MikeRadio

Maybe I am really missing something here, but how come the second power outlet is INSIDE the console?

Th only thing I can see it being used for is to charge your bluetooth phone since you wouldn't need it OUT.

But for charging a regular phone or any other use, I do not understand.

It doesn't seem you can run wires out of the console box in the middle or anything, so this would ONLY be useful when you have something IN the box charging... since your arm is there when you are driving.

I do not know why you would want something IN the box charging. I can really use a plug OUTSIDE (or a way to run a wire from in the box out....)

Can someone shed some light on why it is there and not outside someplace for me. I am just baffled here as of the use for this power plug...

Thanks!

Mike

mook

MikeRadio,

You got it right. Lots of cars I've looked at have power outlets in the console storage compartment. Where the TL has fallen short is that there isn't a grove or opening the allow the wire to come through. Other cars I've looked at have an opening that will let you plug a charger or adapter in and feed the wire out and completely close the storage bin. That way your phone, iPod, whatever can rest on the console and charge.

I guess the big benefit is that you can put whatever it is that you need to plug in away and out of sight, but keep it charging.

This leads to a question. Is the outlet in the console switched with the ignition/accessory or is it on all the time? (I don't have my car yet...).

stollerydd

mook - I have the 04/white/navi/parchment. The power outlet is switched on with the ignition/accessory.

MikeRadio

I find this outlet in the console totally useless. Unless a bluetooth phone sits in there. Maybe it is an incentive to buy bluetooth??

And the other power outlet is so close to the gear shift, that the only 2 way adapter I found that actually works GREAT is this dual one RadioShack sells.

It is good actually.. you can squeeze the two receptacles in the area NEXT to the power outlet.

Mike

rybocf

Yes, this was VERY annoying, and just found it last night. My 03 Accord had this exact same setup except it has a hole in the front of the console for pulling the wire out from the bottom compartment.

The TL has a *tiny* hole on the driver side, mostly to the back of the BOTTOM compartment (there are 2 compartments, the big one on the bottom, and the small one in between that can hold a phone, palm pilot, pens, etc). This is great except there is no SECOND hole for getting the wire from the top compartment outside the console altogether.

So, the best thing I could do was leave my phone charging in the upper compartment. Stupid. I may be forced to make a small "modification" unless someone else has found some other way to make this work.

Ryan

vtechbrain

No there is no nice way to pull it out it is meant for things in the top compartment like your cell phone.

MikeRadio

My cell phone sits on that nice piece of non skid rubber over the cup holders...

Isn't that MADE fo a cell phone!?

(But no outlet except the one in the front console).

danno

Also I think they should have made at least ONE outlet with constant power to it. I used to leave my cellphone in my last car to charge overnight

jgrahamiii

I find this highly annoying in Jap. cars. Never a problem with American cars. On my 2000 Maxima I put a jumper in the fuse box from an unswitched circuit to the accessory fuse. On the Acura, I think you can jump from fuse 8 to 9 (I'm doing this by memory) and have an unswitched outlet. Only negative is that the outlet is a 15 amp fuse and the other is a 20, so you have to be careful wh which side of each fuse to jump so that the 15 amp fuse stays in the circuit (I haven't figured out which side yet). I don't see an unswitched 15 to pull from though.

Note, I keep my phone in the top box which keeps it out of sight, but I like having the extra "hole" to feed the power outside if I need it. We have that on the MDX, but is is noticably lacking on the TL. Another upgrade for 2005?

MikeRadio

I USE my phone so I wouldn't want to keep it out of sight.

If it's in the top compartment, what do you do if it rings whule you are driving with your arm on the armrest?

Jss1

I don't have it yet but I would guess you press the handsfree button and say hello.

fuque

Well, there is... It's between the bottom portion of the armrest and the top portion. Clearly the designers intended for your phone to reside inside the top portion of the armrest.

FWIW, my Cobra had a power jack inside the armrest console with no notch for a wire to exit, either, so I guess they expect you to pop the console open if you want to use your (non-Bluetooth) phone.

mook

Fuque,

Thanks for pointing that out, I was totally focused on the phone residing on the console and forgot about the upper tray and the notches. Come to think of it, you could put an iPod in there to if you were using an FM transmitter, provided it didn't block the signal too much.

