Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Jan Suhr]

I'm going to add a power outlet at the back of the center console, mainly for connecting a 12 V cooler for long travels. It will need at least 15Amps. I have already an USB outlet for phone charging connected to the wires for the 12V cig outlet.

I'm thinking of picking up a connection under the dash for this power outlet. Either one that is on by ignition or controlled by the same relay that controls the power to the inner lights and cig outlets. I will use a relay for the power 12 to the outlet.

Any suggestions appreciated.

Below is the panel with the outlets I'm going to mount. I added an image but it doesn't show up.
http://www.protouring.se/files/omega/outlet.jpg

[biggriffin]

15amps??? Is it a compressor fridge or a cool-box,, the only time them cool-boxes draw 15amps is when you set them to heat, the standard fag lighter in the back are sufficient for a cool- box, if it's a compressor fridge, then I would be looking to run direct from battery.

[Doctor Gollum]

Or take it from the tow bar wiring in the spare wheel well and run it forward to the centre of the rear seat

[Andy B]

Or take it from the tow bar wiring in the spare wheel well and run it forward to the centre of the rear seat

This what I'd do  .... IIRC it'll need a fuse fitting under the steering column to power it up.

[TheBoy]

15amps??? Is it a compressor fridge or a cool-box,, the only time them cool-boxes draw 15amps is when you set them to heat, the standard fag lighter in the back are sufficient for a cool- box, if it's a compressor fridge, then I would be looking to run direct from battery.

The Peltier cooler ones pull big currents, and most are Peltier ones now as cheap and easy to make.


My convection fridge I use for camping - the type that can run from 12v, 240v or gas - is about 60W on electric, so around 5A, and runnable off a ciggy socket.

15A is probably beyond most ciggy plugs (a quick squint around the electronics retailers seem to put them around 10A max, and beyond that they are liable to heat up and soften), though I notice the OP is using a proprietary plug.


Personally, I think, for a constant 15A, I would run a separate supply through one of the 80A fused supplies, with an (accessible) inline 15A fuse, and through a relay thats energised when the car is running only....    ....look at HRW circuit for how this is achieved.

[Jan Suhr]

15amps??? Is it a compressor fridge or a cool-box,, the only time them cool-boxes draw 15amps is when you set them to heat, the standard fag lighter in the back are sufficient for a cool- box, if it's a compressor fridge, then I would be looking to run direct from battery.

The Peltier cooler ones pull big currents, and most are Peltier ones now as cheap and easy to make.


My convection fridge I use for camping - the type that can run from 12v, 240v or gas - is about 60W on electric, so around 5A, and runnable off a ciggy socket.

15A is probably beyond most ciggy plugs (a quick squint around the electronics retailers seem to put them around 10A max, and beyond that they are liable to heat up and soften), though I notice the OP is using a proprietary plug.


Personally, I think, for a constant 15A, I would run a separate supply through one of the 80A fused supplies, with an (accessible) inline 15A fuse, and through a relay thats energised when the car is running only....    ....look at HRW circuit for how this is achieved.

I guess it can work with 10A as well. I had one that melted in the plug that was connected to the original power out let at the back of the center console. But I think that plug itself was some cheap China shit.

I intend to use a relay that will be activated by the power to the old power outlet, that cable is now going to the USB charge ports but can also trigger the relay.
One easy way is to run a cable directly from the battery through the fire wall, and fused of course. In that case the fuse could sit inside of the relay box next to the battery.

Thanks for the suggestions, I'll report how it went.

[TheBoy]

Trouble with using that consumer relay delay feed (which I think the rear ciggy socket is off it) is its live for 10mins after the ignition is switched off.

If its pulling 10+ amps, thats pulling a fair chunk from the battery every time you switch off the engine.  You should be fine with it, but just keep that in mind

[STEMO]

Trouble with using that consumer relay delay feed (which I think the rear ciggy socket is off it) is its live for 10mins after the ignition is switched off.

If its pulling 10+ amps, thats pulling a fair chunk from the battery every time you switch off the engine.  You should be fine with it, but just keep that in mind

The cooler would be unplugged at switchoff, surely?

[TheBoy]

Trouble with using that consumer relay delay feed (which I think the rear ciggy socket is off it) is its live for 10mins after the ignition is switched off.

If its pulling 10+ amps, thats pulling a fair chunk from the battery every time you switch off the engine.  You should be fine with it, but just keep that in mind

The cooler would be unplugged at switchoff, surely?

Its unclear what the OP was doing with the cooler, and whether or not it was semi permenetent, or used once in a blue moon.

Hence the warnings .  If wired through a relay thats energised by the consumer delay relay, then it remains powered up for 10 mins after the ignition is off.

[STEMO]

Trouble with using that consumer relay delay feed (which I think the rear ciggy socket is off it) is its live for 10mins after the ignition is switched off.

If its pulling 10+ amps, thats pulling a fair chunk from the battery every time you switch off the engine.  You should be fine with it, but just keep that in mind

The cooler would be unplugged at switchoff, surely?

Its unclear what the OP was doing with the cooler, and whether or not it was semi permenetent, or used once in a blue moon.

Hence the warnings .  If wired through a relay thats energised by the consumer delay relay, then it remains powered up for 10 mins after the ignition is off.

He says 'for long travels' so I'm assuming he means to use whilst on the move. I could be wrong, but the last time that happened was 1987.

[Jan Suhr]

To clear your minds about my cooler in my Omega I in fact do some long runs with them ( I have two ). When the Corona is over I'm going down to Europe from Sweden, it's around 2500 miles round trip. On my way back I buy some really delicious German Bratwursts and some other good things to eat. That's when the cooler come in to do its duty and keep my fresh meat cool on my way home. It's about 12 hours drive from Hamburg over Denmark to my home.

It is really nice to let my 3.2L Omega stretch her legs on Autobahn. Last time was in September 2019, Corona stopped my travelling plans last year and I hope I can go for a new run later this year.

[TheBoy]

I miss my France trips, though that is a mere 900m each way.

[Jan Suhr]

I found a rubber plug on the fire wall, next to the brake booster. I suppose this whole is for the clutch pedal if you have a manual gearbox. I drilled a hole in it and pulled a cable sheet through it. On the inside I routed the sheet in to the center console and back to the end of it.
The other end of the sheet went to the relay box where I put a new relay to control the feed to the power outlet. The relay get its switch power from the ignition ON. I already have another relay there for my daylight driving lights (former fog lights).

So the power outlet will only have power when ignition is on, that will be OK for me since this will mostly be used when driving to keep the temperature in the cooler.

[Jan Suhr]

[Nick W]

I miss my France trips, though that is a mere 900m each way.

If you're only going 0.9km, then you might as well walk