Is my cigarette lighter socket permanently live or not?

[csh]

I've finally got round to finishing hard wiring my A119 v3.4 in my Audi A4 and overall I'm pleased how it has worked out (thanks mainly to a lot of advice received from guys here (so thanks for that). But I appear to have hit a problem, or have I? From the outset I decided to use the front cigarette lighter socket fuse in the passenger's footwell. So I removed the 20 amp (yellow fuse) from the fusebox for the cigarette lighter socket (and then added it to a piggy back fuse tap. The 12-5v hardwire kit I used is from a Nextbase dash cam and is rated at 2 amp. I also used a multimeter to establish the correct orientation. I established that the 20 amp fuse I removed from the fusebox was for the front cigarette lighter socket - the red light on the spare socket lead I had connected lit up when I turned on the ignition but extinguished when I turned it off. Exactly the same thing happened when I used a in line fuse light screwdriver at the fusebox with the 20 amp fuse removed (light came on when ignition turned on, went off when ignition tuned off). So I was satisfied the 20 amp fuse I had removed only became live when the ignition was switched on (or so I thought). HOWEVER when I connected the hardwire kit up and turned on the A119 WITHOUT turning on the ignition, the A119 booted up and started recording! I Iocked the car and activated the alarm and left the car for over an hour totally turned off. But when I checked the SD card I found that for all that time the A119 had been recording. I know I can switch the dash cam off manually so not its not really that big a problem for me but why is the A119 turning on when the ignition is switched off? Have I got something wrong? Are the 20 amp and 2 amp fuses in the piggy back the correct way round? The 2amp fuse is on the outside , the 20 amp original fuse on the inside of the fuse tap. Have I got the best of both worlds (I can have it working when I want, including in parking mode with ignition turned off) or have I got it totally wrong?

 

[csh]

I've finally got round to finishing hard wiring my A119 v3.4 in my Audi A4 and overall I'm pleased how it has worked out (thanks mainly to a lot of advice received from guys here (so thanks for that). But I appear to have hit a problem, or have I? From the outset I decided to use the front cigarette lighter socket fuse in the passenger's footwell. So I removed the 20 amp (yellow fuse) from the fusebox for the cigarette lighter socket (and then added it to a piggy back fuse tap. The 12-5v hardwire kit I used is from a Nextbase dash cam and is rated at 2 amp. I also used a multimeter to establish the correct orientation. I established that the 20 amp fuse I removed from the fusebox was for the front cigarette lighter socket - the red light on the spare socket lead I had connected lit up when I turned on the ignition but extinguished when I turned it off. Exactly the same thing happened when I used a in line fuse light screwdriver at the fusebox with the 20 amp fuse removed (light came on when ignition turned on, went off when ignition tuned off). So I was satisfied the 20 amp fuse I had removed only became live when the ignition was switched on (or so I thought). HOWEVER when I connected the hardwire kit up and turned on the A119 WITHOUT turning on the ignition, the A119 booted up and started recording! I Iocked the car and activated the alarm and left the car for over an hour totally turned off. But when I checked the SD card I found that for all that time the A119 had been recording. I know I can switch the dash cam off manually so not its not really that big a problem for me but why is the A119 turning on when the ignition is switched off? Have I got something wrong? Are the 20 amp and 2 amp fuses in the piggy back the correct way round? The 2amp fuse is on the outside , the 20 amp original fuse on the inside of the fuse tap. Have I got the best of both worlds (I can have it working when I want, including in parking mode with ignition turned off) or have I got it totally wrong?

I thought this would have provoked a lot of debate, but silence ensues. Help, someone - p l e a s e!

 

[jokiin]

The circuit may be computer controlled to be active if there's a load there, you may need to choose a different circuit

 

[csh]

The circuit may be computer controlled to be active if there's a load there, you may need to choose a different circuit

I wondered that myself but thanks for the advice. Not sure which other fuse to tap into. Some say cigarette lighter sockets whereas I heard others recommend rear windscreen wiper. What would you suggest?

 

[jokiin]

Have a look at the radio fuse, it may be suitable

 

[csh]

Have a look at the radio fuse, it may be suitable

I'll try that, thanks.

 

[csh]

Have a look at the radio fuse, it may be suitable

Tried the radio with ignition off but it came on although it does off after a certain time. I'm wondering now if I could possibly use an unused fuse connection in the fuse box. There'a a spare one (next to the one I've been using) which is supposed to be for a panoramic sun roof (which I haven't got on my Audi) but I'm not sure:

1. This is a permanent live.

2. If the wiring behind the fuse is connected to the electrics and will therefore work if I connect the fuse tap

3. Which fuse I should use in the Piggy Back/Fuse Tap (had the Panoramic sun roof fuse been present). Unfortunately there's no mention in the owner's manual which fuse should be present for the panoramic roof.

What do think?

 

[DashcamDPR]

Well my A3 is permanent live so it's likely your A4 is

I hardwired (nextbase HW kit) into my rear heated screen, switched live

 

[country_hick]

I hooked a wire into the power wire of my aftermarket radio.
I now have an automatic on and off 12 volts. Factory cigarette lighter is 12 volts until the battery dies.

