Hard wiring in a Road Angel

[TAC]

Right I wish to hard wire in my road angel as I am fed up with the wires lying over the dash.

I was planning just to run the adaptor I have directly off the existing cigarette lighter socket however this is a constant live and when the keys are out and car locked it still provides power, not sure if this can be changed on vagcom??

I need to know where I can run a feed for the adaptor off that will run off the ignition for the devise?? The adaptor I have purchased is basically a cigarette socket with two wires, provided by road angel.

Any advice would be grand..

Cheers
Tom

 

[h5djr]

I have a Roadpilot MicroGo and wanted to wire this so that it did not use the 12v socket. Basically I purchased an lead with a 12v lighter socket on one end and bare wires on the other end. I connected a flat blade terminal to the positive (red) lead and a ring to the negative (black lead). I then opened the fuse box cover at the drivers end of the dash and with a meter found an fuse socket on the board with was live when the ignition was on. I connected the flat blade terminal to the fuse in this socket and connected the negative to a dash fixing screw to get an earth. On my previous 2007 A3 there was a empty fuse socket that was live when the ignition was on and I used that. The actual socket and plug and spare wirining was wrapped in foam and placed behind the dash, with just the small feed wire to the Micro Go coming out at the drivers end of the dash and connecting to the back of the MicroGo. I have included a picture below...

A3-2009 wiring05

 

[TAC]

I have a Roadpilot MicroGo and wanted to wire this so that it did not use the 12v socket. Basically I purchased an lead with a 12v lighter socket on one end and bare wires on the other end.

Thats what I have done, purchased a 12v socket with two bare wires. I like your solution!!! I assume from your picture that the top of the fuse is the + terminal?

Thanks

Tom

 

[h5djr]

Thats what I have done, purchased a 12v socket with two bare wires. I like your solution!!! I assume from your picture that the top of the fuse is the + terminal?

Thanks

Tom

Yes Tom that's correct. The negative is the ring attached to the dashboard fixing screw with the hexagaon head.

 

[beanoir]

Good stuff Dave, I have been looking into doing this with my TomTom iPhone cradle in that same position on the dash, I have already wired in a 3.5mm jack to the back of the headunit to feed the audio, and the power was the next thing. The 2 leads (power and audio) will then just poke out a short amount and plug into the cradle.

Can't see your picture but I think I know what it is you've done.

Cheers!

 

[paddy]

What you have done is what i did for my sat nav before i got the RNSE. Stick a volt meter on the top and bottom connections with the ignition on... If the top of the fuse is live with the ignition on then come off the bottom of the fuse so the fuse is in the circuit or vie versa if the bottom of the fuse is live come off the top. I really wouldnt do this unless you incorporate the fuse and make sure you use the right rated fuse as well.

 

[h5djr]

What you have done is what i did for my sat nav before i got the RNSE. Stick a volt meter on the top and bottom connections with the ignition on... If the top of the fuse is live with the ignition on then come off the bottom of the fuse so the fuse is in the circuit or vie versa if the bottom of the fuse is live come off the top. I really wouldnt do this unless you incorporate the fuse and make sure you use the right rated fuse as well.

In my case the plug feeding the MicroGo has it's own built in fuse, but a good point.

 

[Lee_R]

My tom tom is wired in too, it was pretty easy, just bought a 12v connector off ebay, plugged the tom tom straight into it. The bare ends I just tapped into the cigarette lighter feed and hid the wires under the center console. I also dropped a switch in which i fitted to the side of the center console. i can either have my tom tom off or permenantly charging.

I'm no electrican though, my dad helped me! lol

 

[NHN]

Fuses 1-11 are ignition fed, just use one of these mate to feed the unit, advised this before to another & worked a treat, if using existing wired fuse point, make sure you check the systems connected to this fuse so as to not overload the rating, maybe up the fuse to cater, nothing major though so still protective as such.

 

[TAC]

Fuses 1-11 are ignition fed, just use one of these mate to feed the unit, advised this before to another & worked a treat, if using existing wired fuse point, make sure you check the systems connected to this fuse so as to not overload the rating, maybe up the fuse to cater, nothing major though so still protective as such.

