Installing another cigarette lighter socket
- Thread starter tres
- Start date
Surely it'd be easier to just wire the dashcam into an existing cable?
I don't want untidy wires running in front of the radio, console etc to go into the cigarette socket - I'd rather run it nicely behind somewhere out of sight
I mean an existing cable behind the dash. You don't need a 12v socket.
Yes it's straightforward enough. You can buy hardwire kits which will give you just your USB cable to plug into the cam with the 12v to 5v stepdown in-line and power wires at the other end to wire into the car. Or what I did was to just get a lighter socket and wire that in so I could plug in a 2 port USB charger giving me power for my dashcam and other stuff and keep it all hidden away behind the glove box.
On my car I just used a fuse tap and connected that to the power cable for my new power socket and then I found a spare unused fuse slot in the glove box fuse compartment that was only powered with the ignition. There was a big metal bolt conveniently there too which I just used for the ground wire and all is good.
On my previous car I didn't have any empty fuse sockets so I just used the fuse slot for the existing power socket and tapped off that, all was fine.
In both cars I just left the newly wired socket in behind the glove box, cable tied the wires up so it wasn't going to go anywhere and ran a longer USB cable behind the trims and down into the glove box - wasn't too much effort at all.
On my car I just used a fuse tap and connected that to the power cable for my new power socket and then I found a spare unused fuse slot in the glove box fuse compartment that was only powered with the ignition. There was a big metal bolt conveniently there too which I just used for the ground wire and all is good.
On my previous car I didn't have any empty fuse sockets so I just used the fuse slot for the existing power socket and tapped off that, all was fine.
In both cars I just left the newly wired socket in behind the glove box, cable tied the wires up so it wasn't going to go anywhere and ran a longer USB cable behind the trims and down into the glove box - wasn't too much effort at all.
Lol...derp!
Huh? Why derp? I did exactly the same as I didn't want the adapter sticking out of the fag lighter socket looking crappy
op - yes, it's simple to do. You need to find an ignition switched positive feed and splice a new fag lighter socket into that. Find an earth and you're good to go. Make sure it's all insulated and is relatively easy to access it.
Huh? Why derp? I did exactly the same as I didn't want the adapter sticking out of the fag lighter socket looking crappy
op - yes, it's simple to do. You need to find an ignition switched positive feed and splice a new fag lighter socket into that. Find an earth and you're good to go. Make sure it's all insulated and is relatively easy to access it.
Ffs derp because it was clear the other posters meant hardwiring it in discretely. Hence why they questioned the need for a 12v socket.
Exactly
Not mine - it has the voltage adapter built into the plug that goes into the fag lighter, hence you need a fag lighter to plug the adapter in.
What the hell are you on about? The adapter for my dashcam converts 12v to 5 odd v via a usb cable/fag lighter adapter. I also didn't want it sticking out of the fag lighter in the car (like the op), so I wired up a new one behind the dashboard.
That IS what I'm on about - my cam came with this http://www.expansys.com/transcend-c..._productfeed&gclid=CI2h0uX3nMgCFYhAGwodA5oCYQ
so I wired in a fag lighter behind the dash to hide it up
Why are you like "derp op wants to hide wires"?
That IS what I'm on about - my cam came with this http://www.expansys.com/transcend-c..._productfeed&gclid=CI2h0uX3nMgCFYhAGwodA5oCYQ
so I wired in a fag lighter behind the dash to hide it up
Why are you like "derp op wants to hide wires"?
No...im like derp op didn't figure out that you can hardwire and disguise wires. But like I said, why wire in the lighter? It's a long winded way of doing it. Just splice in the transformer and hardwire it.
Soldato
- Joined
- 25 May 2008
- Posts
- 3,983
- Location
- North Wales
Something like this is the best option and i think what people are referring to. Much simpler than faffing with extra lighter sockets for no reason!
This is what I meant, putting a lighter socket in instead of just a wire is more work and asking for trouble to be honest. Those sockets can get extremely hot.