Cigarette Lighter = Power Outlet? (2 Viewers)

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

Joined
Jan 11, 2009
Threads
14
Messages
130
Location
Plano, TX
I've been frustrated at only having one 12V outlet up front to plug in my electrical gadgets in my 2000 LX470.

I was sitting in the car the other day and it occurred to me that i actually have two 12V 'looking' outlets. The regular one I plug my phone charger into, and one next to it that comes with a little doodad plugged in with a picture of a cigarette on.

If I simply remove this can I use that as an extra 12V outlet on the dash? Or are the cigarette lighters in cars different in some way to the actual lighter styled outlets.

Yes, I know this is probably a blindingly obvious question; but I really have no idea:)
 
You can use the cig lighter to power anything else...it should be fused for 10A, but its circuit is separate from the power outlets. Power outlets are on a dedicated single circuit, it's on when the ignition is on and it controls the dash socket, the one in the front console, and the one in the rear on driver's side (port side).

hth

Steve
 
Thanks, is the cig lighter also only on when the ignitions on, or on all the time?

i.e. can I leave something plugged in there for a week with the car parked without running down the battery...
 
You have another power outlet in the console.
 
Thanks, is the cig lighter also only on when the ignitions on, or on all the time?

i.e. can I leave something plugged in there for a week with the car parked without running down the battery...
Cig lighter is on only with ignition on.

You can put a jumper across the large contacts on the ACC relay in the under-hood fusebox, that'll give you power-on all the time on the power outlets. Running down the battery will depend on what you plug in.;)

Steve
 
In addition to the one you discovered and the one in the center console (under the lid) you should also notice one in the back cargo area on the drivers side. :cheers:
 
So is there any difference at all between the cigarette lighter socket and power socket in the center console? In terms of maximum current or anything else etc?
 
Hankinid,

Can u shed a little more light on keeping the power outlets hot all the time? Pics or wright-ups?

TIA

TLC Dan
 
So is there any difference at all between the cigarette lighter socket and power socket in the center console? In terms of maximum current or anything else etc?
Cigarette lighter is the only socket on a 15A fuse. The other 3 (lower dash, center pocket, and rear) power outlets are all on the same 15A fused circuit. Not that that should be an issue, but now you know...
 
Hankinid,

Can u shed a little more light on keeping the power outlets hot all the time? Pics or wright-ups?

TLC Dan
A writeup will be it for now, dig camera is tu, new one coming but that's on Father's day...:p

Info is from the 2000 Electrical Wiring Diagram book for the LX, LC should be the same. Just a note to let you know that changing the electrical system is risky if you don't know what you're doing, I'm not responsible for incinerating your cruiser, etc.

Wiring for the ACC circuit starts with a 50A fuse to the relay power contacts, and then to a 15A fuse labeled "PWR OUT" located on the lower left side kick panel inside the truck.

I'll pause just a little say Toy designed the wiring in this circuit to take 15A maximum...and that's the total current for the outlet next to the lighter and the console and the rear outlet. DO NOT consider going to a larger fuse inside the truck.:doh:

Find the fuse and relay box under the hood...forward of the gas vapor recirculation box, in back of the battery. Take a look at the parts location diagram on the cover. You'll notice the ACC relay is the middle relay in the row closest to the engine.

To get power to the outlets regardless of key position, simply remove the ACC relay. Make a short jumper (12 or 14ga) wire, strip each end and attach a 1/4" male Fast-On (flat tab) terminal on each end, and insert each end into the larger relay sockets. Use a good crimping tool (no vise-grips, etc.). A bead of solder on the end of the wire AFTER crimping won't hurt.

Do not go cheap on the terminals, get some with either a solid tubular end for the wire or a brazed end. Cheapo's where the wire termination area simply touches on each side are **** and will not give you a reliable termination over time. If the terminals fit loosely into the relay sockets, you can add a bit of thickness with thin brass shims you can cut from material from your local hobby or rc store.

Post back if you have questions.

hth

Steve
 
^^ I did this in my 4runner before moving to the LC. I loved it.

I have searched for a write up from someone that has done this with an LC with success.

Thank you. I will check this out.
 
^^ I did this in my 4runner before moving to the LC. I loved it.

I have searched for a write up from someone that has done this with an LC with success.

Thank you. I will check this out.
You're welcome;)

I'll add that there are threads here that talk about increasing power to existing outlets as well as adding additional outlets...best idea is to connect directly to the battery terminals with an appropriate fuse or breaker, size your wire gage for the amperage you need + a safety margin and run the new wires through the interior.

