Wiring a GPS directly to the fuse box?

baseballflash5 · **Joined:** Tue Dec 27, 2011 11:46 am **Posts:** 36

My portable GPS comes with a 12V plug so I can run it with my 12V outlet. What is the purpose of this plug? As far as I can tell, it contains a circuit board and fuse. I want to permanently mount my GPS in my car, so I was going to cut this plug off and wire the GPS directly to the fuse box in my car. (I'll probably also use a inline fuse). Is this OK?

LostEddie · **Posted:** Mon Feb 06, 2012 11:54 am

If you have a Garmin with “traffic” information – some models have the “traffic” receiver in the plug. The cord is the antenna.

nnvacrd · **Posted:** Tue Feb 07, 2012 8:54 am

A lot 12v plug in electronics, the plug is also a voltage drop, my sirius radio needs 5v not 12v, have to use the plug.

rocknrun · **Posted:** Fri Feb 24, 2012 3:42 pm

I mounted a 12 volt accy socket inside my console, plugged my gps into it and ran the wire to the gps out the bottom of the console. Don't remember now where I accessed the 12 volt conection but it made for a nice neat installation. Have a second accy socket in there too that powers the XM receiver. I'm not a big fan of a bunch of exposed power cables floating around.

sandman · **Joined:** Fri Sep 08, 2006 10:40 am **Posts:** 40

I think a lot of people have blown up the devices cutting the lighter plug off and wiring to 12v. Don't be one of them. Get a lighter socket and wire that to 12v. Then plug your device into it and your done. Hide the socket anywhere it easily accessible like the fuse panel area in case you need to get to it.

Cacher123 · **Posted:** Sat Feb 25, 2012 5:05 pm

LostEddie wrote:

If you have a Garmin with “traffic” information – some models have the “traffic” receiver in the plug. The cord is the antenna.

Yup. if your cord has a barrell or "choke" along it's length it could be one of two things;
the traffic reciever (garmin, maybe others) which obviously you don't want to cut off OR a "choke" which is actually a filter which prevents interference. Removing this may result in noise over your radio or interference to your GPS.
I plugged a "Y-splitter" cord into my lighter and then ran one end to each side of the console (one on the driver side and one on the pax side) and velcroed the socket to the side of the console about half way up from the floor. Now I can plug two devices in and the cords are pretty much unseen.

mikey1273 · **Posted:** Thu Mar 01, 2012 1:05 pm

nnvacrd wrote:

A lot 12v plug in electronics, the plug is also a voltage drop, my sirius radio needs 5v not 12v, have to use the plug.

There is a direct power kit for Sirius that can be adapted to 5 or 12 volt. I have that in mine. it came in a kit that included a mount, and also a direct FM module that pipes the FM output by wire to the head unit for clearer sound. check TSS radio for the kit if interested.

For the NAV don't cut the cord. my NAVGON needed the full cord for an antenna cutting it will likely mess up your NAVI, install an outlet hidden in the console.

Wiring a GPS directly to the fuse box?

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