Hi all! Just bought my first xB this week (haven't even picked it up yet!) First post here as well . . .

OK, so I did a little searching and didn't see any posts that addressed this - here is my situation:

I want to install a second 12v jack (cigarette lighter) into the center console, in the general area of the AUX jack for the radio. I am a total car and wiring noob, although I have installed UHF radios into vehicles before and didn't find it too terribly difficult. However, this is my own vehicle, and I don't want to screw it up. I am reasonably handy and intelligent, just ignorant.

My main purpose is to have a power supply for my iPod - I have a Belkin 12v charger that connects to the iPod via the dock connector, as well as a mini plug located on the charger that plugs into the AUX port. This way I can charge and connect the iPod via the dock connector WITHOUT having to operate the iPod through the head unit (2 and 3 line displays don't work well with huge libraries to scroll through). I want to be able to plug it all in neatly at the center console without running the wires from the factory 12v plug to the center console area between the seats.

I also have a GPS I use when traveling, and need to charge my cell phone as well, so one 12V plug just isn't gonna cut it for me.

Is this a simple job that I really could do myself and have it look professional and clean with just a little coaching, or am I better off taking it somewhere?

Also, future proofing the vehicle - anywhere else you can think I might want more 12v plugs? I was thinking maybe on the back of the center console, accessible to the back seat passengers.

Thanks for any information you all might be able to share with me!

Mark

 

Well, you basiclly have 2 options. You go buy a splitter that will turn your 12 cig outlet into 2 cig outlets, like this...


...or you could get the the plug and install it in the center console.


It sounds like your wanting to try option 2. If you do that all you need is to cut a hole where you want the plug to go and run the wire to a +12 volts and a ground(i think, or -12). You should be able to tap into the incabin fuse box for you +12 volts and use the ground thats under the kick panel(kinda where left foot goes). To tap the fuse box you'll need a "mini-add-a-fuse" from autozone, looks like this
*note: image provided by Edzone_xB from a diff post.
The add a fuse will fit into one of the slots and let you keep the existing fuse while leting you run another fused line. For a cig outlet I recommend adding a 25-30amp fuse.

Here are some other posts that might help, good luck.
https://www.scionlife.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=151882
https://www.scionlife.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=145639
https://www.scionlife.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=163206

 

I did this early on when i got my car back in '05. The location is different, but the theory is the same. You can pick up the lighter adapter from your local auto shop. I chose one with a light so it required an additional power source to turn the ring on. All you need to do is drill out a large enough hole, and run the power and ground. Be sure that you have sufficient space behind wherever you decide to install. Check my thread here:

https://www.scionlife.com/forums/vie...=460786#460786

Good luck!

 

So much for searching and not finding any threads . . . Sorry 'bout that - but thanks for the helpful linkage! Doesn't look too difficult. Not sure how confident I feel about tapping into other wires, but the process of running the wires and installing the plug itself looks simple enough.

Thanks!

 

marine parts stores usually have a large selection of different lighters. They also ave every stainless steel hardware you can think of.

 

As stated above, I am driving an RS 4.0 Automatic. How would you recommend running the wiring? I was thinking up under the dash, but not sure how to hide the wires for that small gap between the dash and the center console.

 

I ran into that problem when installing some LEDs, the way your suposed to do it is by removing the sliver side trim on the lower dash. There are some screws under it and you can remove that bottom part to run some wires. The only problem is that there are these little snaps that hold in that bottom part and I couldnt get them off so I had to abandon this method. What I ended up doing was using a a coat hanger to to pull wires under the carpet. This worked well and didnt leave any marks or noticable bumps where the wires are. If you can get those snaps off the side of the bottom piece then that would be a better way to go.

 

You should be able to go under the carpet, and up to the dash. There are probably a few threads on the forum on how to take the dash apart. Check in the audio section. It is fairly simple...one of the easiest I've worked with. Let me know if you have any more questions. Pictures would be helpful if I didn't answer your question correctly.

 

UHF radios in the past??. whats your call sign.. im KI6FLJ out of So. Cal area.. usualyl on teh catalina repater 147.090 wondering if itve talked toy ou before. (if that the uhf/ hf radioes we're talkinga bout) . if not nevermind

 

No, I myself am not a ham radio guy so I don't have any call signs. My dad used to be into it really big, so I grew up around them. He went by WB2JMX. I however never found any interest in talking to random people over the radio and never took up the hobby.

The UHF radios I installed were small Motorola models that we used when I was in Iraq. I was stationed on a small Iraqi basic training base, and worked as the computer geek for the Base Support Unit. In order to get around base and take care of the basic needs of the post, we had Chevy Luvs instead of using our Humvees. I installed some basic Motorola GM360's in the trucks just for around post communication (although, we never did get any tactical radios, and ended up putting the commercial motorola radios in our Humvees for convoy communications when we would go outside the fence. Ah, the good ol' days. . .)

Installing the GM360's was pretty straight forward - hooked the power directly to the battery terminals, ran the wires through the engine through the firewall and under the dash. Pulled out the dash and took out a small storage compartment in the center console, and mounted the radio right underneath the stock tape player. Biggest issue I ran into was people blowing the inline fuse.

I think I feel pretty good about doing this particular mod though - running the extra 12v source that is. I found a 12v port at radio shack that looks good:

http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...entPage=family

Also found these three 12v caps for the Mustang that I thought would look sharp:

http://www.modernspeedmachines.com/c...roducts_id/796
http://www.modernspeedmachines.com/c...roducts_id/795
http://www.modernspeedmachines.com/c...roducts_id/797

And lastly, found a good tutorial of a guy installing the radio shack model 12v plug into his vespa:

http://www.modernvespa.com/forum/topic1935.html

So, once the weather clears up a little, we will see what I end up doing. I also would like to hard wire my GPS in to the car as well, so we will see what all comes out.