Interested in adding an auxiliary power outlet to my classic. There are some topics in the New MINI section, but could not find anything specific here. Want to use the outlet to power a GPS, phone charger, flashing light or laptop computer. (Not all at once).

Suggestions?

Thanks, tw

 

Any decent auto parts store should have a generic cig' lighter socket / aux power socket on the shelf for around $10...
http://www.autozone.com/autozone/cat...brandName=Bell

pretty damn easy to wire up .... either take the hot to the fuse box and decide whether to tap onto a switched or unswitched circuit (off with ignition off or on all the time <and risk a dead battery>)

Or take the positive to the hot leads of the starter solenoid (which will also give an on always circuit) but BE SURE to put an inline fuse here .... also available at any parts store. I'd probably put a 10 amp fuse in as everything you want to use should be low power)

Harder part will be mounting it but you can easily use a chunk of wood or plastic ... I'd punch some thin steel but have those sort of tools...

If you need a more specific wiring plan, PM me and I'll see what I can do.

BTW ... what year? All my reply assumes you have a later one with an alternator and negative earth; if you are pos' earth forget about it...... And you may want to consider your alternator size as the early cars, up to about 80, have a fairly small elect' generation output so if you add much you need to upgrade the alternator..... If you don't have anything added yet you'll be fine .... but if you have 4 extra lites and some serious sound . . .

 

thats same thing i did...worked great...mounted it to the underdash, and powered all my needs !!...easy install !

 

Thanks for the info. Looks like a doable project over the holidays. To answer questions, it is an 83 and yes, it has an alternator.

 

Just remember the First Rule: "Always... ALWAYS... use a fuse."

You have been warned.

Also, before doing any electrical work disconnect the negative battery terminal and tuck the wire aside so that it cannot accidentally touch the negative battery pole. Doing this will assure that if you accidentally ground any of your connections before you;'re ready that you won't spark/fry/ignite anything. Between the First Rule above and the "always disconnect the battery" rule, you can avoid 99.997% of the problems people have with electrical work. Seriously.

Given the draw you'll be talking about (10amps or so), I'd use BJ's suggestion of wiring straight to the solenoid. Just use that fuse, or things WILL catch fire. You can get really good quality wire, fuse holders and other electrical accessories HERE.

 

I did this on my 71 Triumph TR6. Stuck the outlet up under the passenger footwell. Mounted it with an existing bolt/screw and a loop clamp.

www.bohrmanmfg.com/loop-clamps.html

Connected the one wire to the battery, with an in-line fuse, and the other wire to a ground source and I was done. Have used it with no problem for 3 years.

Incidentally, unless you know where to look it is invisible. Covert power!

 

no disrespect intented but you can get everything you need at any decent autopart store and probably at a good hardware store.

Don't pay web order shipping for something you can buy around the block ...

this is damn simple stuff we're talking about

the trick to this job is doing it clean, vs doing it ....

if you connect to the sol' you can just stuff the end of the new wire in; or crimp a new ring connector on the end of some decent wire (I prefer 12 gauge) but both will work ..... probably .....

 

Actually, BJ... There's quite a bit of difference between electrical components in my experience. I've seen auto parts store fuse holders that sparked/melted the first time they were used, or that used a very light gauge of wire. I've seen relays that melted down in the first month, and which were not properly insulated/sealed. I recommended the mail-order place I did because I know that the owner (Phil @ Oznium) has personally tested all of his products and stands behind them with a 100% return policy. I use only Oznium stuff because when I compare it to auto-parts crap, 99 times out of 100, it's noticeably superior.

That's well worth a small upcharge IMHO (I think he actually charges LESS for his actual items overall, which generally off-sets the minor shipping charges). Given the horror stories I always hear about people messing up their electrical systems, I wonder how often the faulty was the thinking that "all electrical components are basically the same, so get them as cheap as possible", and how often it's actually user error. My thinking is I wouldn't save pennies on crappy mechanical parts (and thereby cost myself dollars in repairs), so why do the same with electrical parts? Yes the technique and "science" of DC electrical is simple, but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't use quality components, particularly when the price differential is generally onny a few bucks, tops.