Hardwire portable GPS help

[exsterminator]

I am planning on purchasing a portable GPS in the near future which I want to semi-permanently install in the cubby area above the clock. By semi-permanently, I mean it will stay in the car the whole time unless I need to use it in the wife's car, which I imagine will be rarely. So in other words, I want to be able to take the actual unit out whenever I want but leave the power cable and wiring intact.

 

However, I want to conceal the wiring while making use of the cigarette lighter outlet under the HVAC by running the power through the back of the cubby and down to the outlet. I have no real experience in any of this but can follow good instructions well and am confident to know when I can do something and when something is beyond my abilities. I have searched for some guides here on how to hardwire to the cigarette lighter outlet and have not come with anything that gives a good step-by-step. Any advice please or knowledge on how to do this?

 

Also, can anyone link a beginner's guide to eletrical circuits and wiring so I can learn what this stuff is all about? I want to look into some of the LED mods for the footwells, drink holders etc but it is way above my comfort level now.

 

Thanks all,

[zmarko]

I would just tap into a power wire behind the cubby, and find a ground back there and be done with it. Purchase a 2nd power cord for the GPS unit, and hack that up (google hard wiring whatever specific model GPS you get and I'm sure someone's done it in their car and will have pics of what's positive and negative) in the power cord.

 

For something similar (to see how it's actually done), search on here for Radar hard wire, and you should find some threads about hard wiring a radar detector. Same idea, and it'll give you an idea of what you're in for.

[CzarDestructo]

Hacking up the power cable for a GPS unit probably won't be terribly easy because the switching power supply is usually always built into the part you plug in. You can pickup something like this at any local Autozone:

http://www.sunshinesolar.co.uk/khxc/gbu0-prodshow/CIGCROC.html

 

You can chop off the ends and use quick splice connectors, also available at AutoZone, to tap into the wiring behind the cigarette adapter in the console. This way you'll have a plug in the dash for the GPS and it won't tie up your interior one and it will also toggle on and off with your ignition.

 

Then all you got to do is snake the GPS power adapter down to the socket, plug it in, and put the center console back together.

[exsterminator]

Thanks zmarko and czardestructo, I think you both get what I am trying to do. I basically want to leave the power cable permanently installed in the car and be able to take the unit itself out whenever I want. I will look into the suggestions you both made in your posts.

[cfaber]

Also, remember to fuse the positive side (just in case). I would say look at Mio GPS systems for something like this, they're cheap and almost fit in the cubby without modification. They also happen to have the added benefit of being extremely software hackable so you can do many more fun things with them other than being a GPS alone

[TSiWRX]

Like the others have said, exsterminator, I would purchase, if possible, an aftermarket hardwire kit, which usually comes in at around $30 or so, including shipping, and includes the proper voltage step-down that you'd need (which is usually itself an integral part of the GPS unit's "cigarette lighter/12V-accessory plug" - you can see if this is the case by finding out the input voltage of the GPS unit, which is usually specified somewhere on its body casing labels or in the product manual).

 

If your kit includes a spare power cord, or you really want to cannibalize yours, here's something helpful for you:

 

http://www.gpspassion.com/forumsen/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=104260

 

I would truly recommend that you keep at least one of your factory power cords, unmodified, so that you can troubleshoot and/or easily take the unit (including the cord, so that you have recharging/extended-trip and charging capabilities) with you in your second vehicle and/or rental vehicle. This is actually what I do - I've got my TomTom hardwired for my car, but have a power cord (shared between it and the Bluetooth speakerphone that I put in my wife's car) in her car, stowed-away. There's also a box in my garage marked "Road Trip," with the necessary portable/temporary mounts for rental vehicles, etc.

 

Sourcing power from the cigarette lighter in the front part of the center console (below the radio) is very easy. I'm not sure about the '09, but in the '05/'06, on a 5MT, all you had to do was to reach with your fingers curled around the shift boot at the base of the trim (where it meets up with the rest of the center-console), and pull slightly up and then towards the back of the car. Don't use excessive force, as there's wires for illumination and power attached to the reverse side of the front of that trim piece (where the ashtray and the lighter socket are), but if this is the first time you're doing it, you will need to be firm.

 

Removing the shift knob isn't absoulutely necessary, but may make your job a little easier.

 

T-Taps work great in this location.

 

To do a clean job, you'll want to remove the center console trim running up either side of the center cluster. There's a screw on the base, which you will see once you've removed the shifter trim panel per above, after that, it's all clips. The first time you do it, you might be worried about things breaking - but trust me, these pieces are highly flexible.

 

Once you've popped off the trim pieces, the factory head-unit is held in by 6 (six) Phillips-head screws, three on either side of the stereo (one of which, of each side, is recessed deep). This is again on the '05/'06, and I do not know if the later years have different setups.

