Power Outlet - Cigarette Lighter - how to mod?

[wtgwife]

I want to modify my LR3 so that the Power Outlets (or cigarette lighter although I do not smoke) stays on when the car is off. That way I can charge my cell phone or whatever while the car is turned off. We had to modify my husband truck (Honda Ridgeline) for the same thing and there was a great post in a forum for that vehicle with step by step instructions and pictures. I cannot find a similar one for the LR3 but I know there must be one.

If you know how to modify it (where to bypass or whatever), please let me know. If there is another thread on how to do it and I have just missed it, please direct me to the other thread.

Thanks!

 

[grommet]

No documentation beyond "run a new bypass wire to the battery" or equivalent. There is no simple solution.

 

[wtgwife]

With the Honda Ridgeline, it was a simple matter is bypassing a circuit breaker. Is there not something similar for the LR3?

 

[nwoods]

With the Honda Ridgeline, it was a simple matter is bypassing a circuit breaker. Is there not something similar for the LR3?

I don't think so. Everything runs to various bus systems. You need to run a new positive through the firewall the battery if you want permanent power.

 

[zdas04]

When I screwed up my 05 LR3 installing XM, I was told that every wire has both a power function and a sensing function. Tieing into some innoxious wire (in my case the installer tied into one of the cigarette lighters) can easily set off a cascading series of alarms. Changing the performance of one of them seems much like doing surgery with a chain saw, but I think electricity is just magic anyway.

David

 

[joey]

Best option on most new vehicles (i.e. computerized ones that is) is to provide a new fused wire directly from the batter or main fuse box.

 

[angasreid]

Two Things:
1) There is a positive wire in the console as well as negative one that turn on and off during ignition. I spliced my XM radio into that, as well as a ipod charger and signal amp. It's a purple wire and if you have a multimeter, you can find it.

2) Regarding the constantly on 12v, what you could do, is wire the positive from the outlet into the ignition. Forget running a wire through the firewall... the ignition always has a constant positive running to it. That's in effect what turns the car on and off. I used to have a remote starter in a Discovery, and it had to constantly have power. I pulled up on the remote stater's webpage and found yes there is a simple 12v constant. In the back of the ignition harness, there's a "brown" wire that is constant.

So YES it can be done, and here is what you could do. Trace the wires that run to the cigarette outlet, find the positive using a multimeter, or just figuring out which is positive. Cut that wire and run it to the brown wire behind the ignition. The negative should be fine... if it doesn't work after doing that (which I would be VERY surprised) you could cut the neg, and just ground it out. I really don't think it would set any alarms off either... sounds like the installer didn't know what he was doing... I've messed with my wiring a lot... and have had no issues at all.

Here's the evidence:
http://64.85.6.121/diagrams/diagram.asp?ModelID=19684&MakeID=46&link=BULLDOG

 

[davez26]

For key on power for a Sirius Unit, I have tapped into the cigarette lighter/power point in the dash w/ no issues.
As for always on power, I'm leery as the car "senses" way to much, and if it stays awake, will keep the modules powered up, draining the battery. If someone has tapped into constant 12V, I'm interested in how it is working for you.