How to add an additional 12 V power supply?

[Guest jclay]

Hi All!

 

I recently returned to the world and Subaru and bought a 2002 Outback wagon, which I've had for 2 weeks now and am loving so far.

 

I do wish that the 12 volt power supply outlets remained on even when the car is off as my Grand Cherokee's does.

 

I use my Subaru for work as an Energy Auditor and spend a good bit of time on the road, but I would love to be able to charge my camera batteries, work light, or Ipod while working in someone's home...sometimes the drive between destinations just isn't long enough!

 

Is there a way to add a constant on or switch controled 12v power supply? I was thinking of disablling the switch to the lamp inside my glove box and tapping into the line there, but am unsure if this would work? I'm not even sure if this light goes on without the key in the ignition, will have to check after dark!

 

Has anyone tried this before?

 

Suggestions always appreciatted!

 

Thanks!

 

Jared

[NoahDL88]

If the light always gets power it should work just fine.

 

You could always add a fused wire straight from the battery and have the ground nice and short near the plug itself. mount it in your center console.

[Fairtax4me]

Shouldn't be too hard. Just tap off one of the hot wires in the fuse panel. If you really want to do it well, find a blank where you can add a new fuse directly to the panel and run your power line from there.

[johnceggleston]

fyi: there is a battery disconnect switch which is used in the burglar alarm industry which might be nice. when the battery gets low it disconnects whatever is connected, saving the battery from being completely drained.

 

but depending on what the current draw is you may not need it. i just would hate to come out one morning to a dead car battery but my cordless tools were ready to work.

[idosubaru]

i would make the existing power supplies what you want - give them constant power. the stereo and emergency flashers have constant power are just above the front cigarette lighter - so it would be very simple and already fused. run the constant power from either one of those down to the cigarette lighter and you're done.

 

make sure it can handle the kind of amps you'll be drawing, not sure what all you'll be plugging into it.

 

or just run a pos or neg fused line straight from the battery, that's not hard either.

 

you may need a better battery given this level of use. maybe compare the subaru battery to the jeep in terms of size, cranking amps, etc. if the jeep is significantly beafier you might opt for a different battery for the subaru in the future. not sure if it helps but automatics and further north vehicles i think get higher cold cranking amp batteries. when i lived in GA i couldn't buy the higher (like 640 or something for an 89 XT6) amp batteries that I could buy in MD, some places didn't even carry the size/amps i could get in MD. i'm not a power/battery expert though so i don't know which would be better for you but i'd bet one is better than the other.