Hard wiring a cigarette lighter app.

[S2 PTH]

Ah-ha, someones got exactly what I'm intending to do! Cheers mate, I'll have a scout around tomorrow, but expect a PM from me asking for more help!

Cheers

Phil

HI

IF YOU NOT LEAVING UNIT PLUGGED IN ALL DAY/NITE BUT DISCONNECTING IT

YOU CAN CONNECT TO FUSE BOX TO ONE OF MANY SPARE BIG TURMAILS ON FUSE BOX

I CONNECTED MY BOOT SPARE JACKING POINT ( for electric boot cooler box..and electric tyre pump )
AND A POWER SUPPLY TO MY AMP AND PHAT NOISE


ONE FUES BOX(underneath )IS A FEW BIG SPADE TERMINALS 8 OF THEM.....ON LETTER L SOME WILL BE USED FOR ELECTRIC WINDOWS ETC



I USED A VW/AUDI FUSE HOLDER TO FUSE BOTH SYSTEMS (PARTNO ESCAPES ME NOW BUT WILL FIND AND POST LATER)
SLIDE IT ON SPARE LOCATION UNDER DASH PANEL ON DRIVERS SIDE



IF YOU LOOSEN THE TWO BOLTS ON SIDE OF DASH....WILL GIVE ENOUGH CLEARANCE TO FEED CABLES ONTO DASH PANEL/WINDSHIELD



HOPING THIS MADE THINGS CLEARER

cheers
john

[john881000]

hi mate
no problems
if i can help....more happy too
cheers
john

[Jamo]

There should be spare conenctors off the main fuse box or the relay box under the dash drivers side.

Make sure you use the correct sized wire for current load and an inline fuse and place the inline fuse in an accessible place!

If you want to do it nice, use a relay and connect it to the ignition as well so the socket is only active when the ignition is on.

[S2 PTH]

Cheers Jamo,

I think I'll just stick to a simple connection. As its a road angel it will only be connected and on the dash when I am in it, so theres no worry in running the battery down like that!

[Sonic]

Thread resurrection

I'm looking to wire in a 12v cigarette lighter socket in the cubby hole under the steering wheel to make running the sat-nav easier and avoid having the wire training across my leg.

I was intending to just find the cigarette lighter wire and splice into it, but i can't remember where it runs or what it looks like.

I have a few photos from my audio install which are useful but don't give me any indication of where the wire runs behind the dash:





However it looks like there might be a better option tapping directly into the fuse-board under the steering wheels?

Is there a photo to indicate where on the fuse-board i should be tapping into?

[s2_bo]

You really pulled that thread out the grave!
Its porb easiest to splice in to the 12v feed thats already there as the fuse board is a pinta to get at because theres no end of relays and wiring in the way.

I cant remember where that part of the loom runs but if you pop the cigarette lighter socket out you can work back from there...
I did it on on of my S2s and it was quite simple.

[djh]

underneath the pocket there will already be a cigarette plug for that, there has been on my audis i've had.

[Sonic]

Even an S2? I haven't seen anything any time ive been under the dash.

[johne]

I'd choose to splice into one of the feeds running to the back of your radio. You've got the choice of permanently connected to +12v or ignition switched and they're both already fused.

I wouldn't expect the Sat-Nav to put that much extra load on whichever feed you select.

If you want a high power feed, use the heater fan motor feed which is the highest current, accessable in the right place, feed by the Driver's under-tray.

John

[Pat D]

Easy enough splicing into the cigarette lighter circuit making the connections right at the socket underneath the console with small gauge cable, a GPS charger won't use much current. Just make sure you don't connect 12v directly to the unit and supply the correct voltage which I assume would be 5v(USB voltage) via the charger supplied with the GPS. You could permanantly attach wires to the charger, have it concealed within the dashboard somewhere and poke the socket end out of a vent where you plan on mounting the GPS. You're better off having it come off the cigarette circuit or it's own circuit so if you get a fault it won't take anything else down with it.

[Sonic]

I was planning to just attach another socket like http://www.maplin.co.uk/car-accessory-socket-1055 to the existing cigarette socket wiring which the satnav already runs off, that way it's the correct voltage and is fused correctly.

Ideally i could find the existing socket wiring behind the dash to splice into without taking the center console apart, but that's not looking likely.

I have already added a DC-DC 5v converter with USB outputs to the radio permanent as part of my Raspberry Pi Project

[Sonic]

All done and working - i can see this is going to be extremely useful as the location is great and the new socket connection is brilliant, whereas the sat-nav kept losing power from the original cigarette lighter.

I tried to find the OEM cables going to the cigarette lighter in the centre console behind the dash but couldn't find them, so just tapped into the permanent +ve and -ve used for the cd player.

I was already using this for a USB charger so it was easy enough for me to just take that apart and add some terminal blocks in to future proof it.

I also notice both the cd player and cigarette lighter run off fuse 4 anyway (after blowing it).

I was a little paranoid about finding an earth if i didnt want to use the audio -ve, is it safe to just use any, seeing as they all go to the same place?

The only slightly annoying thing is that I used little red bullet connectors between on the new socket wire (to ensure i can disconnect it if i need to take the undertray off) and which are really stiff.

[turbodriver63]

Just found this thread
@sonic.
I will be fitting a second cigarette lighter myself in the next few days.
Has this been a success for you?
I want mine to turn off when the ignition is off, so I will splice into the radio +ign