12v cigarette lighter install

[redkow97]

Youtube makes this look easy - so easy that I'm questioning whether or not the tutorial gave me some bad advice.

 

I bought a simple 1 to 4 outlet splitter.  I don't plan on using more than 2, but it was $6.  No biggie.

 

So the plan is to chop off the single "male" side of the plug, and wire the negative side directly to the battery.  Then you shove the positive side in with the headlight fuse, so the outlets only get power when your key is in the "on" or "run" position.

 

That seems janky to me, but it also seems like it should work well, so long as the fuse gets a good connection.

 

I just plan to power GPS and possibly a phone charger when needed.  I don't believe either will draw enough power to cause any kind of issue even if I wired directly to the battery - but I like having the fuse in the mix, just to be safe.

 

Anyone else wired an outlet in this manner?

[magley64]

I've done it before, it's not a very reliable connection method.

I'd advise using a wire tap onto the fused side of whatever circuit you're leeching for the positive side, rather than jamming into your fuse box.

They are pretty cheap and make a more reliable connection.

 

 

Another method would be to wire directly to the battery with an inline fuse holder. You could tap off a switched circuit with this method as well.

Edited May 13, 2014 by magley64

[redkow97]

I don't like wire-taps, but I like the idea of avoiding the fuse.  I can just strip away some of the insulation on the headlight's positive terminal and solder the wire rather than going through the fuse.

 

The in-line fuse was considered, but I didn't know what amperage it should be, so I thought it would be safer to suck power from the headlight instead.

[magley64]

that's a better option than trying to jam a wire in a fuse blade socket...

 

The only concern I'd have, and the reason I'd go dedicated circuit is in case you get a short in your lighter socket. If you do, you're going to lose your headlights until you can get it sorted out. (Water ingress would be a typical cause)

 

If you decide to anyway, for normal use you might want to bump up your headlight fuse 5 amps for the additional draw on the circuit that your phone or gps will be drawing.

 

It shouldn't be more than a couple amps. (if you had a 15 amp headlight fuse, bump it up to 20 amps)

Edited May 13, 2014 by magley64

[Gixxus Christ!]

I was gonna go the cigarette lighter option until I found a dual usb bar mount on ebay. Skip the middleman.

[Helmutt]

I just wired mine up Sunday. 3 cig outlet with 2 usb. Battery Tender jumper off the battery hooks right to it. Fused circuit, negative grounded. Shut down for the winter, unhook the power port and plug in the Tender. Cake walk, took me sub-5 minutes to run it cleanly ( maybe 10 minutes if you need to add the jumper off your battery too ). Cost was $20 because of the extension I needed to the SAE connector.

http://www.eklipes.com/EK1-122

Wish I'd have ordered this setup instead since mines in a tankbag, but I went with what was in stock locally

[2talltim]

Yup USB FTW!, cigarette ports are so 1980s..LoL

[redkow97]

Not sure the GPS will run off USB power. Lost my USB cable for it years ago anyway though.

I think I will do the janky install this weekend, then make it better next weekend.

[HeavyDuty]

I solder every wire connection I make and seal it with liquid tape Saves you a butt load of trouble later learned the hard way on boat trailers if there is any chance of it getting wet do not use those cheap connectors and going strait of the battery would not be a problem if you use a fuse in the line. If you are only running a GPS or Phone a 5 amp fuse would be plenty if you are going to run something with more power draw you can always change the fuse to a higher one.

Edited May 14, 2014 by HeavyDuty

[Gixxus Christ!]

Not sure the GPS will run off USB power. Lost my USB cable for it years ago anyway though.

I think I will do the janky install this weekend, then make it better next weekend.

Unless it's old as fuck it should take any mini usb cable.

[ohiomike]

When I added my cig plug I just ran a hot wire straight from the battery pos post with an inline fuse between the battery and the switch.  A grd wire to the lights from the ground post on the bike.  You can use a smaller amp. fuse because the draw, like mags said, is at a minimal, but if something goes haywire with the plug it will blow the fuse before effecting the elect system of the bike whether its lights or whatever.  Usually the wire size is around 18 awg so a 5 or 7 amp fuse is what I have been using with no problems.

