Hi All has anyone fitted an aftermarket USB charging socket in their FL1? I fitted one of these :
in my MG TF as I got sick of the USB leads from the cig lighter interfering with the gears and hand brake. Ideally I’d change the cig lighter in the FL for the above but mounting on the side of the centre console would do. How big a job is it to remove the bits to mount on the side?
Cheers,
Michael.

I'd leave the cigarette lighter where it is, pull the wires off the back of it and join them up to your USB socket.

If you are lucky the wires will be long enough to reach where you want then to go without needing to be extended and may be the same fittings.

When I got a dashcam it needed to plug into the cig lighter socket, but mine was broken. No problems I thought, I'd take the 1 off my parts car. But it was a dickens of a job getting the lighter out of the parts car and I damaged the console/radio housing to do it. I didn't want that in my car, so I pulled the wires off the back of the broken lighter, plugged them onto the working 1, plugged in the dashcam charger, wrapped it all in bubble wrap to stop any short circuits, then pushed it back under the side of the console (from the passenger footwell) to sit out of sight on the 'transmission tunnel'.

Its a while since I did it, so I forget how much, if any, of the console I had to remove. If you have to remove or loosen anything, you'll probably be starting with either the gearstick gaiter panel or the handbrake cubby then gaiter panel as they then allow the dash console to be worked on.

Or just get something that doesn’t go ‘straight out’ of the socket perhaps?
There are lots of odd shapes available and they’ll save might save you some hassle…

Thanks for your replies.
GG. That’s what I did in the MG. From what I can tell in the FL to get the console off you need to start behind the front seats and work forwards! Getting at the wiring in the MG was easy - I just pulled the cubby and ashtray out and could snip the two cables, solder the new wiring and heat shrink it all up. As per Freddie’s post the cig socket will probably have to stay for the dash cam.
Freddie. Already got a two port version of that one of which is used for the dash cam, which is bulky and does get in the way sometimes.

I think I’ll look into joining the cig socket to the new wiring which has a 5A inline fuse in it but this time keep the cig socket as long as can get the console off to drill the hole etc.
Cheers,
M.

Although I may have had to remove the bits between the seat to allow the dash console to flex (I might not have), I managed to ease the bottom of the console panel away from the carpet in the passenger footwell to pull the wires off the cig lighter and out, then connect the working cig lighter and push it all back behind.

Not sure if there would be enough room to adapt the wiring for both sockets and push the connectors back on to either using the same technique.

Also, mine's a '99 not a facelift.

The console comes apart fairly easily…
Loosen a couple of screws in panel between the seats (think there were some under the armrest cubby or the little panel under the handbrake). Remove gearstick gaiter. Couple of screws around the console tunnel at the front and then the tunnel section slides back a few inches… just enough.
To get the fascia bit loose enough to get behind, there are a few screws dotted about, but all easy enough to locate and get to. IIRC, there is one under the cup holders on the dash. The lower switches all unclip and pull out if you want them out of the way.

You might struggle for space to install in the side near the other switches/original cig lighter, but I’m sure there is enough space in the gearbox tunnel console if you run some wiring down to it. You could come out on the side, below the gear stick somewhere I reckon.

There is the option for a second lighter for the rear passenger, the cable could be there under the cubby box. You can then easily fish cable where you want it, even inside the cubby box.

Thanks again all of you for your replies. Will be ordering the necessary parts again and will definitely investigate the rear socket wiring. Thanks for that J_D. Will report back with pics when it’s done.
Cheers,
M.

A solution that I came up with for USB and a useful battery voltmeter is this.


It also fits in the right-hand spare blanked hole that is for LHD headlight adjustment. It is a tight fit but a touch with a file or sharp knife to remove molding marks and it looks great. Simply wired mine to the radio feed to allow battery voltage to be read when ignition on or in acc. position.