Yet Another Cigarette Lighter Socket Install

quanttrom · March 3rd, 2012, 03:07 PM

I was looking for a simple clean install that will let me plug in a GPS or other portable devices. Also, I wanted something with the least amount of components, wires and relays all over the bike.

I was NOT interested in using the cig lighter socket for heated gear. This method cannot provide enough current for that type of equipment.

My solution to this common problem involved tapping into the power supply of the instrument cluster backlights. The backlights are already switched by the ignition key so we are all good ! I chose what I believe to be a nice relatively flat portion close to the steering of the bike and got to work !

Here is what came out of all this !

leed · March 3rd, 2012, 09:38 PM

Looks very good! I am planning on doing something similar, but a USB Port instead. I've got the pieces, I just need the time!

MikeBudd · March 3rd, 2012, 09:42 PM

Looks good! You should make a short DIY further detailing the install (even if it is as easy as it looks).

I am thinking about doing the same thing, but tbvh I literally suck at things with wires :O

quanttrom · March 3rd, 2012, 09:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leed

Looks very good! I am planning on doing something similar, but a USB Port instead. I've got the pieces, I just need the time!

That was my initial idea as well ! I just had difficulties finding a weatherproof USB receptacle. I didn't search long but Digikey seemed to have some options that kind of stuck out higher then I wanted them to.
There was also this series of connectors from Samtec http://www.samtec.com/ProductInforma...px?series=SCRU but it didn't quite fit what I wanted.

What are you planning on using?

quanttrom · March 3rd, 2012, 10:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeBudd

Looks good! You should make a short DIY further detailing the install (even if it is as easy as it looks).

I am thinking about doing the same thing, but tbvh I literally suck at things with wires :O

If people are interested,why not ! There are literally 2 wires to connect ! You can't mess it up !

MikeBudd · March 3rd, 2012, 10:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by quanttrom

If people are interested,why not ! There are literally 2 wires to connect ! You can't mess it up !

Haha, watch me

leed · March 3rd, 2012, 10:42 PM

A long time ago, I found this:

http://www.powerlinkproducts.co.uk/u...ingsocket.html

It does stick out a bit, though. But it's fully weatherproof (IP67 can be submersed in 1M or maybe 5M for 10 minutes). I cannibalized some electronics and some free stuff that are actually designed for cigarette lighter ports. It won't be waterproof, but none of my electronics are either! Besides that, I can always get a waterproof-ish plug to plug into the port when not in use.

quanttrom · March 3rd, 2012, 10:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leed

A long time ago, I found this:

http://www.powerlinkproducts.co.uk/u...ingsocket.html

It does stick out a bit, though. But it's fully weatherproof (IP67 can be submersed in 1M or maybe 5M for 10 minutes). I cannibalized some electronics and some free stuff that are actually designed for cigarette lighter ports. It won't be waterproof, but none of my electronics are either! Besides that, I can always get a waterproof-ish plug to plug into the port when not in use.

That's quite the find ! Seems to fit the bill perfectly !

Water rating of 7 is immersion in 1m of water for 30 mins. It should be more then adequate for our applications.

MikeBudd · March 4th, 2012, 03:24 PM

Mhmmm usb sexiness.

EsrTek · March 4th, 2012, 04:48 PM

I found this Linky which fits right in the front pouch of my tank bag.
However, your install is very clean, wonder if I can make this fit in that same area.

DaBlue1 · March 4th, 2012, 05:27 PM

Nice, clean install.

I did one that it is temporary so that I could remove it when not in use and use my battery tender for my battery charger & portable air pump as well. I used a inexpensive 12v outlet from Walmart, spliced it onto one end of a 3 ft battery tender extension (loomed it for protection, then installed the other end of the battery tender directly to the battery. It mounts with some strong velcro to the bar underneath the gauges for a temporary mount. It is also long enough to put in a tank bag if necessary.

mustang5.0 · March 5th, 2012, 11:44 AM

1st thing i installed on my bike... must have POWA

MikeBudd · March 5th, 2012, 12:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaBlue1

Nice, clean install. I did one that it is temporary so that I could remove it when not in use and use my battery tender for my battery charger & portable air pump as well. I used a inexpensive 12v outlet from Walmart, spliced it onto one end of a 3 ft battery tender extension (loomed it for protection, then installed the other end of the battery tender directly to the battery. It mounts with some strong velcro to the bar underneath the gauges for a temporary mount. It is also long enough to put in a tank bag if necessary.

Nice. Having the battery tender always connected would be a huge plus in my books.

I would love to do something like this or what the OP did above.

quanttrom · March 5th, 2012, 01:01 PM

Here is what I am gonna use to get my +5V USB plug.

It's nice a low profile and should fit in rather nice.

Got it from monoprice for a couple of bucks.

