I find it odd that the 12v sockets in the Yeti are on all the time. This sounds to me like a recipe for flattening the battery if you, for example, inadvertently leave something plugged in to the socket in the boot. Can anyone suggest a way to make the existing sockets (preferably the one in the boot) only come on when the ignition is on?

I've read Great Yeti's very useful posting about how to find an ignition live circuit. However, I would prefer to keep the existing 12v sockets rather than installing an additional one. On top of that, I'd actually like to have an ignition live 12v socket in the boot - Great Yeti's solution looks OK for the dash area but I don't fancy running that take-off from fuse 6 all the way to the boot! If fuse 6 is the power circuit for the rear wiper, could I tap an additional socket in to that circuit somewhere in the boot area rather than at the fuse box?

Isn't this the case of the simplest answer is the best? Just unplug any connectors when you leave the car. It can be very useful to have live sockets to charge phones or to run cool boxes, which can be left when the car is locked. A number of plug in extras have voltage sensor circuits which shut down the unit if the battery voltage is low.

Isn't this the case of the simplest answer is the best? Just unplug any connectors when you leave the car.

If I could rely on myself to remember to do that then yes. I can't.

The device I have in mind is a mobile phone. The Yeti's bluetooth kit doesn't like the mobile I carry with me. I'm not going to change mobiles just to suit the car, particularly since no other mobile on the market has the combination of features that I want. The only problem with it is that the bluetooth doesn't work with the car.

So I'm planning to keep an old PAYG phone which the Yeti can connect to in the car all the time. I'd like to have it tucked away in the boot so as not to take up room in the glove box or other storage compartments in the passenger space. Having to open the boot to plug it in to charge would be a pain, and I would be guaranteed to forget to unplug it. I'd prefer to keep it plugged in all the time, but have the socket live only when the ignition's on to avoid flattening the battery.

If the Yeti's bluetooth didn't keep dropping the connection to my preferred phone then I wouldn't have to go through this palaver...

The amount of current to charge a mobile phone is very small indeed. I would expect the current to be negligible once the phone is fully charged. Are you certain that you have a problem?

The amount of current to charge a mobile phone is very small indeed. I would expect the current to be negligible once the phone is fully charged. Are you certain that you have a problem?

+1

The amount of current to charge a mobile phone is very small indeed. I would expect the current to be negligible once the phone is fully charged. Are you certain that you have a problem?

Well, I did wonder about that. I imagine I could rig a 12v socket extension cable with an multimeter and see what current the charger draws when the phone is charging, and when it's fully charged. If it does turn out to be negligible enough to be able to leave the car sat for a week with the phone plugged in with no ill effects then I suppose it would avoid any further faffing about.

Hmm, I feel a bit of bodging coming on...

I leave my mobile plugged into power all the time, and the hands free kit (old Nokia 6310) never have any problems, usually leave it in the car over the w/e - switched off as it's company phone - as we live in the middle of knowhere we can leave cars unlocked here.

I had the problem that in my present cat (Tucson) the sockets are ignition/accs switched, so I had to pick up a permanent live from the radio supply, can't wait for permanent live sockets. (Though I have told the firm I now want a new bluetooth phone)

Just heard the good news that my Yeti has come forward a week to 'build week 14' that makes approx 20 weeks from order, plus 2-3 delivery (though that places it in the middle of the April 3-week Bank Holiday!!) not quite 6 months...

It's a pity, perhaps, that manufacturers generally don't make this something that can be switched. Personally, I like the fact the sockets are always on - the way they were in my Defenders. In my last two Golfs they switched off, and it drove me nuts when I wanted to charge anything up. Most of these charging tasks use tiny current. Of course if you connect big items - like coolers or whatever, you need to take care.

HOWSOEVER - those multi-socket extenders - the ones you plug in and it gives several sockets - isn't there one that has a built in safety switch-off? I seem to recall that one I got from Halfords once had this feature - if input power was off, output power switched off after a time. You could use something like this in the boot...?

