casing and run the wires thru it. Repackage the garage opener with the new battery.


13. Solder the other ends of the two wires from the garage open to the new rocker switch. The wires can be vice versa. As long one is tied together at the terminal. This way the garage will activate when the rocker switch is pressed in either direction. Click on the zoom picture above for detail.


14. Dress up the wires with electrical tape and cover all exspose terminals. To prevent the garage opener from making rattling noise, I stuffed it in a sock. Put the garage opener in first. Push it all the way inside the console, and make sure that it does not obstruct anything like the emergency brake mechanism. Re-connect the ash tray light connector.


15. Re-install the console by screwing in the two plastic torque screw and drop in the ash tray. Voila! Done! Complete. The switch works like a charm. It even lights up when the light is turned on. Now I don't have to mess with a garage opener that I always misplace. Good luck! Send me an e-mail if you have questions regarding this procedure.


16. Credit to my cat Slinky for helping out.

01. Gold and gaurds red model paint and two fine paint brushes can be purchase at your local hobby shop or hobby section of your local store for less than $10.00.


02. Remove the crests from the wheels and clean the surface thuroughly.


03. Start by painting the red area first. Mask one section out.


04. Shake the paint well. Lightly dip the brush into the paint and paint away. Don't use too much paint or else there'll be a blob of paint on that section of the crest. Let it sit for 15 minutes.


05. When the paint is dry, slowly peel off the masking tape.


06. Do the same for the rest of the three red sections.


07. Now we start painting the gold color. This is a little tricky. There is no need for masking. All you need is a calm and gentle hand. Use the other brush and lightly dip into the gold paint and start painting the gold sections. Take your time here.


08. This is result when you are done. Repeat the process for the other three crests.


09. What a difference and you just saved $150.00