TVANVA
Active Member
I installed the Mopar Wireless Phone Charging Pad in my Big Horn yesterday. I didn't take pictures since the Mopar Install doc (link below) has very good diagrams, and the tricky parts under the dash would have been almost impossible to photograph.
First, let me say that this install is not trivial and not fully "plug and play". You will be disassembling and unplugging a good deal of the dashboard face and console front. The Mopar doc says you "might" have to do soldered wire joins if connectors are already in use, and in my case, I had to solder both connections (and I don't have very many electronic options, so you will likely have to as well). This means you need decent soldering skills and the agility to work in very confined spaces up under the dash with a hot iron.
But, if I can do it, you can too.
Here are my additional "cheat" notes to let you know the things that Mopar left out. They are keyed to the Mopar diagrams linked above.
1 - You "can" position the seat so you can access the two console bolts for later removal, but if you do that, you need to be the size of a Kentucky Derby jockey to get up under the dash to make the electrical connections. I did what the instructions said and it stunk. Better to chose one of the following:
a - Pop off the little plastic cover and remove both drivers side console 10mm bolts (as shown in Step 10), then move the seat all the way back before disconnecting the battery.
b - Take the seat out entirely. Move the seat to the middle position, disconnect the battery, unlatch and disconnect the yellow connector under the seat, then remove four E-Torx 10mm bolts holding the seat.
2 - That's a 10mm bolt on the battery connection.
4 - Diagram shows a Torx, but mine were combination 7mm hex and Phillips.
5 - First, put a towel down on the console. Use a plastic pry tool and start near where the diagram shows. Once you get you fingers underneath, work around the edges, trying to pull straight out. Lean control panel on the towel so you don't scratch anything.
6 - There are way more connectors than shown. Note that the radio ones are similar sizes, but color coded. They all are locking connectors, so you have to find the latch, pinch, then pull out.
7 - Try to pull straight out. This was the only panel where I tore two of the loops holding the orange retaining clips. Clips fell inside the dash and I had to fish them out. They still work fine.
10 - 13 - 10mm hex bolts. The console slides back rather easily after all six bolts are out.
14 - More of the combination 7mm hex and Phillips. The back ones are on the support for the CD player.
18 - 20 - All locking connectors on the console. Sometimes the latch is not obvious, but it is there.
23 - My replacement panel already had the inserts. I took mine out, so if you loose yours, I have some spares.
24 - The clips on the backside are obscured by the panel. I used an old fashioned paint can opener with the little hook to reach in and depress the latch.
28 - The screws supplied in the kit were T20 torx.
30 - Screws are 7mm hex.
31 - All three connectors are locking. I used the plastic pry tool to depress the latch on the light. Mopar doesn't mention the freaking hood latch is on that panel. I couldn't get it loose, so I left it attached and slid the panel up under the pedals.
32 - The BCM is mounted behind the kick panel. Fortunately, the C5 connector is fairly easy to access.
33 - The "swing latch" on these large connectors has a little latch on the plastic hood covering the wires. You need to press down on the hood to release the latch.
NOTE - Before Step 34 - You are about to make wire connections in two different junction boxes. My new charger harness was wrapped in tape too far down, so that there was not enough exposed wire to make "unstressed" connections. Do yourself a favor and trim the black wrapping tape back 3 to 4 inches (leaving about 8 inches of exposed wire) before you make the connections.
34 - My pin 45 was already filled. I used a mini screwdriver to release the tiny latch on the connector pin and pull it out of the connector. This gave me more slack in the wires to make splice shown in the diagrams on Page 9. When done, I just plugged it back in the connector.
35 - I was confused when i looked at the Mopar instructions since the C3 connector shown was next to the mounting tab with one hole, not two. The layout of the connectors looked the same, so I think I got the right connector (the one next to the two pin connector with huge wires). Unlatch and pull free. Note that there is very little slack in the wires to work with.
36 - My connector had a wire tie that I had to cut off to get the connector out of the hood. The connector slides out of the hood as shown, but you have to depress a tiny latch (shown as the little square box on the diagram). I pushed the connector out of the hood by poking a small allen wrench in a hole on the end of the hood.
37 - Of course my Pin 9 was filled, and is a large connector. To get slack, I pulled the pin out of the connector by popping off the red retainer on the bottom of the connector and using a micro screwdriver to depress the latch on the pin and pull it out of the housing.
38 - The wire on Pin 9 was about 14 or 12 gauge, so the little metal crimp Mopar supplied was going to be too small. I ended up pulling the insulation off a common yellow butt connector and crimping the 12 gauge back together with the small charger harness wire tucked in one end, then soldering, then heat shrinking. Be aware that the Mopar supplied heat shrink won't fit over the wire terminal, so you need to slide it on the wire before crimping, then hold it out of the way while soldering......over your head.....under the dash......in the dark......not fun. Now you see why I made the suggestions for Step 1.
39 - Mine didn't have a wire tie to begin with, so I didn't put one back on.
41 - 42 - Putting the large connectors back is pretty easy with the "swing latches". If you took the latch off to work on the connector, make sure you put it back on the right way or it won't latch.
44 - The only easy connection. It is at the kick panel, right at the door lip.
48 - Be sure to go backwards through the instructions document so you don't miss a connector!
