Hello everyone, I have a little technical problem.
First, some facts:
-It's my dad's car
-IIRC a Fiat Panda model 169 (or 196?)
-The 12V socket works only when the ignition is on
-My dad asked me to switch it to constant power
-because he bought a little solar panel that keeps the battery charged VIA the 12V socket.

Obviously, my dad doesn't want to keep the ignition on when noone is using the car, so he asked me to switch the socket to constant power.
He does NOT want me to take apart the whole car to check the wiring myself, which I can understand. He also does not want a second socket.

Has anyone here ever done this for whatever reasons and tell me the best way to switch the EXISTING 12V socket to constant power, with as little "taking apart" as possible.
Maybe even supply a wiring diagram?

P.S. I'm from germany, so OF COURSE my english is not perfect...

I've got the same problem with my doblo. to get around this, I simply ran a cable directly to the battery (through the bulkhead). Cig lighter socket on one end, crimped rings on the other & attached to the terminals via existing nuts & bolts.
I ran the cable to come out at the side of the left hand speaker so the socket always sits in the small shelf above the glove box - I melted a bit of the plastic grille to prevent the cable being trapped.

So no messing with original wires & when I come to sell, I can easily pull the cable out without leaving a mess. thinking about it, I could have left the socket behind the dash & just had the solar panel wire coming out - but anyhow. The battery is getting some charge even now!

I put a description in the doblo guides showing where to route the cable. What I originally used was some heavy duty flat speaker cable but my socket was broke so I just bought an extension off ebay for a couple of quid - 2mtr cable, socket one end, fused plug the other. Now got a spare plug

sludgeguts said:

I simply ran a cable directly to the battery

Click to expand...

:yeahthat:

Easily removed when the time comes to sell the car. Just be sure to put a 15A fuse in the line, as close to the battery as possible, or you could be joining this thread:

https://www.fiatforum.com/500/293852-fire.html.

jrkitching said:

:yeahthat:

Easily removed when the time comes to sell the car. Just be sure to put a 15A fuse in the line, as close to the battery as possible, or you could be joining this thread:

https://www.fiatforum.com/500/293852-fire.html.

Click to expand...

Not sure that it needs an inline fuse if it's just going to be used for the solar panel. It comes with a cable which has croc clips on one end - no inline fuse. Also, the panel incorporates a blocking diode so the juice can only flow one way. Just looked at a couple of leads (phone charger, satnav, camera) and they all use fused plugs.

sludgeguts said:

Not sure that it needs an inline fuse if it's just going to be used for the solar panel. It comes with a cable which has croc clips on one end - no inline fuse. Also, the panel incorporates a blocking diode so the juice can only flow one way. Just looked at a couple of leads (phone charger, satnav, camera) and they all use fused plugs.

Click to expand...

Newer maplins ones come with fuses now. Only need a short in the system somewhere and it's goodnight Vienna

I've hard wired them into all our classic pandas connecting them to the audio system feed using the additional connectors pack for solar trickle chargers available from Maplin

sludgeguts said:

Not sure that it needs an inline fuse if it's just going to be used for the solar panel.

Click to expand...

Most Easterly Pandas said:

Newer maplins ones come with fuses now. Only need a short in the system somewhere and it's goodnight Vienna

Click to expand...

Any unfused live feed is a potential fire risk, so it's good practice to keep them as short as possible - hence my advice to use an inline fuse as close to the battery as you can.

I caught a post a while ago where someone fitted a power socket in the glove box as most Actives don't have a socket.
Looked pretty neat.
https://www.fiatforum.com/panda/223881-fiat-panda-active-eco-12v-power-point-aux-socket.html

I do like this one of all the power socket posts, the position is perfect.
Charge your phone without leaving it on show, no wires dangling down past the gear lever or handbrake from the sat nav or having to stretch or extend the cable to make it reach the floor, then when you park up for a few moments, just stuff the whole lot into the glovebox without having to undo and unplug and hide out of view. With the Panda being narrow, it's not too hard to reach either.
If I wasn't lazy I'd fit one there myself

You could run a live to the exsisting socket, but you're having to route another cable all the way to it and find a constant live or route back to battery, probably more headache, undoing trim and pulling up carpet etc than fitting a socket in the glovebox.

Or you could hard wire something like this to the battery, I fitted something similar to a bike so I could charge a phone under the seat.
http://www.outdoorgb.com/p/12v_croc_clips__lighter_type_socket/
Snip the clips off and crimp some rings on to bolt to the terminals of the battery, route it out near the passenger footwell so you can tuck it away when not in use, bonus is it's already fused as well.

Whatever you do, make sure it's fused, there are charred messes out there because someone didn't!!

I've done similar and wired one into the glove box of my Stilo. Very handy and discrete

Most Easterly Pandas said:

Newer maplins ones come with fuses now. Only need a short in the system somewhere and it's goodnight Vienna

I've hard wired them into all our classic pandas connecting them to the audio system feed using the additional connectors pack for solar trickle chargers available from Maplin

Click to expand...

Mines the small folding panel, about 6 months old. Is the fuse internal then?

jrkitching said:

Any unfused live feed is a potential fire risk, so it's good practice to keep them as short as possible - hence my advice to use an inline fuse as close to the battery as you can.

Click to expand...

Live feed yes, but as this is only going to be used to charge the battery from a solar panel... As I said, the panel has a blocking diode so power can only flow one way. (I don't drive around with the panel plugged in.)
It's no different than using the croc clips from the panel & leaving them on the battery all day.

An old panel I've long since thrown was 4" tall x 18" long. I had this one permanently hardwired to the battery. It was also permanently fixed to my windscreen using those small suckers with hooks but the MOT bod said I wasn't allowed it in my windscreen - even though the only view it blocked was a part of my bonnet!

It is this one it came with I think http://www.maplin.co.uk/solar-powered-12v-1.5w-battery-trickle-charger-98358 just up from the +ve crock clamp. I've 3 of these units and 1 of the next size up 3/4watt panel so it was supplied with one of them.

The 3 I've got I've just tidied up in the garage this evenin and screwed to a piece of wood along side each other and secured the wood across my garages south facing window so all of my 3 batteries sitting in there are constantly being maintained

Although you mention having the diode, if the +ve wire anywhere between the panel and the battery gets caught it'll still be capable of shorting the battery onto an earth feed if on the bodywork