How-To: Install a 12v Accessory Socket

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maddiedog
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How-To: Install a 12v Accessory Socket

Post by maddiedog »

A few people have requested this, so here goes...

To install a 12v accessory socket in your glovebox, you will need:
Tools
- Ratchet set
- Philips-head screwdriver
- Drill
- small bit (any size to drill a pilot hole will work, I think I used a 1/8" bit)
- 1" bit
Supplies
- 12v Accessory Socket kit (PREFERABLY)
- 1/4" crimp-on O-connectors (to hook wires to battery)
- Zip ties

If you can't get a kit, you will need:
- 12v Accessory Socket
- Red and Black wire, rated for 10A
- 10A inline fuse
- Wire-splicing crimps (to connect wires together)
- 1/4" crimp-on O-connectors (to hook wires to battery)
- Zip ties

Since my kit provided ample wire for the mod, and came with a fuse, I did not need wiring caps or more wiring. If the kit you buy doesn't have enough wire, just get extra wire and splicing crimps to make the wires long enough. The kit I used was from Radio Shack, and was branded as "Enercell." It was near all the car chargers, etc in the store.

In order to route the wires properly, we have to disassemble much of the bike to get down to the frame. I'm sure you can skip a lot of the disassembly if you like fishing for wires, but this whole mod (including disassembly and reassembly) took me less than two hours, so it may be better to just do it right rather than trying to do it faster.

The disassembly process starts in the back, at the wing. Flip the seat up, and remove these two screws:
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There are clips, be gentle and pry upwards and towards the back of the bike:
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Remove the 4 bolts holding the metal plate in place:
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Gently pry the plate out of the side fairings, and remove:
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Remove the seat, by removing the 2 bolts holding it in place:
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Remove the 4 bolts at the bottom of the cargo bay:
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Unscrew the battery cover and remove by pulling from the bottom tab while prying the top of the flap:
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Remove the 2 bolts in the cargo compartment that were hiding behind the battery cover:
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And go ahead and unclip the battery while you are there:
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Next, we need to remove the fuel cover so we can take the center tunnel off. Pop the cover open:
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And remove the 3 screws underneath:
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Remove the big screw on the center tunnel fairing:
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And remove the two little ones that were hiding in the fuel hatch:
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Pry the center fairing forwards and upwards to remove:
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With the center fairing removed, you should be able to look towards the back of the scooter from inside the fuel hatch to see two of these little screws, one on each side:
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And a more zoomed-in view:
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Remove those two screws so that the back left and right panels can come off. There is also a screw on each side up above, connecting in to the cargo bay. Remove them:
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Remove the two screws holding the right and left panels to the bottom of the frame:
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More zoomed-in view of the screw:
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The taillight connects to the two back fairings, so unbolt the two nuts holding it in place:
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And pull out the seat pan:
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Pry each side fairing hard towards the back of the bike and up:
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Disconnect the taillights, and slowly remove the whole unit off the back:
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Admire your work so far:
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Next, we need to disassemble some of the front end... Start by removing the fairing below the windshield by removing the two screws up in there:
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And pry off the top area gently:
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Unbolt the windshield:
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And we are done (enough) with assembly to do the mod! If you look up in the gap underneath the windshield where the center fairing covered, you can see the back of the glove box:
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View from farther out:
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And if you look inside the glovebox, you can see there is a nice, big area on the left for us to put the socket in:
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Drill a pilot hole at the center back of the left side of the glove box. You can't put it on the right side, because there is a support there:
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Then, take your 1" hole saw and drill through your pilot hole. I found that my socket was just slightly bigger than 1", so I wiggled the drill bit in a circular motion to enlarge it by about 1/16". Here's the hole:
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Ew, plastic shavings everywhere. Clean up the mess, and pass the wires of the plug through the hole, finally clicking the socket into place.

If you don't have a fancy kit like mine, then wire the socket to about 6' of wire, using the crimps to connect them together. If you go this route, you can put the inline fuse wherever, but I'd personally put it in the battery box next to the other fuses. Therefore, once you have the socket crimped and in place, you should continue.

Here's the socket in the glove box:
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Here's the wires hanging out, notice the black box? That is the inline fuse from my kit.
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Looking up underneath the fairings in the front, we can see tons of places to route the cable through. Just mount it high up in there to a non-moving part of the frame with zip ties. Make sure your fuse is in a place where you can change it, and that your wiring will not touch or hinder the steering.

Make the wires run across the bike laterally, to the right side of the bike. Most wiring is on this side, and the opening to the battery box is on the left...

Here is the view underneath before I rerouted the wires to the top side of the frame:
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Run the wires forwards from there, alongside the gas compartment, and out to next to the battery:
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Add the fuse if you don't have a kit using splicing crimps. Crimp on the O-connectors, and screw them down to the terminal on top of the existing connector. Do the negative battery terminal first, then the positive terminal.

Negative terminal done:
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Positive terminal done:
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And you're done! Reassemble the bike, and reward yourself with a cheap, shitty beer:
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Currently ride: 2011 Honda PCX 125 - Upgraded windshield and seat, keeping this one mostly stock
Previously rides: 2005 V-Strom DL650, 1974 Vespa Ciao, 2011 Honda PCX 170 (tons of mods - takegawa 170cc big bore kit, gears, etc), 1996 Honda Nighthawk 250, 1987 Honda Spree, 2000 KTM 125SX, 2003 Honda Silverwing, 2007 Genuine Buddy 125, 1998 Honda PC800, 2008 Buddy 125 (white), 2008 Buddy 125 (red), 2001 Honda Reflex, 1987 Honda Elite, 1988 Honda Spree, 2007 Yamaha Vino, 2007 Honda Metro, 2x 125cc pure-chinesium dirt bikes
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Re: How-To: Install a 12v Accessory Socket

Post by TC3 »

Hmm that is a lot of work Dave. A good step by step easy to follow install though. I just have power under the seat attached to battery and works for me as it can still power a mounted satnav as lead can run out from under seat to the front without any snagging.

Just a quick question. If you want to power a mounted satnav do you have to leave the flap of the front storage compartment open? Just curious :)
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Re: How-To: Install a 12v Accessory Socket

Post by maddiedog »

If you have really tiny hands, you can get away with just taking off the windshield, fuel cover, and battery cover. It would take me longer to fish wires than it would take me to take all the panels off, which is why I just removed almost all the fairings. :)

Depending on how thick the cable is, you may or may not be able to close the glove compartment with the wire hanging out. The way the weatherstripping is lined up, a non-coiled, straight cable can be routed out the bottom-right of the panel without interfering with anything, which is how I power my Droid II when I ride.
Currently ride: 2011 Honda PCX 125 - Upgraded windshield and seat, keeping this one mostly stock
Previously rides: 2005 V-Strom DL650, 1974 Vespa Ciao, 2011 Honda PCX 170 (tons of mods - takegawa 170cc big bore kit, gears, etc), 1996 Honda Nighthawk 250, 1987 Honda Spree, 2000 KTM 125SX, 2003 Honda Silverwing, 2007 Genuine Buddy 125, 1998 Honda PC800, 2008 Buddy 125 (white), 2008 Buddy 125 (red), 2001 Honda Reflex, 1987 Honda Elite, 1988 Honda Spree, 2007 Yamaha Vino, 2007 Honda Metro, 2x 125cc pure-chinesium dirt bikes
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Re: How-To: Install a 12v Accessory Socket

Post by TC3 »

Maybe if I would actually use it often to power a satnav I would add a socket as you did. My garmin has 4 hour battery life which normally is enough though.

I wonder if the battery would go flat if I left the gps under the seat to charge for several hours with bike switched off or would it be minimal drain?

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Re: How-To: Install a 12v Accessory Socket

Post by maddiedog »

Drain would be minimal. You wouldn't want to leave it overnight, but a few hours shouldn't be a problem.

I've accidentally left my phone plugged in for two days, and my battery still cranked up fine.
Currently ride: 2011 Honda PCX 125 - Upgraded windshield and seat, keeping this one mostly stock
Previously rides: 2005 V-Strom DL650, 1974 Vespa Ciao, 2011 Honda PCX 170 (tons of mods - takegawa 170cc big bore kit, gears, etc), 1996 Honda Nighthawk 250, 1987 Honda Spree, 2000 KTM 125SX, 2003 Honda Silverwing, 2007 Genuine Buddy 125, 1998 Honda PC800, 2008 Buddy 125 (white), 2008 Buddy 125 (red), 2001 Honda Reflex, 1987 Honda Elite, 1988 Honda Spree, 2007 Yamaha Vino, 2007 Honda Metro, 2x 125cc pure-chinesium dirt bikes
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Re: How-To: Install a 12v Accessory Socket

Post by TC3 »

Thanks thats good to know

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Re: How-To: Install a 12v Accessory Socket

Post by newpl »

Hey just about to do this install. But I was thinking of running this by some of you experts.
My goal is to hook up the accessory plug to the ignition so that it's powered when the bike is on and off when the bike is off.

