I know this is probably a repost, but I haven't been able to find anything answering my specific questions. I also realize that I am probably an idiot for asking some of these, but I'm not exactly an electrical engineer.

I am looking into hard wiring my Garmin Nuvi 360. I plan to go through the cubby, and hard wire it into one of the 12v sockets on either side of the console.

I'm going to get a 12v extender, and do I need to do anything more than splicing into the wires going to the cigarette lighter? If I'm using that and just going into the stock garmin plug which changes the power around, I shouldn't need a fuse, should I?

Also, if I do this, would I still be able to draw power from the actual plug in the dash? So if I wanted to plug my cell phone into it, is that a possibility? Or will that draw too much power and trip or fry something?

Thanks a lot,

Peter

EDIT: Here is the adapter Here

 

Definitely fuse. Yeah you don't have to and it will work, but it's a safety concern. Kinda like saying you don't need a helmet to ride a bike... till you lay it down the first time and crack open your skull. It will suck if something happens and you burn down your ride...

Fuse the positive lead, closest to the power source, in this case, where you're splicing in the wires. That way if something blows up, you don't have live wires running through your dash (that aren't normally there). Use the same value fuse nearest but not under what the garmin unit draws. Put it some where you can get at it. To do it right, heatshrink on the connections, or the very least electrical tape. And since you've said you're not an electrical engineer practice your soldering first. You can use crimp connectors, soldering is preferred, just be sure to bundle it up in heatshrink or tape as insurance against the wires coming out.

You should be able to use your cell phone in the plug. Electrically no different than those cigarette lighter Y adapters they sell. If you draw too much juice, the oem fuse will blow.

 

So should I put a 10amp fuse in there? or 15? 5? Not sure exactly how much is drawn... Anyone know? Searched for a while and haven't found anything yet.

Although if I'm just running like a 2" lead from the splice point to the adapter, I shouldn't have to worry about any of that, should I? There should be a fuse in the adapter, as well as in the end of the Garmin plug.

 

and BTW, I have a friend who is Electrical-Mechanical engineering so he'll be helping

 

If you unscrew the cap off the garmin unit, it should have a tube fuse in it. Use that value. The adapter will not have a fuse on it.

The adapter looks like it has a foot of wire on it at least... I would still fuse it. You can buy a crimp on tube fuse holder and tube fuse at the shack. Did the same thing when i hardwired a radar detector in another car.

 

I just bought one of those extend a fuse things. I plugged it into the cigarette fuse lighter on the driver side and ran a wire. That is how I hardwired my radar detector. No splicing required