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