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Technical 12v socket help

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Technical 12v socket help

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newbie fiat

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Hi, I have read through the guide and all the 3 pages of comments but I'm stuck. If you have a read through the guide I have the same fusebox as mallettron, images attatched. I also have 2 connectors under the plastic trim again looks like one is for 12v socket other is for power mirrors. (Don't exist on 2006 1.1 active they are manual) no one seems to have come up with a complete solution but its been a few years since that guide was written and the comments on it so hopefully someone made some progress. Someone help! Can't wait to be able to go on some family holidays but need power for a sat Navy for that.
 

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If you can't find a proper fused 12v source for the socket and you only want an amp or 2's current to charge your gps then take a multimeter and check the plug designed to push onto the back of the cigar socket. There are 3 connections...earth, 12v for the socket...which isn't there....and 12v ( when you switch the lights on ! ) for the nighttime illumination of the socket. Make a jumper wire to short the 12v light power to the 12v socket connector and hey presto you've got power when the side/headlights are on. Just make a note for yourself and anybody else who uses the car NOT to plug anything other than a phone or gps in. The circuit is fused so you won't burn the car down but it's not the 10/15 amps most cigar sockets have.
 
Last edited:
What a brilliant post !!!
After 9 months of owning my 1.1active I have finally installed a 12 volt socket in the way you described. I can now run my phone/satnav/laptop. Thanks a million for sharing this info.
 
As I said in my post, just be aware of how much current you're taking out of the socket. On a related note, when I'd got my cigar socket working, I fitted it with a Chinese made USB adapter which showed battery voltage and current draw. I was using the multiscan diagnostic software at the time to try and cure an intermittent fast idle and noticed that every time I plugged in the USB adapter it caused an error message to flag up on the software, no warning lights on the dashboard but some sort of Canbus error. I'm guessing the adapter was putting some sort of digital noise onto the Canbus and it didn't like it. Once the adapter was disconnected, no more error message.
 
I was only planning on recharging one item at a time via a usb charger so fingers crossed.
 
martroy said:
If you can't find a proper fused 12v source for the socket and you only want an amp or 2's current to charge your gps then take a multimeter and check the plug designed to push onto the back of the cigar socket. There are 3 connections...earth, 12v for the socket...which isn't there....and 12v ( when you switch the lights on ! ) for the nighttime illumination of the socket. Make a jumper wire to short the 12v light power to the 12v socket connector and hey presto you've got power when the side/headlights are on. Just make a note for yourself and anybody else who uses the car NOT to plug anything other than a phone or gps in. The circuit is fused so you won't burn the car down but it's not the 10/15 amps most cigar sockets have.
Click to expand...

Great idea
On a similar note, some of the controls are lit when the ignition is on, maybe a low current supply can be got from them?
 
The reason I chose that solution was sheer laziness , the 12v from the lighting circuit is there on the 3 way connector and only requires a wire jumper to use it.
On my 1.1 Active there is another connector in that area of the centre console, which I think is for electric mirrors, I didn't investigate that but it might be worth a look with a multimeter.
 
The other connector your on about, I checked that out, one of the connectors supplies 12v on ignition so depending on how many amps it can supply (I's there a way to check) that wire could simply be chopped and put into the 3 pin adapter and hey presto a 12v socket that works on ignition only.
 
I'm going to figure this out, for now for my trip out this weekend I have bought a 10500 power bank, sat nav battery lasts about 2 hours and the power bank should charge it 5 times more than ample of a 3 hour round trip (weather depending). I'll continue my technical thoughts on the subject in the next Post
 
Another option is to use a switched live to trigger a relay. Then you can power the relay contacts direct from the battery. Use a fuse of course on the battery connection.
 
That's useful to know , newbie fiat, that there's an ignition switched 12v on the electric mirror connector, I'll try and use that myself. I don't think it'll be able to take anymore current than the bodge I suggested originally because the wires to the connector are very thin if I remember correctly. If you can find a wiring diagram for the car then you can check.
DaveMcT, it could be done properly your way but my original suggestion was just for a quick and dirty, low current supply to the cigar lighter socket so we could charge sat navs etc. with the minimum of work.
 
martroy said:
DaveMcT, it could be done properly your way but my original suggestion was just for a quick and dirty, low current supply to the cigar lighter socket so we could charge sat navs etc. with the minimum of work.
Click to expand...

No worries your way works fine for a USB socket. But not ideal for an accessory socket to carry a USB adaptor. Sooner or later someone will plug in a heavy current device and blow the fuse.
 
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