 

You can easily move the head-unit out of the way, after removing the screws. Be sure you don't scratch up your center console, if you rest the stereo on top of it - some blue painter's tape may be a good idea.

 

The cubby should easily pull out. Again, this may be a bit more difficult on a new car, particularly if it's your first time doing it, but there's really no tricks if the unit is the same as the one that's on the '05/'06.

[exsterminator]

Like the others have said, exsterminator, I would purchase, if possible, an aftermarket hardwire kit, which usually comes in at around $30 or so, including shipping, and includes the proper voltage step-down that you'd need (which is usually itself an integral part of the GPS unit's "cigarette lighter/12V-accessory plug" - you can see if this is the case by finding out the input voltage of the GPS unit, which is usually specified somewhere on its body casing labels or in the product manual).

 

If your kit includes a spare power cord, or you really want to cannibalize yours, here's something helpful for you:

 

http://www.gpspassion.com/forumsen/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=104260

 

I would truly recommend that you keep at least one of your factory power cords, unmodified, so that you can troubleshoot and/or easily take the unit (including the cord, so that you have recharging/extended-trip and charging capabilities) with you in your second vehicle and/or rental vehicle. This is actually what I do - I've got my TomTom hardwired for my car, but have a power cord (shared between it and the Bluetooth speakerphone that I put in my wife's car) in her car, stowed-away. There's also a box in my garage marked "Road Trip," with the necessary portable/temporary mounts for rental vehicles, etc.

 

Sourcing power from the cigarette lighter in the front part of the center console (below the radio) is very easy. I'm not sure about the '09, but in the '05/'06, on a 5MT, all you had to do was to reach with your fingers curled around the shift boot at the base of the trim (where it meets up with the rest of the center-console), and pull slightly up and then towards the back of the car. Don't use excessive force, as there's wires for illumination and power attached to the reverse side of the front of that trim piece (where the ashtray and the lighter socket are), but if this is the first time you're doing it, you will need to be firm.

 

Removing the shift knob isn't absoulutely necessary, but may make your job a little easier.

 

T-Taps work great in this location.

 

To do a clean job, you'll want to remove the center console trim running up either side of the center cluster. There's a screw on the base, which you will see once you've removed the shifter trim panel per above, after that, it's all clips. The first time you do it, you might be worried about things breaking - but trust me, these pieces are highly flexible.

 

Once you've popped off the trim pieces, the factory head-unit is held in by 6 (six) Phillips-head screws, three on either side of the stereo (one of which, of each side, is recessed deep). This is again on the '05/'06, and I do not know if the later years have different setups.

 

You can easily move the head-unit out of the way, after removing the screws. Be sure you don't scratch up your center console, if you rest the stereo on top of it - some blue painter's tape may be a good idea.

 

The cubby should easily pull out. Again, this may be a bit more difficult on a new car, particularly if it's your first time doing it, but there's really no tricks if the unit is the same as the one that's on the '05/'06.

 

Phenomenal response, thanks so much for taking the time to write this. I installed an aux cable in the wife's X5 which involved removing trim, stereo and HVAC so comfortable doing that but unsure of the tapping into the power part. Any advice - especially pix - on this would be awesome. For example, I have no idea what a T-tap is (will look it up but gives you an idea of my starting point in electronics!)

[cfaber]

Might as well just pull power off your cigarette lighter plug, dedicated fuse already and has plenty of power to power your GPS. Takes above five minutes to remove the center console around the shifter and another 5 to remove the trim + radio to get back behind the cubby.

[kris4mica]

I put this in for my GPS. I was going to cut the plug and hardwire it in but a GPS is usually a mini USB which is 5V as opposed to the 12V in the car. I actually fried the first one with improper wiring. I came up with this solution that add me a always on 12VDC outlet and helps get rid of the wire for the most part. I notched out the back of the cubby and wired in another outlet. you do have to trim off a peice of plastic behind the dash for clearance but it's minimal. For the bracket, I had some really thin and wide L brackets. I used the loops part of the velcro to cushion the GPS and wedged it in the seem where the door is. I can take more shots of the cubby and bracket if you want to see that too

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y69/kris4mica/102_2241.jpg

 

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y69/kris4mica/102_2244.jpg

[TSiWRX]

Phenomenal response, thanks so much for taking the time to write this.

 

Think nothing of it. This community has blessed me with so much technical information and help as I've needed it over the years, I'm just glad to pay back that debt in any way possible.

 

I installed an aux cable in the wife's X5 which involved removing trim, stereo and HVAC so comfortable doing that....

You're all set, then. It's no different.

 

.....but unsure of the tapping into the power part. Any advice - especially pix - on this would be awesome.

