Sat Nav/Phone: Garmin 1490T Fitted to Volvo Sat Nav Housing

[martin j]

I purchased from ebay a secondhand radio unit to fix my ICM and included with the radio was a Sat Nav screen/motor unit. After trying to get the screen to raise and turn on without any luck, I decided to try and fit an all in one Sat Nav unit (Garmin 1490T) inside the case instead. Basically I removed all the components from the unit apart from the small motor and gears that are used for rasing and lowering the screen. I found applying 12v DC to the motor would raise the unit and then reversing the polarity it would lower. I purchase and latched double pole changeover relay item No.(120791668592) from ebay which would let me press a button once to make the unit raise and once again to lower instead of having a rocker type switch which would need to be held until the unit raised/lowered. Then I needed to cut the power off the motor to stop the screen in the correct positions. I did this by fitting two limit switches one to cut the feed when lowered and one when it was raised, these switches had double contacts one set made when pressed and one set made when not pressed. Once I got the unit rasing and lowering and stopping in the correct positions it was time to find a unit that would fit. In the end a large screen garmin 1490T was the best fit I could find as it is a very thin unit which gave just about enough room with the power lead. I powered the lift motor from position 8 (+12v) in the drivers side fuse box in dash and I also needed a switched supply to power the Garmin as I wanted this to turn on as the screen raised and off as it lowered this supply I took from the 12v outlet by heater controls and cut the supply thro the push to make contacts in the raise limit switch so that when the unit was down it would not be draining the car battery. Both supplies to the motor and Garmin were fused @ 1A. I positioned the operating switch under the cover for the cup holder as per photo. Sorry about the discription (Harder to write down than do), sure I have forgotten lots, hope it helps someone,. I tidied up all the wiring before final fitting before anyone asks and the cost was £115 Garmin (With Bluetooth), Relay & encloser £18, Switch £1.95, wire and limit switches I had in garage. Have attached some photos hope it helps. Any question please ask.
Martin
 

[excaleng]

Cracking job Martin, very professionaly done.

[renesis]

good write up martin,
with the garmin sat nav i assume no addition gps antenna is needed because it is all bult in?

so all i would need is a motorised unit and the garmin. and of course a mounting bracked. wires and relays i can get hold of no problem.

did any fault codes pop up during the installation. when you disconnected the battery ?

cheers

[martin j]

Thats right no need for any external GPS antenna with the garmin and it also turns itself on when the 12v supply is on and off when its off. You are right all you need is the motor unit and the Garmin some wire,switches & and Dremal tool for cutting bits out of the Sat Nav metal case for the limit switches and wiring. Had no problems with fault codes when disconnecting battery, always had the ignition off before removing the -ve battery terminal.

[galloot633]

brilliant setup, I fancied doing something like this but I couldnt find an old volvo satnav unit , well at a reasonable price anyway
dave

[martin j]

I think ebay is the only cheap option. I was lucky to get full Radio unit with ICM which I neeed to sort out my radio and it came with Sat Nav with colour matched dash bits for £100 delivered. Just keep lookng.

[galloot633]

yes i will, was your car fitted with a satnav as standard ?
dave

[martin j]

No Sat Nav fitted.

[galloot633]

so you had to source the grille with cutout and the complete plastic base that the satnav holder fixes to ?
dave

[martin j]

The Sat Nav screen I got included the mounting plate with cover and was the right colour for my interior, which sort of started me wanting to get the thing working one way or another.