Cigarette Lighter Idea

[Guest AWhite]

I am thinking of getting a cigarette lighter socket for the car to power my radar detector gismo.

 

Now obviously there are two ways to wire it up, to the ignition and direct to the battery.

 

Now here's my idea. I have a battery conditioner that you leave permanently connected to the car via croc clips. This monitors the battery and supplies a trickle charge when needed. I am thinking of charging the battery through this socket.

 

So:

-Can i put a cigarette lighter adaptor on the wires that come of this conditioner and charge the battery through the cigarette lighter (therefore not needing to take the engine cover off every time)?

-Will leaving the socket directly connected to the battery cause any problems (it comes with a cap to protect from water)

-Will the socket be able to handle the trickle charge going through it?

-Should I fuse it?

 

Many thanks guys,

 

Andy

[Guest ian luxford]

i am thinking as long as you connect the socket straight to the battery using it as a charger shouldnt be a problem although you should put an inline fuse in too.

[Jon Bradbury]

I agree with Ian.

 

Another point - I am certain that there are comercially available products that do exactly what you're proposing - charge the battery via the fag lighter. This is acceptable because the fag lighter draes so much current in use that the wires connecting it to the loom are fat and it has a high rated fuse.

 

As to your other questions :

 

Yes you can put a fag lighter adpter on your charger wire. Positive is the inside terminal. No, shouldn't be a problem if you leave it connected to the battery all the time. Water isn't generally a problem with 12 volt systems anyway - you need a higher voltage to conduct electicity through it. Yes, cap it when not in use, because it looks prettier than a great gaping hole in your dash! Yes, fuse it. I'm thinking 30A here in case you ever plug a high rated device into it like a fag lighter, although there are bound to be dissenters.

[Guest chris brown]

There shouldn’t be any dissenters as you put it as you have described the charger sold by Banner complete with fag lighter end and is designed to be left on when vehicle is not in use ie SORN’d

[cairnnut]

Hi andy, I have had a power take off socket fitted to my car for the last two years it is wired with a fuse directly to the battery, the car has a battery cut off switch, so a top up charge during the winter is simple with no worries of damaging the alternator. It has been useful for charging my phone and running a portable TV and is neater than a cigarette lighter

[Guest Battery Bill]

Andy

Make damn sure that the +ve won't come into contact with the chassis.....

i.e if the insulation breaks down for whatever reason (slight movement wearing through insulation) your car may catch fire

 

Oops sorry wrong thread Thought you were putting the lighter socket in the boot

[Guest daveg]

Bloody cheek :boohoo:

 

Someone stole my quote :boohoo: and didn't give me credit :boohoo:

 

But I'd agree with myself here

Make damn sure that the +ve won't come into contact with the chassis.....

 

And to reinforce the point raised by Ian....make sure you fit a fuse as near to the battery as possible.

 

Dave

[Guest rizla]

the best fuse to use is a fusable link that bolts on to the battery terminal

you can get them from maplin i believe in 20 30 50 70 80 amp

[Guest ian luxford]

it makes no difference where the fuse is as long as the fuse is rated lower than the cable it will blow before the cable wherever it is placed the only time it wouldnt help is if you got a short between the fuse and the battery then the fuse wont blow but.....

 

Make damn sure that the +ve won't come into contact with the chassis.....

i.e if the insulation breaks down for whatever reason (slight movement wearing through insulation) your car may catch fire

 

dont have to pay royalties for that do i??

[Guest Ant]

I kept the ciggy socket in the donor's wiring loom and use it regularly to charge my mobile up, blow the tyres up, etc. I also have a trickle charger which used to have croc-clips on it to go onto the battery. I removed the croc-clips and fitted a ciggy lighter plug onto it ... but not just any ciggy lighter socket - this one has a fuse built in. Lots of the leads which are designed to power in-car phone chargers has plugs with a glass fuse sitting directly behind the springy button on the end. So, the Sierra's circuit and fuses protects the wiring when I plug stuff into the socket, unless it's the trickle charger, in which case the fuse in the plug protects everything because it's the lowest rated part of the circuit (1Amp I think).

 

Mine's been connected up like that for 2 or 3 months over winter.

 

Ant

[Guest AWhite]

Wow, thanks for the responses guys. I'll order some bits then.

 

Thanks again,

 

Andy

[Guest Mr Pid]

I am planning on fitting two "Jump Posts" under the dash.

 

These are basically two heavy duty terminals which connect directly to the battery so if i ever need to jump the hood or anyone else's car i do noe have to take the bonnet off, just connect under the dash. Will be very hand for charging also!

 

I am just waiting for Europa to get themselves sorted as i ordered them 8 MONTHS AGO

[Guest AWhite]

Make sure no one gets in your car with an umbrella or something that could bridge the terminals . That could be an interesting law suit.

 

Andy

[Guest Mr Pid]

Luckily the terminals have nice neat caps over them to protect them/people from contacting them.

 

Was thinking it would be interesting if some got in the car when it had been raining and their knees and the wet clothes made a contact between the terminals! That would be very interesting/shocking! (yes i know, bad pun!).

 

Stu

[Guest MikeD318]

You wouldn't want that, they'd make a nasty mess all over your seat.