Live Wire Wanted

[old codger]

Hi folks. I hope someone can help me with a little problem that I have.

I have a Garmin SatNav that I use fairly often and its method of charging is getting on my nerves. What I mean is that the holder is clipped into a heating outlet vent, in the centre of the dashboard, and the charging cable is plugged into the back of the unit. From there the cable hangs down across the radio, heating controls and passes the gear lever on the way to the cigarette lighter plug, by the handbrake. Consequently, it becomes an obstruction when you want to use these items.

As the lighter plug casing on the original cable broke, I had the brain wave (?) of seeing if I could feed the SatNav from behind the dashboard. The gubbins inside the lighter plug still worked and I enclosed it inside a small plastic box with the leads out side of each end. The idea is that I cut the cable from the SatNav plug and connect a 3.5 mm Jack to the cut end, (there are only two wires running through this system). On the end of the remaining wire I connect a 3.5mm socket and this is secured on one of the spare blanking panels next to the hazard light switch. Thus I have a short piece of wire from the SatNav to the “power supply” on the dashboard.

Now this is where the problem arises. I have taken the radio out but I cannot identify a live feed to connect to as a power source. All the wires are nicely wrapped in a cloth covering, which can be easily cut. However, I cannot understand the wiring diagram on the radio and don’t know which is a permanently live source.

Can anybody help please? The Car is a SEAT Exeo and the radio is a “Concert” model I believe.

Regards

Old Codger

 

[Derbian]

Why do you want to power it from the radio ? Better idea is to run the wire through to the fuse box behind the panel on the extreme right hand side of the dashboard and use a "fuse tap" to take power off one of the ignition controlled fuses. Quite easy to do if you have the radio out.

 

[okedave]

Why do you want to power it from the radio ? Better idea is to run the wire through to the fuse box behind the panel on the extreme right hand side of the dashboard and use a "fuse tap" to take power off one of the ignition controlled fuses. Quite easy to do if you have the radio out.

Thats exactly what I was about to suggest

 

[Tamas328]

I wanted to hard wire the dash cam to the fuse box but in the end I just fed the power cable from the cigarette lighter to the dash cam on the top of the windscreen.

There is a removable section under the handbrake that just unclips so you can feed the cable down and out either side of the gearbox tunnel. Then you can bring it back up to meet the sat nav unit on the outlet vent.

It won`t be as "clean" as it would be hardired but it requires absolutely nothing and can be done in about 5 minutes.

 

[old codger]

Hi Derbian – Thank you for your response.

I chose the radio option as this was the nearest point to where I wanted the “Power Outlet” for the SatNav. There are usually plenty of wires behind it to be of use.

I have taken the cover off the fuse box and had a look along to see if there was a possible route. It is very congested behind the Instrument binnacle. I’ll need to get a wire coat hanger to see if I can poke a route through. The main problem is that you cannot get a hand up behind the dashboard. It has been many a year since I have laid on my back in a foot well to see what is up there. I am not used to these posh cars. It was a lot easier in the 60’s and my Mini.

To Tamas328 - Thank you for your suggestion. I un-clipped that section and felt the wires for the lighter. However, I could not remove the lighter from its hole. Did you mange to get it out? If so, how did you do it? I tried to lift it out with a screwdriver but I did not wish to put to much pressure on it. Mind you I still don’t know if there is a clear route from there to the back of the radio space.

Regards

Old Codger

 

[GREEBO22]

Hi Old Codger,
what id suggest is what Derbian suggested earlier using a "FUSE TAP" ( also known as a piggy back fuse) check on youtube to see what they look like and how to fit them ( very easy) then if you want to fit the power where you said, get a torch and place in the drivers foot well shining up towards the heater / radio ( placed so the light shines behind the trim below the steering wheel) and ( assuming that you still have the radio out) you should see the light and be able to thread a cable down towards the light, crimp it to the fuse tap and cable tie behind the trim, then you will be able to position the 12v cable to the area you want,,

i did the same thing on my passat and put a usb adaptor in to charge my phone but with my tomtom i just used a fuse tap with inline ciggerette socket and put a standard power lead in... then i popped out the A piller trim ( cut a little notch out of the edge of the trim by the windscreen for the cable ) and ran about 3inches of the tomtom power lead out and clipped the trim back ,, but i prefer to have the tomtom between the instrument cluster and the a piller

good luck what ever way you try

 

[old codger]

Hi Folks,

Again thanks for your replies.

I am nearly there as I now have a cable between the fuse box and the back of the radio space. The torch idea did work and I have sent off for a "Fuse Tap" to do the connection. (Thanks for mentioning the Fuse Tap as I had not come across this item before; but, there again, it is many years since I needed to fiddle with a car).

There is one matter that puzzles me and that is the picture in my hand book and one I downloaded shows a mirror image of my fuse box; and it is referred to as being on the left hand side of the dashboard. (Were they just too bl**dy lazy to alter it for the British market).

Anyway, the question is do the fuse numbers match if you count them in reverse? Is there a proper right hand drive photo of the fuse box anywhere?

Thanks for your help

Old Codger