I have removed a few bits of trim from the centre console with the aim of possibly running the power lead of the tom tom from the cigarette lighter socket hid it in the centre console and have it come out somewhere near where i want to mount the tom tom.

A couple of things i noticed, first i can get access to the wire that leads to the cigarette lighter socket, could i splice this and then fit a hidden socket within the centre console, nice neat solution? any problems with this idea?

secondly i was having a look under the front ashtray, and there is what appears to be an unused cable, i believe that on LHD cars the lighter socket is at the front of the console not the back? is this cable live? could i use it as per my other idea?

or related to both these, do away with the socket plug arrangement and solder a transformer in, i guess the tom tom is 5v? does anyone make such a transformer?

also best way to remove a damaged screw? drill it?

Probably won't help you but I ended up putting another cigarette lighter socket hidden under the driver side kick panel and plugging in the tomtom adapter there, then running the cable up around the bottom of the windscreen to the centre. (I also did the same with the talex power lead)

Bit of a pain having to wire another socket in but as the tomtom adaptor has a voltage conveter built in I didn't fancy butchering the only lead that came with it :thumbdwn: .

At least this way I can remove it and use elsewhere if I want, albeit having to undo a couple of screws to get at the socket.

When i hardwire sat nav's at work i tend to favour the fuse box. If you look at your fuse box there will be blank spaces and some will be ignition lives.

These are the best one as you can then add a small amp fuse to protect your wiring.

i wouldnt bother cutting the tomtom lead it will render it useless. Instead autoleads do an aux power supply plug that the tomtom lead will just plug into its then connected to a molex plug and inline fuse. Any autoelectrical shop should have these.

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john

Firstly, what TomTom do you have?

I have a Tomtom Go910. There is only a suction windscreen mount available for this model, but I have modified mine and attached it to a Brodit Proclip dash/vent mount.

I managed to push the power cable into the gap between the dash and the console, ran it towards the steering wheel and hooked it behind the dash in the gap above the steering wheel. By then feeding it down behind the side panel of the console, I could then bring it up by the side of the drivers seat and plug it into the lighter socket.

I also used the same route past the steering wheel to the A pillar for the microphone, pushing behind the A pillar cover so the microphone points towards me.

If anyone wants, I will take some photos and post them.

The customised mount was fairly straight forward to do with items you could find in a good model shop, again photos could be provided if required.

Part of the idea I got was from yourNAV.com | The road to your Personal Navigation Device, but mine is in a fixed position so there is less vibration and IMHO mine is tidier!

Specific photos of how to dismantle the mount and mount mods can be found here:

New Mount - My Version With Pictures - yourNAV | Forum

or

Alternative Mounting Solution! - yourNAV | Forum

Just found someone who wired theirs into the fusebox of their Octavia:

How I Hardwired My Tomtom, Without Cigarette Lighter Plug. - yourNAV | Forum

Tom Tom one V2.

what i have done so far is run the power cable out of the central vent then down behind the radio etc, problem i discovered is the cable isn't long enough to get to the single lighter socket. Hence the idea of creating a new socket.

how easy is it going to be to wire into the fuse box? my idea was based on the idea that i know little about car electrics, but do know that if the tom tom is meant to go into a lighter socket then using the cableing and splicing as second socket should be ok. I don't have many items that need the socket so current draws shouldn't be an issue.

Tomtom one v2 here also, hence I had to fit a new socket as the tomtom lead is nowhere near long enough to reach the cigarette lighter socket between the seats! (It's a stretch just directly from the windscreen to the socket, and looks extremely naff!)