EDIT: The fact that the max input is 12V@1.2A but output is 5V@2.1A makes me believe that they are using a switching mode regulator

quanttrom · March 5th, 2012, 04:11 PM

So I am not sure what else a high level DIY would include. Here is a draft !

Get yourself some wellnuts since you might as well replace the old dried up ones that are already in there.

I took apart most of the front of the bike. Removed the front fairings completely including the dash in order to take the plastic out.

NOTE: YOU MUST KEEP THE DASH FACING UP AT ALL TIMES !!
No idea why, the manual told me to do it.
When you are removing the dash, unscrew the speed sensing wire from your front hub. Be careful not to get it dirty, it will slide out of it's housing !
Now remove the dash and set it aside.

Finally take out the plastic and bring it to your workbench.

Find a nice spot where you can mount your cig lighter socket. I found a relatively nice spot that won't get in the way even with the USB cable sticking out of it. Look at the pictures.Make sure your new socket won't get in the way and interfere with the frame when you put the plastic back in.

Make a template of your cigarette lighter hole and once your are satisfied with the positioning make a nice hole with a dremel and some sanding bits.

Secure your socket in there and you are now ready to do some electrical work !

Keep the key in the OFF position UNLESS measuring.

The positive (+) in the cigarette lighter is the center connection.
The negative are the wings/springs on the side that hold the plug into the socket.

The positive wire that you need to splice into is colored red with a blue strip. The negative wire is black with a yellow strip. Disconnect the dash connector and MEASURE the wires before working on them. Make sure you have the right wires ! +12 V when your key is in the ignition and On. I suggest splicing into the wires instead of cutting them. It is less intrusive.
Note that you can take the copper contact OUT of the connector itself. Note the positioning before taking the wires out or only take out one wire at a time.Be gentle ! Using a sharp metal object: small nail, etc push down on the tab that is holding them into the connector and pull out the wire. I cannot stress how gentle you should be. If the tab that holds them inside the connector is pressed in properly the should require very little force to come out.
One you have spliced into the wires and you think you have your polarity right, verify. If satisfied push the wires back in the connector and you should be good !

You can reference the wiring diagram in this post for more info:
http://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=35886
The dash connector is on the very left in the center.

The power rail that we are splicing to is fused using the "Tailight Fuse" @ 10A. If your taillight/breaklight is not working this will be the first fuse to look into !

The other loads on the rail are tailight, breaklight, dash lights, license plate light. They total around 41.2W when all on. I hope I didn't miss anything :P
Assuming nominal voltage of 12V that gives us about 3.43 A at max load.
If the maximum my little USB 5V supply can draw is 1.2 A we are way below the limit of 10A.

I am not gonna factor in the fact that when the bulbs are initially powered on they draw quite a bit more current than during normal operation due to the fact that we don't have a fast acting fuse. The regular fuse won't have enough time to heat up and blow.

If you have any questions just ask !

So once all this is fine and dandy measure your socket with a multimeter. Both with the key in the Ignition and OFF position. You should be seeing +12V when the key is in the Ignition position and 0V when in the Off position.

Put the whole thing back together and get riding !

Be safe !

I used a marine 12V socket. Cheapest thing I could find was <$10 incl. shipping.
ebay link for the socket I used, will probably get outdated:
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Weatherproof-...item1c218f8e74

MikeBudd · March 6th, 2012, 04:21 PM

Thanks man! I'm definitely going to bookmark this

leed · March 7th, 2012, 10:42 AM

This is way off topic, but I never realized how close the Canadian Dollar and the US Dollar have gotten. But nice writeup!

March 5th, 2012, 11:44 AM	#12
mustang5.0 ninjette.org guru Name: E Location: 818 but i rep 516/631/718 Join Date: Dec 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2011 GIXXER 600 Posts: 381	1st thing i installed on my bike... must have POWA __________________________________________________ "You see it's not the blood you spill that gets you what you want. It's the blood you share, your family, your friendships, your community. These are the most valuable things a man could have."

