TheSamba.com :: View topic - cigarette lighter socket

Thu Nov 05, 2009 3:35 am

Hi,
I reconstruct wiring under dashboard but I am not able to find where can I connect (+) of the cigarette lighter socket :(
Fuses box with some explanations are here:

but in the description the socket is not mentioned directly :(
Does anybody know where it should be connected as some devices to be connected to the socket could require really strong current?

And the second questions: electric receivers are connected to upper or lower side of the fuses box?

P.S. here is list of all bus wiring http://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/info/wiringt2.php

Thu Nov 05, 2009 5:26 am

Fuse #7 is where it goes, and 8amp is plenty. Peace!

Mon Nov 08, 2010 5:14 pm

i just finished hooking up a 12v socket to my dashboard in my 78 westy. i plugged it into the number 7 fuse and it works great. however, i thought that it should only work when the keys were in the ignition, but it is always powered, even when the keys arent in the ignition. will this eventually drain out my battery?

Mon Nov 08, 2010 5:59 pm

Only if something is plugged into it.

Mon Nov 08, 2010 6:43 pm

Randy in Maine wrote: Only if something is plugged into it.

okay thanks a lot. i just wanted to make sure. i didnt want to wake up in the morning and not be able to start my bus!

Sat Dec 31, 2011 12:55 pm

Sorry to resurrect: I'm doing this today and can't see where the aux spade connector is because I can't get the fuse box far enough out. Is it a matter of feel? Anyone got a picture of the back?

72 westy.

Sat Dec 31, 2011 1:04 pm

this is one from a 78

Sat Dec 31, 2011 1:06 pm

Hey that's great! Thanks for the quick reply. I'm assuming the top row, bottom spade is the alternate connection?

Sat Dec 31, 2011 1:23 pm

A 72 fuse box is completely different from that.
You'll want to connect to the top spade on fuse #7

Sat Dec 31, 2011 1:39 pm

lucasrusinak wrote: i just finished hooking up a 12v socket to my dashboard in my 78 westy. i plugged it into the number 7 fuse and it works great. however, i thought that it should only work when the keys were in the ignition, but it is always powered, even when the keys arent in the ignition. will this eventually drain out my battery?
Cigarette lighters in most old cars were powered all the time because they were for (wait for it-----) lighting cigarettes. there wasn't all this stuff we plug into them today. In the vw world even the radio back then worked without the key being on. Now days they are called power outlets the one I put in my bus looks like a cigarette lighter but one won't work in it. you can make your power outlet/cigarette lighter switched just plug it into 10,11 or 12 (this is on a 1971 only its fuse's 3,4 or 5 on a 1970 it's fuse's 1 or 2 on a 68/69) on the unfused side. put a fuse of a appropriate size (most likely a 5 or 8 amp) the reason I say this is anyone one of those fuse's on the unfused side of the panel are all linked and if there is a free spot just plug it in. I will have to look up the info on the later bus's I just don't have it right in front of me at this moment. Please read this carefully if you want to make your power outlet switched to get it right and asked questions if you don't understand or if it doesn't make sense you don't want to fry your wiring but its easy to get your plugin to be switched properly and I will look up the 72 and later bus's and add them if you guys want. To tell you the truth on the unfused side any fuse that is switched will work because you are putting in a inline fuse the reason I say use the unfuse side of the panel which will flip out some guys here [-X there is more if only unused plugins available that way no cutting or stacking or other messed up wiring you can also use a proper fuse for the load if need if your electronic's need to be just so. The fuse's Iam pointing out have the most power available so there will not be under powered. [edit] Ok I looked it up and august 1972 on fuse 11 and 12 are linked on the unfused side so almost the same as the 1971. It is a good place to put a power relay to power up a switched accessories fuse panel if someone wanted to do that and do it properly. You could even have the relay mounted right in the original fuse panel use one of the relay slots not being used and a bosch relay and it would look factory.

Sat Dec 31, 2011 2:46 pm

Blamo! Working like a dream. Turned into a two hour project because I ended up removing two sets of old stereo wiring. Much cleaner now and I'm charging the phone as we speak! Now I can text all day while driving and not worry about running the battery down (haha).

As a side note, the right hand mount screw for the steering wheel makes for a great spot to place it. The dash even has a bevel on the underside for the lighter. Too perfect!

Ps bigbore: doing a separate thread clean write up on how to do this would be great. Took a bit of searching to get all the details for me, plus I imagine that a lot of folks out there could use it as they're not og (though many have probably already done it).

Sat Dec 31, 2011 3:00 pm

I ran a fresh hot lead from the battery into a secondary fuse box with the stereo on it and heated seats and connected it to a relay so it would only run when the ignition was on. Put an inline fuse on it works great and doesn't mess with existing fusebox.

Sat Dec 31, 2011 3:05 pm

chabanais wrote: I ran a fresh hot lead from the battery into a secondary fuse box with the stereo on it and heated seats and connected it to a relay so it would only run when the ignition was on. Put an inline fuse on it works great and doesn't mess with existing fusebox.

Out of curiosity: why go to all the trouble? There's plenty of extra spades bak there (if you can get to them)

Sat Dec 31, 2011 3:35 pm

Malokin Martin wrote: Blamo! Working like a dream. Turned into a two hour project because I ended up removing two sets of old stereo wiring. Much cleaner now and I'm charging the phone as we speak! Now I can text all day while driving and not worry about running the battery down (haha).

As a side note, the right hand mount screw for the steering wheel makes for a great spot to place it. The dash even has a bevel on the underside for the lighter. Too perfect!

Ps bigbore: doing a separate thread clean write up on how to do this would be great. Took a bit of searching to get all the details for me, plus I imagine that a lot of folks out there could use it as they're not og (though many have probably already done it).

As I was writing this I was thinking of that and it started to get convoluted I will work on it over the years I have added things to the bus like heated seats power panels relays and the like and used the slots in the stock panel it comes out very clean I will have to pull out some old panels to use for photos as we all know picture worth a thousand words. One of my pet peeves is hack up miss coded wiring.

Sat Dec 31, 2011 4:27 pm

I didn't want all that crowding on the driver's side or tapping into 40 year old wiring held together by 40 year old plastic.

It's nice and roomy over there with the two heated front seats, stereo, and 12 volt power connected.

Plus it was kind of fun to do.

Malokin Martin wrote: Out of curiosity: why go to all the trouble? There's plenty of extra spades bak there (if you can get to them)

Sat Dec 31, 2011 8:07 pm

Iam looking forward to putting heated grids in my stock 71 seats maybe this year If I can put the money toward it to do it right (new seat covers and padding) any recommendations on place's to buy heated seat systems. Iam still unsure of where I want the controls.

Sun Jan 01, 2012 10:56 pm

bigbore wrote: Iam looking forward to putting heated grids in my stock 71 seats maybe this year If I can put the money toward it to do it right (new seat covers and padding) any recommendations on place's to buy heated seat systems. Iam still unsure of where I want the controls.

X2

Mon Jan 02, 2012 9:17 am

It's been 18 months but I think I ordered two of these:

http://www.heatedseatkits.com/heatedseatkits/iheat2/index.html

Put the switches in my center console along with my 12 volt outlet. Been working great for 18 months... Was less than $200.00.

Did 12 volt outlet first put it in center console so I wouldn't have to cut into the dash. If I need to remove my center console it's not that hard:

Mon Jan 02, 2012 1:57 pm

Only 2 settings? my audi has 8 there should be some aftermarket controls with more them 2 settings time to do some research.

Mon Jan 02, 2012 6:31 pm

http://www.heatedseatkits.com/heatedseatkits/heizgerat2/index.html