I was thinking of splicing it up to the license light as that's always on when the engine is on. If I'm reading the diagram right, it's the brown cable (+) and the green cable (-). Which both can be accessible via the front dash. It's fused at 10A with the license light at 5W, brake at 21W and a turn sig at 21W so it's only pulling 4A. I'm only using it to charge my phone which at most wouldn't be more than 1W at 0.1A.

My question is that the brown wire is also plugged into the dash under wire 16 labeled "IGN". Which I assume is ignition and only used to start the bike. I also don't think it would pull more than 6A or 72W with all the rear lights on.

Any opinions out there and can anyone see if this would harm the bike in any way?? Plus since it's fused already I could do away with the inline fuse from the kit.
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Re: How-To: Install a 12v Accessory Socket

Post by maddiedog »

That's actually a common way to attach this sort of thing. I bypassed the ignition and ran my own wires so I could draw more current and so I could charge when the bike is off.

I'll take a close look at the wiring diagram tomorrow morning and see if I see any issues, but I'm 95% sure you'll be fine. I'm 100% sure you won't damage the bike, unless you horribly mess up the wiring harness too. Really, the worse you could do by properly splicing the plug in parallel with the rear plate light is blow a fuse, which is no big deal.

When you are actually doing the installation, some people have reported that they only had to take off the fuel cover and the front plastics -- not the entire rear assembly like I did. It is definitely possible to do it that way, but fishing the wires through to the battery box will be much more difficult. In addition, in order to access the wiring harness, you'll have to take apart the front of your bike more than I did in the above how-to. After you remove the windshield, you should be able to pry the plastic faring underneath it off easily using plastic pry bars. That should grant you access enough to the wiring harness to poke around and find your wire.

I'd also recommend using wire quick-splice connectors instead of attempting to disconnect the wire and soldering it. The quick-splice connectors I usually use are less than $0.25 each, and you can even get them at Wal-Mart... This is what they look like:
http://bp3.blogger.com/_hFbmU_bj1Y0/SDq ... img_85.jpg
Currently ride: 2011 Honda PCX 125 - Upgraded windshield and seat, keeping this one mostly stock
Previously rides: 2005 V-Strom DL650, 1974 Vespa Ciao, 2011 Honda PCX 170 (tons of mods - takegawa 170cc big bore kit, gears, etc), 1996 Honda Nighthawk 250, 1987 Honda Spree, 2000 KTM 125SX, 2003 Honda Silverwing, 2007 Genuine Buddy 125, 1998 Honda PC800, 2008 Buddy 125 (white), 2008 Buddy 125 (red), 2001 Honda Reflex, 1987 Honda Elite, 1988 Honda Spree, 2007 Yamaha Vino, 2007 Honda Metro, 2x 125cc pure-chinesium dirt bikes
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Re: How-To: Install a 12v Accessory Socket

Post by newpl »

Success!!!!!!! Plus is was easy and with minimal panels removed. Only remove 3 items!

So I wired it into the lighting system and it works perfectly. Power when the ignition is on.... and off when the engine is off. It's pulling around 5A with all the lights and engine on. With my phone, it's only 5.2A peak...plenty of cushion for the 10A fuse.

In case others want to do it, I tried to take pictures but since I did it in my garage at 10pm, the lighting is not good. Sorry for the bad picture. Basically, I used the connectors that maddiedog has in the post above and spliced into the Green(-) and Brown(+) wires.

1. Remove the front grill under the windshield from maddiedog's instructions
2. Remove the windshield from maddiedogs instructions
3. Pry the front meter panel (black plastic panel under the windshield. There no screws or bolts. Just the 4 holes that the plastic goes over)
IMAG0002.jpg
IMAG0002.jpg (86.11 KiB) Viewed 50275 times
Let's start with the easy wire... the Green. The same green wire goes to turn signals, horn, brake, license lights. I chose to use the left turn signal as it's easy to get to as it's right there.
IMAG0005.jpg
IMAG0005.jpg (94.96 KiB) Viewed 50275 times
The brown wire is much less common as it's only at the license light, fuse box, and into the dash. Luckily the dash is right in front of you. Pull the rubber casing down.
IMAG0006.jpg
IMAG0006.jpg (59.98 KiB) Viewed 50275 times
The brown cable is on the left bank of wires next to light green/black wire, the other side is 3 empty slots and the end is a white/blue
IMAG0007.jpg
IMAG0007.jpg (41.54 KiB) Viewed 50275 times
Then cable tie the slack. I would test with a volt meter and make sure everything works before you reassemble the bike.
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Re: How-To: Install a 12v Accessory Socket

Post by maddiedog »

Wow, that's much quicker.

