I would like to put a cigarette lighter socket in the luggage compartment so I can plug a coolbox in.This is so I can keep the cold stuff cold from the supermarket or out on a journey somewhere. My friends elderly Passat estate has a socket fitted as standard in his and it is so useful not having cables running throught the car.

Has anyone on the forum done this themselves or can suggest a safe feed to take from without tearing half the car to pieces?

Many thanks

Gizmo Bear

Gizmo,

How about the supply to the boot light. As far as I know it is ignition switch independant. You might have to track down the tailgate switch which, I guess, will go via the filament monitor beside the electric aerial.

Paul @ Kippen.

How about the supply to the boot light. As far as I know it is ignition switch independant.[/b]

'fraid not, and it would be pretty dafy if it were- how could you see to put your shopping in the boot unless you'd put the key in the ingtion? :crazy:

Some of these accessories can draw quite a lot of current so I'd recomend running in a properly fused 2.5mm CSA cable to feed it. Now what I can't remember is how pre-wired the 9k was for towing- it may be that there is a switched ignition feed already in the area (meant for charging the caravan battery). If not then a parallel feed from the cigarette lighter is probably your best bet. Not too hard to lift the side sill trim up and run it down there.

You might be able to tap into the aerial supply. It is in the right place but not ignition fed (i.e. it is permanently live.) It's only the signal to the relay that goes through the radio.

Its not difficult to run a permanent cable directly from the battery with an inline fuse. This would obviously always be live (but don't forget to switch off the fridge or you might get a flat battery). IIRC, the cable can be run through the cable grommet on the nearside into the passenger footwell, along the inner sill under the trim and into th boot area behind the n/s liner. I did this when I used to have a trailer tent which needed a power supply for lighting.

Mark E,

As I suspected, the feed to the luggage compartment light is permanently live, through fuse 16. The light comes on by an switching to earth in the boot catch mechanism. Try opening the boot, switch on at the local switch then watch it go out as you flick the catch to the closed position. All this with no keys in the ignition !

Paul @ Kippen.

Sorry, Paul, I've just realised that I missed the "in" of the front of "independent" when I read your post! :o It is indeed independent of the ignition switch.

I still think it would be wise to use a switched feed though :)