Auxillary switch panel

Well, you guys know me by now. Minor simple problem needs a complicated solution, and another one has come down the line, so I'm looking for some input.

My cigarette lighter socket has been finicky since I bought the car because some asshat decided to paint the inside of it. Well I've cleaned it up, and it still only works part of the time. I've gone through 3 aftermarket sockets now, none have fit in the stock hole, and this last one required some wire trimming. Well, when I hooked it up and plugged something in, it started smoking. All I did was cut off the stock plastic connector, butt splice on the lines that came with the new lighter socket, and connected them properly. Disconnected, took the wires off and pulled the cig fuse so I wouldn't risk shorting the wires, and that has made the stereo stop working which is a problem for me.

So now that the backstory is out of the way, onto the project. I'm thinking it would be best/easiest for my uses to make a small switch panel and hardwire the things I need to plugin to it instead. I don't want to go full racecar, yet, so just auxillary things, basically things that would go in the lighter socket.

Is this going to be as easy as I think it is? Run an amp power cable from the battery to a distributor point with switches on it, and let the switches share a common ground to body? I'm thinking I'll put it in the glovebox or center console armrest thing, although there is also room under the headunit which would make tucking the wires easier, I'd rather save that spot for whenever I actually do the motor swap and go full racecar panel.

Ideally 3 12v lines just wired straight to the switches, one to the dashcam, one for a phone charger, and another one for the cd player.

So, why won't this idea work how I think it will and wind up being a huge PITA?

Why not just wire an aftermarket cigarette/usb to the battery? Worked for me and i didn't even install it myself.

Or replace it with a used one from a working car? It's not as if Miata and their parts are hard to come by.

Honestly, if I could figure out how to get power out of the defroster connector, I'd just stick something there.

I just think having things hardwired in will cut back on cable wear, and add a slight bit of customization. And I hate the stock lighter location, the plugs just get in my way where it is.

Besides, switches make it faster. Not as big of a boost as stickers, but they help

So just build a switch panel. It isn't hard, just a plate of plastic or aluminum win some switches in it.

Bolt relays to the back of it to take the load off the switches and grab power from the battery and from the ignition so that the devices are powered from the battery and the ignition cuts the power to the relays when the ignition is off to avoid draining the battery.

So here's the biggest issue I see with this. If you wire direct to 12v your gonna forget to turn off something and come out to a dead battery one morning. If you go forward with this at least wire them off the accesory circuit so they shut off when you turn the key off.

For the radio, issue you have now, just disconnect whatever wiring you have going on with the cig lighter, and tape any bare wires up with electrical tape or heat shrink them to keep them from shorting out. Reinstall fuse, and your radio is working again like it should.

12v systems don't require a doctorate to work on, you have a ground and a power. At that lighter, just look up a wiring diagram to find the power side of that lighter and run it to your new panel.

Im also not clear on if your planning to make the panel have lighter outlets controlled by switches to retain the ability to plug in the dash cam and phone charger, or if your just gonna cut the lighter plugs off the cables for those things and wire them straight to the switch. They have fuses in most those plugs so you'll need to incorporate the same amp fuse into your switch wiring if you cut them off.

t25torx wrote: So here's the biggest issue I see with this. If you wire direct to 12v your gonna forget to turn off something and come out to a dead battery one morning. If you go forward with this at least wire them off the accesory circuit so they shut off when you turn the key off.

Yea, I've done that before. First couple amps my friends helped me install back in highschool always had that problem. I figure either the accessory wiring, or a single main switch. I'm mostly good at remembering switches now.

Im also not clear on if your planning to make the panel have lighter outlets controlled by switches to retain the ability to plug in the dash cam and phone charger, or if your just gonna cut the lighter plugs off the cables for those things and wire them straight to the switch. They have fuses in most those plugs so you'll need to incorporate the same amp fuse into your switch wiring if you cut them off.

The important part I was forgetting about. This is why I still ask questions with simple things. I have enough sockets I could make a box around them, but the original plan was just to hardwire and eliminate the need for it. I did not even consider there could be fuses or anything inline, and that would have been a trouble spot. Getting some to put inline if I hardwire won't be a problem, probably already have them sitting around.

I would look at Speedway, Jegs, or Summit for a small switch panel for the circle track guys

Carling switches are fantastic, lots of options on custom faces and lighting too. Don't get the knockoff's though, spend the money on genuine stuff.

Then run I through an SSR activated by your accessory circuit.