Hi all,

Having had my new Pioneer double DIN head unit fitted last week, which works brilliantly, I decided to try to find a way to charge my iPhone in the car. I use it as a GPS (Waze) and to listen to podcasts, and that combination can be surprisingly hard on the battery.

I didn't want anything stuck to the windscreen or the dash, so my eye was drawn to the unused ashtray, just ahead of the gear lever.

Searching eBay, I found this:

Link

...which measures slightly smaller than the iPhone Pro Max, so I knew it would fit. When it arrived, I tested it hooked up to the spare USB socket that comes out from the rear of the head unit. It worked a treat 😃

The sprung ashtray lid opens as you press down on it. I popped the gear surround off and undid the two 8mm hex-head bolts holding it in and brought it into the workshop (my kitchen table) 😆

I superglued the lid down, holding it with a couple of clothes pegs until cured. I then got my trusty reel of 3M VHB double-sided tape and, cutting pieces to size, and double stacking layers towards the back, where the lid curves down, I ensure there was a highly sticky, completely flat base for the pad to sit on.

Sticking it down, bringing it right to the rear edge of the lid (ie nearest the gear lever), I again gave it some time to cure before going back out to the car. All the wiring is happily coiled up under the climate control panel, and you cannot see the cable feed to the pad...

I'm really quite pleased with the result.

A perfect solution would be a magnetic mat, but it's a good compromise. Since my gigantic phone can move around slightly and fail to start or keep charging, I think I'm going to get some adhesive rubber pegs that stand proud of the mat; put the phone on the pad in a position where it is charging, then stick them to the lid, so that it naturally lands in that position. I'll post results when that's done.

Cheers,

Mike 😎

 

 

Very ingenious.

So, I had Jeff Bezos deliver me some of these today:

He's good at getting things delivered the next day. No wonder he has his own spaceship... 😆

I stuck one on each side of the Climate Control panel. If I place the phone between them, then it'll start charging.  It seems to work OK - I'll report back with any snags.

If anyone is planning on replicating this, the link for the pads is here.

Cheers,

Mike 😎

 

Great idea and fitting guide thank you. 

An update:

Unfortunately the pad didn't work out as well as I had hoped. It's fine to sit on your desk, but the movement of the car can often move the phone on the pad, and it'll stop charging.

So the Mark Two solution 😆

After a search of Amazon I found this:

Link

Which works with MagSafe - Apple's magnetic charging system for iPhones. The phone is held in place by the magnet and the problem solved.

So - I undid all the work I'd done on the convertible (and on my other car - a Škoda Superb) 🤦‍♂️ - and fitted the new pads this morning. The only slight difference is that the new pads come with a USB C connector, as opposed to the USB A on the Mark One. Not a problem, as I found a packet of three (*snigger*) high quality adapters on Amazon for a fiver:

Link

It was then a case of unpeeling all the 3M tape from the Mark One pads, fitting new 3M tape to the new ones and switching them over. 

Note to self - go to the garage and press down the front of that pad 🤦‍♂️*

I also fitted the Mark Two in the Škoda...

I have tested both and they work very well.

I recycled the two Mark One pads by giving them to a friend's children, who will use them on their bedside tables... 🙂

Mike 😎

*EDIT

That's better... 😆

Edited October 19, 2025Oct 19 by gsmdo

Great work!