[smurray]

I'd like to hardwire my Garmin GPS and I have a couple questions about the best way to do this. My unit has the power adapter with the traffic receiver built in, so I plan on buying a 12v socket and wiring that up somehow so the factory plug can just plug into that. I actually have two questions. First, how is the best way to wire this up? I'd like it to turn on when the stereo can turn on (acc position), but not be on when the car is off. I'm not sure what wires I can splice into to achieve that. Also, I'm wondering what the best way to route the wires are. I have the GPS mounted in the lower left corner of my windshield.

Thanks in advance to anyone who can help me out.

 

[svtguy88]

This actually won't be that difficult. Where I used to work, our entire GPS display ran off of our car audio wall, which was a 12 volt system. All you need is an adapter that the cigarette lighter plug for the Garmin plugs into. The other side of the adapter is just a positive and negative wire. Splice that into a fuse that has power when the car is running, but not when the key is in the ACC position.

 

[svtguy88]

Forgot to mention, you may be able to find that adapter at Radio Shak. I don't know for sure, as our store just had a box full of them that we used as we needed them.

 

[2005sangriaZX3]

I just hardwired my Garmin in the exact location you have yours and it took me probably 15 mins. I picked up an accessory outlet from RadioShack and used the switched 12v on the radio harness and its real easy to tuck the wire and run it under the dash and looks perfect. I will try to snap a picture tomorrow for you of it mounted.

 

[bluefront]

You can get those accessory plugs from many places....Auto-Zone, O'Rileys, Walmart, etc.

You should also get a fuse tap from an auto parts place....with a circuit tester, or a VOM, probe your fuse panel till you find a fuse that's hot in the accessory position. Routing the wires is easy....any place out of the way is ok. Just attach the wire so it won't get rubbed through or rattle.

 

[smurray]

I just hardwired my Garmin in the exact location you have yours and it took me probably 15 mins. I picked up an accessory outlet from RadioShack and used the switched 12v on the radio harness and its real easy to tuck the wire and run it under the dash and looks perfect. I will try to snap a picture tomorrow for you of it mounted.

Pictures would be great, thanks!

 

[smurray]

any recommendations on which fuse to tap into? I think I'm going to get an add-a-circuit to tap into whatever it is I decide on, and I believe the maximum fuse you can use in it is a 10a fuse. I'm looking through the owners manual, and see a few different options, but I'm not sure which only receive power when the car is on.

 

[zlaja]

any recommendations on which fuse to tap into? I think I'm going to get an add-a-circuit to tap into whatever it is I decide on, and I believe the maximum fuse you can use in it is a 10a fuse. I'm looking through the owners manual, and see a few different options, but I'm not sure which only receive power when the car is on.

just run a relay off the ignition or something

 

[MattZX3]

or you could just tap into the accessory from behind the radio

probably the easiest and smartest way to wire in an accessory lead

 

[2005sangriaZX3]

Here are some pictures. I used this: http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062272 behind the radio, and t-tapped it into the radio harness so it turns on and off with the car.



And I ran the wire down the side of the dash and underneath the steering wheel to behind the radio and plugged into the accessory outlet.

 

[andrewjay84]

take the panel off below the steering wheel. it has four 8mm bolts holding it on. this will allow you a lot of room of trying to tuck your wires behind the dash. you can ground it on the metal bracket holding the fuse panel to the frame of the dash. run your positive wire fused at either 5 or 7.5 amps (whichever is available to you) to a green/yellow wire coming from your steering column. it will be a thicker wire next to many others of the same size. this is your ignition wire. you can go to your radio harness and the wire color you need there is yellow/green. its more work to go to your radio harness, i'd stick with the ignition harness.

 

[smurray]

I went to autozone yesterday and bought an add-a-circuit to tap into the fuse box behind the cd storage bin. I'm gonna try and find one of those that turns on with the car and tap into that fuse. I want to do it this way because it means I don't have to permanently alter anything. I may eventually get a new HU with navigation built in so I'd like to be able to undo anything I do at this point. Thanks for all the help guys.