hardwired Tom Tom

Author
Discussion

Viper

Original Poster:

10,005 posts

280 months

Monday 3rd October 2005
quotequote all
can it be hardwired ? I have seen any info about this.

I'm not a fan of a curly wire coming from the cigarette lighter socket dragging across the dash

chris_freebie

955 posts

246 months

Tuesday 4th October 2005
quotequote all
In my 3 series I replaced the standard Bmw Radio.

The face plate you use gave me enough room to the side to actually drill through and make a really nice cushty mount for the Ipaq.

Hidden behind all the plastics are the cables etc and power cable tucks down the side of the seat.

As my GPS reciever is about 4 years old it's the type that was originally a suction cup mount but they look horrid.

This sits nicely hidden away.

You can also adapt it as some chap did with a Zaffira on www.pocketgps.co.uk

Anyway someone wants me to do work now, bye !

moreymach

1,029 posts

273 months

Tuesday 4th October 2005
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Piece of piss ... Like MrFreebie I wired the Tomtom cradle to the radio so when the ignition comes live so does the GPS, I put my Snoopers on the same circuit so saves putting them off too and makes for a tidy install. The current draw fro these things is pretty tiny comapred to a car radio so that shouldt be a problem.
How difficult it will be depends a little on the car I guess but Ive done it on my E36 318 and now on an MGTF and didnt take more than 1/2 hour. Some knowledge of auto electrics is required I spose.

size13

2,032 posts

264 months

Tuesday 4th October 2005
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Main problem would be good if you could bypass the power button on the tt5 bluetooth gps receiver so it comes on when powered. Then you could put it out the way somewhere.

Shred-head

45 posts

241 months

Tuesday 4th October 2005
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Tomtom sell a docking station. It is quite pricy though are around £100.

As well as power supply etc, it will even allow you to connect it to your car radio and use the car's main speekers.

chris_freebie

955 posts

246 months

Tuesday 4th October 2005
quotequote all
I would take some photos for you but my car is currently at the body shop as the girl upstairs's friend reversed into it 3 weekends ago leaving me with a Corsa 1.2 vroom I forgot how much fun going slow is :P

Mine isn't hard-wired in terms of electrics. The re-radiating ariel goes all the way hidden to the boot, and a 3 way power adapter in the back of the car powered from the boot gives life to the phone charger, ipaq and the re-radiating ariel.

The wires all hide away nicely though and it does make a difference to the way you feel about using the GPS unit, having it on the windscreen is a nasty solution.

As a company car I can just put it back the way it was when I'm done, e.g. the faceplate comes out when the stock radio goes back in. Then comes the challenge of making it look sweet in the next car.

In a Ford Focus I found the right hand airvent designed to heat the drivers window comes out and in slides the mount (with the suction cup removed) perfectly !

In a Golf Mark 4 I found that the cup holder (yes honestly) worked a treat !!

Different things work with different cars but there are loads of ways to make it look good, you just need to think outside the box !!

Good luck.