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Driver/Passenger Front Seat Wiring Harness Question

Linuxchuck

SM 2006
Full Member
Joined
Dec 22, 2005
Messages
15
Location
Killeen-ish, Texas
I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday this weekend.  This is my first time posting here, though I've lurked for some time now.

I have an 04 1500 series Avy.  White, with hard bed-cover, and black body-hardware.

I have just finished installing a set of LCD displays on the rear of the driver and passenger front seat headrests for the rear passengers to use.  I have a DVD player set up nicely with them, and I also have successfully modded my PS2 (Playstation 2) to run off of 12VDC without need for an invertor.  The PS2 is neatly stored via some heavy-duty velcro under the rear driver side seat.  I also installed a 250GB Hard Drive in the PS2 and loaded all of my games onto it so that all you have to do is start it up, and choose the game you want to play from a menu.  No need to swap disks!  The finishing touch was a set of wireless controllers to avoid tangles.

I also have a 400W invertor mounted behind the passenger side dash. (Just to the right of the glovebox)

Now, for the question:

I am getting ready to install an AUX power outlet just under the center console/20-seat for the rear passengers to utilize if needed.  Instead of running a power cable all the way back to it from the front, I was wondering if the wiring harnesses I have found under both front seats would carry enough of a load (5-10 amps max) for general use of the AUX power outlets.  If so, which wires would be best to tap into?

I would greatly appreciate any assistance I can get to my query.

Here is some information about the seats, and why I decided to ask:

The driver side seat is powered.  It has the motors mounted under it for seat adjustment.  Therefore, I can understand the wiring harness I found under that seat.  However, the passenger side seat is not powered, but has a nearly identical wiring harness basically terminated under it.  If I could use this harness to provide power to an AUX outlet in the center, it would save me tons of cable-routing.  I have attached pictures of the harnesses for your reference.

Thanks much!
 

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Page 100 of http://www.gmupfitter.com/publicat/2004_BB/2003_Beyond_LD_Electric_CK.pdf
shows both seats powered from the same 30A circuit breaker so drawing 5-10A should be safe.  However, seat motors are electrically noisy so you may get noise and spikes whenever someone moves the power seat.  I have installed a pair of rear seat jacks in the empty space in the seat plastic http://www.ninefamily.com/images/rearpower.jpg and hooked them up to th power seat wiring for now but I found the aux power 2 fuse sitting unused (page 108 of the pdf).  This is for a rear power port in suburbans so I'm going to use it to power mine, that way they are more isolated from the rest of the electrical system.
 
Thanks for the excellent reference!  I like the idea you have for the location of your dual rear outlets.  How sturdy are they once you installed them?  Those plastic pieces seem to be a little flimsy.  I'm going to take a look at that area in the morning and see if it will work for what I am going to do.  I have been looking at the same 20A fuse (AUX 2 on the drivers side fuse box) and was hunting around under the dash for an easy way to tap into it.  I'm going to go search the forums for a good tapping technique.  If you have any suggestions, I'd appreciate it.

Thanks for the response.
 
I just found references to "add a circuit" fuse tapping kits, and did a google (actually, froogle) search on them.  Looks like exactly what I need to expedite and simplify how I can tap into the AUX 2 fuse in the dash.  If you need it, here is the link:

http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=%22add+a+circuit%22&hl=en&btnG=Search+Froogle&lmode=unknown

Looks like I'm going to the store tomorrow!
 
You don't need those goofy things, find a metripack female .280 pin.? Some of the chain autoparts stores sell them made my motormite.? Those made by motormite have the locking tank in them which you will cut off because the plugs have the tang already.? Then you can crimp in your wire and plug it into pin G in the body plug (j4)

Forgto to mention that those plastic pieces are a bit flimsy but these 12v jacks came with a metal mounting plate that I'm going to go back and add and drill a small hole in the metal seat frame to bolt it to.
I've also thought about putting a small 12v fan inside those air ducts under the seat and a swtich to control it above my 12v jacks because not a lot of air comes out of those ducts.
 
Thanks for the suggestion.  I will look for them next time I am at the parts store.  Meanwhile, here are some pics of my install...

Thanks for all the help!  I'm starting to feel the modding addiction taking hold.

More pics in posts below.
 

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Just a ps2, no computer ;)

I had a computer in my s10, mini itx in a 1/2 width rack case http://www.ninefamily.com/projects/mp3/v2.3/picture004.jpg
 
So I'm not a very good photographer.  I turned off the flash, but managed to shake the camera for this one.  But it's the last.
 

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I think that's a great idea/install.  We're still deciding on whether or not to keep our Honda Pilot or upgrade to a Lexus or something.  <shrug>  I'm getting a pickup, but who knows what kind.  So I may wind up doing something simpler. 

It's a wonderful install and am most impressed, however, i have to wonder why you didn't get the in-headrest LCD's/and mounts and sink them right into the back seat?
 
joelesler said:
I think that's a great idea/install. We're still deciding on whether or not to keep our Honda Pilot or upgrade to a Lexus or something. <shrug> I'm getting a pickup, but who knows what kind. So I may wind up doing something simpler.

It's a wonderful install and am most impressed, however, i have to wonder why you didn't get the in-headrest LCD's/and mounts and sink them right into the back seat?

Mostly, my reason for not doing the in-headrest setup was lack of $$$$ and time.  Basically, we were getting ready for a 28 hour (each way) drive to California and back, and I wanted something to occupy my children on the trip.  So I paid $150 for the dual lcd screens and DVD player as a package from Best Buy so it would be a quick set-up.  I threw in the PS2 almost at the last minute.  (I originally had it bungee-corded down behind the seat, against the midgate.  After I had them in the Avy for a while, I decided to make it look better, and hid all the wires.  I was running an inverter to power the PS2, but read about how to convert it to 12VDC on the web, and decided that I should go ahead, and set it up that way to reduce cabling and space usage as much as possible.  Now, I'm lovin' it.  I'll probably go to in-headrest displays eventually... but I have to make sure they have multiple video inputs like these do.  Each screen allows my girls to choose video 1 or video 2 for watching either the DVD or playing the PS2.
 
Looks like those LCD's are a bit smaller than the headrest, you might be able to open them up and mount them since you already have them.

joelesler, eww lexus  (n)
 
Like the PS2 Install...now that you have some time are going to eventually put the LCDs in the headrests?
 
Linuxchuck, or anyone else for that matter, i require aid in converting a fat ps2 for work in my vehicle,  i have adjusted the diagram slightly to accomodate the correct leg configuration of the regulator, as so:
see ps2_powersupply. jpg
But i am unclear as to which pins this circuit connects, as there are 4 pins on the mainbord of the ps2.     .    

To clarify, i am completely removing the original power board completely, so would this then, be correct?
see ps2_powersupplyxxx. jpg
 

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