Hardwiring Belkin auto kit

[molocono]

I just ordered my Blitsafe AUX In and Belkin auto kit for my '04 Toyota 4Runner to do my iPod install, but I have a question about the Belkin. I want to be able to conceal the cigarette lighter adapter under the gear shift and still be able to generate power. How do I go about hardwiring the Belkin? Are there any sources on the internet that explain this process?

[Egosphere]

If you check out some installation tutorials (even if for specific cars) you'll see that they splice certain wires to get the power. Just skim through a bunch and you'll get the idea of it.

[altreality]

This is really easy. You can take the Belkin apart, or solder to the contacts, but I don't recommend either route especially if you want to be able to undo the installation later.

Go out and buy yourself a cigarette lighter socket. You can get them at Radio Shack or most auto-supply stores. They should come with a length of wire attached to them - red & black. Your red is your hot wire, and your black is your ground. While you're at it, buy a couple of "quick splice" connectors. These allow you to splice one wire onto aonther one with nothing but a pliers. Ask the person at the auto parts store (or Rat Shack) for help.

Now, pull your stereo out. Locate the +12V ACC (accessory) line. It's probably red, or some shade of it, but not always. Make sure you get the one that is only hot (that is, providing power) when your key is turned on. Your stereo will have two +12V lines, one is always on. You don't want that one. Also, find the ground wire. It's probably black. You might consider locating a diagram for your car, or buying a multimeter or test light. Test lights are cheap, just a few bucks. You clip one end of the light to a bare terminal on the black wire and you touch the red wire with the other end. If the light goes on, that's your hot wire. If the light goes back off when you turn the key off, that's the accessory wire.

Anyway, you then take your quick-splice connectors. Slip them over the ACC & ground wires going into your stereo. Slip the black from the cigarette lighter plug you bought into the other side of the quick-splice connector that's around your black wire. Crimp it with a pliers. Do the same with the red wire, connecting it to your ACC line.

Now plug the Belkin unit into that cigarette lighter plug. It should come on when you turn your key on and go off when you turn it off. Shove the whole thing under your dash, or wherever, and just have the line to the iPod snaking out from behind it.

This is a 5 minute job for most cars. Since you've never done it before and don't know a lot about automotive wiring, it might take you half an hour to an hour or so to get confident and do everything. You might consider finding a friend or someone who knows a little about electrical systems to help you. It's really easy, the hardest part is taking the radio out to find the wires.

Good luck.

[molocono]

Thanks! I appreciate your help. My gear is coming in next week so I'll let you know how it goes.

[ctng]

I am trying to do something similar on my X3. However, all 12V power sockets are always on and I am afraid the Belkin charger I have will drain the battery (the little green light). I can easliy locate the red/brown wires for the power socket from the backsit.
Couple of questions:
1) will that "little green light from the charger drain the car battery? Or the voltage is too low to cause any harm?
2) If I remove the light from the charger (remove the green light from the charger and connect the two points), is the charger still taking power from my car?
any info will greatly appreciated...

chuck

[bcruze]

it's a minimal amount, and most of it is the light drawing power. Just open it up and clip the light off and it'll never drain enough to kill your battery.

[Lew]

Originally posted by ctng
Couple of questions:
1) will that "little green light from the charger drain the car battery? Or the voltage is too low to cause any harm?
2) If I remove the light from the charger (remove the green light from the charger and connect the two points), is the charger still taking power from my car?
Assuming a typical LED current draw of 30milliamps and a 50 amp-hour car battery, it would take a bit over two months for the LED to drain the battery. That's two months of the car sitting untouched. I imagine it'd be safe to assume you'll use your car more often then that, right? :)

I've left the Belkin charger in my car for as many as three days untouched while I drove a different vehicle. No noticeable effect.

(2) By the time you go to all that trouble, just put in another cig lighter socket hidden somewhere behind the dash and connected to switched power. Not only will it be easier but you also will get the benefits of the iPod pausing when you turn off the car.

[ctng]

Thanks for all the info.
I was able to install the belkin charger using the rear-seat cigarette socket.
However, I think the rear socket is not grounded as I am getting whining sound from my engine.
I then started to see if there's anyway for me to ground as I don't like to use GLI becasue there's just not enough room under the armrest for the wires.
The socket from the back has two wires, red and brown. I cut the brown (ground) wire and grounded to the metal in the armrest and the distorted/whinning sound is now gone.
But the only thing that worries me is whether this will cause any after effects/damage in the future...
any info/comment is great appreciated.

Chuck

[bhb399mm]

Originally posted by Lew


(2) By the time you go to all that trouble, just put in another cig lighter socket hidden somewhere behind the dash and connected to switched power. Not only will it be easier but you also will get the benefits of the iPod pausing when you turn off the car.

Just want to clarify this:

the Belkin Auto Kit will ONLY pause your ipod if your car's ignition if the on/off switch for your cigeratte plugs. Most european cars keep power on the cigeratte plugs even when the car it off, and the key is removed. This is because the power runs directly from the battery to the fuse box to the plugs, not passing thru the ignotion. In this case, the belkin will NOT pause your ipod. this is simply because it doesnt know when the car is off or on.

When installing another cigeratte plug behind the dash (or anywhere) the new plug will have the same settings as the factory plug. I recomend testing your plug if you're woried about battery drain or something.

[LillDragun]

i have a question about this install...as state above by altreality you can install by spliceing into the deck itself. would it be safe to splice the cig lighter into the existing cig lighter wires or would it be better to splice into the deck wires. you know what i mean?

[scottw]

I added 2 extra cig adapters to my current one. One for my Ipod and one for my PDA. No problems!!!

[bcruze]

My .02 on the issues above:

Just cut off the LED if you're worried about that. Most of the Belkin's idle power comsumption comes from the LED...so cut that off of the PCB inside the kit and don't worry about it. But DON'T connect the two points...you're just drawing power that way. Leave them unconnected to anything...it won't affect the unit at all.

If you're worried about tapping always on cigarette lighters, just pull the fuse for it while you tap.

Cutting the brown ground wire and going directly to the chassis will not hurt anything...that's where the wire will eventually lead to anyhow. A shorter ground wire, like you've made, doesn't allow for much chance of electrical interference and noise. The longer/thinner the ground, the more noise you'll probably get.

I would splice into the existing cigarette lighter rather than deck power...there's less to mess up that way.

[Galley]

From a newer post:

Belkin Auto Kit/ pause iPod at power off

To those trying to find out why their Belkin Auto Kits don't pause the iPod upon power removal...

While trying to find out why my Ipod would not pause when the power was turned off to the cig. lighter outlet feeding the Belkin Auto Kit I found out there are more than one version of the Belkin kit and that externally they all look the same.

I have two Belkin Auoto kits. One is new and one is about 1.5 years old.

The old Auto Kit will not pause my iPod either with ithe original software or the latest software upgraded from Apple.

The new Auto Kit pauses upon power removal and shortly after that the iPod turns off as expected.

In both cases I am NOT using the docking station.

I have attached two photos of the circuitboards from the units and there is a difference in the markings on the boards.

Apparently, not all Auto Kits are the same.


Older F8V7058-APL
http://www.azflight.com/belkinold.jpg


Newer F8V7058-APL
http://www.azflight.com/belkinnew.jpg

The markings on the outside of the units are exactly the same so you can't determine if the unit will pause automatically as desired unless you take it for a test drive.