Adding Ignition Switched Lighter Socket

I am going to add a couple of extra cigarette lighter sockets to my 2.5 VSX for GPS reciever and phone. However, I want them to be switched by the ignition to avoid battery drain (the GPS will be permanently plugged in in the glove box).

Does anyone have any suggestions of what wiring to tap into to get a good switched power supply? Behind the glove box or in the center consol would be easiest to wire through to where I want the sockets.

When I was faced with the same problem I tapped into the rear cigarette lighter. I know it's not controlled by the ignition switch but it is controlled by the isolator switch on the centre console.

It's got at easily through the rear ashtray assembly and the wires can then be run out of sight under the side cover on the centre tunnel. I mounted my lighter housing with a simple clip on the tunnel under the dash. The plug-in lead to the GPS has a light on it which winks steadily to show it's on. The result is a neat installation that took less than an hour to do.

Derek

I did think about that. I may even put the GPS in the armrest as they are pretty sensitive these days - I will do some tests to see if there is any sensitivity gain being in the glove box vs the armrest.

I would rather have it ignition switched if I can find an easy supply though.

Is the switched supply to the radio up to powering GPS/phone chargers?

Another thought. The isolation switch is two switches in 1. One switch has a permanent power supply for the lighter, the other has an ignition switched supply for the rear electric windows. That supply is also on a 30A fuse so should be up to powering the GPS and phone charger.

I imagine that it should not be too hard to get to the underside of that switch if I take out the arm rest box.

I will probably use that - I could put it either side of the isolation switch to either ignore that or include it as a manual 'off'.

Thanks for the inspiriation Derek

That last one was me BTW - I seem to have cookie problems, sorry.

And BTW, what's the weird socket on the rear of the armrest ,next to the cigarete tray and lighter?
George

Mine has two blanks where switches could go. Under the ash tray and next to the lighter. Is that where you mean?

I think some XMs had heated rear seats and that is where the switches went. I may be wrong though.

Hi

The extra socket mentioned is a XM Mk1 feature not continued on the Mk2. It was some form of 12v supply. The rear seat heater switches are on the back of the centre consol in a Mk2 and the second switch in each rear door arm rest on a Mk1.
Unfortunately this is no help as Citroen did not fit the heated seat wiring unless the car was fitted with heated seats.

Regards

XMexc

Perhaps its worth starting a post on the best place to fit a GPS?

Mine is fairly old (2.5 years) and is based on a PD. It came with a large suction cup that was designed to stick on the windscreen, fitted with a stiff flexible arm with a holder for the PD on the end of it.

It always seemed to me that the the problem with standard fit GPSs was that, being in the centre of the dash they were OK for LHD cars, but pretty useless for RHD unless you were left handed; they were also too far away and out of your line of sight. I pondered long and hard about the best place to fit my new toy and eventually came up with what I consider to be the ideal place.

I stuck the suction cup on the flat horizontal surface within the instrument binnacle, on the right immediately in front of the oil level gauge. The arm was then bent around to the right so that the holder and the PD were placed just to the right and in front of the steering wheel, with the PD just below windscreen level. With the exception of the final six inches of the cable to the Pd all cabling is out of sight. This siting has the following advantages:

1. It is only just out of your line of sight
2. You can tap the screen (to change from map view to schematic and back) with your forefinger without taking your hands off the wheel.
3. It doesn''t obstruct the instruments and doesn't encroach on the view through the windscreen.
4. Its neat.

If I knew how, I'd post some pictures. Incidentally, the female voice sounds like Fran Godfrey from the Terry Wogan show.

Derek

Derek
Oooooooooh Fran ! Gorgeous voice. Have you told Terry? He'd have a field day with that one.

rowanmoor
An alternative method if the supply you need is large is to take it from an unswitched lighter socket and put it through a stanndard relay. The relay can then be energised by any lightweight supply controlled by the ignition switch. Only a thought.

cheers

noz

This post has been edited by noz on May 17, 2006 07:32 am

I shouldn't need too large a supply. I know the phone charger uses 2-3 amps, and I suspect the GPS is similar or less. It's not like I want to light a cigarette from it

I suspect that if I use the rear electic window supply, then usage of the windows may cause a blip - but that is not a problem. Besides - we rarely use the back windows.

It seems a nice easy place to connect too - though I may change my mind on that when I try it.

Now I've found out how to post piccies (Whoopie!!) I thought I'd show you my setup....







.... and the power supply...







Derek


This post has been edited by DerekW on May 04, 2007 07:02 pm

All I need to do now is to find out how to make them smaller.

Derek

This post has been edited by DerekW on May 04, 2007 07:03 pm

...how do u do it Derek? Was looking the other day to post pictures instead of links, but could not find anything obvious on the control panel??

George

Hi George,

Go to photobucket.com and join, painless and free. You are then given your own album where you can transfer your pictures from your pc. You then click on the IMG Code below the picture you want to use, this saves the address code. Go to our forum - or anywhere else you want to post your picture - go to the place in your posting where you want the picture to appear, right click and select paste. The address will appear on your open posting, but when you click on either "preview" or "add reply" the picture magically appears. Be warned though, the size will be the same as your original picture so you need to trim it to the size you want before you put it in your photobucket album.

Derek