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Here's a reprint of my post from a different section that may benefit more of us.

Hi all, It's great when you can post a thread that might help others!
Any how, to make a long story as short as possilble.

First of all, I'm not responsible for anybodies actions or results after reading this. I'm just posting a actual experience.

Today I was installing a stereo in my runner , all went well thanks in part of all of the excellent threads regarding stereo installs! .

But my HU is the kind that activates the power antenna everytime I turn the unit on in CD mode, that means it will continually be cycling up and down wearing the poor thing out. So I located the wire that does this and thought , I could wire a switch to this very easily, but I did not want a obnoxious switch sticking out of my dash or a hidden one where I had to bend over while driving.

Started looking around the dash to see what I could use. And then it came to me..... Why can you use the CIG LIGHTER ? Think of it? It has B+ and B- hook up to it, and the element is the load , the lighter itself, when you go to push it in ,is just a switch!!

I took my multi meter out and found out that the center post and the large spade are connected when it is push in ! Al man, way cool . This is my switch!

I checked the amp load of the wire to the power antenna unit and it only draws 7ma B+, hardly anything ( goes to 85 or 86 of the relay) . I removed the lighter and completly disassemble it , b/c the center post nut has to be removed.This will take patience since man has not evolved the third arm yet. I installed 2 longer leads to the 2 terminals at the lighter and used spade connectors, so when I take the dash apart again ,there is enough slack to do this and I can disconnect it also.

I wired the P/A wire from my stereo to these 2 connectors at the lighter, plug in all my stereo connectors and push in the lighter and wah la!! the antenna went up . Pull the lighter out , and the antenna goes down . This works so sweet! And you can't even tell where the switch is! The worst that could happen is if the lighter did not make contact, no P/A.

I'm thinking of possiblities of using this, anything that you can wire a relay to. Use the lighter for the trigger for the relay! If there is something I'm missing here as to why this can't be use in this manner, let me know. Also if you still any questions , let me know. BTW the stereo sounds great!!

 

so are you pressing in the stock lighter? wouldnt it pop out after so many seconds and then interrupt the circuit? i dont know what kinda device i'd be using that would need to be activated for 10 seconds only...

 

The factory wires are diconnected, so the lighter is inoperable. I took the P/A wire and cut it in 2 and connected them to the lighter spade connectors.
The lighter will stay in indefinitly.

 

oh ok i missed that part. sounds good to me.

 

nice!

 

Sounds like a cute way to disguise a kill switch.

 

The heat generated by the current flowing through the cigarette lighter is what causes it to pop. by running only a little current through it it will not heat up enough to pop out.

 

What an awesome idea.




I have a power-interrupt kit for my winch. Instead of putting in another switch, I used an existing one as well. I now have to engage my ECT button for my winch to have power.

 

thats a good idea...my antenna is broke so i pulled it up and unplugged it as i barley listen to the radio

 

.....test

 

wish i would've thought of that 2 years ago when i put a switch on mine, but oh well, it's just one of those little micro switches on the side of the console, so no big deal...lol. cool idea man

 

so just so i follow you its not enough to heat up the element? Cause if it was My parents had an old econoline van and the circut shorted somehow and the cig lighter melted the plastic around it cause it got hot...Just something to be aware of and to keep an eye out for

 

another reason not to use chinese made crap !

a decent lighter socket wont melt and short from the heat generated by the lighter element.

 

The wires going to the lighter are from the trigger side of the relay which only draw a few milli amps, I have not had any heat generated when using it .
If you have heat in your lighter after this mod, then you have hook up the wrong wires.