Fitting a USB fast charge outlet

Fitting a USB fast charge outlet

Postby Bitsamissing on Sat Sep 07, 2019 10:05 am

I bought a dual USB charger with voltmeter on ebay: https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Splitter-12 ... 3259828090? and installed it in the big switch blank in the centre console.

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I wanted to be able to use the charger without the ignition on (or switched to accessories) however I didn't want it to be on permanently and risk flattening the battery with it's standby current (about 150 mA if I remember correctly) so I added a switch and a relay to turn it on or off. With the circuit as shown it always comes on when the ignition is on (or switched to accessories), and at any other time if the rocker switch is on. The LED voltmeter serves as a reminder to turn it off when not needed. The relay ensures the current to supply the charger is always supplied from the permanent 12V source so it doesn't add significantly (and possibly blow the fuse) to the current to the cigarette lighter socket, where I sourced the switched 12V supply.

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I mostly wrote this up to describe the handy source of unswitched 12V I found. Behind the glove box is a "junction block" with a bunch of connectors and relays. A number of the relay sockets are unused and have an unswitched 12V available on one of the pins (female). I used D411 designated as the rear fog lamp relay and not fitted on my GLX+, however D410 which appears to have no assigned function seems suitable too although I didn't test this one. The unswitched 12V for D411 is protected by fuse 11 (10 A).

This pic shows the junction block, with my lead, the red one coming from the right, plugged into the D411 socket.

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The relays that plug into these sockets have what appear to be standard "quick-connect" (spade) lugs for the switch contacts... but... they don't have a small hole in the middle like standard QCs have... and if you plug a standard QC into the socket it doesn't make a good contact... because of the hole. I made my own "QC" male connector out of brass plate. It sits quite firmly in the socket.
Chris
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Re: Fitting a USB fast charge outlet

Postby NowForThe5th on Sat Sep 07, 2019 12:46 pm

Nice write up, Chris.

It's stuff like this that sets us apart and makes this forum such a valuable resource. ;)
Chris

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Re: Fitting a USB fast charge outlet

Postby Piston Broke on Tue Oct 22, 2019 4:31 pm

Great work Chris. And true to your name your adding Missingbits.
Tell me, did you notice the pre-wire behind the 2nd blank switch plate ? There's also a pre-wire behind a blank on the right of the steering column too. Any idea what they are for or what I could plug into the other end - wherever that is ?

I noticed it when I was rewiring the USB outlet with a 1.2m black Apple IOS lightning cable for my iPhone - which is now positioned near the iPhone harness between the right side of the dashboard and pillar for CarPlay connection - having re-routed and hiding the cabling behind the dash.
I then installed another universal USB outlet for passenger ios devices/charging etc. into the original USB slot with the rubber cover, as if nothing's changed.
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