Thread: What is this connector for?

Originally Posted by Milton477

I'm trying to install a pair of USB sockets in the ceiling behind the front interior light assembly to power a dashcam. Not fussed if it is switched by the ignition & I am trying to avoid running a dedicated wire down to the fuse box.

There is an unused connector with 3 wires lurking up there & I wondered if anyone knew what it was intended for. Pic below.
The red wire has 12v which fluctuates on it & the orange is a steady 12v. Both voltages rise when the car is started.

20170316_135151 (Custom).jpg

Wouldn't you need the power to cut off with the ignition? Otherwise your dashcam could always be on, depending on what settings it has, and could flatten the battery.

Guessing.. For vanity mirror lights... ?

Edit: OR... from the workshop manual

"On high line specification vehicles, the row 1 (front) interior lamp is located in a housing which can also contain the sunroof switch and/or the voice activation microphones, depending on specification."


David

Thanks guys.
If it wasn't switched, I would have to remember to turn it off....maybe a bad idea.
Vanity light would make sense. Looking at the wiring diagrams, the black wire is in pin 3 of the connector C0736 which matches the vehicle. Problem is, the connector is not referenced anywhere else so that I can pick up the other 2 wires. My wiring diagram is purchased from this forum so maybe a bit older than MY2015 vehicles.

Might look for a fuse protecting the vanities & pull it to see if I lose power on one of the pins on the connector.

CO736.JPG

Well I put in a dash cam in about a year ago and did not find any proper switched 12v up there - all was either permanent 12v or turns off after a short period.

I put a usb socket up there to plug the Dashcam USB cable in but ran the power for the USB socket down to the fuse box behind the glove box - saves a long USB cable running down to the fusebox and running a wire from the overhead area to the fusebox is not big deal.

Is that location also where the door/garage remote option is fitted?

Originally Posted by Milton477

Looking at the wiring diagrams, the black wire is in pin 3 of the connector C0736 which matches the vehicle. Problem is, the connector is not referenced anywhere else so that I can pick up the other 2 wires ..... Might look for a fuse protecting the vanities & pull it to see if I lose power on one of the pins on the connector.

Have you had any joy with this?

Scott

I ran out of time so took a chance & snipped the orange wire & connected it to the USB socket +. The earth was picked by screwing a 6mm bolt into the thread already in the bracket in the ceiling. I was unsure about the black wire as an earth in case it was an ECU earth with other implications.

My dashcam is motion activated & goes to sleep after 5 min so although the power to it is not switched by the ignition, I am happy that it will not flatten the battery too quickly. If I was going to let the car stand for any length of time, I would just unplug the USB from the dashcam.

Originally Posted by Milton477

I'm trying to install a pair of USB sockets in the ceiling behind the front interior light assembly to power a dashcam. Not fussed if it is switched by the ignition & I am trying to avoid running a dedicated wire down to the fuse box.

There is an unused connector with 3 wires lurking up there & I wondered if anyone knew what it was intended for. Pic below.
The red wire has 12v which fluctuates on it & the orange is a steady 12v. Both voltages rise when the car is started.

20170316_135151 (Custom).jpg

It's probably too late for this advice but this is the TPMS RF receiver connector. From the workshop manual its connector number C2875S.