Did the large part of the instal today, and wired in as advised another fuse before the adaptor, just missing the micro fuse to finish the circuit doh.........

Will do a little write up with photos when complete.

Hope all is well Nige?
Tom

 

[beanoir]

Good work Tom, look forward to seeing the pictures!

 

[davej_anderson]

Did the large part of the instal today, and wired in as advised another fuse before the adaptor, just missing the micro fuse to finish the circuit doh.........

Will do a little write up with photos when complete.

Hope all is well Nige?
Tom

Looking forward to seeing this as I keep meaning to hardwire my Pogo alert

 

[NHN]

Hope all is well Nige?
Tom

That is a very open ended query tbh, tbc on dog when you're about fella, lol

 

[TAC]

Right Now having completed the install and with photos is a blow by blow guide of how to do it.

First things first what you will need:

Cigarette adaptor £9.99 (got mine from road angel however sure more available on the bay)
Fuse Holder £3.49 (Halfords)
Mini fuse 20A £1.89 (Halfords)
Blade connector
Bullet connector
Some cable ties and some foam.

Right step 1
Identify which fuse point to use I went through them all with my meter and found which were constant lives and which were live on the ignition. I went for fuse 9 which was a mini fuse and was not allocated to any devise.

Step 2

Secure power cable behind dash and through to fuse box, achieved by simply feeding wire along dash and the pushing under the trim.

Step 3

Now to put the power loom together. On the positive wire I have wired in a fuse connector and inserted a 20A mini fuse just to be safe. I then on the negative terminal crimped on an O ring connecter. The fuse block could be soldered in place however I used a bullet connector here.

Step 4

Next I attached the O ring to the dash bolt which gave an excellent earth.

Step 5

I now had to trim the spade connector to fit fuse space 9 as this was a mini fuse and then inserted into position 9.

Step 6

Now to tidy up all the wires....

To do this and protect the adaptor and inster and stop it ratteling about when placed behind the fuse box I wropped it in foam held together with cable ties.

I then carefully placed everything in behind the fuse box area.

Install done all working.

Hope this is of help to everyone!

 

[davej_anderson]

Great stuff!

 

[NHN]

Tom nice job, but dont like the cut down spade connector to much mate, makes a good mod look little shabby fella, maybe a repair wire in back of fuse 9 would have been more prudent, just advice mate, but overall goal acheived so nice one.

 

[TAC]

Tom nice job, but dont like the cut down spade connector to much mate, makes a good mod look little shabby fella, maybe a repair wire in back of fuse 9 would have been more prudent, just advice mate, but overall goal acheived so nice one.

Wasn't originally planning on wiring to one of the mini fuses, untill I spotted the spare point hich ran off the ignition, will probably take your advice and change this at some point soon.

 

[csmager]

Hi

Sorry to drag up an old thread - currently trying to do this in a MY2010 S3 Sportback... and I'm struggling.

I'm comfortable with the electrics - that won't be an issue. What I can't do is get the USB cable from the fuse box to the dash!

Anyone got any tips on this? If I try shoving something down by the pillar, I seem to hit something below and can't get any further.

 

[NHN]

Are you actually removing trims etc to feed the wires through, like the trim that covers the underside of the steering column etc?

Takes 2 minutes & is a piece of **** to remove.

Where are you positioning the unit overall?

 

[csmager]

Really not tried terribly hard yet - just had a quick go. On my old Golf, I could just shove it in and grab it without removing much/any trim.

I'm aiming to position it by the pillar to the right of the steering wheel (i.e. just above the fuse box, just behind the air vent and slope on the dash). It can sit on the magnetic pad there.

So all I've tried is shoving the cable down between the pillar. I've not removed any trim yet. What trim needs removing to give me more of a clue what's in the way? Just under the steering wheel?

 

[NHN]

Remove the trim that covers the underside of above the drivers footwell, then you'll find your 500 metres of fed wire.

