USB port into arm-rest cubby - assistance please

[oldie]

Thinking of installing a usb port in the arm-rest cubby. Dismantled relevant areas and now have a couple of questions.

1) Found this little plug next to the gear lever (automatic). Any idea what it may have been for? Presumably insufficient to power a usb port, nice if it can.

2) Could split the feed to the cigarette lighter. Good idea or not? Worth putting a fuse on the line running to the usb? The lighter feed runs to this block, could a usb feed be run from here?

3) Alternatively take a feed back to the fuse block. Which would be the best fuse to use. Is this a particularly tricky task? I'm a moderately capable fettlist.

[clf]

Originally Posted by oldie

Thinking of installing a usb port in the arm-rest cubby. Dismantled relevant areas and now have a couple of questions.

1) Found this little plug next to the gear lever (automatic). Any idea what it may have been for? Presumably insufficient to power a usb port, nice if it can.

2) Could split the feed to the cigarette lighter. Good idea or not? Worth putting a fuse on the line running to the usb? The lighter feed runs to this block, could a usb feed be run from here?

3) Alternatively take a feed back to the fuse block. Which would be the best fuse to use. Is this a particularly tricky task? I'm a moderately capable fettlist.

I cannot recall what the cables were for.

For my USB, I tapped into the cigar lighter feed, as I didnt use it, also adding an inline 5amp (if I recall) fuse to it between the lighter and the USB.

You can use a piggy back type adapter for the fuse box if you wished to use that. example HERE. This will allow an existing circuit to remain unaffected power wise, by the USB. Most feeds would be suitable, although I would avoid adding to ones that have an electronic component to them, eg anything related to the ecu, or the lights - whilst it shouldnt, I always fear there could be some form of interference from the USB which could cause errors or issues.

[oldie]

Originally Posted by clf

You can use a piggy back type adapter for the fuse box if you wished to use that. example HERE. This will allow an existing circuit to remain unaffected power wise, by the USB. Most feeds would be suitable, although I would avoid adding to ones that have an electronic component to them, eg anything related to the ecu, or the lights - whilst it shouldnt, I always fear there could be some form of interference from the USB which could cause errors or issues.

There are a couple of empty places on the fuse panel which could be used as a holder. I read somewhere that fuse 4 is a suitable place. Looking at usb sockets they mostly appear to have have two connectors. Would it be ok to run one feed or should there be an additional feed from somewhere else?

[clf]

Originally Posted by oldie

There are a couple of empty places on the fuse panel which could be used as a holder. I read somewhere that fuse 4 is a suitable place. Looking at usb sockets they mostly appear to have have two connectors. Would it be ok to run one feed or should there be an additional feed from somewhere else?

Not sure off the top of my head what fuse 4 was, but as long as it wasnt anything critical, I am sure it would be fine to use it (eg avoid SRS fuses, ECU etc. - the cigar lighter fuse should be a relatively safe one to piggy back from, but on some cars this is a permanent live, so be aware of this - leaving your accessory attached may run down your car's battery).

12v USB sockets will have a positive and a negative/earth/ground input. There will be plenty of places near to the cubby that you can affix the negative/earth/ground to, or you could run a cable to one near to the fuse box (if I recall, there is one at the A pillar near to the fuse box).

Make sure that any USB socket you use, is 12v rated, with a 5v output and also putting out at I think it is 3 amps if you intend to charge a phone.