Faster than a bullet

2011 Standard Corvette

I have several aftermarket devices added to the car via the cigarette sockets: Garmin GPS, ipod nano, radar, etc.

I intend to link most/all of these through a switch yet to be added. That should make it clear there's no electrical drain on the system when I leave the car sitting for five or six days, but at least one of them, the ipod, has both an audio connection into the dashboard and a power line to it via the cigarette lighter socket.

1. Can I assume the radar, GPS, etc. are disconnected and not drawing power when the toggle switch is off?
2. How about the nano ipod which is "on" all the time and connected to the power - whether the radio in the car playing the ipod music is on or off?
3. Is there some simple meter (handheld or mounted) that can be added to the system so I can monitor small drains on the system? If so, recommended types/brands?

Intent is to ensure I'm not killing the battery when I'm not driving.

Bill

markcz

In C5 both of the cig lighter sockets are always hot, for some reason I'm thinking that the armrest socket is switched in C6, but never verified that either way. Do a quick experiment and plug something in with the car completely off and see if they both always have power. If they're always hot you'll have to turn off each gizmo manually.

Instead of a manual switch, you can use an automotive relay that's energized with ignition switched power or the RAP circuit (pretty much same as radio power). Use the B+ post through the pulled in contacts of the relay, then individual fuses to each gizmo. That would guarantee no power drains, would be 100% automatic, and you can easily hide all the wires

Faster than a bullet

Okay - problem solved. Thank you.