March 5th, 2012, 04:11 PM	#15
quanttrom ninjette.org member Name: QUANT Location: Canada Join Date: Jun 2011 Motorcycle(s): 250r Posts: 176	So I am not sure what else a high level DIY would include. Here is a draft ! Get yourself some wellnuts since you might as well replace the old dried up ones that are already in there. I took apart most of the front of the bike. Removed the front fairings completely including the dash in order to take the plastic out. NOTE: YOU MUST KEEP THE DASH FACING UP AT ALL TIMES !! No idea why, the manual told me to do it. When you are removing the dash, unscrew the speed sensing wire from your front hub. Be careful not to get it dirty, it will slide out of it's housing ! Now remove the dash and set it aside. Finally take out the plastic and bring it to your workbench. Find a nice spot where you can mount your cig lighter socket. I found a relatively nice spot that won't get in the way even with the USB cable sticking out of it. Look at the pictures.Make sure your new socket won't get in the way and interfere with the frame when you put the plastic back in. Make a template of your cigarette lighter hole and once your are satisfied with the positioning make a nice hole with a dremel and some sanding bits. Secure your socket in there and you are now ready to do some electrical work ! Keep the key in the OFF position UNLESS measuring. The positive (+) in the cigarette lighter is the center connection. The negative are the wings/springs on the side that hold the plug into the socket. The positive wire that you need to splice into is colored red with a blue strip. The negative wire is black with a yellow strip. Disconnect the dash connector and MEASURE the wires before working on them. Make sure you have the right wires ! +12 V when your key is in the ignition and On. I suggest splicing into the wires instead of cutting them. It is less intrusive. Note that you can take the copper contact OUT of the connector itself. Note the positioning before taking the wires out or only take out one wire at a time.Be gentle ! Using a sharp metal object: small nail, etc push down on the tab that is holding them into the connector and pull out the wire. I cannot stress how gentle you should be. If the tab that holds them inside the connector is pressed in properly the should require very little force to come out. One you have spliced into the wires and you think you have your polarity right, verify. If satisfied push the wires back in the connector and you should be good ! You can reference the wiring diagram in this post for more info: http://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=35886 The dash connector is on the very left in the center. The power rail that we are splicing to is fused using the "Tailight Fuse" @ 10A. If your taillight/breaklight is not working this will be the first fuse to look into ! The other loads on the rail are tailight, breaklight, dash lights, license plate light. They total around 41.2W when all on. I hope I didn't miss anything :P Assuming nominal voltage of 12V that gives us about 3.43 A at max load. If the maximum my little USB 5V supply can draw is 1.2 A we are way below the limit of 10A. I am not gonna factor in the fact that when the bulbs are initially powered on they draw quite a bit more current than during normal operation due to the fact that we don't have a fast acting fuse. The regular fuse won't have enough time to heat up and blow. If you have any questions just ask ! So once all this is fine and dandy measure your socket with a multimeter. Both with the key in the Ignition and OFF position. You should be seeing +12V when the key is in the Ignition position and 0V when in the Off position. Put the whole thing back together and get riding ! Be safe ! I used a marine 12V socket. Cheapest thing I could find was <$10 incl. shipping. ebay link for the socket I used, will probably get outdated: http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Weatherproof-...item1c218f8e74 Last futzed with by quanttrom; March 5th, 2012 at 04:15 PM. Reason: added ebay link

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March 3rd, 2012, 09:38 PM	#2
leed ninjette.org sage Name: David Location: Loves Park, IL Join Date: Feb 2011 Motorcycle(s): Time will tell Posts: 969	Looks very good! I am planning on doing something similar, but a USB Port instead. I've got the pieces, I just need the time!

March 3rd, 2012, 09:42 PM	#3
MikeBudd ninjette.org guru Name: Mike Location: Vancouver, British Columbia Join Date: Aug 2011 Motorcycle(s): RED 2010 Ninja 250r Posts: 304	Looks good! You should make a short DIY further detailing the install (even if it is as easy as it looks). I am thinking about doing the same thing, but tbvh I literally suck at things with wires :O

March 3rd, 2012, 10:42 PM	#7
leed ninjette.org sage Name: David Location: Loves Park, IL Join Date: Feb 2011 Motorcycle(s): Time will tell Posts: 969	A long time ago, I found this: http://www.powerlinkproducts.co.uk/u...ingsocket.html It does stick out a bit, though. But it's fully weatherproof (IP67 can be submersed in 1M or maybe 5M for 10 minutes). I cannibalized some electronics and some free stuff that are actually designed for cigarette lighter ports. It won't be waterproof, but none of my electronics are either! Besides that, I can always get a waterproof-ish plug to plug into the port when not in use.

March 4th, 2012, 03:24 PM	#9
MikeBudd ninjette.org guru Name: Mike Location: Vancouver, British Columbia Join Date: Aug 2011 Motorcycle(s): RED 2010 Ninja 250r Posts: 304	Mhmmm usb sexiness.

March 4th, 2012, 04:48 PM	#10
EsrTek ninjette.org certified postwhore Name: Eric Location: Murfreesboro, TN Join Date: Jun 2011 Motorcycle(s): '13 300 Posts: A lot.	I found this Linky which fits right in the front pouch of my tank bag. However, your install is very clean, wonder if I can make this fit in that same area.

March 6th, 2012, 04:21 PM	#16
MikeBudd ninjette.org guru Name: Mike Location: Vancouver, British Columbia Join Date: Aug 2011 Motorcycle(s): RED 2010 Ninja 250r Posts: 304	Thanks man! I'm definitely going to bookmark this

March 7th, 2012, 10:42 AM	#17
leed ninjette.org sage Name: David Location: Loves Park, IL Join Date: Feb 2011 Motorcycle(s): Time will tell Posts: 969	This is way off topic, but I never realized how close the Canadian Dollar and the US Dollar have gotten. But nice writeup!