Make cigarette lighters turn off with ignition?

[Piper Cub]

Sorry if this has been asked before, I tried searching but I’m not finding what I need. I’m wondering if anyone has found a simple way to convert the 12v outlets to be completely off when the truck is off. Too many times I leave things in (like the dash cam) and kill the battery (I don’t drive much). I haven’t reviewed the wiring diagrams yet but I plan to do so; I just wanted to see if anyone else has done it first so I can save some research effort.

I know I could manually wire my dash cam to some other 12v source but I’d rather just do all the cigarette lighters. I don’t like having them on all the time anyway.

Thanks

 

[410Fortune]

Absolutely!

Right behind your radio bezel you can find sources of what is called “accessory” or “switched” power that is only live when the key is on. Things like your camera or your phone charger are low current draw so usually you can get away with just cutting the always live “battery power” wire and running the + wire from the cig lighter right to say the accessory wire for the stereo and all will be well. However to do both sockets and to do them properly you should run the + wires directly to the ignition switch found under your steering column. I would also put an inline fuse in between the cig lighter and the ignition switch. The circuits in the ignition switch are already fuse protected but for very larger circuits like 40-60
Amp
Mega fuse so it is good practice to introduce a 15-20
Amp
Mini fuse to feed your new socket wires

 

[410Fortune]

Drives me nut that both sockets are live all the time… same thing is true on most rangers… they give us two power ports but they are both always on…. So silly! At least one should be switched with the truck key

 

[Piper Cub]

Ah I never thought about tapping into the ignition switch, genius! That is something I can do. Inline fuses are also really smart. Thanks for the help! I agree it’s silly that they never switched even one of them.. I wonder if it was deliberately built that way or if they just didn’t think about it.

 

[410Fortune]

Bingo! It was a design decision I am sure
When these were first built and designed (first model of this dash was 95) we didn’t all run around with I pads and huge cell phones and dash cams front and back etx it was just a radar detector and maybe an early phone charger lol

Then some of the rangers have one that is switches and one that doesn’t… I’m like “finally” but then the later model ones they went back to them
Both being live? Silly

You could also retain the current + leads and run them through a relay that is switched on by the radio acc wire, this would be another way to do this…. In lieu of running new wires and tapping into the ignition switch

 

[94Eddie]

Drives me nut that both sockets are live all the time… same thing is true on most rangers… they give us two power ports but they are both always on…. So silly! At least one should be switched with the truck key

It is the same for every 1st to 4th gen Explorer and Mountaineer I have owned. I can't count the number of times I have left something plugged in and by the time I went to drive it again the battery was dead.

 

[Squirrelmaster]

You could also retain the current + leads and run them through a relay that is switched on by the radio acc wire, this would be another way to do this…. In lieu of running new wires and tapping into the ignition switch

I did this 25 years ago with my 1995 Explorer. I only had the single outlet in the radio bezel, so I placed a relay behind the radio bezel triggered by the switched radio power lead with the existing outlet power feed wired into the contact side of the coil. It let me keep all wiring contained behind the bezel while providing easy access to the relay should it stop working for some reason (which it never did). Plus, since I did it at the same time as I installed an aftermarket radio, it was easy to wire the switched wire and ground for the coil side of the relay into the aftermarket radio harness and then zip tie the relay to the radio harness so it wouldn't flop around inside the dash. I'm likely going to something similar to my '99 Sport whenever I replace the factory radio.

 

[Piper Cub]

The relay idea is my favorite so far. I’m pretty sure that’s how I’ll do it. I like that it lets me keep using the factory fuse locations. Thanks all!!

 

[Fix4Dirt]

Yes I used whats only on when in acc/run which is the radio use that ro trip relay for power. Ive seen some in the wiring that goes to fuel pumpvut im not super keen on that one worsr case senario

 

[C420sailor]

One live and one switched would be awesome

 

[410Fortune]

And since we are on the topic

Why keep the 12v socket when everything is usb

I always ditch the radio bezel socket and instead install quick charge usb ports
Can even get them with a voltage gauge and on/ off switch

https://a.co/d/5n5AXgf

 

[C420sailor]

I have some items that still run the cigar plug. Emergency dash lights, scanner, radio chargers, etc

 

[410Fortune]

Exactly why I keep one of them still socket and convert one to usb

 

[C420sailor]

With my luck, the second I install a USB the standard will change to USB-C

 

[Squirrelmaster]

And since we are on the topic

Why keep the 12v socket when everything is usb

I always ditch the radio bezel socket and instead install quick charge usb ports
Can even get them with a voltage gauge and on/ off switch

https://a.co/d/5n5AXgf

I did this on my '99. A previous owner managed to destroy the outlet (and the hole it went into) on the radio bezel, so I swapped it for USB plugs. Unfortunately, while it has an on/off switch, the volt meter is an unbelievably bright blue that is absolutely unbearable at night (which is when I'm most likely to need to charge my phone). If I had to do it over again, I'd try to find one with a volt meter display so as not to kill the night vision.

 

[Fix4Dirt]

I did this on my '99. A previous owner managed to destroy the outlet (and the hole it went into) on the radio bezel, so I swapped it for USB plugs. Unfortunately, while it has an on/off switch, the volt meter is an unbelievably bright blue that is absolutely unbearable at night (which is when I'm most likely to need to charge my phone). If I had to do it over again, I'd try to find one with a volt meter display so as not to kill the night vision.
View attachment 455148

Same here. They are to bright! Where my switches are (where the message center/storage cubby thing is), I have 2 USB and the voltage, keeping the cigarette lighter open for cooler, etc. Also added SAE plugs in the cargo area, that is only hot when in ACC/Run. Also have an MIL-std aviation style connector to power the offroad goodies (dont want em coming out!)

 

[toobladink]

This thread has some of the most useful mods I've seen in a while; I've never thought about replacing the socket itself! I've always been hesitant to buy a dash cam for the exact reason that it won't shut off. Are there any example threads or pictures? It seems pretty self explanatory I guess

 

[Squirrelmaster]

This thread has some of the most useful mods I've seen in a while; I've never thought about replacing the socket itself! I've always been hesitant to buy a dash cam for the exact reason that it won't shut off. Are there any example threads or pictures? It seems pretty self explanatory I guess

It's pretty easy to replace the socket. The stock cigarette socket has an outer cover that unscrews off the inside barrel (the inside slides through the hole from the exterior of the bezel and the outer cover screws on from the back of the bezel, with the bezel plastic sandwiched between). Depending upon the plug you purchase, it may or may not slide right into the existing hole. In my case, the dimensions provided on Amazon were not accurate and the plug was oversized for the hole, but since the hole was trashed I just took a stepped hole bit and made the hole slightly larger (and more importantly, round) and the plug slide right in. Wiring it up simply required changing the round plug end that goes to the center of the cigarette socket to a spade-style connector and plugged right into the USB plug.

 

[SparkyGT]

I did what this video shows on my ford escape. you use a fuse tap, transfer power from another fuse to the cig lighter for key on power. KEEP IN MIND i just power the dashcam only this way. I use the other outlet for charging phones etc. Its a quick thing to do and been working for over a year without blowing a fuse.

 

[Piper Cub]

I ended up buying a relay off Amazon, then I cut the wire to the passenger cig lighter (the radio bezel lighter is on a different fuse) and I spliced in the relay using Wago nuts. To switch the relay I spliced the radio power. It’s working perfectly! Now my dash cam only runs when the truck is running and my battery is already noticeably stronger when I get in.