BONUS - For all my pain and suffering under the dash, my charger came on and works fine even without the DealerCONNECT flash to put in the sales code. It is finicky about the phone/pad placement.
First, let me say that this install is not trivial and not fully "plug and play". You will be disassembling and unplugging a good deal of the dashboard face and console front. The Mopar doc says you "might" have to do soldered wire joins if connectors are already in use, and in my case, I had to solder both connections (and I don't have very many electronic options, so you will likely have to as well). This means you need decent soldering skills and the agility to work in very confined spaces up under the dash with a hot iron.
But, if I can do it, you can too.
Here are my additional "cheat" notes to let you know the things that Mopar left out. They are keyed to the Mopar diagrams linked above.
1 - You "can" position the seat so you can access the two console bolts for later removal, but if you do that, you need to be the size of a Kentucky Derby jockey to get up under the dash to make the electrical connections. I did what the instructions said and it stunk. Better to chose one of the following:
a - Pop off the little plastic cover and remove both drivers side console 10mm bolts (as shown in Step 10), then move the seat all the way back before disconnecting the battery.
b - Take the seat out entirely. Move the seat to the middle position, disconnect the battery, unlatch and disconnect the yellow connector under the seat, then remove four E-Torx 10mm bolts holding the seat.
2 - That's a 10mm bolt on the battery connection.
4 - Diagram shows a Torx, but mine were combination 7mm hex and Phillips.
5 - First, put a towel down on the console. Use a plastic pry tool and start near where the diagram shows. Once you get you fingers underneath, work around the edges, trying to pull straight out. Lean control panel on the towel so you don't scratch anything.
6 - There are way more connectors than shown. Note that the radio ones are similar sizes, but color coded. They all are locking connectors, so you have to find the latch, pinch, then pull out.
7 - Try to pull straight out. This was the only panel where I tore two of the loops holding the orange retaining clips. Clips fell inside the dash and I had to fish them out. They still work fine.
10 - 13 - 10mm hex bolts. The console slides back rather easily after all six bolts are out.
14 - More of the combination 7mm hex and Phillips. The back ones are on the support for the CD player.
18 - 20 - All locking connectors on the console. Sometimes the latch is not obvious, but it is there.
23 - My replacement panel already had the inserts. I took mine out, so if you loose yours, I have some spares.
24 - The clips on the backside are obscured by the panel. I used an old fashioned paint can opener with the little hook to reach in and depress the latch.
28 - The screws supplied in the kit were T20 torx.
30 - Screws are 7mm hex.
31 - All three connectors are locking. I used the plastic pry tool to depress the latch on the light. Mopar doesn't mention the freaking hood latch is on that panel. I couldn't get it loose, so I left it attached and slid the panel up under the pedals.
32 - The BCM is mounted behind the kick panel. Fortunately, the C5 connector is fairly easy to access.
33 - The "swing latch" on these large connectors has a little latch on the plastic hood covering the wires. You need to press down on the hood to release the latch.
NOTE - Before Step 34 - You are about to make wire connections in two different junction boxes. My new charger harness was wrapped in tape too far down, so that there was not enough exposed wire to make "unstressed" connections. Do yourself a favor and trim the black wrapping tape back 3 to 4 inches (leaving about 8 inches of exposed wire) before you make the connections.
34 - My pin 45 was already filled. I used a mini screwdriver to release the tiny latch on the connector pin and pull it out of the connector. This gave me more slack in the wires to make splice shown in the diagrams on Page 9. When done, I just plugged it back in the connector.
35 - I was confused when i looked at the Mopar instructions since the C3 connector shown was next to the mounting tab with one hole, not two. The layout of the connectors looked the same, so I think I got the right connector (the one next to the two pin connector with huge wires). Unlatch and pull free. Note that there is very little slack in the wires to work with.
36 - My connector had a wire tie that I had to cut off to get the connector out of the hood. The connector slides out of the hood as shown, but you have to depress a tiny latch (shown as the little square box on the diagram). I pushed the connector out of the hood by poking a small allen wrench in a hole on the end of the hood.
37 - Of course my Pin 9 was filled, and is a large connector. To get slack, I pulled the pin out of the connector by popping off the red retainer on the bottom of the connector and using a micro screwdriver to depress the latch on the pin and pull it out of the housing.
38 - The wire on Pin 9 was about 14 or 12 gauge, so the little metal crimp Mopar supplied was going to be too small. I ended up pulling the insulation off a common yellow butt connector and crimping the 12 gauge back together with the small charger harness wire tucked in one end, then soldering, then heat shrinking. Be aware that the Mopar supplied heat shrink won't fit over the wire terminal, so you need to slide it on the wire before crimping, then hold it out of the way while soldering......over your head.....under the dash......in the dark......not fun. Now you see why I made the suggestions for Step 1.
39 - Mine didn't have a wire tie to begin with, so I didn't put one back on.
41 - 42 - Putting the large connectors back is pretty easy with the "swing latches". If you took the latch off to work on the connector, make sure you put it back on the right way or it won't latch.
44 - The only easy connection. It is at the kick panel, right at the door lip.
48 - Be sure to go backwards through the instructions document so you don't miss a connector!
BONUS - For all my pain and suffering under the dash, my charger came on and works fine even without the DealerCONNECT flash to put in the sales code. It is finicky about the phone/pad placement.
