P38A USB connector/voltmeter installation.

Grrrrrr said:

I've got a similar setup. Added a power-socket above the light cluster in the boot on permanent 12V for solar panel and other stuff. Never needed the panel but have used it for other stuff.

I also added a power outlet in the rear ashtray piggy-backing off the one in the front ash-tray. The family uses it constantly for devices. With hindsight I would have done better removing it and putting a whole bank in.

Odd to think cars used to have ashtrays everywhere. I've never smoked but I do use them for parking money and for holding bits when working on the car.

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I also have a live socket in the boot which was used for the solar panel on the rear shelf when left at the airport, also used for the cool box.
A 20 watt panel behind the glass with a charge controller provides more than enough power to keep the battery fully charged.

romanrob said:

You mean 1x, or 2x? Are you running a battery charger: o)

The cigar lighter is powered via the BeCM, not sure I would want to push it with that routing

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As I said, 2 x 2.1 amps, the circuit is more than adequate to supply the socket.

romanrob said:

I don't smoke cigars, so I replaced the cigarette lighter with the same kind of socket, but circular ie 2x USBs and a voltmeter. I agree - it's a great fix, and nice to be able to tuck away behind the lid when not needed. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/12V-24V-...199795?hash=item26390227b3:g:i5oAAOSwIxVemqML I think I needed to take off about 1mm of ABS from the hole for the cigar lighter (one thread's worth), but you may not even have to do that if you use a different unitView attachment 212439

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I had a plug in one of those but without the volt meter, connection was unreliable, I would suddenly find the tablet batter was flat. Besides I like to only make changes that can easily be reversed to keep the car standard, also I have retained the cig lighter which has been used from time to time to light things.

brianp38dse said:

I think they should be made mandatory fitment, to give our self's a fighting chance on impending doom .
Easy of checking alternator out put with out even opening the bonnet
How many times have we all ask on here whats you battery voltage at 2000rpm and got dont know and how do i check that

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I like being able to see the battery voltage before I start the car. Checked with a DVM on a lab power supply, the voltage reading is accurate.

Datatek said:

Why would you want 5 amps? The chargers most devices come with are 2 amp so I'm interested to know what you have that needs 5 amps?

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Some of the newer phone use 4.xA, i think a few do use 5A, especially the phones that fully charge in under an hour

Datatek said:

I like being able to see the battery voltage before I start the car. Checked with a DVM on a lab power supply, the voltage reading is accurate.

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I remember my Dad's old Wolsely 4/44 had Ammeter and Oil pressure gauge in that lovely burr-walnut dash.

kermit_rr said:

Some of the newer phone use 4.xA, i think a few do use 5A, especially the phones that fully charge in under an hour

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OK thanks for that, even our 10" Samsung tablet only needs 2 amps. I'm not up to date obviously

Datatek said:

I like being able to see the battery voltage before I start the car. Checked with a DVM on a lab power supply, the voltage reading is accurate.

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hi buddy

great work as always and indeed done the same with mine ref the Vdc gauge , also fitted an aux fuse box and because I have a dual volt meter I fitted a relay so would only come on and off with the ign feed

Also managed to fit a 3.5mm aux socket in the dashboard ( last pic)

plus 1 , ref accuracy of the gauges, Showing 14.2 Vdc at tick over

Data, Thanks for the usual critique. I gave up on the solar panel cos I live in the UK, and on top my street parking is relatively shady. If I had an option to park in non-UK sunshine then I'm sure it would work fine. My cigar lighter swap is fully reversible - the old cigar lighter unscrews and will screw back just as easily, no ashtray was harmed in the process.

romanrob said:

Data, Thanks for the usual critique. I gave up on the solar panel cos I live in the UK, and on top my street parking is relatively shady. If I had an option to park in non-UK sunshine then I'm sure it would work fine. My cigar lighter swap is fully reversible - the old cigar lighter unscrews and will screw back just as easily, no ashtray was harmed in the process.

