Author [NL] [FR] [ES] [DE] [SE] [IT] Altering the Garmin Harness for a Cleaner Install  (Read 3921 times)

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  • Offline Jubeeprince

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    Offline Jubeeprince

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    Altering the Garmin Harness for a Cleaner Install
    on: Jan 26, 2018, 01.57 am
    Jan 26, 2018, 01.57 am
    Hi all,

    Back around the holidays I picked up a GPS one of the members here was selling. It's a Garmin Zumo 660.

    It came with the Triumph-made GPS mount, an extra, brand-new harness and some RAM mount attachments. The Triumph power socket came on the old harness and there was a spare BRAND NEW harness included. After doing a mock-up install, I found that the 'one-size-fits all' harness that is used is kind of a PIA. The Triumph GPS mount instructions say to zip-tie the harness and stow it under the mirror cover. It's a tight fit to say the least and increases the chances of a wire(s) chafing and shorting.

    As I own an older Triumph from the Meriden era ('77 T140VJ Silver Jubilee), I've become pretty adept at wiring (not out of any great talent..... but necessity: I want to ride!).

    I'm not planning on using the GPS cradle/mount for anything else and I have a spare harness, so why not modify it and make it a custom install?

    After studying the harness, there are four connectors coming off the GPS base:

    1) power connection so the battery in the GPS doesn't run down (Red and Black wires with in-line fuse on the Red wire)

    2) Headphone/audio out jack (3.5mm)

    3) Microphone jack (2.5mm)

    4) Mini-USB connector (traffic receivers)

    As I will only be using connections 1 and 2, I cut the harness just before the 4-way splitter:



    After clipping the wires downstream of the 4-way splitter, I determined the colors of the wires I need for my two connections:

    1) Red and Black (power source)

    2) Yellow, Orange, Brown and Purple (audio out)



    Just to keep things interesting,  the power wires are multi-strand and the audio wires are solid copper. The power wires can be spiced with automotive in-line connectors but the audio wires cannot. They are similar to the cable found in ethernet Cat 5/6 wires so they need a special in-line connector:

    These are 3M U1R in-line connectors for 19-24AWG wire. I will need two as each in-line connector can carry two wires:



    The beauty of these connectors is there's no wire stripping involved.....just insert the cut wires on both ends and put a crimping tool on the red button and squeeze. They are fully insulated and gel-filled, so no weather or corrosion will enter.

    I expect them in the mail in the next day or so and I'll post and take some photos of the harness modification and install. I have the original, used harness already installed, so I'll take some photos of the before and after shots of that space under the mirror cover....

    I enjoy working on bikes almost as much as I like riding them.....almost!!  :001:

    Cheers,

    Steve


  • Offline AZBob   us

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    Re: Altering the Garmin Harness for a Cleaner Install
    Reply #1 on: Jan 26, 2018, 06.28 pm
    Jan 26, 2018, 06.28 pm
    Perhaps this is a dumb question, but why not just cut off the wires you don't need AFTER the 4-way splitter, and slip some shrink tube over the exposed holes in the splitter? Or epoxy? I thought about doing that, but I eventually got everything squished in there.
    2014 Triumph Trophy 1200 SE
    2013 Honda CB1100

  • Offline Jubeeprince

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    Offline Jubeeprince

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    Re: Altering the Garmin Harness for a Cleaner Install
    Reply #2 on: Jan 26, 2018, 06.50 pm
    Jan 26, 2018, 06.50 pm
    Hi Bob -

    No such thing as a dumb question....just dumb answers!  :001:

    I thought about doing that, but I figured if I was going to cut up the harness anyways, I may as well go all in. The stock loom is probably about 7' long, so I'm getting rid of somewhere between 3 - 4 feet of unused wire.

    Cheers,

    Steve

  • Offline Jubeeprince

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    Offline Jubeeprince

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    Re: Altering the Garmin Harness for a Cleaner Install
    Reply #3 on: Feb 07, 2018, 08.24 pm
    Feb 07, 2018, 08.24 pm
    Hi all -

    Been a bit lax getting back to this thread, but I'm pleased with the way the install turned out. I was able to remove about three feet in overall length and two three to four foot sections of unused wire and connectors (mic and mini-USB).

    The stock loom before. About seven - eight feet in total length and includes the satellite antenna lead (shortest one):



    Here it is installed. The wires are a *tight* fit in the space provided and I was worried that something would eventually chafe. That and it was a right PITA to get the stowage/glove box back in place:



    I had a spare stock harness, so I could cut it up and still have an original as back up. After some splicing, wire-connecting and heat-shrinking, the new loom was much shorter and far less bulky. Power lead, sat. antenna lead and audio lead (audio lead not yet spliced in):



    After it was installed, the 'rats nest' was much more manageable:



    And the good news is, it works!  :047: Always a bonus in my book. It really wasn't that difficult and well worth it IME to prevent wires chafing/rubbing and shorting.

    Cheers,

    Steve Prince

  • Online Coconut   gb

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    Re: Altering the Garmin Harness for a Cleaner Install
    Reply #4 on: Feb 08, 2018, 09.01 am
    Feb 08, 2018, 09.01 am
    Neat Job !  :028:

    In the "After it was installed" Photo -
    What is the connector with the 2 Grey "end caps" ?

    Is that for the XM Satellite Radio Antenna ?

    Cheers  :821:

    Last Edit: Mar 22, 2020, 09.51 am by Coconut

  • Offline Jubeeprince

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    Offline Jubeeprince

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    Re: Altering the Garmin Harness for a Cleaner Install
    Reply #5 on: Feb 08, 2018, 02.15 pm
    Feb 08, 2018, 02.15 pm
    *Originally Posted by Coconut [+]
    Neat Job !  :028:
    Is that for the XM Satellite Radio Antenna ?

    Thanks, Coconut -

    Yes it is. It's a similar connector to what we use her in the states for cable TV. A "coaxial" connector. Solid copper wire encased in insulation and shielded. You depress the "button" on the side the connector and pull it off:



    Cheers,

    Steve

  • Online Coconut   gb

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    Re: Altering the Garmin Harness for a Cleaner Install
    Reply #6 on: Feb 08, 2018, 02.31 pm
    Feb 08, 2018, 02.31 pm
    Thanks for confirming that - ( it's what I thought ).

    We don't have XM radio in the UK, so this explains why nothing
    is connected up to that socket on my UK Spec Trophy  :028:

    Cheers  :821:

    Last Edit: Mar 22, 2020, 09.50 am by Coconut

     



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