My 1998 is missing the rear ashtray from the center console, it’s just a hole there, I was thinking about replacing it with a charging station, have some USB ports and a cigarette plug for the rear passengers.

I don’t want it to look like crap though, I want it to look like that was how it came from the factory as much as possible. So my idea is to create a plastic plate the same color as the rear ashtray then add the sockets to that and then just screw the plate over the hole, then run the wiring through the center console and hookup to power behind the tape deck.

I need to know the dimensions of the rear ashtray though so it is sized correctly to fit the recess in the back of the console, but I have no ashtray to measure, can someone measure one for me please?

Lastly, would what I’m planning work? And would I need a manual off switch to keep from draining the battery when the truck is not in use? I.E. are the tape deck power wires always on? Has anyone else done anything like this before?

If all else fails I could just plug the hole with a new ashtray, but I can’t find one anywhere, any ideas where I could find one? The local junk yards are all a good distance away and I would hate to make the trip just for that, and besides I have no idea if they have any and their websites infuriate me.

 

My 98 has a plate over that hole.
I don't think I've seen an ashtray there in any 98+ blazer.
Up til 97, they had ashtrays in the rear doors.
The Jimmy Envoy has a fancy console with a cig lighter in the back, though.

What color is your interior, I might have an extra one?

I'll take pics tomorrow for you.

 

Huh, wonder why they bothered still putting in the hole then?

Mine is the black/“charcoal grey.” Thanks, if you do have a spare, it could really help me a lot. But even just pics and dimensions would help, tired of looking at that hole.

 

My only guess is GM planned on putting an option in some of them and never did? I'm pretty sure the Diamond edition Jimmy got an ash tray, power outlet, and rear radio controls or climate controls or something like that, but it was a completely different rear panel on the back of the console if memory serves me right.

You're best bet would be to just source the block off place and mount your connections into it, but even those are getting hard to find, as the little tabs that hold it into the console are brittle and break off fairly easily...

 

Here's an extra one I have. It's yours for the price of shipping.

By the way, the Diamond Edition I found did not have the rear console controls or ash tray. Might have been an option for those fancy trim packages.

 

Check your private messages, I just sent you one, thanks much.

 

I used duct tape to hold my cover in place. I never thought about putting a charging station in there. I like it!

 

Anyone know if the power to the tape deck is always on? (I’ll be tapping in to the power cable for the tape deck to do this)

in other words, when the engine is off, does the tape deck still get power? How about when the keys are removed?

I’m trying to figure out if I will need to add an on off switch so I can manually turn off the new charging ports to avoid draining the battery when no one is in the truck.

Another question, if the original stereo is removed, does the tape deck wiring harness still get power at all?

 

I don't think the tape deck retains power.

The cigarette lighter should have power at all time.

For my 1999 that came with 2 extra accessory power outlets (on a circuit with a larger fuse than for the cigarette lighter) I wanted one to be switched. I did this by tapping into the Retained Accessory Power (RAP) circuit. I'm attaching a schematic of what I did with some schematics that might help.