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A 20 watt panel works, even on heavily overcast winter days it will produce 30/40ma which balances out the BECM drain. Our cars can sit for long periods as we have a choice of which to use, assuming they are all working.
Mind you street parking in the UK would likely result in a broken window as some scroat tried to steal the panel

Re solar i get 30-60mA on a normal day, of course thats better than nothing, but lets not forget it doesnt charge at night...and the quiescent draw is round the clock, so distinctly marginal IMHO

Grrrrrr said:

Where's your headlights switch gone?

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That was just after I'd finishing the install of the new nav screen after painting and lacquering that trim. One of my headlight switch tabs had broken off awhile ago, but the other one broke off when fitting it to this trim. As I've converted all my dash switches to LED, I didn't have another one kicking about that was already converted - so I decided to poke the wire out the hole and finish putting the dash back together. Later in the evening I LED converted another headlamp switch and then was able to just plug it in and clip it into the trim without having to take it all apart again!! Pure laziness, I know - but I'd been wanting to get the nav installed for awhile, so decided not to hold that project up any longer....

romanrob said:

"5A at 5V is only 25W, which at 12V is a shade over 2A"

granted - but with 2 slots... I have wired another socket into the towing socket wiring on the LHS of the loadspace for heavier stuff (was for a solar panel on the parcel shelf, which I have since concluded is a waste of time).

Nobody got the battery charger joke : o)

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They're generally at a current level for the whole device... Some of them you see are listed as "3.1A" or "4.2A" but the 3.1A units are generally 2.1A on one outlet, and 1A on the other, 4.1A outlets (which I *think* mine is) just means it can do 2.1A on each USB.
To get a 5A one, it would either have to be a single 5A outlet, or a dual 2.5A outlet.

Datatek said:

Why would you want 5 amps? The chargers most devices come with are 2 amp so I'm interested to know what you have that needs 5 amps?

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kermit_rr said:

Some of the newer phone use 4.xA, i think a few do use 5A, especially the phones that fully charge in under an hour

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As mentioned - some newer phones etc are fast charged. My OnePlus has Dash charging which is 4A. But I doubt you will find these kind of units at the moment that will do fast charging. Fast charging protocols aren't standardised... EG Samsung's fast charge system isn't the same as OnePlus (for example) so I couldn't fast charge my phone on the likes of a samsung charger, and vice versa. Most phones with fast charging on them, if they don't detect they are plugged into their specific charger, then they will only normal charge, which is at about the 2A mark

There is obviously something in the charge circuitry in the phone and the wall plug part which talks and allows more current to be pumped through if the phone is compatible. I've also found on my OnePlus that using cheaper USB-C charge cables won't allow it to fast charge, but will normal charge off the fast charger...

There's so much more electrickery behind all this stuff these days... I am sure that some day you might be able to get a 12V USB one that handles fast charging for vehicles, but whilst there are different fast charge standards, it's unlikely.

As you say Datatek - most things will charge at 2A normally from a USB.

romanrob said:

Re solar i get 30-60mA on a normal day, of course thats better than nothing, but lets not forget it doesnt charge at night...and the quiescent draw is round the clock, so distinctly marginal IMHO

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Sunny days my panels give 700/800ma so the amp hours charge more hand equals the 24 hour amp draw Of course some days the charge will not be sufficient, but other days will make up for the deficit. Even in bad weather the discharge rate is slowed. No use for 3 months in the lock down and the battery was still reading 13.06 volts when the panel was disconnected

Datatek said:

Why would you want 5 amps? The chargers most devices come with are 2 amp so I'm interested to know what you have that needs 5 amps?

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Modern smart phones use a fair amount of power. If you're using, frinstance, a music player app and a navigation app, with gps and blutooth turned on, 2 amps won't actually put any juice in your battery.

Tenebreaux said:

Why the hell is the fag lighter attached to the BECM at all???

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Probably a feature LR intended to include but never implemented . . . i.e. Open the windows when you light a fag !!

Tenebreaux said:

Modern smart phones use a fair amount of power. If you're using, frinstance, a music player app and a navigation app, with gps and blutooth turned on, 2 amps won't actually put any juice in your battery.

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I use a separate device for music and I don't use Bluetooth, but 2 amps keeps a 10" Samsung tablet or my smart phone running nav & GPS fully charged if they start off fully charged. What it does not do is recharge a flat battery at the same time as running that stuff, but every device is different.