Adding a Power Socket

This article was first published in 2008.

Here’s a really easy project that is also very useful – no matter what car you drive.

These days, plenty of cars have extra accessory power outlets. They might be located in the back (eg the boot or the load area of a wagon) or they might be in the centre console. You can plug in phones, an accessory air compressor, fluoro lights – you name it. They’re also good when camping to run lights or a portable fridge. And they’re much safer than using alligator clips to connect directly to the battery or running some half-baked wiring around the car.

And here’s the best part – adding a power socket to your car is dead-easy.

What You Need

The most important part is the power socket. While you could use any old cigarette lighter socket, it’s much neater to use a socket designed for use as an external power socket. This one came from the wreckers for just a few dollars.

In addition you’ll need a fuse holder and appropriate fuse (10 amps if the outlet is rated for 120W), and spade and eye terminals. You’ll also need some cable and a small piece of metal to make the bracket on which the outlet mounts (I used an off-cut of aluminium).

Doing It

Decide where you’re going to mount the power outlet. Keep in mind that there needs to be clearance behind and in front of it. Cut a hole in a bracket to suit the power outlet – this one clicked into place in the right sized hole and its security was aided with some silicone sealant. Make more holes to allow the bracket to be bolted in place.

Test fit the power outlet – this one was placed under the bonnet near the battery. Its primary purpose will be to power camping lights.

Remove the power outlet from the bracket and then make a wiring loom to suit. At this stage leave out the fuse. We suggest the wiring run right to the battery. Place the fuse holder close to the positive terminal of the battery and solder or crimp all the connections. The positive from the battery goes to the tip connector of the power outlet, and the other connection goes to the negative of the battery.

To neaten and help weatherproof the loom, we wrapped it in black insulating tape.

The power outlet was then reinstalled and the leads run to the battery, with the eye terminals easily bolted to each battery post. The final step is to insert the fuse and then test you have power available at the socket.

Here’s the finished product.

Conclusion

There’s nothing to stop you running multiple outlets (just wire them in parallel) - you can be sure that they’ll prove very useful during your ownership of the car.