Cigarette Lighter Adaptor Outside Car
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 174
Likes: 0
From: Lithia FL
Cigarette Lighter Adaptor Outside Car
Please excuse the slightly off Topic here but I think you guys can answer best with the wiring you do today with audio equipment.
I want to put a 12 Volt Cigarette lighter adaptor underneath the right rear corner of my C4 with the opening facing down and use a protective cover. My purpose is a plug in for my battery tender that I have learned the hard way needs to stay on the car when it's parked. (I drive the car most weekends only).
Today I reach inside the passenger window but when I show someone the car the wire is always questioned. Plus how I park the car in the garage going under the hood direct makes the wire run across the floor or under the car. Again a pain that would convince not to rehook it up every time.
With the plug in the right rear corner the bettery tender plugs into the wall right there and I can just reach under and plug in.
OK I"M LAZY!
Question for the forum is I need constant power but it's very low current. Where would anyone suggest I pick the power up from and how is best to run the wire if I have to come from the front of the venhicle.
Thanks
Bob
1988 35th Anniversary Corvette #114
I want to put a 12 Volt Cigarette lighter adaptor underneath the right rear corner of my C4 with the opening facing down and use a protective cover. My purpose is a plug in for my battery tender that I have learned the hard way needs to stay on the car when it's parked. (I drive the car most weekends only).
Today I reach inside the passenger window but when I show someone the car the wire is always questioned. Plus how I park the car in the garage going under the hood direct makes the wire run across the floor or under the car. Again a pain that would convince not to rehook it up every time.
With the plug in the right rear corner the bettery tender plugs into the wall right there and I can just reach under and plug in.
OK I"M LAZY!
Question for the forum is I need constant power but it's very low current. Where would anyone suggest I pick the power up from and how is best to run the wire if I have to come from the front of the venhicle.
Thanks
Bob
1988 35th Anniversary Corvette #114
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 5,572
Likes: 4
From: Los Angeles Ca
just use one of these:
http://www.cbxmanmotorcycles.com/pro...100696&affid=4
and snake the wire to the outside of the car. this is what i did on my motorcycle and i'm going to do it on my car as well
http://www.cbxmanmotorcycles.com/pro...100696&affid=4
and snake the wire to the outside of the car. this is what i did on my motorcycle and i'm going to do it on my car as well
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 2,149
Likes: 6
From: NCCO Oklahoma
Battery Tender... good choice in a charger. 
If it were me, I would skip the cigarette lighter and go with a fused disconnect. A lot of the Battery Tender chargers (Jr, Plus, etc...) have a 2 pole disconnect that you could connect to.
Maybe you could buy something like this, perhaps:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_au...nector&x=0&y=0
I believe that you can find these at Autozone, Pep Boys, etc... and some of them have a protective cover to keep the dirt out of the terminals. Just make sure that the + and - are correct, and be sure to put in a fused disconnect at the battery/fuse box. (Make sure that the protected/female end is + at the car to prevent a short circuit.) You may want to buy a couple of them and make up a "C4 battery charging specific harness" for this application.
Make sure to use a decent sized wire... the Battery Tenders have a microprocessor that can sense the current and voltage and adjust it's output accordingly. If you use too small of a wire, you will have a voltage drop that could make the charger think your battery is okay when it is not.
If it were me, I'd probably go with a 5 amp fuse and a 14-16 AWG wire.
Let me know if this helps.
Mark
If it were me, I would skip the cigarette lighter and go with a fused disconnect. A lot of the Battery Tender chargers (Jr, Plus, etc...) have a 2 pole disconnect that you could connect to.
Maybe you could buy something like this, perhaps:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_au...nector&x=0&y=0
I believe that you can find these at Autozone, Pep Boys, etc... and some of them have a protective cover to keep the dirt out of the terminals. Just make sure that the + and - are correct, and be sure to put in a fused disconnect at the battery/fuse box. (Make sure that the protected/female end is + at the car to prevent a short circuit.) You may want to buy a couple of them and make up a "C4 battery charging specific harness" for this application.
Make sure to use a decent sized wire... the Battery Tenders have a microprocessor that can sense the current and voltage and adjust it's output accordingly. If you use too small of a wire, you will have a voltage drop that could make the charger think your battery is okay when it is not.
If it were me, I'd probably go with a 5 amp fuse and a 14-16 AWG wire.
Let me know if this helps.
Mark
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 2,149
Likes: 6
From: NCCO Oklahoma
just use one of these:
http://www.cbxmanmotorcycles.com/pro...100696&affid=4
and snake the wire to the outside of the car. this is what i did on my motorcycle and i'm going to do it on my car as well
http://www.cbxmanmotorcycles.com/pro...100696&affid=4
and snake the wire to the outside of the car. this is what i did on my motorcycle and i'm going to do it on my car as well
I think he needs one that is a bit longer to reach the rear of the car... but there is no reason you couldn't extend the length of the one you listed. Good find!
Mark
