12v feed in the back ???

Is there a suitable point to tap off a 12v feed into the back of my Disco?

Same as if I wanted a cigarette lighter socket in there. I don't want the socket, but I want to take a tap to charge my portable power pack.

Then I won't have to have it loose in the passenger footwell using up my front lighter socket.



Any other good places to tap into the 12v??

Apparently there's wires up by where the lecky sunroof controls would be, and I've found wires where the rear lecky windows controls would be - both of these are likely to be used soon (GPS, BT handfree, mobile charger etc)

nathan5346 said:

Tim.C said:

Any other good places to tap into the 12v??

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yep, under the bonnet.. BIG long oblong thing ....think they call it a battery

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I would have said a very sarcastic "Thanks a bunch for that" but I know if someone else had asked, that would have been my answer too !!!!!!

snigger

how about the tow bar electrics?

Personally, I just run a heavy cable to the back for all that gubbins, unless of course you have the second 7pin socket for the towbar, but thats ignition switched. The other thing I have done in the past is just an extra battery in back. The only other feed I can think of is the pathetic excuse for a light in the nearside pillar.

Not too worried about it being switched with the ignition - it'll save me flattening the battery. That's one of the reasons for the power pack anyway.

Where abouts do the tow bar electrics go. Obviously I know where they are on the outside, but can I get to them easily from inside? Which side? Where? etc

drivers side by the rear lights

Sirus said:

drivers side by the rear lights

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I'll have a look when it's light


Still looking for a 50 mile long mains lead for my lappy - haven't found anything in the garage, need to try the loft next

You could fit a relay with a nice big wire so it charges ok like they fit in camper vans for the leisure battery same priciple really.

Then take feeds off that for your various other equipment.

As my D1 didn't have a rear socket unlike the D2 and the kids wanted to plug in all their stuff, I put a socket in the back of the console next to the ashtray, easy enough once the console was lifted up. I just nicked a supply from the front cigarette lighter. Nothing to say you couldn't extend that wire all the way into the boot and put a socket in there.

For big stuff, I'd go the relay route but for anything 'normal' it should be fine.

Some good ideas especially the last one.

I would like to install a cigarette socket ideally in to the rear of teh Discovery, some questions though.

1. How easy is it to run the wires from the battery all the way to the load area and more importantly hiding them?

2. Coming from the battery it would mean that the socket would be live all the item, is it worth putting a switch in the circuit?

3. The best place to install the socket, I have so far thought either next to one of the side seats or drill it straight in to the rear door pocket on the rear door, any other ideas?

Would appreciate any feedback from this, as would like to start working on this.

Cheers

Nigel

For simplicity's sake i'd be tempted to extend the wires from the front lighter socket to the back one. The only disadvantage of that is you may overload it if using a high powered item in both the front and back socket at the same time. Not really worth worrying about though - worst it would do is blow a fuse.

Theres no harm in a socket being live all the time - it wont drain the battery if nothing is connected. If your concerned about stuff being left plugged in and draining the battery AND you really want to run a power feed all the way from the battery to the back of the car then I would do the following:

Remove centre console to gain access to lighter socket, tap a 12v feed off those wires and connect them to the coil of a normally open SPST 12v relay. Then take your +12v wire from your battery and connect that to one of the relay contacts. Run another length of wire from the other relay contact to the +12v connection on your power source at the back of the car. By doing this the relay will remove power from your rear socket/power source when the ignition is turned off.

If you removed the door strips it wouldnt be too difficult to run a couple of wires from one end of the car to the other going underneathe the edge of the carpet. Go under the soundproofing if necessary.

I'd go next to the side seats. I'm tired and not thinking well but I think there would be enough space there. Personally would avoid putting it in the boot door cause every time its opened it will put strain on the cables *and* if you have something plugged in and the door gets opened it could go flying!

Not sure if the disco's got a similar point, but the main feed post to the BECM is a popular take off point for a 12v feed on Rangie's, and it saves having to run cables outside the car. You could use a relay as per Dom300tdi's idea or get a split charge relay from a caravan dealer which will give you the same thing plus extra pins to rig a second battery in the boot for running accessories without risking your main starting battery.

Some good ideas there as I wasn't thinking of using a relay.

I think I would like the socket to have power regardless if the ignition was to be on though.

Would I have to use a relay for this?

Nigel

If thats what you want just run a wire direct from the battery to where you want it. You wont need relays or have to touch the lighter socket. Only thing you probs will want to do is add in an inline fuse.

If you don't already have one, I'd reccomend buying a ratchet crimp tool and a mixed bag of crimps. Makes everything so much easier and neater, it actually means you can do a proper job in less time than it would take to bodge.

1997 Discovery said:

Some good ideas especially the last one.

I would like to install a cigarette socket ideally in to the rear of teh Discovery, some questions though.

1. How easy is it to run the wires from the battery all the way to the load area and more importantly hiding them?

2. Coming from the battery it would mean that the socket would be live all the item, is it worth putting a switch in the circuit?

3. The best place to install the socket, I have so far thought either next to one of the side seats or drill it straight in to the rear door pocket on the rear door, any other ideas?

Would appreciate any feedback from this, as would like to start working on this.

Cheers

Nigel

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1. Easy, I istalled an amp under my front passenger seat so had to run a heavy cable from the battery through an existing hole in the bulk head below the throttal cable to behind the fuse box, then down behind the drivers kick panel under the door thread plate, then across under the carpet in the rear passenger foot well ending up under the L/H front seat. 1/2 hour job done as I didn't have to drill a hole.
To get to the boot just carry on under the back door tread plate and over the wheel arch under the edge or the carpet.

2. If u don't want to unplug the device or it does not have is own on/off switch or it's not a switched device like an amplifier, then yes.

3. I fitted an additional socket in the LHS of the boot opposite the interior lamp but, as mentioned, at the rear of the cubby box next to the ash tray is good it must be as the RRC has a socket fitted there.

Tim.C said:

I'll have a look when it's light


Still looking for a 50 mile long mains lead for my lappy - haven't found anything in the garage, need to try the loft next

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Maplins .... 300 watt inverter .... cheap as dirt and ideal for the job.

Don't worry about silly tales about sine waves and square waves. Your laptop power supply and charger are more than capable of sorting all that out with ease. They are designed to handle a lot worse.

12 volts DC in at one end, and a 230 volt 13 amp socket at the other.


CharlesY

I've got to disagree with you there; there is a massive difference between modified sinewave and true sinewave. I'd only ever get the latter.

Dom-300tdi said:

I'd only ever get the latter.

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because ?