12v Power Supply

[SimonsMerc]

Hi folks,

I'm full of questions today! Hopefully you Electronics Geniuses will be able to help (this car is a far cry from the Mk-II escort which was the last car I played with the electrics on!).

W210 E320 CDI Elegance, used to have a Hands-Free phone kit fitted for some wierd Sagem phone that I don't use, so I removed it. However, what I wanted to do was hook into the power supply to add me an extra lighter-socket type connector in the passenger's footwell (for powering my IPAQ for navigation system). The reason for this is that the damn lighter socket is in a cubby-hole which has to be open to plug in - and that looks untidy! What I want is to just have a cable coming up to power the ipaq - and the most discrete place is to have it plugged in the passenger footwell.

So far so good - I've take up the carpet at the side, got to where the old phone installation used to have its power, put in an inline fuse (call me paranoid, but hey), connected it up, and...hmm, it's a 5v supply. 5 volts? Bah, when did cars start using 5 volts??! Looking around on the internet, I'm guessing that the installer for the previous hands free kit probably hooked in to some sort of control line for the onboard computer, or something (although I don't have a wiring diagram for the W210 E class so I'm not sure exactly what it is).

So, the 5 volt supply is useless to me. There's a myriad of other wires that come along the passenger's footwell sorta from the centre console, but without knowing what they are I'm not going to touch them (cause that'd be silly). So I started thinking - how about if I just hook into the existing lighter socket and lead a wire through to the side? And that seems like a good idea (12v supply, probably a 30 amp fuse or so but should I put a lower fuse inline?).

However - how exactly do I take out the lighter socket? I can't seem to work it out - it's not screwed in, it's not clipped anywhere I can see...am I just being dumb? Help!

Thanks,

-simon

 

[merc-c]

Your Ipaq runs on 5 volts anyway,it has a converter in the plug to drop 12 volts to
5 volts.your old phone probably needed 5 volts as well,

 

[guydewdney]

on my car, i can get to the back of the fag lighter socket by pulling out the passenger carpet (and the back of the radio which has a 12v supply as well dont forget...) - connect into this?

this should help...
http://www.autolib.diakom.ru:8001/CAR/Mercedes-Benz/1997/E320/SYSTEM WIRING DIAGRAMS/6243.pdf

 

[SimonsMerc]

on my car, i can get to the back of the fag lighter socket by pulling out the passenger carpet (and the back of the radio which has a 12v supply as well dont forget...) - connect into this?

Well, this is the problem. There isn't any access to the back of the fag lighter just by pulling out the passenger carpet. It
looks like I have to remove the whole centre console just to get at it! Is this right for a W210 estate?? Surely there must be an easier way?

-simon

 

[Ian B Walker]

The curtesy light in the glove box is 12v ignition controled. Would that be any use?

 

[splang]

Anyone know the best way of wiring into an ignition controlled source in a w203?

Still the glovebox route?

I am going to power my dvb tuner with it (needs 12v ignition controlled) which will be in the boot..

 

[R2D2]

if you connect a device to the wrong power supply you can blow the EIS. A new EIS and Keys will set you back £700. Take care!

 

[splang]

yikes!

Time to take it to a professional perhaps?

 

[R2D2]

wish I had once on my last car!

 

[splang]

any professionals out there who fancys helping me out this weekend? ( I can travel ! and buy beer/lemonade etc..)

 

[R2D2]

............wait til after the weekend

 

[guydewdney]

http://www.autolib.diakom.ru:8001/CAR/Mercedes-Benz/1997/E420/SYSTEM WIRING DIAGRAMS/

pages like this give loads of wiring diagrams - all very similar - that give locations of 'connectors' such as x11/5 int he front right footwell, hot in start or run...

oh - hang on - the fuse box is in the boot - poke the fuses till you find one thats hot in on, off in off. connect in an extra wire (with inline fuse). Bobs yer mothers live in lover

 

[fuzzer]

Anyone know the best way of wiring into an ignition controlled source in a w203?

Still the glovebox route?

I am going to power my dvb tuner with it (needs 12v ignition controlled) which will be in the boot..

Nah , forget the glove box.

Take it off the back of the cig lighter socket itself. I used some thingmy clips that piggy back ... ahh scotch locks from halfords.

See here about how to remove the ash tray i think youve done it before tho dude
http://mbclub.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=7173&highlight=ashtray

 

[sym]

Nah , forget the glove box.

Take it off the back of the cig lighter socket itself. I used some thingmy clips that piggy back ... ahh scotch locks from halfords.

See here about how to remove the ash tray i think youve done it before tho dude
http://mbclub.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=7173&highlight=ashtray

I could make a comment about "scotch" locks, but I won't !

 

[Thmsshaun]

Nah , forget the glove box.

Take it off the back of the cig lighter socket itself. I used some thingmy clips that piggy back ... ahh scotch locks from halfords.

See here about how to remove the ash tray i think youve done it before tho dude
http://mbclub.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=7173&highlight=ashtray

100% agreed Splang. Simple and logical route.

 

[splang]

Good idea that - the cigarette light - i have got to it - but how do you get under it ? It wont come out to let me under if that makes sense?

I have fed all the wires through under the carpet (via the wire runs) etc though and this is the last part (and I have found some mild non marking adhesive interior dvb interior aerials too!)

Steve

 

[fuzzer]

Good idea that - the cigarette light - i have got to it - but how do you get under it ? It wont come out to let me under if that makes sense?

I have fed all the wires through under the carpet (via the wire runs) etc though and this is the last part (and I have found some mild non marking adhesive interior dvb interior aerials too!)

Steve

ok , strip down the trim round the gear leaver and best to really disconnect the cable going into the plastic selector display chrome thing. Put it in the back seat

Then youve exposed the foam round the gear leaver , move the foam back and you will see a wire there bound in black fabric tape. It will have .. a black/yellow wire another colour wite i can't remember which will be thiner and a brown earth wire.

The black/yellow wire is the ignition sense wire , the brown is the earth and the other colour wire that escapes me is for the illumination. Tap your power off the black/yellow and brown wires

walla

 

[splang]

thanks very much for that - I have installed all the cables now through the existing cable runs and put it all back together - just waiting for the multimedia adapter and then i am ready to go!!

Thanks for al your help...

Steve
:bannana:

p.s. I now have an additional 12v cigarette lighter socket fitted in the boot (powered from the cable you talked about).

Could be useful for other things too!

 

[JasD]

Ok I'm struggling now. 2009 CLK Convertible 320 : the 12v power socket is not working. How can I remove it to see if the wires are attached ? The glove-box light comes on and the fuse is good. This should be an easy fix ???? Also how do I get the 12v socket tray out / does it need to come out ? Thanks...

 

[Ted]

Open the ash tray.
Grab the front of the centre console trim and give it a good pull - it will come up.
No need to remove the selector knob gaiter, just push it to one side.
You will now see the two tabs that the ash tray clips in with - push them to the side (hard to explain, but obvious when you see it) ashtray will come out along with power socket.