u/Magarau

Installed a low-profile USB-C charging solution in my 4GS and thought I’d share for anyone looking for a cleaner alternative to exposed cables.

One thing that always bothered me about the 4th gen GS is that the 12V outlet is located inside the center armrest console, with no convenient power source near the infotainment or dash area. I’ve seen a few installs where people route cables behind the side trim panels next to the shifter, but that still leaves wiring visible inside the center console.

My goal was to keep everything as hidden and OEM-looking as possible.

After removing the shift knob and lifting the shifter surround, I found that the panel containing the 12V outlet and factory USB ports can be popped out and disconnected. I drilled a hole in the lower angled section of that panel and routed my charging cable through it. From there, I followed the factory wiring path underneath the rear HVAC ducting and up behind the infotainment stack toward the center air vents.

The cable then exits just below the vents where my magnetic charger mount is installed. All excess cable is hidden beneath the shifter console, keeping both the cabin and center storage compartment clean.

One thing I’d do differently if I repeated the install: I originally drilled a 1/2” hole before purchasing the cable. The flat USB-C cable I ultimately chose had a larger connector housing, so I ended up routing it between the USB module and panel instead. It worked perfectly, but I’d drill a slightly larger hole next time for more flexibility.

Overall, I’m really happy with the result. Very little visible wiring, no cables draped across the dash, and the installation is largely hidden once everything is reassembled. I could have made the cabling a little cleaner underneath the shifter panel, but I was running short on time, and said “screw it”.

Note - make sure you leave enough slack in the cable for the mount to articulate without tensioning the cable. This would be a quick way to wear out the cable.

Hope this helps!

My original shift know had the chrome peeling off the top, and was looking to replace it.. Stumbled upon the Punching Leather White and Blue Knob and thought it would attach to my stock shift boot.. I was wrong. The clips that attach the boot to the knob were different.. I did shitty research…

Later, I read online you could swap only the connectors on the boot going to the knob and make the RCF knob work with the GS boot, as the RCF Boot and Boot Bracket are different sizes from the GS. After seeing how nice the white and blue stitching looked on the RCF boot, I decided to give it a shot to try and make the RCF Boot work on the GS Boot Bracket.

What I noticed:
- The boot length (top to bottom) is the same.
- The bottom of the boot is wider for RCF along with the bracket being bigger.

What I did:
Remove the staples from both leather boots and brackets and mocked up the RCF boot on the GS bracket. It is obviously bigger and would require folding of one corner. Fortunately when doing this, it is not visible by the time the boot comes out of the console.

I tried to re use staples, but wasn’t able to get them back into plastic. I ended up using 3M double sided sticky tape to secure it, only as a mock up. I did wipe the bracket and the boot down with isopropyl alcohol first to improve adhesion. After I compressed for about 30 seconds each tape pad. Turns out it stuck better than I thought. I wanted to tack it with super glue in a few spots to help, but it would have needed to be done before putting the tape on, as it was too difficult to get back inside and underneath the boot once on the boot bracket, even with a toothpick.

After mock up back in the car, it shifted from park to semi auto downshift perfectly without tension or too much slack. We will see how it holds up, but I feel confident it will stay secured, along with the console brackets holding it in place tight. If I come across an upholstery stapler, I’ll go back and staple it, but don’t think I’ll go out of my way unless it visibly begins to slip, which is doubtful.

Tips:
- When lining up the bracket with the RCF boot, use the original placement of the bracket following the staple marks in the boot, to the GS boot bracket.
- Use your time with the console off to do extra cleaning in small cracks.. Carefully..
- Mock up back in the car before finalizing everything and ensure the boot isn’t tight when running through the gears or semi auto downshift.
- If you plan on tacking with glue, do it before each section of double sided sticky tape adhesion and work your way around the bracket. Also, make sure you clean the inside of the boot going around the boot bracket, and the bracket itself with isopropyl alcohol first!!
- If you have an upholstery staple gun, this would be ideal, I just didn’t have one and just wanted to finish the project.

Loving how it came out with the white and blue stitching. Didn’t want to replace with another chrome knob and have it peel again.. plus I like black better. This swap may not be for everyone, but I’m happy how it came out.. stay crafty.