GPS wiring

5480 Views 22 Replies 10 Participants Last post by Ndv21, May 23, 2020

Iron Crux

Discussion Starter · Mar 31, 2015

3

I know this topic has been touched on in some posts, but figured it be easier asking here.

So I've been slowly touring out my ninja, hard bags, bar risers etc. Finally got around to mounting my Garmin Nuvi, and remembered reading about some accessory connectors in the front left fairing. Found them pretty easily, and saw they're bullet connectors. Bought a bunch of sizes at the hardware store, but how exactly should I connect them? I was thinking about cutting into the Garmin auto charger. But I know it converts the voltage at some point.

So can I just cut into the wires and remove the bottom piece? Or would it fry everything?

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Norskie

· #2 · Mar 31, 2015

You can't just cut off the bottom piece, you are correct in that it converts voltage.

The bike is 12v and the Garmin is something else (probably 5v).

You could get a female cig lighter socket and wire that into your bike, then plug the garmin into that.

Or, you could take the bottom piece, isolate the circuit board and solder in leads in place of the cig lighter tip and tension bits (not sure what they're called?).

Or, you could see if Garmin (or aftermarket) sells a direct-to-battery harness (with the transformer) built in like they do for the Zumo's. We did that for my dad's non-Nuvi, non-Zumo garmin, with one of these:

3A 1Meter DC 12V 24V to 5V Rigth Angled 90 Degree Mini USB Power Converter Cable | eBay

(although I don't know if your Nuvi uses mini-USB and whether the plug angles the right direction for your purpose)

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Iron Crux

Discussion Starter · #3 · Mar 31, 2015

It does indeed use mini usb, and the angle is identical to the stock one. Now can I attach that converter to the bullet connectors up front? Or do I have to go to the battery?

trublupsu94

· #4 · Mar 31, 2015

you need to make sure those particular wires actually can carry a load. I tested the one on the rear of the bike under the seat. It does not carry voltage and only acts as a switch for a discrete relay. In other words, you run a set of wires (+&-) to the battery and connect to the relay. Then run your device wires to the relay. Then you connect the wire you found under the fairing on the front to the switch portion of the relay. Again this is only if they cannot carry a load. I tested mine with a Fluke and found they cannot carry load but do have voltage. This told me they are for switching a relay that I am going to buy now. IF they do carry a load, you can wire up a connector to work with the Nuvi as others have stated. If you have a different holder than the stock one for the Nuvi (Which I recommend because it will come out if you hit a good enough bump) I would just wire up a USB type connector like this to one end and then a small USB cable to connect the Nuvi to the connector.

BikeMaster Dual Usb Socket W/brkt Bm

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Norskie

· #5 · Mar 31, 2015

Iron Crux said:
It does indeed use mini usb, and the angle is identical to the stock one. Now can I attach that converter to the bullet connectors up front? Or do I have to go to the battery?

You don't have to go to the battery. The bullet connectors up front are for the OEM heated grips, go to a 2A fuse, and are switched (i.e. on when the ignition is on).

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trublupsu94

· #6 · Mar 31, 2015

Norskie said:
You don't have to go to the battery. The bullet connectors up front are for the OEM heated grips, go to a 2A fuse, and are switched (i.e. on when the ignition is on).

That's awesome!!! I should have hooked up my GPS there rather than to the battery like I did and running the wire set under the tank.

I'll make the change next time I have the fairings off. Which will be a long time...broke a post and 2 hangers the first time. Ticked me off!!

Iron Crux

Discussion Starter · #7 · Mar 31, 2015

trublupsu94 said:
That's awesome!!! I should have hooked up my GPS there rather than to the battery like I did and running the wire set under the tank. I'll make the change next time I have the fairings off. Which will be a long time...broke a post and 2 hangers the first time. Ticked me off!!

That's why I was really hoping they would work! Didn't want to break anything, especially when the plastics are still cold in my garage.

I ordered that mini usb wire, and will go the easier route. I think I can do it without removing any fairing. But just to confirm if anyone knows, which wire is hot, and which is ground. I see a blue/white wire with the female connector, and a black/yellow with the male. Then a red wire, and a black on the usb cable.

