cigarette lighter?

It is very common for vehicles to have extra accessory ports running throughout. I had a similar problem when i wanted to put a cooler in the back of my PT Cruiser. The cigarette lighter port was there, and in many other variations of accessories you can order for that vehicle i noticed that many other PT's had them already there, but the wiring was not. I ended up putting the hole there thinking the weiring was there and realized i had a problem. Yes you can wire in a lighter, and depending on how you want the lighter to work, it is actually very simple. I used 12 gauge wiring, a battery terminal, new cigarette lighter purchased at a auto parts store, and a basic electrical kit. Cost me a grand total of 10 bucks, the lighter being the most expensive. Basically if you want the lighter to work while the car is off you put in the battery terminal and run the wire directly to the lighter, but make sure it has an in-line fuse, just in case. Most plugs you put into a cigarette lighter are already provided with one, but i have children and they like to stick foreign objects into anything. It could save a life or your car. Next, you must run a ground wire. Make sure it is
a clean spot of the body of your ride, meaning no painted surfaces. Then clean it up and make it look nice. The other way to do it is if you want it to shut off when the car is off, run your wire
to power the lighter from the fuse box. This is all very simple, and very basic electrical work, but i hope it helps you and good luck.

DC
November 2007