I run the GPS on my 08 RoadGlide through the cigarette lighter.

I've upgraded from a Garmin 255W to a 1450LMT and am curious if I can shorten the cord on the new one.

The old cord was a pretty easy job but I'm worried that since the new cord is different (has traffic) that there might be some shielded wire inside the cord that I can't splice. Anyone delt with this?

 

I use a cord I had from my old Blackberry. It is coiled like a phone cord and only about 12" long. I did lose the traffic feature, but other than that it works great. I think the antenna for the traffic is in the Garmin cord.

 

That lump in the cord & the extra wire in there are your traffic antenna. I'd think twice before cutting into that.............

 

Coil it as small as you can and zip tie it to the plug going into the lighter. That's what I did with mine and it's hardly noticeable.

 

Been there, done it - not a problem.
Cut it , it's just a power cord, two small wires is all.
Get rid of the cigarette lighter adapter too.

Here's the way I did it.

Used a DC Coaxial connector and base instead of cigarette lighter, not a lot of clearance in there when fully turned anyway seemed like a problem waiting to happen to me.

Radio shack Size N Coaxial DC Power Plug part # 274-1573 http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2102488



Radio shack Size N Panel-Mount Coaxial DC Power Jack part #274-1576

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2102489&clickid=prod_cs


This might scare you but you will have to drill a hole for the panel mount base. I located mine down low, way under the cigarette lighter, you can't see it unless you know its there, and it looks fine it's a clean professional look.

 

I hard Wired mine into the Fairing. I just Zip Tied the wire with the other factory wires, and ran it into the Fairing where the handle bars go in. Then I just hard wired it into the Cigarette Lighter. It shuts on and off with the key, and you can just forget about it

This is the one I bought, I wanted a right angle plug:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Garmin-nuvi-...78428774213841

Good Luck

 

The lump is almost certainly a ferrite core which is added to reduce EMC emissions or susceptibility to them.

 

I shortened mine, the wires are so small it was a bit of a pita but not a real problem and it works fine. I got tired of the cigarette lighter adapter, it clears the tank but not by much. I just bought a usb adapter for the cigarette lighter and a usb to usb mini cable. Looks much better. I hope they fixed the problem with the 1400 series. If it keeps rebooting on you, it is not the cord, you need a software update for the garmin.

 

I used the same one and ran it through with the clutch cable that way when I am not using the garmin I can just tuck the wire back into the hole where only the little plug end sticks out, hardly noticeable

 

That's what I'm thinking too.