Fitting an alternative auxiliary power point 2005 Fabia 1.2 Classic

24 June, 201313 yr

I’m posting this piece with the usual caveat. I can take NO responsibility for the work carried out on your vehicle. You can do a lot of damage with electricity, even 12V car battery electricity. Please ensure you check the polarity of all connections and make sure everything is well insulated. However, if you can wire a 13A plug, you’re probably qualified to carry out this work.

I’m still in the post purchase orgasmic phase with my 2005 Fabia 1.2 12v, you know that the relationship won’t last forever, but it seems sooo good.

The only small blemish in my love affair relates to the position of the auxiliary power point (cigarette lighter) which is behind the hand brake. In fairness, Skoda has probably tried to accommodate the family market where children in the rear seats can plug in their electrical items to avoid the tedium of “are we nearly there yet” chants.

However, my only use for the item relates to my TomTom sat nav. I’m faced with the prospect of a cable run from the rear of the hand brake, draping the floor in the driver/passenger foot well and then up and over the dashboard. The lead is long enough to cope with it; I’m just not sure my temper can cope in the same way…

On the plus side Skoda offered a small storage box next to the driver’s right knee.

This box seems vaguely in the “we've got a space here” mode of design and doesn't accommodate anything of any size or use other than coins etc, but it would be the perfect location for an additional power point.

It really couldn't be more conveniently located for access to the fuse box as pulling down the front of the box shows a shared wall leading into the fuse box area.

I had hoped to identify an unused fuse slot which was only “live” once the ignition was on, I used my multimeter to search the vacant slots, but none of them appeared to have been wired up for owner to add items. I may be wrong on this, but neither the owners manual nor the interweb provided any information if they exist.

Having accepted defeat on trying to find a spare fuse socket I applied some lateral thinking. Was it possible to utilise an existing fuse socket twice?

A company in Chine advertising on ebay showed me a very clever way of “piggy-backing” fuses. http://www.ebay.co.u...=item3cce90b414

I invested the £3.20 required (postage included) and two weeks later a parcel arrived with the relevant lead.

My local car parts shop supplied a remote socket suitable for wiring into any vehicle. I deliberately chose a plastic bodied item with two fixing lugs attached which allowed me a number of options in attaching it to the inside of the storage box.

Unfortunately my first attempt at bolting it into position resulted in me fouling the “On” button located inside the storage box.

This device seems to have generated HUGE interest in the past as a perennial “what the hell is this” query from members.

http://www.briskoda....n-my-fabia-vrs/

Who can tell me if the ventilation is significantly improved using this option?

In fairness, you have to be a dedicated geeky sort of guy to have read the owners manual on “storage box” options.

My second attempt meant I removed one of the fixing lugs, allowed the socket to sit closer to the bottom of the box; I then used a cable tie through the drilled holes and remaining slot. Result…The socket now allowed me to insert my existing TomTom lead and close the box lead. It was all starting to look a lot tidier.

I then discovered a small problem…

The existing power socket (position 42 on the fuse diagram) was a different size from the one supplied. However, the fused spur was 15A, the same as original.

I’m not anticipating any problems, but I scanned the bank of smaller fuses, looking for a component which, if the worse came to the worst and the modification upset the vehicle wouldn’t be terminal. The reversing light fuse (position 13) is rated at 15A on my Fabia and was the same size as my piggy back lead.

After carefully drilling a suitably sized hole through the plastic wall between the fuse box and the storage box I started to wire the two components together.The new device has an insulated “bullet” connector which I connected up to the + central lead to the auxiliary socket. The earthed lead (outer ring of the socket) was connected to the car chassis by removing a fixing screw and tightening up on the connector.