[mango_sv]

Unless it's old as fuck it should take any mini usb cable.

problem I had using a USB cable was it would throw my GPS into computer mode.

[redkow97]

where would I purchase an in-line fuse?

[2talltim]

problem I had using a USB cable was it would throw my GPS into computer mode.

If it's over 1 amp supply it shouldn't do that, the one on mine is 2.1 amp

[2talltim]

Here is what I have... http://www.ebay.com/itm/321249917060?redirect=mobile

[mango_sv]

If it's over 1 amp supply it shouldn't do that, the one on mine is 2.1 amp

I was using a 2 amp charger, still put my Garmin in computer mode. But it is a old Garmin Nuvi 350.

[mango_sv]

Here is what I have... http://www.ebay.com/itm/321249917060?redirect=mobile

I just bought these for the FZ.

[2.slow]

I'm going to toss out the reccomendation of wiring this all up to a relay. I used my running lights as the signal for the relay, which provides power directly from the battery for my outlet and heated grips. I wouldn't power anything though existing circuits and fuses, as that's outside the original design criteria.

 

I get all the benefit of direct to battery wiring, with a power source that switches with the key. $5 relay.

[2talltim]

I just bought these for the FZ.

that's cool best of both worlds, I thought about one of those but my c14 already has one stock 12v plug so I opted to just add the usb

[Tonik]

I solder every wire connection I make and seal it with liquid tape

 

Read this peeps, learn.  Especially the liquid tape part.

[magley64]

where would I purchase an in-line fuse?

http://www.autozone.com/autozone/accessories/Miscellaneous-Non-Automotive-Products/Marine-Fuse-and-Accessories/_/N-2753?filterByKeyWord=fuse+holder&fromString=search

 Any local auto parts store should have at least a few different types in stock...

 

 

I'm going to toss out the reccomendation of wiring this all up to a relay. I used my running lights as the signal for the relay, which provides power directly from the battery for my outlet and heated grips. I wouldn't power anything though existing circuits and fuses, as that's outside the original design criteria.

 

I get all the benefit of direct to battery wiring, with a power source that switches with the key. $5 relay.

 

This is certainly the ideal method, use a relay to make a dedicated switched circuit, that way you have convenience AND proper circuit protection.

you still run the risk of losing your circuit that you're tapping for the relay if the relay get's compromised, or you don't properly seal for water ingress, but the GPS and phone might not be drawing much more than the relay, making the relay less beneficial. If it were a higher draw device, like extra horns or lights, or heated gear, i would definitely suggest another circuit, but for a couple amps... might not be worthwhile.

[2.slow]

For me it was the heated grips plus the phone that sealed wanting to use the relay. The heated grips can use something like 3 amps, plus the phone's 1-2, so for a 5 amp application I felt it was enough.

I am going to add another for my horn. I have a car horn installed on my bike, and through the stock wiring it gets a pitiful amount of juice.

[redkow97]

I ended up doing a janky temporary job with the turn signal fuse.  My logic is that the LED turn signals draw less currant than the 5 amp fuse is expecting anyway, so the extra 2 amps that the GPS draws should actually help eliminate "hyper-blink" without a resistor.

 

The power setup works well, but now I am dealing with glare problems, and the concern that the unit may blow out of place, if not off the mount, and onto the highway...

 

More experimentation to be done, but I am happy with the mounting result,  I will post pics when I can.

 

 

The speed display is also much smaller than I wanted.  I got the GPS on eBay for $25, and I thought it was the same model I already had in my car, but I may be off by 1 generation, which is yielding some minor differences.  Once I get that figured out, it should be easier to read I hope.

Edited May 19, 2014 by redkow97

[magley64]

cool

[wikiwiki750]

I was gonna go the cigarette lighter option until I found a dual usb bar mount on ebay. Skip the middleman.

Do you have a picture of your wire mounting?