Standard Cigarette Lighter Wiring a bit lightweight?

[apole]

Hi there,

I was changing over my front cigarette lighter to the LB yesterday, when I looked I realised that the standard wires to it are very thin indeed. OK for your phone charger and sat nav, but I can't see it being up to the job of some of the things you can use such as an inverter as they take 10A plus.

I've therefore rewired it using an appropriately higher gauge wire and fuse.

Rooster probably best to comment on this but I'd say if you are planning on running some of the higher current items such as a small inverter, 12v fan heater or kettle etc it would be worth looking at upgrading the wiring.

Regards

Andy

[daveblueozzie]

Mine has just been upgraded. put a 12v power socket (ciggy socket) at the back of my rear seats.

[roosteruk]

The fuse box I fitted for Dave, is the same one as Niel T got from me.
It is a 4 bank maxi fuse holder, with positive and negative wiring, rated at 30amp.
Fitted to the LB or MB if you want to, it gives the ability to supply higher carrying current to power outputs, as well as supplying the extra towing socket on Dave's Bongo.
As Dave said, we fitted an extra power outlet on the passenger side of his Bongo, for his cooler box, etc.
Its on my list of to do's as well.

[madmile]

Its quite worrying how thin the wire is, but even more worrying- its still the same on the bongos that have the 100v japanese inverter built into the rear 12v socket. Good job we cant find anything to plug into them in the UK.

[Hippotastic]

Is it a hard job to rewire the socket? I have blown two fuses this weekend just pulling plugs out of the socket.

Do you need to remove dash parts or trim, or can you get it out of the dash, and pull the wire through. What type of wire and fuse should you use to replace the current wire with?

[Yamaha]

I feel the whole concept of running anything that takes any serious current from a cigarette lighter
socket is a bad idea!

There is just not enought definate contact pressure between the plug and the socket - it relies on
really just the side spring loops of the plug to maintain contact to the centre connections, and with a poor
contact, and a load, the result is heat, which COULD melt the socket, and/or the wiring to it.

Although the actual cigarette lighter takes some current to heat it's element, if you study it's construction,
it makes contact with the socket in a much more positive manner, and for a lot less time, so avoiding
overheating anything.

Mike

[helen&tony]

Hi Mike
I couldn't agree more....in fact i've always thought they were severely dangerous....I will NOT allow anyone to use the lighter, even, and I have no idea why a lighter is allowed in England wired in this way in a car, when English domestic supply requirements are tougher than elsewhere in Europe. I usually either take electrical supply from one of the tow sockets via a lead which I have, or fit one of those sockets that has a plug with a screw ring round the outer part, so that it can't be partially removed, and spark. I don't think even the caravan 2-pin plugs are adequate for high current, but then I am cautious. I am also highly dubious of some charging/ distribution units on the market, and , until I have had a "nosey" at the quality of the installation, I don't use them.
Sorry, but It's just my opinion.
Cheers
Helen

[mikeonb4c]

Spot on Mike. The trouble is that it has become a 'standard' and with all these appliances that come with ciggie plugs on them, its a lot of hassle refitting them all with some different, though better, plug type. I have noticed though that some ciggie plug designs are much better than others at staying put and maintaining good contact. Must spend some time analysing why that is

[Hippotastic]

Ok I hear you all. Good points.

Now on the the practicals... how do you charge a sat nav, telephone, sat receiver, music player, etc etc in the car if the designed power point is dangerous?

If I ran new wiring to the battery dedicated with a fuse, am I still in danger of setting fire to my trousers?

I cannot do with out my toys, and my toys cannot do without being charged....

Any practical solutions? Will rewiring the socket make it safer (safer enough?), and hence worth doing?

I might by a fire extinguisher of Aldi and risk it

[dobby]

My bongo came with an LB fitted by AVA, they ran a new fused supply from the LB under the vehicle and in (somehow).

I agree with the above that 12V ciggie lighters are duff but have not got round to sorting out new plugs and sockets.

This firm are good http://www.roadpro.co.uk/ for 12v stuff but Rooster can probably give a better steer.

Good luck

[Yamaha]

Hi Hippotastic,

I think that the items you are looking to charge from the cigarette socket are not a problem - there is not much current involved in charging those items - plus the fact that the chargers plug probably have a circuit to drop the output voltage down, so you are really tied into that format - and it's fine for that purpose.

What I was really thinking about were items like absorption fridges - 12v heaters - 12v kettles, etc. These can
really take some serious current - if that was anyone's intention, you really should be looking at a different
type of connection - RoadPro do a DIN Standard range of high current plugs and sockets - a smaller format,
but much more suited to safely run the above.

It is also important to make sure the cables supplying the sockets are heavy enough for the purpose - and each really needs to be seperately fused. Although the Bongo owner is fortunate in having a socket near the back door, these were never intended to power kettles, fridges, etc - and the original cabling would not really be up to that task - even with updated sockets.

Mike