Hey everyone! I just bought a Garmin GPS, and I want to hardwire it to the fuse box and run the cable up the A-pillar, much as Rubba Burna did with his radar detector in this thread: https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/fit-...tml#post706500

The wire is DC on one end and mini-USB on the end that plugs into the GPS unit. Rubba Burna explained in the other thread that if I cut the DC adapter off, a positive and negative lead should be found. This makes plenty of sense, but can someone please explain what "tapping" is, and exactly how I can "tap" the wires into the circuit board. Like, I don't know which hole on the fuse is positive and which is negative. Do I need something extra, or do I just jam the wires into the fuse?

+rep to whoever can help

Doug

 

nevermind, i figured it out, haha.

 

Did you just cut the adapter off? That might not be a good idea. 99% of all devices that run power off USB do not take a full 12 volts, it is downstepped to 5.2 volts. I had a guy come in because his cousin hardwired his TomTom and it didn't work. He exchanged it for a new one, still didn't work. I looked down under the dash at the cable and sure enough, the adapter was cut off and ran straight into 12 volts constant. He was just frying the navs.

 

i actually just plugged it into the cigarette lighter, pushed the wire up under the dash, and pulled it thru past the circuit panel. then i ran it up the a-pillar until i got just above the tiny window, where i mounted the GPS. looks super clean and took like 3 minutes to do.

 

Good to hear! Although if you wanted to, you could stop by some place that sells and installs car electronics and ask for a "socket adapter". This is a female socket, just like your cigarette lighter socket, with a positive and a ground lead coming out of the other end. It's great because it lets you hardwire a device such as a GPS without having to mod the adapter OR fry your GPS. They're usually only like 8 bucks.

 

That's funny. I went to Best Buy and asked for that exact thing, but I didn't know the name of it. They said they don't sell them, that they usually just hardwire a GPS to the stereo? IDK, but I was thinking along the same lines as you. Maybe in the future if I see one, I'll pick it up, just so I don't have to use my DC outlet.

 

Haha! Ironically enough, I actually work at Best Buy, installing car electronics. I use them all the time. When a customer doesn't want to spend the extra $8, I usually just wire up the adapter. But it's much easier to use the socket adapter. That's weird that they didn't have them.

 

which best buy do you work at? if it's on the way from SB to SD, maybe the next time i drive down i'll stop by and give you some business

 

It's kinda on the way, just a bit of a side trip. I work at the store in Chino Hills, just off the 71 freeway. Depending how you drive down from SB, you could get onto the 60 east and head towards Pomona. I'm right at the 60 and 71. You could then keep going eat to the 15 and take that down to SD. I've always got a crap load of those socket adapters!

Are you going to school in San Diego? And living in Santa Barbara? I grew up near Santa Barbara, in Santa Maria specifically.

 

I just got a Garmin and decided to put mine in the ipod glove box. That way , I don't have to remove it , just shut the lid. I can see it OK. I am sure glad I didn't cut off the 12v connector if it is true that it is stepped down to 5v. That connector blocks the cup holder, so I was searching in here to try and find how to tap off that 12v cig lighter connector. I will have to check that with a meter. Now maybe I can hook the power up to the Ipod USB connector (it has 5v I assume but it is a different USB connector. Maybe there is an adaptor.