HOWSOEVER - those multi-socket extenders - the ones you plug in and it gives several sockets - isn't there one that has a built in safety switch-off? I seem to recall that one I got from Halfords once had this feature - if input power was off, output power switched off after a time. You could use something like this in the boot...?

I also think this is the way to go.

But to satisfy your choice. It may be worth a go in the fuse box next to the driver with your multimeter. You will see there are some unused circuits there so you could test which circuits are sensitive to the ignition being on. Put in a fuse and wire up another 12v socket!?!

If it s just the phone you want to charge, the amount of current is minimal so the battery would not be affected. Anything larger, a 'fridge for example, you can get voltage sensitive cut out sockets to switch off anything plugged in. Tough on your "tinnies" but the car will start.

Halfords have a range of switchable sockets in the Ripspeed range, some with a remote control switch.

Edited 3 March, 201115 yr by Terfyn

Some good suggestions here, thanks all.

I beginning to think that I might be able to put something together based around one of the voltage sensing relay/split charge relay kits that are designed to stop electrical equipment in a caravan from flattening the towing vehicle's battery.

Do the sockets stay on all the time or do they switch off after 30mins after locking the car?

Vauxhall had the option to change from Constant to switched by changing the position of the fuse

Do the sockets stay on all the time or do they switch off after 30mins after locking the car?

Vauxhall had the option to change from Constant to switched by changing the position of the fuse

According to the manual they are on all the time; there is no option for a timeout after switching off the ignition.

However, while reading up on the fuses in the owner's manual I noticed that fuse 26 in the dash panel fusebox is described as "Power socket in the luggage compartment". If that does what I think it says it does, then I'm wondering whether I could remove fuse 26 and run a sneaky jumper from fuse 6 like Great Yeti describes, to the "output" side of the socket for fuse 26 to make the socket in the boot "ignition live".

Oh, hang on: fuse 30 is described as "front and rear lighter". Maybe that one runs both 12v sockets? Never mind, it should be easy enough to find out!

<trots off with multimeter in hand...>

<trots off with multimeter in hand...>

<returns>

Removing fuse 26 -> 0v at the socket in the boot.

Removing fuse 30 -> 0v at the socket between the front seats. I wonder what is meant by "front and rear lighter" then?

So it looks like a sneaky jumper from fuse 6 will indeed do what I want. Think I'll be stopping off at Halfords on the way home from work, then, to pick up a few blade fuses'n'stuff...

Well, I did the jumper thing from fuse 6 to the output socket of fuse 26 and it does exactly what I want. I put a 2A mini circuit breaker in there as well, as Great Yeti suggested. Rather than fabricate my own blade fuse with spur in the way described in Great Yeti's guide, I bought one ready made from eBay (item number 390225284278). I had to bend the spur terminal over at 90 degrees to get it to fit inside the Yeti's fuse panel but it didn't seem to mind that.

While I was fiddling around I measured the current draw when the phone is charging: 280mA. Anyone know what the rated capacity of the main battery is?

Well, I did the jumper thing from fuse 6 to the output socket of fuse 26 and it does exactly what I want. I put a 2A mini circuit breaker in there as well, as Great Yeti suggested. Rather than fabricate my own blade fuse with spur in the way described in Great Yeti's guide, I bought one ready made from eBay (item number 390225284278). I had to bend the spur terminal over at 90 degrees to get it to fit inside the Yeti's fuse panel but it didn't seem to mind that.

While I was fiddling around I measured the current draw when the phone is charging: 280mA. Anyone know what the rated capacity of the main battery is?

Hi all,

 

I realise that this post dates back to 2011, but I want to make my rear power socket  switchable with the ignition so I can connect a dash cam (I don't fancy removing the rear door trim and tapping into the rear wiper cable). I can obtain a 15 amp fuse with a breakout for fuse 6, but not sure how I then connect the wire to the output side only of fuse 26? Do I need to cut another fuse with a breakout in half so only one side of the fuse is connected?

 

Many thanks

Gary