So my girlfriend is getting me a navi unit for Christmas. I really wanted to mount it to the left side of my steering wheel on the windshield, but I have an 08 so I have the side curtain airbags. How exactly do they deploy because I would like to know how far away it would have to be? I guess I can always just mount it where everybody else does in the middle underneath the rearview, but I would like to keep it kind of out of the way. Any other suggestions?

I don't have it yet so I can't play with the mounting configurations, but I need to know how the side curtain airbags deploy so I don't get smacked in the face with the GPS if I get into an accident.

 

I would figure out a way to mount it on the visor. Because thieves look for the suction cup/suction cup marks as an indicator u got a GPS or radar detector.

 

Here's a couple of shots of what I did...

...now keep in mind that according to the state law in California, we cannot stick anything to the front windshield (although others do it all the time)...

 

^^^ i like that spot...

thats a good lil set up

ive wondered if u could whip somethin up and pop off the little plastic piece on the opposite side of your drivers side mirror and kinda stick it there and make somethin to hold it up.. get kinda crafty.. so its in the corner

 

I like that spot a lot. Any significant reception problems since the antenna probably doesn't get a clear view out the windshield? I don't usually use that cubby for much, and you could probably maneuver it out of the way anyway if you really needed it. I'm really gonna have to play around with it when I get it.

No one knows how the side curtain airbags deploy???

 

If your Side Curtain Airbags deploy, I think your GPS is the least of your worries. IMO

 

I don't care if the thing breaks if I get into an accident, I'm worried about making it into a projectile...hence, why I want to keep it far enough away for just in case they do deploy.

 

keep it under your rearview mirror, its really not "in the way". Just make sure its not up when you arnt using it and always remove it before you exit the car.

 

No problems with reception whatsoever... I've even turned on my TomTom inside the house and it picked up satellites without missing a beat...

besides... if the antenna is looking for satellites... the signal can be picked up thru the ginormous sunroof that our cars have just as easily as any windshield... just another advantage of having a tC...

 

very sharp have you tried to splice the harness to keep your cigarette lighter working as an extra spot?

 

Here's where I have mine mounted...


It's in the top left corner there, doesn't obstruct visibility really at all. I deliver pizzas for a part time job so I'm constantly using it. Very easily within reach also. I've got it wired into the sunroof harness so no wires running anywhere, and it comes on by itself.

Can't see it outside the car really either. I have a 5% strip on the windshield. So I don't worry about theft.

 

how did you mount it there? i just got one for xmas and it uses a suction cup, but it wont suck to the inner cubbie area

 

Good idea I haven't thought of that yet... besides, I haven't found a need to use that socket for anything else yet... (I'm not a smoker and I don't have any other accessories that need the cig lighter socket) But if I do, that's definitely a great idea.

Wait a minute... I do have a G-Tech meter... but it's not something that I use THAT often... I'd just unplug the GPS whenever I plug in the G-Tech... I doubt I'll get lost running quarter miles

 

Suction cup stuck to the inside right side of the cubbyhole. Then I just turned and rotated the mount to fit. The right side inside wall is smooth enough to work and the suction cup is just small enough to fit there. Just make sure the cup is moist so that it will stick.

Which model did you get? Some of the suction cups are bigger/smaller.

 

i got a tomtom xl 300 s, im gonna go try it right now.

 

that actually works pretty well. It's not perfectly centered but it works nicely angled towards me and just barely out of the way of my shift ****. Thanks

 

No problem, I prefer that it's not centered so that there's room for the cig lighter plug and my bass ****. Glad to be of help.

 

We will see today if I am successful at mounting my GPS down there in the cubby. I got a Magellan and apparently they think that it needs a ridiculously gigantic suction cup, so I may need to use the adhesive instead of the suction cup...we will see. Hopefully it won't get in the way of my shift **** or anything.

 

mount it on the left side, that way when you're on road trips in 5th you don't block the view of the screen.