I have seen multiple pictures people have uploaded after installing the OEM Garmin GPS Bracket with the wiring harness. I love the setup, but already have a Garmin Nuvi (not the same model as the Mini branded item, but very similar style).

I see the long piece that extends from the Tach. It has the ball end on it, and I assume you can pop off the black bracket and snap on your own bracket (presumably the one attached to the suction cup mount).

No picture I have seen has any detail of the wire. Does the wire fully disconnect from the bracket or is it integrated into the bracket that the GPS snaps onto? I need the wire to be able to disconnect from the back of the bracket and plug into my GPS. From what I can tell, the wire end that is in the bracket in all the pictures I've seen is just like the one attached to the cigarette lighter adaptor that comes with the Garmin units.

Sorry if this sounds confusing, but I need to know so I don't order a useless item.

 

the wire does come off of the OEM mounting bracket the same way that it does from the "cigarette power mount" that comes stock if you buy the Garmin unit in the store. The MINI mount only uses a new arm, instead of the suction cup, and a new wiring harness. The mount that conects to the arm with the ball is the exact same one included with all garmin units of that type and can thus be disconnected in the same way. I know of two different mounts from GARMIN though, one that's with the MINI kit and one that's usually with the wide screen versions. I'm not sure if the widescreen one will work for there's not a enough room beside the tach since the arm only extends so far. I mean that you may be able to put the mount on the ball if the hole is the same size but a widescreen GPS, if that's what you have, will not have enough room. Hope that helps.

 

Most of the installs that you see for an OEM style have the wire tucked behind the dash panels and so that the wire can not be removed but it can be unplugged from the GPS and the GPS taken and used in another car. You just need to get another poser cord.

 

Right - that is what I want! I just want to be able to use my own snap-in part on the GPS and be able to plug the wiring harness into my unit. I don't need to be able to remove the entire wire at any time. From the pictures people have provided, though, I couldn't tell 100% if the wire was not somehow part of the plastic piece that holds the GPS. Awesome - I will likely be doing this set up, then.

Gecho4 - also very helpful, thank you! I don't have a widescreen, either, so that shouldn't be any issue. I just have a flat-screen Nuvi, a 205.

 

One thing you might want to think about is putting in a lighter socket plug under the console panels somewhere so that the cord does not show anywhere. It could be spliced to the current lighter socket wiring

 

Right, but isn't that what the wiring harness is for that comes with the OEM GPS bracket? Doesn't it hook up somewhere under the dash?