Iron Crux

Discussion Starter · #8 · Apr 6, 2015

So I got the USB wire, which had the voltage converter built into the line. Soldered the bullet connectors to the matching ends (black wires on both harness and bike were ground) and connected them, and used heat-shrink tubing to seal them together. Luckily I didn't have to remove the fairing or tank at all, which is what I was trying to avoid in the first place. Harness had too much line on it for such a short distance from the connectors to the GPS unit (couldn't cut the excess, because the converter was near the end), but I was able to coil up the rest of the line. GPS powers up, doesn't blow up, which I'd call a success!

trublupsu94

· #9 · Apr 6, 2015

Iron Crux said:
So I got the USB wire, which had the voltage converter built into the line. Soldered the bullet connectors to the matching ends (black wires on both harness and bike were ground) and connected them, and used heat-shrink tubing to seal them together. Luckily I didn't have to remove the fairing or tank at all, which is what I was trying to avoid in the first place. Harness had too much line on it for such a short distance from the connectors to the GPS unit (couldn't cut the excess, because the converter was near the end), but I was able to coil up the rest of the line. GPS powers up, doesn't blow up, which I'd call a success!

Did you just unbolt the fairing and reach up behind it? Or was it visible without doing anything? I can't seem to locate mine but know they are there when I had the fairing off. I don't want to do anything with taking those off again if I can help it.

kitcho75

· #10 · Apr 6, 2015

they are hard to find. Mine were tucked under the main harness that ran forward. They dont have much length on them. only about a cm.

Iron Crux

Discussion Starter · #11 · Apr 6, 2015

Luckily when I was looking for them , one of the connectors was sticking out . And because of that I was able to find the other one which was right next to it. If one had not been sticking out I might not have easily found them even though they were easily within reach. But the area they're located in, is easily visible without taking anything off.

kitcho75

· #12 · Apr 7, 2015

Without using a multi meter. How do you tell which one is pos and neg?

Iron Crux

Discussion Starter · #13 · Apr 7, 2015

The harness came with instructions telling which is which. For the connectors on the bike I just did some internet research, and all the information I found was pointing to the same result. Makes sense though, black is usually used for ground anyway.

CoOlSlY

· #14 · Jul 3, 2015

Let's say I have the factory heated grip already connected in the two bullets connector. Can I split those to use this one also for the GPS? How can I know which one is for the red Zumo connector and the one for the black :| Well, first thing first, will it work if I split the connector even if I already have the heated grips connected to those connectors, thanx

Black Sheep

· #15 · Jul 5, 2015

You will probably have an issue splitting the connection. You only have 2A of current draw before you blow a fuse. Not sure how much current the GPS requires, but heated grips likely take most of that 2A.

ydo

· #16 · Jul 10, 2015

You might want to add one of these rather than a dedicated wiring for the GPS.

CoOlSlY

· #17 · Jul 11, 2015

Black Sheep said:
You will probably have an issue splitting the connection. You only have 2A of current draw before you blow a fuse. Not sure how much current the GPS requires, but heated grips likely take most of that 2A.

Would there be a way to know what is the current draw of the heated grip when used at maximum? And what would be the draw from a Zumo 660?

I haven't found any specs on the factory heated grips, maybe if somebody have a manual of them it might help?

Iron Crux

Discussion Starter · #18 · Jul 11, 2015

The heated grips are going to draw more power than the GPS unit. And somewhere along the line you're going to have to use a converter for the GPS and I don't know if you're going to have enough power left over for both.

Anyway update on my GPS wiring, power keeps cutting in and out. I don't know if it was my wiring job, or the fact that that area gets really hot and I didn't realize it. I think the converter is getting overheated. Does this make sense to anyone?

KR52

· #19 · Jul 11, 2015

Iron Crux said:
The heated grips are going to draw more power than the GPS unit. And somewhere along the line you're going to have to use a converter for the GPS and I don't know if you're going to have enough power left over for both.

Anyway update on my GPS wiring, power keeps cutting in and out. I don't know if it was my wiring job, or the fact that that area gets really hot and I didn't realize it. I think the converter is getting overheated. Does this make sense to anyone?

Check where it plugs into the back of the GPS. If that is even slightly loose then the GPS may lose power on one bump to gain it back on the next. Of course you have wired the GPS directly so you cannot simple move it to another vehicle to test the stability of the connection versus the power supply.

Iron Crux

Discussion Starter · #20 · Jul 13, 2015

So I was able to test it. I had other mini usb cables and hooked the GPS up to my computer. I jiggled and lightly banged (simulating motorcycle vibration and hitting bumps) and couldn't get the power supply to get disrupted. So it's either on the bikes end, either the leads on the bike that I connected to, or the mini usb end of the wire I used. Or that that area of the fairing is getting too hot for the converter to function properly. At the moment I'm thinking the latter. When I felt that area of the fairing after riding a bit it was significantly hotter that I would have thought.

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