To avoid having trailing cables to the sat nav I decided to install a PS permanently. Siting a 2.5mm power socket on the top of the dash. Cutting into the output cable discovered it has three wires - black red and white. The black and red are the same gauge - the white slightly smaller. But at the plug end at least the white and red are commoned. Any idea why? The graphic on the PS just shows the normal 'sleeve and tip' connections.
It could be to enable (if suitably wired) it to sense whether or not the lights are on in the car, to alter the display brightness.
Dunno - but I've cross-posted this to uk.rec.gps where someone might know.
The white is the 'sense' wire to ensure the PSU only puts out 5V. When this gets broken, your tomtom 'pops'- green charge light only fault.
wire breaking now as there will be no movement - I've sited the PS inside the dash rather than plugging it into the lighter socket.
Does your home made power supply output a regulated 5v ot 12v? If the latter, you still need the 12v to 5v converter built into the TomTom plug at the cigar lighter end of the cable - otherwise you'll fry the GPS.
Is your supply permanently live, or switched with the ignition. If powering the TomTom through its cradle, it will turn on automatically when power is applied - so the supply needs to go off with the engine if you don't want the TomTom to light up your garage.
? If it were a home made PS I'd not be asking about the output cable of the supplied car one. I considered making one but at under 20 quid for the SMPS one it would be difficult to do for the same sort of cost - and a basic 2 amp 5 volt regulated supply would get too hot for where I've sited it. I've just plugged it into an additional concealed cigarette lighter type socket I've fitted, and used a 2.5mm panel mounting socket on the dash top. Then a short lead to the Tom tom.
I've used an aux feed.
But the unit won't be left installed in the car anyway when not actually in use - no garage.
Ah, fine. It was the 2.5mm socket which had me fooled - I didn't realise you still had the TT cigar lighter plug on the supply side of it.
Where are you connecting this white voltage sensing wire - to this 2.5mm socket? I presume that in the original cable it's connected at the GPS end rather than at the cigar plug end in order to compensate for any voltage drop along the main supply cable. If that is the case, it needs to be connected as near to the GPS as possible. Having said that, the mains adaptor supplied with my TTG has a fairly weedy looking cable - which appears only to have 2 conductors - 'cos it's a figure of 8 affair!
In message , "Dave Plowman (News)" writes
And talking of which... I had my van tanned while it was parked on the kerb outside the BBC's new studios in Glasgow on Wednesday. (Rough area!). The Main contractor won't let anyone use the huge car park because apparently they will get charged rates on it if the contractors park in it!
They smashed the passenger side window and opened the glove compartment, but found and took nothing.
I had the Tomtom cradle attached to the screen, so that's probably what they were looking for. It wasn't in the van! I've now removed the cradle from the windscreen and leave the glove compartment open to show it's not got anything of value in it.
Called AutoGlass since I recalled they were a recommended choice for my insurer. Got charged the 60 quid excess there and then and told they would get round as soon as possible. That was at 3.20pm. At 8pm I called again. They said that night duty guys started at 9pm and someone would call me. I then got a call shortly after which basically said I could be "fitted in" at between 1am and 2am! Not great when you have an early start in the morning! Guy arrived at 1am and finished fitting new window at about half two in the morning!
Hmm, won't be calling AutoGlass again.
Same here - my insurance insist they were used. First they said there wasn't a spare screen in the country. I did some research and discovered there was one - at one of their branches. Man in van came out to fit it. It leaked. Took it to their depot and they put a hose on it then some sealer and pronounced it fixed. Except that it wasn't. Later they took it out and did the job properly - it doesn't leak now. But they gouged the paint in three places - taking out a screen complete is much more difficult than the broken bits of one.
Son had similar problem a few months ago. 5pm, and the insurer's recommended was RAC windscreens. They turned up about 2 am. At least we didn't have to pay in advance, but muggins had to sit up to wait.
I don't think it's unique to autoglass. They turned up quite quickly for another car (windscreen rather than door glass).
I was happy with RAC AutoWindscreens a couple of fortnights ago when I was told by a neighbour at about 8 am on a Saturday that I'd had a passenger-side window smashed (clearly an attempt to nick a satnav since the windscreen mount was visible (a neighbour with a similar car wasn't touched)). The Satnav was in the house, but the scrote did get away with a pair of binoculars from the glove-box.
After the usual long delay involving Northumbria Police (as it happens Norwich Union Direct weren't interested in a crime reference), AW phoned to say that they didn't have a spare window glass but could fit a bit of Perspex temporarily by 11 am or so, if I could take the car to their place a couple of miles away. I called back (after walking the dog for a mile or so) at about noon on the same day and they'd sourced a proper window light and fitted it (ok - there was still a bit of glass shrapnel in the passenger footwell) but at least the job was done promptly and properly.
It cost me the 60 quid excess but at least my NCB shouldn't be affected. There was a little bit of damage around the driver's door handle (not the lock), but I had that fixed for 75 quid by a local garage.
In message , Frank Erskine writes
I was told the No Claims Bonus wouldn't be affected too. I'm guessing this doesn't mean the cost of the insurance isn't going to be affected.
Of course.... If they actually punished the scum windows wouldn't get broken, but it's just another layer of profit for our self perpetuating legal system.
In article , Clive Mitchell writes
I've been playing 'the game' with car thieves in Glasgow for a v long time and have a few suggestions.
As I'm sure you've discovered, nothing visible in the car/van at any time ("but it's only an empty bag", "they don't know it's empty . . .")
I'd probably not leave the glove box open, anything 'different' attracts attention and once they're attracted then bricks are cheap.
Tomtom cradles are a known magnet but (possible urban myth) suction cup marks are also suggested to be a hint.
As they seem to be in a hurry/a bit thick then visible deterrence has to be very visible, current car has a big yellow half frying pan stylee steering lock as I've had a previous car broken into with a view to joyriding with a strong but less visible lock in place, I just think they were in too much of a hurry to notice it.
HTH
In message , fred writes
Strangely enough I removed the cradle and then rubbed off the suction cup marks with that in mind.
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