Installing USB port, two unused wires?

[maritimer]

Hello everyone, I am new to the forum. I am planning on installing a 12V USB Outlet which also has a voltmeter into my 2007 Electric Precedent.

My cart doesn't have a voltage reducer but I'm not planning on installing a radio or any other high-use products. I noticed that there are two unused wires in my dash on the left of the battery meter, one red and one black.

Two questions:

1. Can and should I wire this USB port into my existing dash without a voltage reducer?

2. What are the two unused wires in the photo for?

Thanking everyone in advance.

[meimk]

1) Of you wire the USB into the 48 volt key switch circuit you will fry anything you plug into it.
2) Your picures won't post till you have more posts (10?). Done to limit spammers.

[Wakko47]

I literally did this yesterday on an '07. You can use just one battery as the 12v source since you have 4x12 in your cart, but it can unbalance the pack. I decided to install a 48-72v to 12v reducer connected through the B- on the controller and utilize a fuse block in case additional accessories get added at a later date, when someone else owns the cart. Did it add more $$$ into the cart? Yes. Did it take time to do it right? Yes.

Don't mess with those two wires, I think they are for diagnostic purposes or something like that. One of them is connected to the MCOR if I remember right, but I could be wrong.

[maritimer]

Originally Posted by Wakko47

I literally did this yesterday on an '07. You can use just one battery as the 12v source since you have 4x12 in your cart, but it can unbalance the pack. I decided to install a 48-72v to 12v reducer connected through the B- on the controller and utilize a fuse block in case additional accessories get added at a later date, when someone else owns the cart. Did it add more $$$ into the cart? Yes. Did it take time to do it right? Yes.

Don't mess with those two wires, I think they are for diagnostic purposes or something like that. One of them is connected to the MCOR if I remember right, but I could be wrong.

Thanks for the info. I'm not that familiar with wiring but how difficult is it to install a reducer? I'm guessing I would have to install the reducer by the two front wheels but then I'd have to wire underneath to the batteries?

[Timinator]

What voltage does your USB port want to see as an input, is it 12V? If so, like mentioned above, just wire in one battery. There will be no inbalance with just 5v and a few milliamps of USB charging going on with a 100 amp battery.

[maritimer]

Originally Posted by Timinator

What voltage does your USB port want to see as an input, is it 12V? If so, like mentioned above, just wire in one battery. There will be no inbalance with just 5v and a few milliamps of USB charging going on with a 100 amp battery.

Yes it is 12V. What if I had a light kit wired to 12V batteries? Would the USB and light kit together cause an imbalance? I would rarely be using the lights, only 10/15 minutes every week at maximum.

[Timinator]

Originally Posted by maritimer

Yes it is 12V. What if I had a light kit wired to 12V batteries? Would the USB and light kit together cause an imbalance? I would rarely be using the lights, only 10/15 minutes every week at maximum.

Probably not see much if it's an LED light kit. They don't draw that much amperage. If you're charging every week or every other week and you use 15 minutes of LED lights on one 12V battery, I don't think I would be concerned.

If after several months of your weekly usage, you measure the voltage of that one battery and it's different than the voltage of the other batteries, maybe put in a 48V to 12V converter, but I doubt you'll have to.

[maritimer]

Originally Posted by Timinator

Probably not see much if it's an LED light kit. They don't draw that much amperage. If you're charging every week or every other week and you use 15 minutes of LED lights on one 12V battery, I don't think I would be concerned.

If after several months of your weekly usage, you measure the voltage of that one battery and it's different than the voltage of the other batteries, maybe put in a 48V to 12V converter, but I doubt you'll have to.

Thanks for your advice Timinator! What's the easiest way to wire the USB port into one battery, is there any way to wire it through the light kit, or do I have to wire it to the battery under the cart/floor mat?

[Timinator]

If they're both 12V (the light and USB), sure, just splice into the wires where it's the most convenient. I take it you'll be running wires from one battery. Use an inline fuse on the + from that battery before you get to the lights and take-off to the USB. Take a voltage reading of that battery and the others too as a baseline to see if you're ever causing an imbalance.