GPS / Sat Radio / Bluetooth / Phone

[Coke6pk]

So yesterday, I took the plunge to add all the extras from my old written off car that I've struggled to live without since December.

First off, dash removal. Followed the instructions provided here and in YouTube videos... went off without a hitch. I was tapping into both switched (Cig lighter plug) and Unswitched (Radio), so the casing around the gear shift came out too. All in all, a fairly simple task! (And a great opportunity to clean out the gunk that had accumulated in the gear shift by the previous owner)

My first step was to add an unswitched USB outlet in the right cubby for charging my phone and the Bluetooth receiver that I have plugged into my Aux port. Since there are times that my car may sit for a week at a time w/o being used, I installed a switch way at the back of the cubby as well.

Hit my first snag when splicing into the radio wires. I had assumed (1st mistake) that it was just a cloth covering the wires, so I used a pair of scissors to cut it back. I made it thru two speaker wires before I learned its a cloth tape. Easy fix.... thank goodness is was just a basic cable and not some sort of data one I can't just easily fix!

Cubby's were connected, and worked as planned!

Then, in preparation for my GPS install, I had to make a hole in the top piece of the dash to feed thru the antenna wire.

 

[Coke6pk]

Part II

So the next step was to feed the power cords from near the gear shift up to the top tray (for the GPS) and to the right cubby (for the Sat Radio). I also ran my phone charger cord from the right cubby to my phone cradle on the left most air vent, and the sat radio antenna from a spot near the factory antenna thru the trunk, under the doors, behind the dashboard and up into the right cubby. The cord came out right above the light switch, and I used a clip to hold it in place on the vent. The charger cord for the Bluetooth was just coming straight out of the cubby and didn't need to be fed.

Once I had the GPS cord thru the holes I drilled in the tray, I was able to mount the unit, and reinstall the tray to the dash. Cubby's (left and right) were reinstalled, and the radio put back in place.

From the cigarette lighter plug, I stripped back the cloth tape (Carefully this time) and ran a wire to below the climate control unit. Here I attached a two cigarette lighter port, and plugged in the GPS and Sat Radio. Turned on the ignition, and verified it worked. Stuck the port using two sided tape to the framework and wrapped in electrical tape (to avoid plugs from slipping out due to vibration). [Sorry, didn't take any pictures of this part]

Replaced the covering over the gear shift, and installed the Sat Radio unit in the right cubby on a disc I placed on the side closest to the glove compartment. [Being in Canada, I didn't want it directly up against the heater side]. Plugged everything in, and voila, back to where I want to be!

I now have a phone charger that works quickly, a Bluetooth connection for streaming music [that I no longer need to worry about running out of juice], Sat Radio and a navigation system!

Coke