Specification Change

[AH9999]

How should I approach BMW about the following issue?

I have a 4 month old BMW 635d Sport Convertible, certainly not the cheapest car in the world

I have just purchased a GPS radar detector and decided that the easiest way to wire it into the car was to use the Auxilary power socket in the passenger foot well.

But guess what, the Auxillary power socket isn't there !!!

Double check the manual, yes it clearly shows in the picture that it's there - I look a little closer and they show a Left Hand Drive car as opposed to Right Hand Drive

Obviously this feature was lost in the conversion of Left Hand to Right Hand drive.....I'm not happy

[Donut]

Why don't you hard wire it via the cig lighter?

Run the wire behind the dashboard it will look a lot cleaner and most auto electric places can do it.

[AH9999]

yes I did check both sides, probably about 3 times as I started to doubt myself.

I sent BMW an email and got this response:

"After investigating into this further for you I can advise that a 12v
socket is only fitted should the smokers pack be deleted. As this was
not deleted from your vehicle the 12v power supply is fitted in with the
ashtray in the centre console."

Fair response, shame I didn't know about this (or was made aware by the salesman) when I ordered the car!

So the last option is to go for a permanent wiring solution

[gizlaroc]

Buy a female ciggy lighter from Hlafords, then pop the gear stick surround off and look at the wires that run to the 12v socket in the armrest, one is a big yellow/green cable with a thick brown one next to it. This is 12v swicthed, hard wire the extension into this, you can simply unplug it where it joins and strip the cable back on your female lighter socket and push it into the join and put it back together, don't need crimps or solder.
I would then run this cable under the steering wheel trim, it comes down with a couple of screws.
Then leave it under there and plug your camera device into it there, you can then pop the trim off the end of the dash and pull the wire up under the a pillar.

A nice neat install that takes 10-15 minutes max.

[AH9999]

gizlaroc, thank you for that information, you make it sound so easy

I assume taking the grearstick surround off is an easy operation?