hard wiring a GPS?

[Godwin]

I keep a GPS running nearly all the time while in the Cruiser but the connection through the cig lighter adapter sometimes comes loose. Is hardwiring a GPS as simple as cutting off the cig lighter adapter and hooking the wires to a 12v source and ground? Maybe also add an inline fuse?

 

[mobi-arc]

Is hardwiring a GPS as simple as cutting off the cig lighter adapter and hooking the wires to a 12v source and ground?

Yes. You just need to decide if you want 12v all the time and turn the GPS on/off with the on/off button, or keyed-on 12v. And yes, you should fuse the wire.

 

[kevinmrowland]

I hate things sticking out of the cig. lighter so.........

I took the cigarette housing, opened it up, the main spring pin was a 15a fuse and on the inside was some kind of little diode/heat fuse thing. I soldered new wires onto the heat fuse (making sure to keep positive as positive) heat shrunk those wires and ran them to a 15a fuse on the OEM fuse block.
The wires leave the fuse box, go a few inches to the original cigaret housing (now hidden behind the dash) then, run up behind the dash and the plug just sits there out of the way when the GPS is not in use.

I did not use a switched power source, I figured I would want to use the GPS when the vehicle was not on as well.

 

[Godwin]

Thought it would be simple to wire up but wanted to check before I snip the GPS cord. When I get around to it I'll set it up so that I can run it without having the key on.

 

[mobi-arc]

Thought it would be simple to wire up but wanted to check before I snip the GPS cord. When I get around to it I'll set it up so that I can run it without having the key on.

Don't be afraid to snip the chord....you have positive and negative.

 

[BC_FJC]

Mine uses a USB cable to power it so I wired a 12v plug under the dash and zap tied my the GPS plug into it. I then routed the cable throw the dash and have it coming out next to my GPS mount.

Nice and easy took about 15 min...