Tuesday, January 14, 2020

DIY - USB-C Charging Cable

I was a little bummed when I took delivery of my Model 3 that it did not come with a charging cable for my phone.Seems that some prior deliveries had the option of either a USB-C or whatever Apple devices use-these-days cable. However, they had run out of stock, so a Model 3 license plate frame was my free give accessory. Little things like that annoy me, just have these accessories in stock at delivery centers and I bet most people would plop down a few hundred bucks easily for the convenience of  mats, cables, key fobs, etc. being immediately available.

I did, however, have a 12V USB-C fast charger, but I found the location of the 12V outlet inconvenient and wanted a cable free look. Unfortunately, because the cable was out of stock and I needed to charge my phone - a Google Pixel 1 with a slim case on it - I scoured amazon for a suitable cable, but none were listed as being compatible with the Model 3 as part of the description. So a little trial and error lead me to finally settle on this cable.
DIY Cable installed since Tesla cable was out of stock.
I was looking for some simple traits:


1. It obviously needs to fit the phone slot properly,
2. The right angle connector should be long enough to support my phone with the case on,
3. The cable should be long enough that if I need to use it for others (e.g. for the back seat), I should be able to pull it out and reuse it 
4. Good quality, readily available, and cheaper than buying a Tesla cable

This cable made the cut on all the categories coming in at about $6. Installation was a breeze once you realize how to remove the cover slot :-)
Cable creations right-angle USB to USB-C
First is removal of glossy silver cover,  rather simple but not obvious. It does not pull up instead, it slides out first towards the drivers side with a click, then simply lifts up. The rubberized face on which the phones rest simply lifts up.
Removal of cable cover/phone holder.
Then simply seat the right angled cable into the slot and run along the cable guide.
Routing the cable properly
Pass the USB side though the hole, perform a little cable management, plug into the USB port.

Replace the rubber face, and glossy black cable cover by sliding it to the right and...Voila!

Of course two cables can be installed, but I am using the other slot for a USB drive for Sentry mode and would rather not use USB splitter.

Job done. Pixel with a case fits nicely.