 

[csmager]

Ok, thanks. Will give it a go at some point - maybe not today, far too hot!

 

[NHN]

Wussy

Get your **** out there & do it, it'll take 5 minutes max, lol.

 

[csmager]

I braved the warm weather and had a go. Need a shower now. Still wasn't that easy - the USB connector is pretty large, and as far as I could work out there's only a tiny gap to fit it through. Might've snapped a small bit of plastic off somewhere internally, but no big deal. Got it through now.

Connected the USB to the 5V reg to the cigarette lighter socket, coiled all the cables and tied it somewhere sensible. Crimped a ring connector on the ground lead and put it behind the dash bolt - seems to be a decent ground, as i get 12V across when I shove a meter from it to the fuse box.

I had an 'add-in-circuit' fuse tap for the ATO sized fuses (one of these http://www.autoelectricsupplies.co.uk/product/715) from my last car. I'll be ******** if I can find any of the ATO fuses that are ignition switched - do you know any better?

If not, I'll get hold of a mini one. They're not exactly expensive, and quite a neat solution.

 

[beanoir]

Really not tried terribly hard yet - just had a quick go. On my old Golf, I could just shove it in and grab it without removing much/any trim.

I'm aiming to position it by the pillar to the right of the steering wheel (i.e. just above the fuse box, just behind the air vent and slope on the dash). It can sit on the magnetic pad there.

So all I've tried is shoving the cable down between the pillar. I've not removed any trim yet. What trim needs removing to give me more of a clue what's in the way? Just under the steering wheel?

I've been struggling to feed the wire down at exactly the same place, mine currently feeds down the side of the dash where the door closes and into the flap covering the fuse box which is a bit naf and a job half done in my opnion. I'd quite like to know how you managed to get the wire down the side of the dash where the pillar meets it, I couldn't manage myself.

Does the pillar trim need removing?

 

[csmager]

I've been struggling to feed the wire down at exactly the same place, mine currently feeds down the side of the dash where the door closes and into the flap covering the fuse box which is a bit naf and a job half done in my opnion. I'd quite like to know how you managed to get the wire down the side of the dash where the pillar meets it, I couldn't manage myself.

Does the pillar trim need removing?

I imagine removing some trim would help, but I couldn't really see where to start. If you remove the trim under the steeriing wheel, you can sort of see underneath. I stuck a screwdriver (would be better with something plastic if you have it!) between the gab between the pillar and the dash (nearly at the edge of the pillar, nearest the drivers window). If you do that and look underneath, you should be able to see a small bit of daylight.

What I should have done is either fed from underneath (as far as I could work out, near impossible to get the required purchase behind it), or found a cable that didn't have such a huge USB connector (e.g. mini to mini, and then a mini-normal USB adaptor or something. Instead I just forced the cable through the small gap and broke a small bit of plastic off in the process - no idea what it was or what it's for, but everything works fine and nothing rattles... so can only assume it wasn't that important.

Certainly not easy! Which fuse have you got it running from?

 

[beanoir]

I may have another go when i get home tonight, it would be neater if I can manage to feed the cables this way.

I have forgotten which fuse i use, I know it's one of the mini fuse, but the number I can't remember, but it's a permanant live rather than a switched live, again not perfect so I may try and change that too once I have the final cable position.

I'm actually installing a TomTom cradle for the iPhone, whcih is superb, trouble is I have 2 cables, the mini USB to provide the power and an aux cable for the sound to the back of the headunit!

 

[beanoir]

Got out there last night and managed to squeeze the cables through the gap as you described, it's certainly not easy!! But it looks a whole lot neater now.

Back to it tonight to terminate the power connections, i'll update on the fuse I use.

Cheers

 

[NHN]

Fuses 1-11 are ignition switched, just remember, adding another device to a fuse increases the current therefore increasing the chance of blowing due to over usage as such, so if at all possible fit a new fuse slot to any of the 1-11 that arent in use, then use this for your peripherals, just some advice.

 

[Fast,not furious]

I thought there must be an easier option,how about this? Cheaper and the work's done for you!



http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B003BOFTSA/