I no longer have, er...."factory" wiring in that portion of my car. Also, I'm afraid that if I gave you a more detailed guide, your wiring colors may have switched (Subaru loves doing this), as your car is an '09.

 

But it's simple back there - there's only three wires, IIRC, going into the cigarette lighter assembly, one for ground, one for power, and one for illumination. Obviously, you want the one power and the one for ground - if you have a test light, multimeter, or the like, it won't take you but 5 minutes to figure it out.

 

There's another set of wires that goes to the illumination for the ashtray cubby, though. Unless you want to regulate recharging by turning on/off your parking lamps, that won't be very practical.

 

For example, I have no idea what a T-tap is (will look it up but gives you an idea of my starting point in electronics!)

http://secure.llamma.com/catalog/images/101805%20005.jpg

 

^ Like that. [ I can't source the image here, but if you click on it, it should work. ]

 

The taps, in this one, are the two dark blue/red/violet thingies that lay to the left of the two light blue "spade connectors," at the very top of the picture.

 

The tap goes around your source wire (yellow) in this pic, and you crimp the male spade connector onto your splice wire. In this way, using this hypothetical setup, you'd get, say, 12V power (+) from the yellow wire, which then goes "up" the red wire, to your accessory. Repeat for the ground.

 

In this picture:

 

http://www.vfaq.net/proj-pics/ECM/ECM-45.jpg

 

 

....you see how it's done, with the source wire (in this case, it's purple, and it's sitting inside the cutting/splicing well of the tap) in the car.

 

Snap it closed, securely, with a pair of pliers, and then you insert the male spade connector into the slot in the tap (reference the first pic), making sure that the spade terminal is inside the actual female slot so that it's making proper connection.

 

Be sure you use the right "gauge"/fit of T-tap for your application. You'll want something small, like a 18-22 gauge fit.

 

And this YouTube video is wonderful:

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gZwpMdyiz8]YouTube - Installing a T Tap[/ame]

 

Obviously, it's going to be rather hard for you to place the T-tap on the end of your pliers, before you've put the tap onto the source wire in the car, so that step changes a bit from the demo (like in that picture above, with the guy's hand - since you're inside the vehicle and pulling out its wiring, space will be a bit tighter, so you'll likely have to first secure the tap with your fingers, and THEN snap it shut with pliers), but it's truly just as easy as that.

 

Before you put everything back, take a moment to jiggle the wiring a bit, to insure that there's no loose connections - 'cause that'll be the source of a bit of cursing, if you reassemble everything, only to find out you've got more troubleshooting to do.

 

Typically, given the routing of your install and your experience level, I would say that it's going to be the physical tap that'll be the trouble spot. As long as you've got that relatively secured, though, I'd bet that your install will go very well. The good thing about all this is that if it is the tap that's the issue, removing the trim around the 5MT shifter area is super easy, and does not require removing other pieces of trim, which means that it'll be an easy repair, even if you've not done a perfect job splicing the tap.

[exsterminator]

Might as well just pull power off your cigarette lighter plug, dedicated fuse already and has plenty of power to power your GPS.

 

That is exactly what I want to do and hope that Tsi+WRX's instructions will enable me to do so.

[exsterminator]

I put this in for my GPS. I was going to cut the plug and hardwire it in but a GPS is usually a mini USB which is 5V as opposed to the 12V in the car. I actually fried the first one with improper wiring. I came up with this solution that add me a always on 12VDC outlet and helps get rid of the wire for the most part. I notched out the back of the cubby and wired in another outlet. you do have to trim off a peice of plastic behind the dash for clearance but it's minimal. For the bracket, I had some really thin and wide L brackets. I used the loops part of the velcro to cushion the GPS and wedged it in the seem where the door is. I can take more shots of the cubby and bracket if you want to see that too

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y69/kris4mica/102_2241.jpg

 

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y69/kris4mica/102_2244.jpg

 

That's a nice solution but I really want to attempt to put mine into the cubby. I am going to have to remove the cubby lid entirely or modify the arms that hold it as they are way too chunky to allow any GPS unit to sit in there, but I ultimately want to do what you have which is a powered wire available to plug the unit into whenever I want.

[neil]

I have a Garmin 770 that I want to mount in the cubby, much the same as described by the OP. However, I would like to remove the cover to allow the Garmin to fit. Has anyone removed the cover in such a way that it can be re-installed at a later date?

 

thanks

 

Neil

[cfaber]

Yeah, you can pull the cubby assembly apart with a little bit of effort and still put it back together. The only problem is, you will have a rather large gap at the top of it (about 1" hole) where the cover use to sit.

 

If you're thinking about going this route you're probably better off just doing a built in. Check out the Car PC forum for information on how to fabricate a screen into the cubby.