 

[SawMaster]

With the growth of computer-controlled power schemes in cars, it's getting hard to find a non-delayed ignition circuit On giving this some thought it seems that the rear window defroster grid would be one of the few places where it would be more likely to switch off with the key but even those might be on a timed circuit

About all you can do is keep trying different taps, for more success comes to the persistent

Phil

 

[csh]

With the growth of computer-controlled power schemes in cars, it's getting hard to find a non-delayed ignition circuit On giving this some thought it seems that the rear window defroster grid would be one of the few places where it would be more likely to switch off with the key but even those might be on a timed circuit

About all you can do is keep trying different taps, for more success comes to the persistent


Thanks for your advice and wise words. Unfortunately the rear heater fuse is situated in the luggage compartment fuse box. I'm looking for an appropriate fuse to tap into either in the passenger side panel or the fuse box in the front passenger footwell, hence my wondering whether I could tap into the empty panorama roof/sun roof fuse circuitry but can/should I and what fuse would I need to add to go along side the 2 amp dash cam fuse in the fuse tap?

 

[SawMaster]

I can't speak specifically about your car, but generally you can safely use any unused fuse location for a dashcam since they draw little current

Given the many possible combinations of car options, manufacturers won't have a different fusebox wiring harness for each, though they may have a few different ones for a given car. Wiring deletions usually occur at and downstream of the fusebox. That is why you sometimes see an unused fuse location with only one contact

As always you never want to tap an airbag circuit, and it's best to avoid any circuits related to engine or safety functions like ECM, brake-lights, taillights, or wipers

Phil

 

[csh]

I can't speak specifically about your car, but generally you can safely use any unused fuse location for a dashcam since they draw little current

Given the many possible combinations of car options, manufacturers won't have a different fusebox wiring harness for each, though they may have a few different ones for a given car. Wiring deletions usually occur at and downstream of the fusebox. That is why you sometimes see an unused fuse location with only one contact

As always you never want to tap an airbag circuit, and it's best to avoid any circuits related to engine or safety functions like ECM, brake-lights, taillights, or wipers

Phil

Thanks for your advice, much appreciated. That's why I was thinking of tapping into the unused fuse which would have been used for the electric sunroof had it been present. So I guess it may not even work at all if the wiring is missing behind the fuse contact points and I'm still uncertain as to which fuse amp rating I should use to go along side the dash cam 2 amp fuse in the fuse tap. I guess I'll have to suck it and see.

 

[SawMaster]

If you're only using it to power your cam and there's no fuse there now, then you don't need a car-side fuse; only a cam-side fuse If the fuse tap is oriented correctly that powers the cam without making the car-side wiring 'hot' where it needn't be.

Phil

 

[csh]

If you're only using it to power your cam and there's no fuse there now, then you don't need a car-side fuse; only a cam-side fuse If the fuse tap is oriented correctly that powers the cam without making the car-side wiring 'hot' where it needn't be.

Phil

Hi Phil

What you said now makes sense to me - just use the fuse tap with the 2 amp fuse for the dash cam, correctly oriented, and forget about adding a second one, right?

Thanks again.

 

[SawMaster]

Yep- there's nothing to power on the other side so no need for that fuse.

Phil

 

[Gibson99]

I typically recommend hooking into power window, sunroof or radio circuits as these are rarely live with the key off. They also don't cause electrical noise in the circuit the way heaters and blowers do - I suggest avoiding circuits like defrosters, fans, heated seats/mirrors/glass, etc.

 

[Leopold]

It can be quite tricky to find a fuse under the glove compartment that only is powered when the engine is on. Depends on the car of course but most systems are activated through Canbus and similar systems. In my Volvo S80 -07 the only fuse I could find in that box that only is powered when the ignition is on (and engine running) was a fuse for throttle, PTC air heater, and heated seats. Didn't like the fact that it could affect gas pedal if something goes wrong but so far there have been no problems. I have secured the cables so the piggyback connector stays in place no matter what vibrations etc it is subjected to.

 

[Rocket_Scientist]

I use the A119 in both a 2014 Toyota Tacoma & a 1988 Ford Mustang.
The cigarette lighter socket (power adapter socket) in the Toyota is only live when key is in accessory or ignition is on.
The Mustang's socket is live all the time. It actually has a cigarette lighter for the smokers that light up when the engine is off & the car is parked. That's how they did it 30 years ago.
The Toyota's is better for a dash camera, the Mustang needs a switch.
There are some cigarette lighter adapters that have a switch on the adapter. Or could use 2 adapters, 1 unswitched feeding a switched.
Could also add a relay to a switched source.

 

[richard mills]

i have a hyundai i40 with keyless ignition and some of the fused circuits become active when the key is near the car or doors open etc like the interior lights.

they are timer controlled and stay on for about 5 mins after the key s not present and doors closed. this got me initially trying to get parking mode working.

taping up the door close switch and leaving the door open, car locked and key away from the car enabled me to find some always active fuses.