GPS Wiring

[Billakris]

Has anyone wired their GPS directly to the battery somehow? Im getting tired of having the wires right in front of the shifter so that it can connect to the cigarrette lighter. Ive heard of running wires behind the dash, but is that just a way of hiding it, or do you actually have a different wire that can connect to an alternate power source? Ive looked at the garmin site and cant find any different connectors that will fit into the back of the GPS V and I really dont want it in the cigarrette lighter anymore. Any help would be great, Thanks

[Doug]

I hard-wired a triple cig lighter to the battery (with a fuse in line) and mounted it under the dash. Provides power with engine off or on. Sometimes, like on the NVTR, I have to run another splitter since there are so many gadgets working. Just gotta remember to turn 'em all off!

[m.michaels]

If you uncrew the plastic covering that is over the clock, cigaratte lighter and hazards you will see that there is a tunnel travelling down that the wiring harness for the dash, ignition, etc travels down to the fuse block. From there you can get to the battery under the transmission hump, or wherever the harness exits the firewall. I used this tunnel to reroute my rear wiper, defrost, rear washer switches, and hazards onto my center console.

[loykd]

here's a link to the wiring that you could use: http://www.gpsdiscount.com/products/index.html?a=62

The problem in doing this is that you lose the speaker. If you're running the ST though, it's tough to hear anyway.

[Billakris]

Ken, thats exactly what i was looking for. Thanks man! Can I just wire this straight to the battery, or will that screw up the gps? What kind of electrical stuff do I need to put in there? (Sorry, I dont really know too much about electricity)
Mathew and Doug, i think im gonna have to do some extensive wiring back there anyways, but im trying to limit that now and go for the cleanest look, Thanks a lot!

Is there any way to power the gps while it is hooked up to a lap top? I dont have it set up now, but i am thinking about having a set up so that the passenger can view the gps on a computer. I just dont want the thing to have to run on batteries all the time. Once again, thanks...

[Mike Hippert]

here's a link to the wiring that you could use: http://www.gpsdiscount.com/products/index.html?a=62

The problem in doing this is that you lose the speaker. If you're running the ST though, it's tough to hear anyway.
How do you lose the speaker? Is it powered from the same port?

Can I just wire this straight to the battery, or will that screw up the gps? What kind of electrical stuff do I need to put in there? (Sorry, I dont really know too much about electricity)Won't screw it up at all, I put a fuse bux in my 90 for all the extra stuff. Makes it much neater and cleaner. also allot easier to add new stuff. The only problem with running it right to the batt is you end up trying to connect the tiny GPS wire in with the massive battery wire. If it is the only thing you will be adding then I would run it to the fuse box, then buy this little kit from the autoparts store called "add a circuit" or something like that. It plugs into a fuse and adds a second fuse so that you don't need to run a wire to the battery.

[loykd]

Mike, the speaker is part of the cigarette adapter for the GPS. If you wire directly, you lose that speaker.

As for wiring, Kris, I'd just run it to the fusebox, or splice it into the clock. You can fish the wire behind the dash and into the area behind the cigarette lighter/clock plate. Go to the auto shop and you'll find some pretty simple splice kits that you can use. No soldering or fancy tools required. If you want to run a wire to the fusebox, that's not too hard either. The auto parts store will have a doo-hickey fuse-like thing that you replace a fuse with, and it allows you to add this new wire without affecting the original fuse. Someone here, I'm sure, can elaborate on the pros and cons, but in my mind, I'd just go with wiring to the clock. Super simple.

And fwiw, I've gotten stuff from gpsdiscount.com before and the guy is pretty helpful. You might also want to get a mount for the dash. They sell ones that attach with adhesive or have the fancy-schmancy swivel heads. Oh, and if you haven't figured it out already, a 90deg phillips screwdriver will be REAL handy if you want to lift the dash to run the wires.

[ronward]

Kris, I went to the local autoparts place and bought a 12volt accessory outlet with inline fuse and alligator clips that go directly to the batter pos and neg. At first I clipped the pos and neg lines to the batter and ran the wire out of the seat box up under the dash. There I connect my GPS cig lighter power cord into the auxiliary one. Completely out of sight, but I can remove when necessary.

[Billakris]

Thanks for the responses, hopefully i can get this out of the way sometime this week!

[loykd]

Kris, did you ever get your GPS wired? I now have a cig adapter that's broken at the cigarette lighter end. You can have it to tear down and hardwire to your truck if you'd like.

Or if anyone else wants it, let me know. It goes into the circular file otherwise.

I'll get back with you next week if you PM/email/post.

[Trevor Tarr]

Cigarette lighter plugs always seem to jiggle loose offroad, which was my incentive to replace the bank of six I'd added with a hardwire solution. I found a wire in the clock compartment (fine as long as your total load is low) that's keyed to the ignition, added an inline fuse just to be safe, and created a junction box that powers my laptop, GPS, Rino, scanner, etc., etc.

[Billakris]

Ken,
Thanks but ive got the intall figured out and everything i need, but my grandfather died and i just got back in town and havnt had time to tear into the dash to run the wires. Hofefully ill get this done sometime....... Thanks again for the help and the offer.
By the way, im just using an "add a fuse." And running it with the radio fuse. Any suggestions on where and how to run the wire down from by the ash tray to the fuse box?
Kris

[dmarchand]

You could always go here and order some audio pipe distribution blocks and battery connections. They are Canadien, very easy to deal with. And their pricing can't be beat... :) I've had an excellent time dealing with them.

www.hivolume.com

http://www.hivolume.com/en/list.php?aftermarket_part=9
http://www.hivolume.com/en/list.php?aftermarket_part=26

[norros]

Dave is right.

Damn I couldn't find those things anywhere except for EE... and they popped me something like $17 + shipping.

Day late & a dollar short ! (well, more than a dollar because I ordered FOUR!!!)

Great site!!!

If you do end up going this route with the audiopipe terminals & distribution block, EE does have a nice writeup with pic's...


Nicholas

[dmarchand]

It's okay Nick... their prices are shown in Canadien dollars, which is also to our advantage.... :cool:

[norros]

doh!

See, just goes to show ya'... should have use the D-90 source!

:)

Nicholas