Powering From Cigarette Lighter When Parked

[Steve Graham]

Yes, I may do that. What I actually want is a USB power socket, so I might cannabalize an adaptor and hide the guts behind the dash, putting the USB socket on one of the several switch blanks on my car.

[Steve Graham]

Well, in the end I reverted to Plan A and replaced the relay with a permanent link.

After struggling for a while to pull the relay by putting one hand up behind the dash, I decided to go for it and start dismantling stuff. The trim under the steering wheel is held by three cross-headed screws. Two are visible - one each side at the bottom - and one is hidden under the small panel that carries the mirror control and security light. It just pops out.

Once unscrewed, the panel can be unclipped carefully and lowered enough for further work without disconnecting any cables etc.

The further work was releasing the fuse/relay board. It is secured by three 10mm hex-head screws, two at the top and one at the bottom right. Once I removed the screws, I could pull the board back against the tension of the wiring and access the relay from the top side. (From the driver's seat, it's the second relay from the left.) I was able to lever it out of the socket with a flat screwdriver.

The relay has 4 pins. The top two are copper and horizontal: these are the switch contacts. The lower two are tinned and aligned vertically: the coil contacts. I made a connector from two blades and a short length of wire and plugged it into the top, horizontal holes in the socket. Bingo! Power at both of the accessory sockets (but not the lighter socket).

Assembly is the reverse of disassembly, as usual.