Steve
 
You're welcome;)

I'll add that there are threads here that talk about increasing power to existing outlets as well as adding additional outlets...best idea is to connect directly to the battery terminals with an appropriate fuse or breaker, size your wire gage for the amperage you need + a safety margin and run the new wires through the interior.

Steve

Steve

I did this mod in about 5 minutes in my garage. Thank you very much for posting this. The only thing I ever plug into my outlets is my phone charger and it has always pissed me off that mine go off with the key instead of remaining hot. I am in construction and rely heavily on my phone. If it is about to die, I have to plug it in AND leave the key on in my LC in order to get a recharge. I am always worried about someone hopping in my truck and taking it for a joy ride since I conveniently left the key for them.

I took the jumper cable back out and reinstalled the relay after I saw that it worked. I have my jumper wire ready to put back in but I have a question. When I jump around the ACC relay, what else does it effect(affect)? Is there anything else that will remain on without the key? Will the radio stay on or anything other than the 3 power outlets?

Can anyone else see any danger or eminent damage resulting from this mod other than if I left the phone plugged in too long and it ran the battery down? I am willing to live with that risk but I am not willing to live with the risk of damage to my ecu or risk of fire.

Any and all comments are welcome.
 
The only thing I ever plug into my outlets is my phone charger and it has always pissed me off that mine go off with the key instead of remaining hot.

I have my jumper wire ready to put back in but I have a question. When I jump around the ACC relay, what else does it effect(affect)? Is there anything else that will remain on without the key? Will the radio stay on or anything other than the 3 power outlets?

Can anyone else see any danger or eminent damage resulting from this mod other than if I left the phone plugged in too long and it ran the battery down? I am willing to live with that risk but I am not willing to live with the risk of damage to my ecu or risk of fire.
I'm in more or less of a similar situation...I'm charging a smart phone and Garmin phone/gps in a cradle on the dash from the dash power outlet, and maybe a flashlight on the rear outlet.

The ONLY thing the jumper affects is the power outlet circuit...not the radio, lighter, or anything else. Believe me, I've played with auto and aircraft electrics long enough to know to check the diagram first. Info I'm giving is from the factory wiring diagram manual.

Obviously, anything left on too long will drain the battery...most new phones charge through a usb cable, usually limited to 1A. I'm using a usb adapter with 2 sockets, each limited to 1A. One goes to the smart phone, the other to the Garmin.

hth

Steve
 
I'm in more or less of a similar situation...I'm charging a smart phone and Garmin phone/gps in a cradle on the dash from the dash power outlet, and maybe a flashlight on the rear outlet.

The ONLY thing the jumper affects is the power outlet circuit...not the radio, lighter, or anything else. Believe me, I've played with auto and aircraft electrics long enough to know to check the diagram first. Info I'm giving is from the factory wiring diagram manual.

Obviously, anything left on too long will drain the battery...most new phones charge through a usb cable, usually limited to 1A. I'm using a usb adapter with 2 sockets, each limited to 1A. One goes to the smart phone, the other to the Garmin.

hth

Steve

Awesome! Thanks Steve for replying. Those answers make me feel better about leaving the jumper wire in there. I am an electrical illiterate so I am always a little reluctant to screw with anything the factory did. Thanks again.
 
Thanks for the quick writeup. Twice last week my phone died and I was unable to leave it charging in the parking lot while at a meeting.
 
The wires going to all of these outlets are a pretty small guage. If you plan on powering anything that draws significant amps, like a compressor, vacuum, cooler, etc., you should consider rewiring each receptacle accordingly with appropriate guage wire. You don't have to worry about the jumper and ratings if you start over with a new fuse at the battery or battery fuse box with a dedicated line into the truck and then split to each outlet. It's a simple mod and does not take much effort to snake a 12 or 14 guage wire to each outlet. Don't forget the grounds too.

For the rear, I used the dedicated power feed to the trailer plug and turn signal converter. In the front, I kept one on the key switch for the radar detector and the other constantly on for the phone charger.
 
Thanks for the quick writeup. Twice last week my phone died and I was unable to leave it charging in the parking lot while at a meeting.
That's what left me stranded at DFW w/ dead battery. Thinking about maybe adding a 2nd outlet on the lower dash panel between cig lighter and power socket. OEM would look great, but the germans make some very nice outlets. Not sure they're compatible w/ standard US cig-lighter plugs. Maybe try one for a while & see.

May also try forming a sold bussbar instead of the wire jumper...ocd-looks-prettier syndrome

www.rallylights.com Sesquanna (sp?) Motor Sports. There's a section on connectors. Check Hella stuff as well as an MBZ ML series outlet at a dealer.

Steve
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom