This is not diesel related but it is 300D related. I have a Nextel phone and the cigarette lighter connector is used to keep the phone charger plugged in. It looks really tacky to constantly have the ash try opened (and I don't smoke!).

Does someone have a clever way to rig up a charger and run a wire under the dash or console?

Would love to close the ash tray!!! But I need power.

Any ideas? Thanks in advance.

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84 300DT Puke Yellow. Totalled after 438,000
84 300DT Orient Red. 169,000 (actual mileage may vary)
2002 Explorer EB (wife's)

I got a two-outlet setup at a McParts place and wired it into the cigarette lighter circuit using spade connectors so I didn't cut any factory wiring. The outlet thingy is stuck with double sided tape to the side of the console right at the bend where it turns up to meet the dash. Easy and really convienient mod. RT

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When all else fails, vote from the rooftops!
84' Mercedes Benz 300D Anthracite/black, 171K
03' Volkswagen Jetta TDI blue/black, 93K
93' Chevrolet C2500HD ExCab 6.5TD, Two-tone blue, 252K

I also tapped into the wiring for the lighter behind the ashtray. This circuit is always hot so you phone can charge even when the car is off. I have an SDL and I just have the plug loose and laying in the coin tray below the dash until I find a better place to put it.

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Alan Hamm
'87 300SDL 277K Miles
'89 560 SL 68K Miles

I just leave my charger cord in my console. When I occasionally need to charge my phone while not at the house, I open the ashtray and plug it in. Don't smoke so I don't need the lighter, but it's no inconvenience and the charger is so rarely plugged in that it doesn't bother me to have the ashtray opened for that short time.

Oh, I forgot to mention that I also had issues with how to power up an XM Satellite receiver and the occasional radar detector. I hated the ashtray open all the time. So I actually connected a new power plug behind the ashtray that effectively "hardwires" the XM. Then the new connector is for the phone charger and/or the radar detector until I hardwire that.

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Alan Hamm
'87 300SDL 277K Miles
'89 560 SL 68K Miles

There was a thread some time back where someone installed what looked like a three port cigarette lighter outlet set. It was installed down alongside the console and allowed several items to be hooked up at once.

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1961 190Db retired
1968 220D/8 325,000
1983 300D 164,150

This one caught my eye since I also hate to leave the ash tray open. However, after reading, "This circuit is always hot so you phone can charge even when the car is off." I had to go out to the garage and confirm that mine isn't. My '87 300TD charges only when the car is running. Now I'll need to check the schematic to see if someone has played with the wiring. Anyone else find this to be the case?

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Steve
'87 300TD - 132K - Soon 4-Sale
'84 300D Turbo - 122K - Driving
'77 VW Type II - 77K - Restored
'08 250EX Ninja
English Bulldog (Brier) - My best friend. Passed away 12/02/04 while in my arms.

You know, after posting that I realized the same thing. What I tied into was the power feed to the radio that is on full time. There is a line (yellow I think, but it has been a year) that provides power to the radio so the clock stay correct.

I am cautious not to put any heavy load on it, but cell chargers and other similar gear don't really need much power.

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Alan Hamm
'87 300SDL 277K Miles
'89 560 SL 68K Miles

I use a neat trick to power my police scanner..
I was looking for constant power inside the car...(no lighter plug all time power in this automobile)
The trick?

I ran a wire from the dome light (used one off a old wall wart power supply) and down to the scanner...the routing is your choice. Its perfect for a police scanner becuase it comes out of the light (just slip the wire past the light casing) and down to the radar detector near the rear view mirror.
As long as you are not taking much of a load...the light is the way to go...if you are powering something up high in the car.
Just play with the wires to figure out which one is hot, ground, and door.
Have fun

I went to Orvac in Orange County, Ca. They had a two and a three cig. socket with plug on other end.
I cut the plug off and ran a wire to the positive side of battery and installed a 20 amp fuse in line. Connected the ground. Drill a hole in the wood on the shifter consel were it is down in the tray and mounted the socket on velcro on the side. No open ash tray and juice when I need it.
Charlie

I had the same dilemma for powering my Radar Detector. I got a nice all weather cigarette lighter socket at Autozone and mounted it down in the passenger footwell, on the underdash panel, and then wired it into the ashtray, and disabled the plug in the ashtray as it didn't work well anyway.

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Nick
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2002 Sprinter 2500 140" High Roof :

Some excellent idea's here for me to do the same with to my 240D.

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'10 Chrysler T&C Stow-N-Go White. Grandpa's ride.

'13 Chrysler 200 Touring Candy Red. Grandma's ride.

Age and cunning will always over come youth and vigor.