OK, I know this ain't real purty, but it is very effective and I have these in both W123 wagons. China hasn't been retrofitted yet....

I put a power socket in the glove box and tied into the hot lead going "to" the glove box light switch. You have power when the car is on, and prior to that switch means the light doesn't have to be on.





I just used connectors that I can unplug for when I need to remove the inner glove box. Oh, and I put the male side for hot on the opposite end as the male side for ground, that way you won't be tempted to plug them up wrong. I found out the hard way that polarity matter in this case!!!
And I also found out that it is less "in the way" to have it mounted to the top and facing sideways, that way it doesn't keep the glove box door from closing. Care to guess how I figured that one out?

On later W124's with the center console I would recommend installing it in the center console compartment, I'm just not sure what power source to use. Haven't been in there yet......

__________________
Jimmy L.
'05 Acura TL 6MT
2001 ML430 My Spare

Gone:
'95 E300 188K "Batmobile" Texas Unfriendly Black
'85 300TD 235K "The Wagon" Texas Friendly White
'80 240D 154K "China" Scar engine installed
'81 300TD 240K "Smash"
'80 240D 230K "The Squash"
'81 240D 293K"Scar" Rear ended harder than Elton John

That's exactly what the 2009 C550 loaner I had a few weeks ago had. I was surprised to find it there. Your installation looks like it would be very useful. Can you still close the glove box door with a cord coming out?

__________________

"Buster" in the '95

Our all-Diesel family
1996 E300D (W210) . .338,000 miles Wife's car
2005 E320 CDI . . 113,000 miles My car
Santa Rosa population 176,762 (2022)
Total. . . . . . . . . . . . 627,762
"Oh lord won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz."
-- Janis Joplin, October 1, 1970

I put several on heavy flexible cords under the seats. Out of the way and they don't take up any dash space.

__________________
Ron Schroeder
'85 300 Turbo Diesel 2 tank WVO
'83 300 Turbo Diesel 2 tank WVO
Some former WVO vehicles since ~1980:
'83 Mercedes 240D
'80 Audi 4000D
'83 ISUZU Pup
'70 SAAB 99 with Kubota diesel
'76 Honda Civic with Kubota diesel
'86 Golf
Several diesel generators
All with 2 tank WVO conversion
LI NY

Yep, I can still close the glove box, but then again, the W123 glove box door isn't the tightest seal you've ever run across.
Next time I will probably install one of those double socketed types, maybe. I've never really needed a 2nd one, but that could come up with GPS plugged in and needing something else.......

__________________
Jimmy L.
'05 Acura TL 6MT
2001 ML430 My Spare

Gone:
'95 E300 188K "Batmobile" Texas Unfriendly Black
'85 300TD 235K "The Wagon" Texas Friendly White
'80 240D 154K "China" Scar engine installed
'81 300TD 240K "Smash"
'80 240D 230K "The Squash"
'81 240D 293K"Scar" Rear ended harder than Elton John

Last week I had a big road-trip, had the GPS plugged, the laptop, the radar-detector, the CB, the mini-cooler, and at one point the phone charger. Took three splitters but it all worked.

__________________

Gone to the dark side

- Jeff

I found a couple of accessory sockets at Pick and Pull today ($1 each). My preference (see photo) is for the Hyundai version with the left-hinging cap that would not block my view of the gauges.

The other one, from some kind of a van (I forgot to note what it was), looks cheaper to me. It might do OK as a power outlet in the trunk.

I'd like to find another socket to match the one from the Hyundai (the junkyard had only one). I suppose I could always try to get a new one from a dealer.

The local "Pep Boys" store carries the Bell line of accessories; their #39048 and 39051 look reasonable if I can't find anything better.

The W124s in the junkyard have gotten pretty picked over; all of the console wood is gone. I was hoping to find one to experiment with.

Attached Thumbnails

 

__________________

"Buster" in the '95

Our all-Diesel family
1996 E300D (W210) . .338,000 miles Wife's car
2005 E320 CDI . . 113,000 miles My car
Santa Rosa population 176,762 (2022)
Total. . . . . . . . . . . . 627,762
"Oh lord won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz."
-- Janis Joplin, October 1, 1970

Oh, I didn't see the little "x10" under the needle, I had to go back and look for it. At first, I thought that would be a perfect gauge for my VO temp...right now I have a digital gauge and it doesn't look proper in the car, but it works.


That socket from the unknown van looks just like the one in the Pontiac Montanas that we have at work...I think, it could be like the one in my gf's s10 pickup, but I'm leaning towards the Montana.

I like the Hyundai socket as well.

__________________
1985 300TD-euro 352,000 mi
1974 240D (1?)52,000 mi - has a new home now

[QUOTE=JimmyL;2245423]OK, I know this ain't real purty, but it is very effective and I have these in both W123 wagons. China hasn't been retrofitted yet....

I put a power socket in the glove box and tied into the hot lead going "to" the glove box light switch. You have power when the car is on, and prior to that switch means the light doesn't have to be on.





I just used connectors that I can unplug for when I need to remove the inner glove box. Oh, and I put the male side for hot on the opposite end as the male side for ground, that way you won't be tempted to plug them up wrong. I found out the hard way that polarity matter in this case!!!
And I also found out that it is less "in the way" to have it mounted to the top and facing sideways, that way it doesn't keep the glove box door from closing. Care to guess how I figured that one out?

QUOTE]

Have you also discovered that shorter mounting bolts Or putting the nuts on the outside of the box) would cause less damage to a searching hand?

__________________
Charles
1983 300D, bought new, 215k+ miles, donated to Purple Hearts veterans charity but I have parts for sale: http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/mercedes-benz-cars-sale/296386-fs-1-owner-83-mb-300d-turbo-rebuild-parts.html