Help on how to get power to a dash mounted device
#1
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Hi all
I have a road angel (gps speed camera alerts for those who aren't sure what it does) and i want to power it from the ignition of my car. It needs to sit on top of the dash and preferably in the corner. Does anybody have any advice on how i may go about this?? It normally runs of the 12v cigerette adapter.
Thanks
Ben
I have a road angel (gps speed camera alerts for those who aren't sure what it does) and i want to power it from the ignition of my car. It needs to sit on top of the dash and preferably in the corner. Does anybody have any advice on how i may go about this?? It normally runs of the 12v cigerette adapter.
Thanks
Ben
#2
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It depends on how much or how little you want to dismantle your interior.
My solution for a Garmin was to mount it low down in front of the gear lever, with the suction pad mounting in the small cubby box under the CD drive. This meant that I could parallel up the wires to the cigar lighter, so all the wiring is hidden. Plus my Satnav isn't on view if I park up and can't be bothered to remove it, and it doesn't leave tell-tale marks on the screen. This has the advantage in my case that when I switch off the ignition, the Nav goes off, and when I switch the ignition back on, the Nav comes on too. My aerial for the Traffic Information goes upwards and is hidden behind the dash trim. I still get good satellite lock with the Nav mounted down there.
As most suction pads won't stick to the area in front of the iDrive, there were some posts on this forum from someone who had put a clear film in front of the iDrive - not the screen - and this allowed suction pads to stick. Unfortunately I only saw this after I had mounted mine.
Mike
My solution for a Garmin was to mount it low down in front of the gear lever, with the suction pad mounting in the small cubby box under the CD drive. This meant that I could parallel up the wires to the cigar lighter, so all the wiring is hidden. Plus my Satnav isn't on view if I park up and can't be bothered to remove it, and it doesn't leave tell-tale marks on the screen. This has the advantage in my case that when I switch off the ignition, the Nav goes off, and when I switch the ignition back on, the Nav comes on too. My aerial for the Traffic Information goes upwards and is hidden behind the dash trim. I still get good satellite lock with the Nav mounted down there.
As most suction pads won't stick to the area in front of the iDrive, there were some posts on this forum from someone who had put a clear film in front of the iDrive - not the screen - and this allowed suction pads to stick. Unfortunately I only saw this after I had mounted mine.
Mike
#3
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Originally Posted by AlwynMike' post='552930' date='Mar 30 2008, 12:06 AM
It depends on how much or how little you want to dismantle your interior.
My solution for a Garmin was to mount it low down in front of the gear lever, with the suction pad mounting in the small cubby box under the CD drive. This meant that I could parallel up the wires to the cigar lighter, so all the wiring is hidden. Plus my Satnav isn't on view if I park up and can't be bothered to remove it, and it doesn't leave tell-tale marks on the screen. This has the advantage in my case that when I switch off the ignition, the Nav goes off, and when I switch the ignition back on, the Nav comes on too. My aerial for the Traffic Information goes upwards and is hidden behind the dash trim. I still get good satellite lock with the Nav mounted down there.
As most suction pads won't stick to the area in front of the iDrive, there were some posts on this forum from someone who had put a clear film in front of the iDrive - not the screen - and this allowed suction pads to stick. Unfortunately I only saw this after I had mounted mine.
Mike
My solution for a Garmin was to mount it low down in front of the gear lever, with the suction pad mounting in the small cubby box under the CD drive. This meant that I could parallel up the wires to the cigar lighter, so all the wiring is hidden. Plus my Satnav isn't on view if I park up and can't be bothered to remove it, and it doesn't leave tell-tale marks on the screen. This has the advantage in my case that when I switch off the ignition, the Nav goes off, and when I switch the ignition back on, the Nav comes on too. My aerial for the Traffic Information goes upwards and is hidden behind the dash trim. I still get good satellite lock with the Nav mounted down there.
As most suction pads won't stick to the area in front of the iDrive, there were some posts on this forum from someone who had put a clear film in front of the iDrive - not the screen - and this allowed suction pads to stick. Unfortunately I only saw this after I had mounted mine.
Mike
Thanks for the info. Is it possible to just solder in to the back of the cigar lighter with the new cables or is it a different type of connection?
Ben
#4
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You could solder directly, but the wires that go to the power socket are the super-flexible type, and the socket moves so much. I went an inch or so further back to the plug, cut the wires and chocolate-blocked them, along with an extension for my Nav. Subtle hey??
Mike
Mike
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Originally Posted by bennicklen' post='552917' date='Mar 29 2008, 04:34 PM
Hi all
I have a road angel (gps speed camera alerts for those who aren't sure what it does) and i want to power it from the ignition of my car. It needs to sit on top of the dash and preferably in the corner. Does anybody have any advice on how i may go about this?? It normally runs of the 12v cigerette adapter.
Thanks
Ben
I have a road angel (gps speed camera alerts for those who aren't sure what it does) and i want to power it from the ignition of my car. It needs to sit on top of the dash and preferably in the corner. Does anybody have any advice on how i may go about this?? It normally runs of the 12v cigerette adapter.
Thanks
Ben
#6
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Model Year: 2017
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I don't know about the later cars, but I understand that here in the UK we didn't get passenger side power sockets (or boot/trunk ones either).
We didn't get the boot/trunk opener either on early cars unless we had an E61 - the retrofit was an easy and cheap job though.
Mike
We didn't get the boot/trunk opener either on early cars unless we had an E61 - the retrofit was an easy and cheap job though.
Mike
#7
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Originally Posted by AlwynMike' post='553791' date='Mar 31 2008, 10:48 PM
I don't know about the later cars, but I understand that here in the UK we didn't get passenger side power sockets (or boot/trunk ones either).
We didn't get the boot/trunk opener either on early cars unless we had an E61 - the retrofit was an easy and cheap job though.
Mike
We didn't get the boot/trunk opener either on early cars unless we had an E61 - the retrofit was an easy and cheap job though.
Mike
Hi
I do not have a footwell 12v socket. If i didn't want to take apart the centre console could i run a socket from the fuse box behind the glovebox over to the drivers side then just hide the cables behind the trim under the sterring column?
Thanks
Ben
#8
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Just take a "stakon" tab and stick it into the top bus of the fuse panel to the right of the (2) 5 amp fuses. Add an "in line" fuse holder and the you're on your way. Of course it will always be hot. I think the bottom bus is switched.
#9
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Originally Posted by zen' post='554951' date='Apr 2 2008, 08:00 PM
Just take a "stakon" tab and stick it into the top bus of the fuse panel to the right of the (2) 5 amp fuses. Add an "in line" fuse holder and the you're on your way. Of course it will always be hot. I think the bottom bus is switched.
sounds great! thanks very much
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Ben
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