UPDATE 2: Amazon broke it and a lot of other two word devices. Removing the space from “MyCar” works.

UPDATE: Amazon OR SmartThings BROKE virtual switch capability with the echo earlier this week. It shows up under discovered devices and just gives a failed tone when triggered. I have inquired about this and have not heard back yet.

The elusive Part 6 of my Amazon Echo car start series is finally here!

So here we are, you read through the first five posts and are thinking to yourself “Ok Jryan, how in the hell do I do this myself?! Simple directions please.”

A little demanding tone, but ok, I’ll oblige.

WARNING: THIS ONLY WORKS ON GM CARS! Don’t waste your time trying other cars unless you’re up to months of frustration figuring it out. It *may* work on others, but you WILL need to find out the can-bus to use, the can-bus entry point, and the commands to use and how to structure them.

Gather your materials

Smart Things (No link, I will detail in another post eventually why I am no longer recommending the platform. That’s what I have currently setup in my home, but not for much longer. Summed up, it’s unreliable.)

Raspberry Pi Model A+

Raspberry Pi Model A+ Case (The one I have is no longer made, you’re on your own here.)

Sandisk SD Card

Bluetooth/Wifi Dongle

OBDLink MX Bluetooth

Car Adapter

A random generic USB hub, USB Keyboard/Mouse, HDMI Cable, MicroUSB wall adaptor, android tablet or phone. All of this is needed JUST for setup. If you are seriously reading this right now, setting this all up, I guarantee you have all of these things already.

NOTES:

Vera, OpenHAB, HomeSeer will all work, but I am not outlining the directions here. Maybe later if I am asked for specifics on these systems.

I suppose you could use a Rpi zero as well. I can’t tell you how it works though BECAUSE I CAN’T OBTAIN ONE! Also, steer clear of ALL OTHER MODELS of the Rpi, including the new Rpi 3, the power draw is too high for this project, among other issues you may have. If you aren’t going to attempt this until June, give the $9 C.H.I.P computer a try.

The Cirago Bluetooth Wifi dongle I used is no longer available and I HAVE NOT personally tested the one I listed.

Feel free to use whatever car adapter you’d like. Power issues are a bitch though. My Samsung fast charge car adapter has been great.

WTF, root? Sudo for the web service? ARE YOU MAD?! Yeah, well, do whatever you’d like. This is not a device sitting on the public internet, you can only get to it from the local network. If you want to secure it even more Mr. (Or Mrs.?) Paranoid, be my guest.

Perform The Steps