Urgent: Low voltage wire needed from front

[TDot]

I've run into a criticle problem with my computer install. I grabbed the cig power to activate the remote switch on my computer power supply. Come to find out...of course this is no where in the specs or manual of the power supply...the max voltage to the remote is 7V, & 5.5V is recommended max, also 100mA max for current. So I evidently burnt out the switch on two power supplies. I've read through the AV and PG FSM and the only line I found giving a constant suitable voltage once the car is on is the Microphone VCC output, but where it is is problamatic to tap into. Please can someone point me to a suitable line to tap into? Preferably behind the nav system or under the center console.

[The00Dustin]

Cars have 12V batteries. I'm pretty sure most of the electronics in them are designed to run on 12V because of this (and as such, there aren't many pull-down transformers). That said, if your car has a USB port, that should put out 5V, and current is drawn, not pushed, so the 100mA max shouldn't cause you any trouble since that port should put out at least 100mA and likely puts out between 500mA and 2A. If the car doesn't have a USB port, you can get a cig power -> USB adapter, as there are lots of those for charging phones and other devices. If you want to hide it, you can try to get such an adapter and disassemble it so you can access the wires instead of the contacts, and then you could put it somewhere hidden.

[EniGmA1987]

IDK where you are looking, but you can draw 12v @ 3A from the cigarette lighters if you really wanted to. The ooutlet says 1.5A max printed on it, but you can draw more than that perfectly fine. I can run (safely without things heating up or fuses blowing) an LCD monitor and an XBox on a cigarette lighter. Your best bet for powering the computer would probably be to disconnect the rear seat cigarette lighter and run those wires to power your computer. And for safety, you might want to just rerun all the wires back to the fuse itself in a larger gauge

[TDot]

^^^I don't think you read my op properly. I don't want 12V, I want 1-5.5V with 100mA max.

The00Dustin, that crossed my mind, it's a good idea, but I'd want to keep this hidden and not have to drill a whole in my center console cubby, and keep it compact. I don't think this idea would allow for that...you tell me different if possible.

Two other ideas crossed my mind. Attach a line to the push button on wire, or build a small 5V regulator. Not 100% sure I want to go either of those routes yet though.

[The00Dustin]

I don't have, and haven't driven an 08 M, so I can't really tell you different. It seems like the 08 G loaner I drove (before they started loaning 11s) had USB ports in the center console, but I suppose that could have been the 11. If you were willing to run the power over coax maybe you could get one of the flat coax cables they run through windows for temporary satellite installations (in houses). If it was thin enough, perhaps it could go between trim pieces without a hole being drilled, if it wasn't, perhaps some other type of ribbon cable that could stand up to that amperage would. Regarding building a 5V regulator, I was thinking that disassembling a cig lighter adapter would be easier while giving you the same end result.