MikeRadio

I still don't get it/

I don't want to put things in consoles.... I need them out to do stuff to them.

And there is no notch between the top little portion and the real world... that is the problem!

Mike

need4spd

I just jam the coil of the wire over the edge of the opening and close the lid on it, eventially the wire will break, but it will not be for some time.

Good luck.

FS-TL

Thanks. Good eyes on that. I never notice the existence of that gap. Now that is one other good place to place the phone, besides on top of the sticky sliding door.

acnup00tl

It is very useless. I have it in my 98 lexus gs. I use mine for a air freshner. That is the only way that plug in the armrest get any use

fuque

You read my mind!

One of the things I'm going to miss most about my Cobra (aside from the 390HP) is the Phatbox MP3 jukebox I had in the trunk. There's nothing like having your entire music collection at your fingertips! Alas, there's no version of the Phatbox that will work with the TL's stereo.

jgrahamiii

Stupid of them not to put in the notch. Guess you could always make your own. Dremels are wonderful little tools. Best to get that bluetooth phone, which will solve all of your problems (do you think Honda made a deal and gets a piece of every blue tooth phone?). And the way I work it, as admittedly don't use the phone much, is I open the compartment as needed. Keeps the car looking tidy, but it is a pain. If I know I'm going to need the phone a lot on a call, I'll just unplug it from the power for a while and keep it in one of the cup holders.

You never really said what's wrong with t using the alternate accessory plug port, other than that it is unfortuately close to the shifter.

MikeRadio

Nothing.. but it makes more sense to use the one right there where your phone can sit on top of the cuphoplders without running wires all over.... Plus, if you need to plug in the radar detector and some other thigns you have a lot of work to do!

Mike

BLACK VELVET

Mike...just get a bluetooth phone...there great!

Swat Dude

Anyone brave enough to drill through the console and install a rubber grommet? My daughter has a portable DVD and there really is no convenient place to plug it in on this car.

Rusky

I used to keep my cell phone in the cup holder portion. There is a very open space that you can feed the power wire through. But then you can't put your drinks there. I have also employed the technique of laying the wire over the open console edge and closing (gently slamming) the top. It works fine and I'm not worried about breaking the console, its not that tight a fit.

Bottom line: get off the phone and drive!

TimC

Perhaps, it is so you do not use your phone while driving. It reminds of the drivers who are constantly on the phone who in all likelihood have the most unimpoprtant concerns to be on the phone in the first place

6speed

Thats how I use it

Woodstock

Yup, I actually love the plug in the console for phone in the upper part. I keep phone up there and a box of mints. ;-)

MikeRadio

I did buy a bluetooth phone since startign this thread sometime last year....

The plug is int he bottom part not the top part of the concole storage area.

tlnyc

i acually like the outlet in the cousole. i plug my sony clie nx73 in it and keep it in the upper section. i keep the nx connected to my t616(pugged to the other outlet) via bt, with is in turn connected to the car. i keep the nx on and a dialer program running. i can then(via memory since its just like a phone) dial my voice mail password on the nx when other people are in the car. i can also use it to send numeric messages to my friends. for example i was late to pick up gf so i punched "10" on the keypad and she knew i'd be there in 10min

catsailr

My 2000TL had the plug in the console and also a hole in the front so the wire could come out by the cup holders. Don't understand why they left this out of the new TL.

kleck

I use the power outlet in the dash to charge my phone. I use the power outlet in the center console for my radar detector which I leave plugged in all the time. In the bottom of the inside of the console, there is a removable rubber “tray”. Take the tray out and there are two screws that attach the back end of the console to the floor of the car. There is also a 2” x 2” pop-out cover. Remove the screws and pop out the plastic piece. From there you can fish through the radar detector cord and then run that along the side of the console, up through the dash, etc. The console will only lift about an inch or two in the back so that doesn’t leave a lot of room but this does give you fairly easy access for anything that you want to semi-permanently use the power outlet for.

mrtech

Or you can hard wire directly to the fuse block. Or hardwire a power outlet extension to the fuse block then plug your radar detector to it. I have one power outlet that is on the constant on. I use this for charging my phone. I can leave the phone in the car and have it charge while I'm out of the car.