Power point (2014-) modify to not be always live?

[rmcinak]

Hi all, 2015 XL LWB if it matters...

Saw a lot of power point discussions when doing a search through the forum, but didn't see this exact discussion. I want to modify the front power point to only be live when the key is 'on' so I can leave stuff plugged in without having to remember to unplug them each time I shut the vehicle off (it can go days/weeks without being used). Anybody do this and can provide assistance? Apologies if I missed this conversation elsewhere.

Thanks.

[Fifty150]

 

 

Look in your owners manual, locate the fuse which supplies the power port, remove the fuse.

Get ahold of the wiring diagram for the vehicle.  Locate the positive wire for the power port.  

Cut the wire, then reroute it through a relay.  Your load, the power port, will be "normally open" on pin 87.  The "common", on pin 30, will connect to your fuse box.  Hook up pin 86 to your ignition, and pin 85 to ground, and this will be your coil.

Reinstall the fuse.

 

 

 

 

Use a simple Single Pole Single Throw relay.  

 

 

 

 

[Fifty150]

[rmcinak]

Thank you. Hoping somebody has done this on a TC that I can cheat off of for the specific wire locations.

[DonShockley]

Another option is to just move the wire in the fuse box. When I was investigating a salvaged fuse block, I noticed that groups of fuses have their hot side supplied by a common bus bar. And some of these are powered by an already installed relay. So if you have an open slot along one of these switched bus bars, you can move the load side wire to that slot. The little catches for the wire terminal can be a bit tricky to release so you can pull the wire out from the back, but then you just plug it into the open slot.

[Fifty150]

23 hours ago, rmcinak said:

Thank you. Hoping somebody has done this on a TC that I can cheat off of for the specific wire locations.

Speaking for myself, I would never do it.  For me, one of the "features" of an "American" car is the constant power to the cigarette lighter.  I like being able to turn my ignition off, with my phone or whatever, still plugged in and charging/operating.  I've been known to take Japanese cars and wire up the 12v power port and the stereo directly to the battery so that I can still play music without the engine running.  Yeah, I know.  The obvious is to turn the engine off, then turn the key back to the ACC position.  But I like doing stupid things to my cars.  It allows me to exit the vehicle with the music still playing, only to come back in the morning to a dead battery.  The best has to be to leave your headlamps, fog lamps, and off-road lights on.  That really drains your battery.

[DonShockley]

On 9/10/2016 at 9:24 PM, rmcinak said:

......... I want to modify the front power point to only be live when the key is 'on' so I can leave stuff plugged in without having to remember to unplug them each time I shut the vehicle off (it can go days/weeks without being used). Anybody do this and can provide assistance? Apologies if I missed this conversation elsewhere.

Thanks.

My solution was to add a small accessory fuse box that was originally designed to go on motorcycles. One big advantage for me was the ability to easily make each circuit either swiched or unswitched simply by which side you plug the fuse into. Here's the thread where I detailed the parts used and installation in my 2015 LWB TC wagon.

Accesory fuse box insrallation

Another benefit for me, but maybe not for others, was the ease of hard wiring my phne charger, dashcam, etc. without having a bunch of lighter plug adapters sticking out.

Edited September 13, 2016 by DonShockley

[rmcinak]

On 9/12/2016 at 7:44 PM, Fifty150 said:

Speaking for myself, I would never do it.  For me, one of the "features" of an "American" car is the constant power to the cigarette lighter.  I like being able to turn my ignition off, with my phone or whatever, still plugged in and charging/operating.  I've been known to take Japanese cars and wire up the 12v power port and the stereo directly to the battery so that I can still play music without the engine running.  Yeah, I know.  The obvious is to turn the engine off, then turn the key back to the ACC position.  But I like doing stupid things to my cars.  It allows me to exit the vehicle with the music still playing, only to come back in the morning to a dead battery.  The best has to be to leave your headlamps, fog lamps, and off-road lights on.  That really drains your battery.

I wouldn't disagree with you as I can see the benefits of the constant power and in 99% of the Country it wouldn't matter most of the time. I live in the 1% where this thing has a chance of being left overnight or for a few days at -30 with no outlet for a block heater or battery blanket (if one will even fit in the tight space of this thing) within many miles, and I don't forsee having the patience to go through the 30 minute battery removal process to haul it in to a warmer spot that this vehicle require. In short, my battery will at some time in the future freeze. Having experienced that several times over, I can testify that every last amp not taken by a dash cam or phone charger accidentally left on is literally a life saver when one uses the last bit of frozen juice with a whole lot of praying to get a vehicle started. I just noticed AGM car batteries are making it into the mainstream which will solve the frozen issue if not the constant on draining issue.

[rmcinak]

20 hours ago, DonShockley said:

My solution was to add a small accessory fuse box that was originally designed to go on motorcycles. One big advantage for me was the ability to easily make each circuit either swiched or unswitched simply by which side you plug the fuse into. Here's the thread where I detailed the parts used and installation in my 2015 LWB TC wagon.

Accesory fuse box insrallation

Another benefit for me, but maybe not for others, was the ease of hard wiring my phne charger, dashcam, etc. without having a bunch of lighter plug adapters sticking out.

I believe I saw your thread and it is on my list to follow along as it looks like finding existing wires in this thing is a bit of a challenge.

[Fifty150]

I know it is tough to find a dead battery in the morning.  It is just as bad to find broken auto glass and that someone had stolen all that stuff that you left in the charger overnight.

 

I live where vehicles are constantly broken into.  Sure, the obvious is electronics.  But anything of value, or simply anything, left in a vehicle will be stolen.  Even an empty backpack or grocery bag.  They don't know what is in it, or that it is empty.  It's worth breaking your window, to see if anything is in the bag.  Even items of clothing are stolen.  Some people will think nothing of breaking your window, to take a shirt or jacket that you left on the seat.  One local agency police chief lost her gun and badge.  

 

I make a habit of clearing out my vehicles, so that nothing is left in them overnight.  I know.  It is a real pain in the you know what.  And since most of us think of our vehicles as our personal space, we tend to fill them with items of comfort and convenience.  Phone chargers, navigation aides, tools, birth control, music players, coffee cups, and whatever else to make your commute safe and comfortable.  But now I limit myself to whatever I can carry in a backpack.  Just like taking the bus.  Extra jacket, umbrella, phone charger, sex toys, backup gun, Morakniv, sandwich, coffee thermos, underwear, latex gloves, multi-plier, cable ties, duct tape, hair ties, camp stove, fire starter, tablet computer, spare socks, and a toothbrush.  If it all fits in the backpack, then it goes with me out to the car.  And when I go home, everything goes back hone with me.  I don't leave anything in the car anymore.

 

I'm thinking that I could leave a Morakniv in the car, just in case I "accidentally" find myself driving into the wilderness and get lost in the woods.