on my '02 legacy wagon, the cigarette lighter/utility socket is only powered when the key is either in the aux or the on position. i believe this is normal for this model.
this sucks, because i can't take the key out and lock the car while my cell phone is charging.
1) are there any simple mods to wire the lighter socket to another circuit that's live even with the key out? (my preference is for simple, safe, and reversible mods.)
2) has anybody wired up an extra lighter socket in the armrest box? this is a very cool place for a socket, since it allows you to hide valuables like cell phones and ipods while they are charging.
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H
Hachiroku
Of course, it can be done. You'll have to hack the socket there already, or add an additional one and directly wire it to a live CKT.
You'll need at least a couple tools; a Volt Ohm meter, or one of those LittleFuse fuse checkers, and a socket, and some method for cutting the plastic.
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(You can see the tester in the upper right corner)
Also, get an inline fuse holder (optional).
Using the fuse tester, with the ignition OFF and the key out, check all the fuses until the LED lights. This indicates a CKT that's live all the time. You may want to check it with the ign on and in ACC, just to make sure it's always live.
If you have a meter, pull the fuse and look for a voltage. One side of the fuse will be 'hot' all the time, and, with the fuse out the other side will be dead. Use a fuse tap:
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to provide a spade lug to connect onto. Connect the tap to the DEAD SIDE of the fuse to eliminate having to add another fuse (You may want to fuse this anyway, but it's kind of redundant...)
Run the wires from your socket to the fuse tap.
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(Note that this already has an additional fuse and female Spade lugs installed)
The socket can be removed from the mount and snap-fitted into a correct size hole anywhere in the car.
If you REALLY want to get fancy you can add a timer CKT using something like a 555 timer, but that's beyond my capabilities!
L
Larry Weil
There is also an always on wire running to the radio, you can find out which one by probing the pins on the connector into the radio. Once you find out you can use one of the squeeze taps to tap into the wire.
H
Hachiroku
UGH! He said squeeze taps!
In another thread in another group, I was saying these make excellent wire cutters in a pinch!
What I do is take a bifurcated crimp (the ones that look like a "U", cut one of the 'ears' off, and shove it into the connector from the rear of the connector, and then secure it to the factory wire with a cable tie to keep it from coming loose. The terminals in the connector are pretty tight, so you get a good contact.
T
tom klein
thank you, this is most helpful, especially since i didn't know about those inexpensive fuse taps.
once i get 2 of the taps, what i intend to do is use them to jumper from the fused end of an "always on" circuit to the fused end of the lighter circuit, and replace the lighter fuse with one that is purposely "blown", so that i don't energize anything else in the process. (if i understood correctly, i will need to put a fuse, good or blown, in just to hold the tap in place.)
also, does anybody know if there were any > >
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