Want to switch cigarette lighter from always on to ignition triggered

The cigarette lighter in my '99 996 provides power all the time, even with no key in the ignition. I've only had the car a few months and think one of the previous owners must have modified it because I believe the '99 models came standard with the lighter tied to the ignition. Anyway I'm sure switching it to ignition triggered must be a fairly simple process but before I start tracing and disconnecting wires I thought I'd check to see if there were simple DIY instructions for this. Thanks

I'm looking at picking up a new CTEK charger for my cars I've seen and heard quite a few people use the CTEK comfort panels rather than plugging straight into the cigarette lighter, but I've never heard why Can anyone tell me why these connectors are preferred to the lighter socket? https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=ct...FcsTGgody24Pyw

It is supposed to supply power all the time - it is meant for a battery tender to be plugged in when not driving for longer periods...

Looks like they can probably handle more amperage and may have an indicator for charge level? I'm just using the lighter plug myself, no muss no fuss.

You could cut the wires to it, and connect it to the "phone accessory plug" that is located behind the center console. One of the wires to that plug is switched power. That would be adequate current to handle an accessory, such as a cell phone or GPS, but I don't know if it could handle the current of an actual cigarette lighter heating element. What I did instead was buy an aftermarket dual-socket box to use with my cell phone charger and such. I wired it to the switched side of the "phone accessory plug", and tucked it under the dash on the passenger side. That way, my accessories are out if sight.

I've never even seen that connector but my little 3300 ctek has been working flawlessly with the cigarette lighter adapter for years greatest 50 bucks I ever spent

Some pics of the switched power plug and wiring details here: http://forums.rennlist.com/rennforum...r-console.html

I've been using mine for thee years and love it.

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Quote: did you hook up to both terminals, or positive only and grounded somewhere else?

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Quote: you should have the alligator ( large ) red/black +/- std connectors, and also some that are o ringed connectors that have to be fastened. pos and neg for both. then the more convenient option for another 10/20 bucks is the cig light adaptor. but that is the only connection not requiring a separate ground. but there are two SETS of cables that are included when you purchase the ctek c3300 that have a plastic connector in the sequence so you can switch from cables to cig adapter etc..

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Quote: Yea, my cig power isn't constant (shuts off)....i've got the car hooked up to alligators right now as my o rings are used on my '55 (just ordered another set) I'm actually running a CTEK MUS 4.3 but I don't think that will cause any issues

My Porsche cigarette trickle charger shuts off too. Isn't it suppose to when the battery is fully charged?

Lighter on my car is powered all the time, pretty sure that's normal?

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Quote: not sure what "shuts off" means since the ctek i have "trickles" and "auto" shuts itself off for a minute, then goes back "green" when fully charged. sorry/confused. but the cig light adapter is constant,..and will consequently "always" draw current if there is ANY juice in the battery.. its the charger itself that goes "off". if that makes sense. the alligators are obviously fine since most use those, but you have to undo the battery cover, leave the frunk open etc and all that sh*t, while the cig lighter thing is well... i'm lazy

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Quote: It appears my cig connection in the car isn't constant. I've tried a few diff accessories and it shuts off about 30 minutes later. Popping the hood isn't bad for me.

agree. its not as if the battery is under a rear seat! still i appreciate that cig adaptor.

ctek + cig adapter working flawlessly here the past 3 years. Each dealer visit in the spring they tell me the battery is in perfect condition (and the battery is about 6 years old now). My only complaint is the cig adapter doesn't seem to work on some of the newer cars (didn't work on the GTR or the M6).

Just got a ctek 3300 last week and hooked it up directly to the battery (also have the cig adapter on the way). It's been 3 days so far and it's still charging. Is this normal? I had read others show fully charged over night. wondering if this means I need a new battery as the current one isn't holding a charge.

not normal for the ctek3300 float charge to take 3 days to go "green" then float/trickle/maintain. i would, by now, check the integrity of the battery itself.

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Quote: same here...works great, I just leave the passenger side window open just enough for the cord...

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Quote: It is simply a question of wiring and connectors. The cigarette lighter's wiring was designed for a moderate load in short bursts. The wiring for a battery charger is designed to carry a designated load over a longer period of time. A small charger trickle charging a good battery will likely not overtax the cig lighter wiring. A slightly larger charger and a battery on its last legs can easily create a situation where more current is flowing than any OEM cig lighter wiring can handle. When connectors heat up, they tend to oxidize at the connection surface which then creates a greater resistance causing even more heat, etc. Add to that the fact that if you do any damage to the original wiring harness, it becomes very expensive to repair very quickly. I have always disliked cig lighter chargers. A dedicated charging connector is a much better way to go IMO and it's not like you are discussing a $1000 mod (or even $100). And the connector harness from Ctek is fused for the load it was designed for. But then I also worked in an auto electrics garage for a number of years and have repaired way too many damaged harnesses. You have a page and a half of advocates in this thread. You pays your money, you takes your chances.

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Quote: All good points Steve. How / where would you run the wires into the battery compartment? Thanks.

I'd try to make everything as OEM as possible and run the wires up the battery cables with zip ties. And I'd cut a hole in one of the corner panels next to the battery. You'd have to check where the plug would fit with the trunk lid "leaned" closed. This is actually the biggest issue: older cars had a push button switch for the trunk light that you could easily incapacitate. The 996 and 7 have the trunk light switch integrated into the hood lock. You either install a switch in the wiring to the lock to simulate hood (trunk lid) closed or buy a trunk lid latch plate from your friendly neighborhood dealer. When the car is charging, you push the latch plate into the lock and rest the trunk lid on it. Porsche recommends service technicians using a latch plate to check trunk and engine compartment lock operation anyway. :-p I would install a switch in the wiring to the lock and locate it next to the ctek panel. As OEM as possible :-))

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Quote: Ended up swapping out the battery and now all is well with charging through the cig lighter. Lit up green within a couple of hours.

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Quote: I feel that the cigar lighter solution IMO is more of an pain and does not provided indication of state of charge. I purchased an CTEK Comfort indicator (56-384) that has an 5 foot / 1 Meter long cable http://www.ctek.com/gb/en/chargers/C...cator%20Clamps I hard wired it onto the car by removing the battery clamps and replaced them with 6mm eyelet connectors. When I get home, I open the hood and pull out the wire and close the trunk with the LED indicator end exposed. If the LED light indicates yellow, I plug in the charger. It also makes moving the car easier, unplug the charger @ the LED socket connector, move the car, and plug it in again. You don't have to deal with the cigar charger and wiring it thru the window, etc.