Good work. :D
Currently ride: 2011 Honda PCX 125 - Upgraded windshield and seat, keeping this one mostly stock
Previously rides: 2005 V-Strom DL650, 1974 Vespa Ciao, 2011 Honda PCX 170 (tons of mods - takegawa 170cc big bore kit, gears, etc), 1996 Honda Nighthawk 250, 1987 Honda Spree, 2000 KTM 125SX, 2003 Honda Silverwing, 2007 Genuine Buddy 125, 1998 Honda PC800, 2008 Buddy 125 (white), 2008 Buddy 125 (red), 2001 Honda Reflex, 1987 Honda Elite, 1988 Honda Spree, 2007 Yamaha Vino, 2007 Honda Metro, 2x 125cc pure-chinesium dirt bikes
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Re: How-To: Install a 12v Accessory Socket

Post by nasnikos-Greece »

That's right! It's the easiest way! I used the same one to supply my second horn (siren).. ;)
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Re: How-To: Install a 12v Accessory Socket

Post by newpl »

Now since it's cold, I'm thinking of using this to control a 30amp relay direct from the battery so I can have heated gloves.

Oh the accessories never ends.
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Re: How-To: Install a 12v Accessory Socket

Post by depthman »

I found an external battery case with AA batteries... REALLY easy ;)
http://www.gomadic.com/garmin-nuvi-1450 ... ender.html
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Re: How-To: Install a 12v Accessory Socket

Post by heythorp »

Great write ups.

When I get a scooter, I am going to install a dual USB at 5v.

Although I do like the weather proofing you can do to a 12v plug.

might have to rethink that.
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Re: How-To: Install a 12v Accessory Socket

Post by Taz »

You can buy quality weatherproofed 12v sockets from a decent yacht chandler. They shouldnt corrode like the cheap sockets do.
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Re: How-To: Install a 12v Accessory Socket

Post by heythorp »

Yeah, its the USB option I am worried about. By now you would think there should be a weatherproof USB option. Haven't even looked yet.
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It was annoying me, it must have been annoying others.
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Re: How-To: Install a 12v Accessory Socket

Post by maddiedog »

Why not use a weatherproof 12v socket, then keep one of these under the seat?

12v to USB charger
^ I have that one, it works very well.
Currently ride: 2011 Honda PCX 125 - Upgraded windshield and seat, keeping this one mostly stock
Previously rides: 2005 V-Strom DL650, 1974 Vespa Ciao, 2011 Honda PCX 170 (tons of mods - takegawa 170cc big bore kit, gears, etc), 1996 Honda Nighthawk 250, 1987 Honda Spree, 2000 KTM 125SX, 2003 Honda Silverwing, 2007 Genuine Buddy 125, 1998 Honda PC800, 2008 Buddy 125 (white), 2008 Buddy 125 (red), 2001 Honda Reflex, 1987 Honda Elite, 1988 Honda Spree, 2007 Yamaha Vino, 2007 Honda Metro, 2x 125cc pure-chinesium dirt bikes
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Re: How-To: Install a 12v Accessory Socket

Post by heythorp »

thats not as clean and slick.

a nice flush mounted one would be much nicer looking imo.

OK I have to get back to work and stop reading these darn scooter forums!!!!
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Re: How-To: Install a 12v Accessory Socket

Post by maddiedog »

:lol: Careful, it's an addiction. :P
Currently ride: 2011 Honda PCX 125 - Upgraded windshield and seat, keeping this one mostly stock
Previously rides: 2005 V-Strom DL650, 1974 Vespa Ciao, 2011 Honda PCX 170 (tons of mods - takegawa 170cc big bore kit, gears, etc), 1996 Honda Nighthawk 250, 1987 Honda Spree, 2000 KTM 125SX, 2003 Honda Silverwing, 2007 Genuine Buddy 125, 1998 Honda PC800, 2008 Buddy 125 (white), 2008 Buddy 125 (red), 2001 Honda Reflex, 1987 Honda Elite, 1988 Honda Spree, 2007 Yamaha Vino, 2007 Honda Metro, 2x 125cc pure-chinesium dirt bikes
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Re: How-To: Install a 12v Accessory Socket

Post by ~Cheap_Ride~ »

I just want to say thanks to the OP for the tip on the kit from Radio Shack. I opted not to install my power outlet in the cubby but to leave it under the seat. The kit came with a mounting bracket and hardware which kept me from drilling holes in to my brand new bike, something I personally wanted to refrain from as much as possible.

I located the outlet right below the coolant fill cap on the back part of the storage bucket. The wires I placed in wire loom and routed along the bottom and side of the bucket through the battery access cover. I made a carpet bottom for the seat bucket so none of the wiring is visible. I can now charge my Iphone or run the led's I installed for night riding.

That kit was complete and well worth the ten bucks I spent.
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