GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

I recently acquired an Audiovox XPress XM radio. It came with a boombox for home use (cool!) and a car kit (cooler!). Installation was easy, except for the power issue. Currently I have the cigarette lighter adaptor powering the unit, but the car kit also came with this mysterious item: OK, ok, it's not so mysterious. I know that this is the way to hook up the lighter adaptor to the electrical system. But how? Does it splice into the current cigarette lighter somehow? Does it replace it? How can I hook it up, and to what? I have not removed the center console or anything to poke around...yet. Or would this be a good candidate for that setup in the center console box? (The lighter outlet that isn't there) I am not an automotive electrical genius, in case that is not totally obvious. Boy, it should be.If anyone is familiar with the car kit setup, please chime in, and thank you. [IMG][/IMG]

That's a way to directly power the unit without cutting the lighter socket off. You can hard wire the adaptor to the fuse box, and in essence, you're adding a lighter socket that can be tucked behind a trim panel. Also makes it easier should you want to switch the XM unit from one car to another. In mine, I added a lighter socket in the console, and hid the power cord under the console and snuck the plug in. That way, the wiring is concealed, yet I can pull it out whenever I want.

Forgot to mention that you'll need an "Add-A -Circuit" kit from AutoZone to tap into the fuse box. They cost about $7.

Thanks, you have pointed me in the right direction.

Quote, originally posted by new05vibeowner »In mine, I added a lighter socket in the console, and hid the power cord under the console and snuck the plug in. That way, the wiring is concealed, yet I can pull it out whenever I want.I saw a thread that showed how to tap into the wires under the console. Is that power source hot all the time, or is it switched with the ignition, like the lighter socket by the shifter?

If you tap into the circuit which is for the console power port, it is switched with the ignition.