Fuse Box - Permanent Live

Faults and Technical chat for the Volvo XC40
ChesneyHawkes
Posts: 3
Joined: Wed Sep 19, 2018 11:26 am

Post by ChesneyHawkes »

Doesn’t bother me, it’s only using it for power instead of any data exchange so I don’t see how it disrupts the car. It even detects when the battery drops below a user defined threshold to cut the dash cam off so it’s doesn't cause a flat battery.

Tbh it’s no different to hard wiring to a fuse box, just that you’re connecting it somewhere earlier in the food chain. You could tap the OBD fuse instead and get the same result.

Anyway, people use that port all the time for things like HUD that the XC40 doesn’t come with or real-time performance analysis through apps like Torque, its not only used by the guys in the workshops doing diagnostics.

The port has been installed in pretty much every single car since 1996, unless you’re using a dodgy adaptor that was built poorly you shouldn’t have any issues. I certainly don’t think Blackvue build low quality stuff. Just my two cents
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Silver Moose
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Post by Silver Moose »

hdasmith wrote: Wed Dec 12, 2018 9:00 pm Thanks Dave, I’ll move mine to 17 I think, as I’m not very happy with where it is! My alcohol lock isn’t wired in!
Hi. When you say 'not wired in', do you mean no +ve on incoming side or, just no fuse/outgoing?

I'm going for a simple solution on day 1 of picking up my car but looking to sort a proper installation in time. My 1st port of call would normally be empty fuse slots in the hope that they had a wired incoming connection. IMHO, empty slots are the best option - can't cause a problem with existing circuits and, even for an idiot like me, no chance of installing piggyback wrong way round. (I've seen blade fuses with attached female bullets [solves lid problem] but, unfortunately, not seen any UK sellers).

It won't be the end of world for me but, I would like to have park monitoring enabled if poss.
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hdasmith
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Location: UK

Post by hdasmith »

There isn’t a connection. It surprised me.
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Silver Moose
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Post by Silver Moose »

hdasmith wrote: Sat Jan 19, 2019 8:27 pm There isn’t a connection. It surprised me.
Never mind eh - thanks for responding.

There was a time when every fuse box would be wired the same and, more often than not, even sub-looms would be in place (e.g. no sunroof but connectors sitting, unused, in headliner).

These days, with computerised production planning, manufacturers can boost their profits by 17p by leaving out a relay & connector. I guess I'll find the same situation with all the fuse locations for the other options I've not chosen (heated rear seats; heated steering wheel; sunroof; foot motion detector; etc.).
Real name Carl
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hdasmith
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Location: UK

Post by hdasmith »

I’m afraid that’s what I found. There were a number I tried. The other problem is finding one located where you can still close the box properly after. In the end, I could only manage 51 for the fuel pump. It’s a squeeze with the piggy-back tail, but it fits.
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Wedgie
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Post by Wedgie »

Just wondered if anyone had considered running a permanent live through the firewall from the battery into the passenger compartment? I was considering doing this and then putting an extra fuse box in the large space under the passenger seat. The idea is I can then wire in my dashcams (front and rear) and have a link to fit an optimiser for when I am not using the car for any length of time plus anything else in the future..
Wedgie
Posts: 96
Joined: Sun Jul 15, 2018 3:09 pm

Post by Wedgie »

Contrary to what was said above, I managed to find both a switched and permanent fuse connection in the under seat fuse box which were live and did not have an existing fuses in place, so no danger of interfering with an existing circuit. I was a bit twitchy about this as an installer put in a Smartnav set up in my V40 and managed to disable the rear parking sensors by tapping into their live feeds.
abby606
Posts: 83
Joined: Sat Mar 03, 2018 4:02 pm
Location: Bristol

Post by abby606 »

Wedgie wrote: Sat Feb 09, 2019 5:52 pm Contrary to what was said above, I managed to find both a switched and permanent fuse connection in the under seat fuse box which were live and did not have an existing fuses in place, so no danger of interfering with an existing circuit. I was a bit twitchy about this as an installer put in a Smartnav set up in my V40 and managed to disable the rear parking sensors by tapping into their live feeds.
Care to share the fuse numbers you used and which was live/switched?
Silver Moose
Posts: 344
Joined: Wed Dec 26, 2018 9:10 am

Post by Silver Moose »

Wedgie wrote: Sat Feb 09, 2019 5:52 pm Contrary to what was said above, I managed to find both a switched and permanent fuse connection in the under seat fuse box which were live and did not have an existing fuses in place, so no danger of interfering with an existing circuit. I was a bit twitchy about this as an installer put in a Smartnav set up in my V40 and managed to disable the rear parking sensors by tapping into their live feeds.
Fantastic! Thanks for that - you've given me renewed hope.
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Wedgie
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Post by Wedgie »

The most difficult was identifying the switched feed as just unlocking the car and opening the door triggers the car to go into the stage 1 ignition position. I used one next to the the alcohol lock spot at the top right of the fuse box.
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