Hey guys,
I've been reading and asking questions quiet a bit on this forum, so I decided to give back. My first official mod is an in-dash USB charging port that I incorporated into my 1996 Z3 center console. I'll put up pictures and an actual diy soon. It's pretty cool and works perfectly! It also leaves my cigarette lighter intact so I can plug in other accessories while charging my cell phone/tablet!
Last edited by SirataXero; 03-31-2013 at 10:46 PM.
The location of the cig lighter is horrible in the Z3. So I also hardwired two USB ports into my car. Here's a short writeup on what I did.
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...ack-of-M-Coupe
I hard wired a usb in too, I found it annoying that the cig lighter with a plug in it was hitting my fingers as I shifted. I didn't want wires coming from my dash so I sat it back somewhere phones,tabs and mp3 player could sit. Only prob was they are LED that are blue when most everything thing else is red.
Used a sanding block from the hardware store covered it in leather and fitted two usb's in it and hard wired with a fuse to the gig lighters power, gig light still works. The usb's were bought from the local auto store as ones you can hard-wire in.
ʎɐqǝ uo pɹɐoqʎǝʞ ɐ ʎnq ı ǝɯıʇ ʇsɐl ǝɥʇ sı sıɥʇ
Oh nice! I'm glad other people did the same thing too. I actually did something very different (and probably stupider) than both of you... I replaced one of the switch panels on the center console with a blank one which I installed the USB ports behind. It looks pretty cool except the switch panel is meant for buttons to be pushed, not a cable to be pulled out. So every time I pull out a cable the entire switch panel comes out. >.<. I'm looking into reinforcing it. Sorry I have pictures but I'm on my phone so I still can't upload them.
Installed this in mine last year, fed from one of the 2 rear USB on my stereo head unit. Hides away under my LeatherZ Mark2 armrest.
Yep, sure does, ties in directly into the back of my Pioneer headunit.
I highly recommend LeatherZ. Great product and after the sale service. This is my second armrest in the car, the first one developed a problem after a couple months where the leather was starting to come up and wrinkle due to poor adhesion. Sent them an email with pic of the problem and a couple of days later I had a replacement in my hand.
Here's mine built into a blank VDO gauge. Some of you early M roadster owners may recognize the blank gauge as what came in place of the voltmeters that BMW had failed to procure in time for the M roadster's release.
Hey that's really nice and clean! I'm thinking of adding a faceplate to mine so that it doesn't look so "DIY". I also need to reinforce it a bit better. Otherwise, I'm pretty proud of how it turned out, considering I didn't buy anything specific for it and did it all myself. :P.
It's nice to see everyone else hates where the lighter plug is in our cars. Horrible location right above the shifter.
I hard-wired my Valentine a few years ago from the sunroof switch power so that is covered off. On my annual long road trips down to the various "Fest's", I need power for the GPS, my kids laptop, our cell phones etc.
My car has been in the shop the last couple of weeks getting ready for O'Fest in Monterey. I had them add this 12V plug on the passenger side, on the side of the console right next to the OBDC access panel. I have a USB adaptor that plugs into this. Had it wired to stay on without ignition. So now all the electronics stay away from my shifter!
2002 M Coupe (built 2-2-2)
lennium, where did you get the lighted usb ?
Z3 2001 3.0L 5-speeds,Topaz Blue/Sport+Premium package/Stong-Strut/Bilstein shocks/Rogue Engineering RSM/Ireland Engineering rear sub-frame bushing/CDV delete/Conforti CAI/Jim Conforti Shark/DRL module/European Wiper Module/Pioneer AVIC-N4 GPS-Receiver+XM Radio+iPod/iPhone interface+Bluetooth+12CD Charger/ASA-AR1 18" wheels+Michelin PSS/Bi-Xenon upgrade. 3.73 diff.
Latest mod : UCC short shifter ... love it.
X3 2006 3.0L Automatic, Silver Gray, all original ... so far ...
I was in the process of tearing some plugs in one apart to rewire them, it's do-able, some have a mini double usb plug.
This one has a quick charge port as well as a normal one, which is what I was pulling to bits. good option if you can't get your hands on the hardwire ones.
But while doing this I got a junk mail catalog from a local AU auto shop called Repco, it had these items for $15, I went for them because they had threads and a screw in back so they lock into place.
But haven't seen them anywhere else, not even a ebay search brings them up. Unusual when they had them in the catalog the shop didn't display them but had them out back, I had to ask for them pointing to the catalog and the guy went and got them.
ʎɐqǝ uo pɹɐoqʎǝʞ ɐ ʎnq ı ǝɯıʇ ʇsɐl ǝɥʇ sı sıɥʇ
Sir, or anyone else? I wanted some advice. I like how clean yours is, and here is what someone else did for, I have same vehicle but didn't try yet...
Blue Seas dual USB charger in the 2nd row ash tray.
I want to do something similiar, but I just want to have the USB ports flush mounted without that housing around it... So you just see the usb ports only, for a more stealth install. ANy ideas???
I put mine on the rear console panel, AND added a 12v cig adapter while i was at it. Keeps all the wires out of the way quite nicely.
My wheel bolts require more torque than your honda makes.
I'll probably be installing one of these in the rear of my console, its an OEM USB/Aux-in panel for a newer BMW. There are several variations, I've yet to find the one I am going to settle on but I like the OEM-ness of it, and I figure I can use the aux-in tied with a Blitz or similar system to make it all functional
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