Just picked up a 2004 Sport. The cargo power outlet and the outlet in the large console between the seats work fine, but the 12v to the left of the gearshift doesn't work at all, so I popped the console off and it looks like it's not plugged into anything, and the wires that used to connect it have been hijacked for...something else?

As the pics show, the white & red wires (that I assume used to end in the plug for the 12v outlet) are spliced with some speaker wire & capped off, with the red+white wires going to the big console outlet. The speaker wire goes down into a crevice there and I have no idea what it's connected to.

I figured an aftermarket amp or something had been installed , so I texted the guy I bought it from (the original owner) and this was his reply:

"Never had any amps or subs or anything installed. Only thing ever installed was by Best Buy and they installed the outlet in the big console. Once I had that installed, I never used the middle one again."

So according to him, the outlet in the big console was not there when he bought the truck new, so I have no idea where that speaker wire could be going or why they would have installed it that way. He was a much older guy and I doubt he was adding custom audio components.

I'm not very experienced with car wiring, so I have no clue where to go from here to get this outlet working again, but any help would be appreciated.

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Disconnect and cap the speaker wire that is being used for power. Splice those power wires back to the plug. If you're bored, disassemble until you find where those speaker wires go.

Any idea where I can find the plug to go into the 12V? The original one isn't there and I'm having trouble finding a part number.

Hey! I think I found you on reddit and never got around to PM you, I only just re-found the extra 12v socket I have out of my smokers kit. Was going to volunteer to just drop it in the mail to you, but I've only just realized it wouldn't help you at all. What I have is the 12v socket and the plug side that's in your picture, not the vehicle harness side. I'd send it to you, but I wouldn't be getting you any closer to sorted.

Rereading your post now, I'm a little confused.

The speaker wire is coming out of the hvac piping in the center console, is wire-nutted to some wire headed to the aftermarket 12v, which I assume is inside the center console, under the armrest?

If that's the case, then I dont see how the OEM 12v socket was interfered with. I see a white plug in the picture that looks almost like the one that should connect to the OEM 12v socket on the little cubby hole part next to the shifter.

Could I annoy you to show us what the plug in the "big console" looks like, and to get a clearer shot of the white plastic plug in the center console? the taped-up bundle with the red and green wires looks like it would be worth investigating too.


Based on what I can see, it looks like the best buy installer threw together a 12v socket that is powered by something in the dash, not just cutting off the OEM sockets plug and rerouting it. this might still be a plug and play situation.

Thanks for the reply. It looks that way, yes. Here are some more pics that may explain better than I can. There are 2 unused white plugs underneath there, neither of which fit the plug on the back of the disconnected outlet. The 'new' outlet under the armrest does not have a plug, just the red+white wires fed directly into the back of the console. It has been screwed into the console from the inside, somehow.

That's all I can really see. the smaller of the unused white plugs was neatly taped together with a bundle of other wires. I'm pretty resigned that I will have to take it to a shop at this point, but I would love to have the knowledge to figure it out myself.

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Okay! now that I can see more, we might be on to something.

The new port the besy buy guys installed seems entirely separate from what we're looking for, for better or worse.

I went and checked my own harness to see if I could determine if there are real differences we're looking at.

That 2 pin connector with the red and green wires? NO IDEA what that is, but I have one too. also unused.

That 6 pin connector? On a "smokers kit" equipped 4r, that powers one of the 2 12v sockets and powers the illuminated ring around it. That 6 pin connector should be on the end of part of the vehicle harness that branches out into the 6 pin, a 2 pin (the one you need) and if applicable, the Downhill Assist Control button connector. Look at the 4th picture here: OEM smokers kit/Extra Power Port to see the 6pin in use, along with the 2pin we're looking for.

The third picture here: Smokers Kit / Extra 12V Outlet Installed shows the DAC button connector and the 2 pin we want connected.

I think we need to check the part of the harness starting at that 6pin connector. if we can free it up/look at the first few inches behind the plug, we should either see the other plug we want, or we'll see for sure that it was cut off.

First of all, thank you so much for the help; if you are any example to go by, this forum is amazing.

So I did some digging and...voila! The connector was is down there (tucked under a panel!

It looks to have been tapped off to the 'speaker wire' to run power to the new outlet. So, I assume the old outlet was indeed disconnected in order to not overload the circuit, correct?

Can I just plug it back in and not use the Best Buy-installed outlet? Or will it still be drawing current as long as it's wired in?

(p.s. this is very exciting; I love learning stuff...thanks again!)

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I would just plug it back in, as long as you don't use both at the same time there will only be current drawn from the one you're using, this
way you can have the option to use one or the other.

Yay! glad we figured out the mystery!

But good lord what a kludge of a job by that bestbuy installer.

If it were me, I'd take the best buy outlet out altogether (claim back some of the glovebox space), and invest in the smoker's kit. I think it was one of the best and easiest mods I've done so far.

If not that, one option you have is to install the USB port you want in one of those switch slots using the taps on the harness that the bestbuy installer used, and running new, neater cabling for the in-glovebox port you have using a fuse tap, putting it on a "new" circuit.

You have a lot of options here, so determine exactly what you want/need, then go from there.

Awesome, thanks so much for all the advice! I'll keep you posted as to what I decide to do.

EDIT: One last question: I do not have the 120w switch on my dash that I've seen in other pics; will this make a difference if I do the smoker's kit mod?

Nope! Smokers kit is completely independent of the 120v AC package.

Update: Smoker's Kit installed! For $25 and a learning experience, I have hands-free Bluetooth & an extra outlet. Thanks so much to rokr1292 and everyone who helped - this is one of the best forums I've ever found. Cheers!

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