Window Circuit Breaker Switch for Cigarette Lighter.

[quasi mofo]

Would it be possible to wire a window circuit breaker switch into the cigarette lighter to convert it to switched power that I could turn on and off as needed?

[82eye]

Would it be possible to wire a window circuit breaker switch into the cigarette lighter to convert it to switched power that I could turn on and off as needed?

i know you can gut them and convert them for use as a momentary switch.

[quasi mofo]

Exactly. I have an older window circuit breaker switch that mounts in the HVAC panel. What I'd like to do is use wire taps to connect the cigarette lighter power and ground wires to the circuit breaker switch so I can turn my radar detector on and off rather than having to unplug it every time I leave the car.

Does this seem like a viable plan or am I going to burn my car to the ground?

[82eye]

Exactly. I have an older window circuit breaker switch that mounts in the HVAC panel. What I'd like to do is use wire taps to connect the cigarette lighter power and ground wires to the circuit breaker switch so I can turn my radar detector on and off rather than having to unplug it every time I leave the car.

Does this seem like a viable plan or am I going to burn my car to the ground?

it won't work as an on / off. it only energizes when you hold the lighter in to make contact. you'd have to push the thing down and hold it the entire time you use the detector.

edit : the most common use is as a push button start

[quasi mofo]

Thanks for the info, but not sure I follow. The radar detector's adapter holds it in place in the cigarette lighter. My assumption is that the circuit breaker switch would complete the circuit when it is fully pushed in and allow power to flow to the cigarette lighter.

Again, I'm very electricity stupid, so I appreciate any information.

[iansane]

it won't work as an on / off. it only energizes when you hold the lighter in to make contact. you'd have to push the thing down and hold it the entire time you use the detector.

edit : the most common use is as a push button start

He's not wanting to use the cigarette lighter as the switch, he's wanting to use the stock window circuit breaker as the switch.

I can't see why it wouldn't work. The draw is going to be way less than it's stock usage.

[82eye]

He's not wanting to use the cigarette lighter as the switch, he's wanting to use the stock window circuit breaker as the switch.

I can't see why it wouldn't work. The draw is going to be way less than it's stock usage.

yeah it could work as switch. i don't get the why .. if it's still plugged into the lighter socket its not a stealth install by any means. the lighter socket mod is commonly used as as stealth button start. sometimes as fix for a bad ign switch.

[iansane]

yeah it could work as switch. i don't get the why .. if it's still plugged into the lighter socket its not a stealth install by any means. the lighter socket mod is commonly used as as stealth button start. sometimes as fix for a bad ign switch.

Maybe I'm missing something but it seems like the why is because he's got something he doesn't want to power all the time (the radar detector) so he wants an unobtrusive way to turn the socket power on and off. I think you're hung up on the idea that the cigarette lighter becomes a switch. I don't think that's the goal here.

[82eye]

Maybe I'm missing something but it seems like the why is because he's got something he doesn't want to power all the time (the radar detector) so he wants an unobtrusive way to turn the socket power on and off. I think you're hung up on the idea that the cigarette lighter becomes a switch. I don't think that's the goal here.

actually i thought it was for stealth install.

where i live if you get pulled over, and the police see a radar detector, it's a pretty hefty fine and the car is impounded and taken apart by a gorilla to remove it. doesn't matter if the radar detector was active or not. you are left with the fine, the impound fees, and the damage to your car. as a result every radar detector is installed hidden for stealth.

it's still legal to sell them, just not use them ... the shops who sell them will only do a stealth install. anything you diy is on yourself of course.

edit: it sounded to me like we was using the cigarette socket as the power source, and assumed it was a plug of some sort shoved into it. it makes sense if the install is stealth and window switch is the on/off function. i'm not sure how the cigarette lighter comes into play.

[quasi mofo]

I live in Ohio, we don't have any laws about radar detectors.
So what I want to do is leave the radar detector or any other 12V device plugged in without having to worry about running the car's battery down. The circuit breaker arrived in the mail yesterday.

My next question is what is the correct way to wire this into the cigarette lighter socket. Can I get away with T-taps and run wires from the red and black lines to the circuit breaker and call it a day, or do I need to do something more involved?

[iansane]

Don't run t-taps. You want to have the breaker interrupt the power wire to the socket. Pull the power wire off the socket and connect it to one terminal on the breaker and run a wire from the other terminal on the breaker down to power the socket. Make sense?

[quasi mofo]

Don't run t-taps. You want to have the breaker interrupt the power wire to the socket. Pull the power wire off the socket and connect it to one terminal on the breaker and run a wire from the other terminal on the breaker down to power the socket. Make sense?

Yes! Thank you!