[benny90]

Hey guys, just wanted to share how I hardwired my navigation. Did this with a compilation of a bunch of different DIY’s that I had seen. Got the idea from seeing GooseInOz’s installation. I didn’t take pictures while I was doing it so I am borrowing them from other’s installs (hope no one minds, if so just PM me and I will take out pic). Plus I do not have my car right now since it is in the shop getting repaired. Hope this helps, let me know if you have any questions.

Special thanks to: calvino, jwarcd, 12Esc, xg_zhu, and GooseInOz

Items needed:

1. Phillips and Flat head screwdrivers
2. 3M quick-splice connectors available from any hardware store: the blue 16-18 gauge ones from Radio Shack
3. Cigarette lighter to wire adapter: available at Radio Shack

4. A ton of patience!! And basic common sense!

Steps:

1. Remove the long trim piece containing the vents on the dashboard of the car. Easiest way to do this is to use a plastic wedge or a flat head screw driver covered in a cloth. Start at the far right side where it meets door jamb and start to pry it up. Work your way down until you reach the two middle vents. You need to disconnect the two wires in the middle of the two vents and also the wire connected to the start button. Place the trim piece aside.



2. Remove the climate controls and radio. To do this refer to 12Esc’s DIY: http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9390



3. Remove center console trim piece. Start at area where trim meets the center armrest. Make sure that you have the armrest in open position. Use flat edged tool and start to pry trim from going from rear to front. Once you get closer to the shifter you are going to need to put the car in neutral so that you will be able to lift the trim piece out. Before doing so you need to unhook the shifter boot from the trim piece. After that disconnect the wires that are attached to it, one is connected to the shifter, other to the cigarette lighter. Place the trim piece aside.


4. Now remove the plastic cover for the center speaker on the dash (if you have Logic 7), plastic vent cover if not. Just pry it up and off.

5. With mine, instead of buying the adapters from kuda, I just used the dock that the nuvi came with. If you look at where the ball mount would go on the dock, there is a very small screw there. Unscrew that, then take something like maybe a very small drill bit and drill a hole from where the screw was on through to the front. Then just try and carve out an area on the dock so that when screwed into the kuda mount the screw sits flush with the dock.

6. Take the cigarette lighter charger that came with you Nuvi/Nav unit and begin by putting it through the vent openings. Run the wire all the way down inside the dash to where the climate control normally is (making sure wire is out of the way for when you put the radio back in).

7. Now connect the cigarette lighter end to the cigarette lighter adapter. Push adapter far enough back so that it will not touch the climate control or anything else. You can also wrap the adapter in felt tape to ensure that it does not rattle.

8. Run the wires from the adapter into down into the center console where the cigarette lighter would be.

9. Notice the + and – wires in picture below. This is where you will be tapping into.


10. Tap into wires using the quick-spice connectors and connect them to the wires from cigarette lighter adapter. Tuck wires away.

11. Now replace center console trim. Remember to connect back all wires, shift boot, etc!! Replace radio and climate control.

12. Place Kuda mount into position using the directions it came with and connect charging cable to dock unit.


13. Put trim piece back on making sure to connect the two wires and the ignition wire placing the power cord so that trim will still sit flush with the dash.


14. Now whenever you turn off you car your Nuvi will power off also.


15. Enjoy!!

[ZuerstBMW]

Looks good, nice job.

[benny90]

Thanks man, did the install a few weeks ago but had a few people ask me how I did it so I decided to go ahead and make a DIY. Pretty hard to make one since my car is in the shop getting repaired so I put together a bunch of pics from other peoples installs into one. Hope this helps

[cycler]

Looks like mine

[benny90]

Originally Posted by cycler

Looks like mine

Ian, instead of buying the adapters from kuda, I just used the dock that the nuvi came with. If you look at where the ball mount would go on the dock, there is a very small screw there. Unscrew that, then take something like maybe a very small drill bit and drill a hole from where the screw was on through to the front. They just try and carve out an area on the dock so that when screwed into the kuda mount the screw sits flush with the dock.

[voltron1011]

You should try using a prying tool made out of plastic, instead of using the flat-tip screwdriver..
Awesome, DIY, BTW!!!