Putting a cigarette lighter in a CUCV

[hooyahdiver]

Thanks for asking this. I was just about to do it myself.

I'm a wiring noob. Never completely wired a component before so bear with me and use simple terms.

Anybody put a cig lighter in their CUCV?
What has to be done?
Where'd you run it to in the fuse box?
What gauge wire did you use?
etc etc etc...

 

[AJMBLAZER]

For the record guys, especially in a CUCV, I wouldn't do switched on any of this and I almost wouldn't bother with the fuse box.

-It took me forever to find the proper GM fuse box taps to use when I put the stereo and lighter in. In 2007 NAPA could get them but to find them we had to dig through the "big book o' NAPA miscellaneous accessories" that's thicker than your average large city phone book.

-Then I realized that since our ignition switches don't have a ACC position wiring anything to the switched 12v meant you had to use the run position to turn it on if you just wanted to sit in the truck and listen to the radio.
Due to this I rewired my stereo in Big Ugly so it has two constant 12v feeds. The usual to keep the memory active and the main power 12v that I put a switch and fuse on. That way I can just turn it off and on to use it. No drain on the battery by having it wired directly and not having to cycle the gp's just to listen to the radio with the engine off.

-There's a small diamond shaped junction near the master cylinder on the firewall. It's towards the center of the truck, not the outside. This is constant 12v. You'll see a large red wire going to one terminal of it and at least one or two wires running off of it. I've used that for several constant 12v sources and it works great. To run the wire I simply drilled a small hole in one of the firewall hole covers and ran it through there. Has worked great for several years now.

-Definitely wire up your cig lighter(s) to a constant source. This way you can power stuff without the truck being on. I've had a few vehicles where the lighters only worked with the car on and I hated that. With our huge battery capacity there's no fear of your cell phone draining the battery unless you're gone for weeks with it plugged in.

 

[dieselpony]

-Then I realized that since our ignition switches don't have a ACC position wiring anything to the switched 12v meant you had to use the run position to turn it on if you just wanted to sit in the truck and listen to the radio.

There is a ACC position. IIRC the wiper is wired to it. Sorry for the quality of the attachment. It's from the Operator's Manual (289-10) Chapter 2, Section III.

 

[AJMBLAZER]

Not on mine or any other CUCV I've ever been in.

 

[abarkus]

it takes 20 min. to wire a lighter up. the wire size is base on the amp you need to run the item, 20 amp is 12 gauge, 15 amp is 14 guage, 10 amp is 16 gauge. The spot on the fuse box is unswitched and 16 gauge wire no ground. there is a ground setup under the dash above the emergency brake pedal.

 

[K9Vic]

Here is what I have used on the older 73-87 body style pickups for a cigarette lighter to power accessories. These triple socket under dash accessory outlet fit perfectly in the cigarette tray in the gap with it folder down, no need to blot anything in place and it fits snug in there I found. I bought a few of these, but seem Radio Shack changed the newer ones and may not work the same. The original catalog number is: 270-1561.


They are still available at Radio Shack, but it looks like a newer style then I have and may not work the same.
Enercell™ 12VDC 3-Outlet Vehicle Power Adapter - RadioShack.com


First picture is from a 1979 C20 P/U I had, then two pictures of the plug alone and it in my 85 M1010.

 

[dieselpony]

Not on mine or any other CUCV I've ever been in.

Could be right, last time i saw a CUCV with an original (not aftermarket) ignition lock cylinder is long long ago.

But I'm still a bit confused about the description in the OP manual. Besides that my wipers are indeed wired to work in the acc position too. Maybe someone is able to verfify this.

Walter

 

[Recovry4x4]

I could swear that my 84 M1009 had the accy position but since it's long gone, I can't verify. I did just take a stroll out to my 86 M1008 and confirmed that it does have the accy position and the wipers do work there. For all those who don't have the accy position, are you depressing the lock cylinder towards the column before turning it? It does require it to be depressed before it will turn back.

 

[pbrstreetgang]

I got my power ports wired in on Friday night, it was a lot easier than I thought it would be. I finally found the right person at the auto parts store that could at least tell me what parts I needed. From there I figured it out on my own. I did have trouble with the ground since the closest one is under the parking break and the wire on my power ports was not long enough so I just threw a self tapping screw into the side of the dash inside the ashtray.

GPS, phone and IPOD power are up and at it. Now I am ready to conquer the stereo. I will need to find somewhere else to tap contant on power due to my power port taking the one on the fuse block.

 

[4bogginchevys]

you need the yellow wire from ignition to retain your stereo settings and a hot from any 12v source that is keyed. real strait forward. if you cant find a keyed 12v source than tap from anywhere and put a toggle in to cut power, the yellow ign wire will still retain your clock/presets

 

[pbrstreetgang]

Would I not want constant for the stereo settings to save, and ignition (yellow) to ignition on the fuse box?

 

[4bogginchevys]

yellow is constant, not intended to run stereo by itself, red is full power, only when stereo is to be playing.
btw, wire colors make it largely self explanitory.

 

[lindyp38]

Here is what I have used on the older 73-87 body style pickups for a cigarette lighter to power accessories. These triple socket under dash accessory outlet fit perfectly in the cigarette tray in the gap with it folder down, no need to blot anything in place and it fits snug in there I found. I bought a few of these, but seem Radio Shack changed the newer ones and may not work the same. The original catalog number is: 270-1561.


They are still available at Radio Shack, but it looks like a newer style then I have and may not work the same.
Enercell™ 12VDC 3-Outlet Vehicle Power Adapter - RadioShack.comthis is what is in my m1008........works great......id like to add a cigarette lighter.....and i picked up one from auto zone.......just needs to be wired in.....


First picture is from a 1979 C20 P/U I had, then two pictures of the plug alone and it in my 85 M1010.

 

[rikinwyoming]

Why can't you just tap into the hazard fuse in the fusebox, it should be constant on without needing to turn the key to any position? I don't own a cucv, but have had a ton of chevy trucks and could do it with all of them?

 

[jdeoliveira74]

I'm doing the same thing. I am going to run a wire from the positive terminal of the front battery back to a stereo, CB, and cigarette lighter and then run a ground back to attach where the negative grounds to the body. I will probably be using an inline fuse (the CB already has one). I am trying to find a good place to run the wire through the firewall on the pass side, there is the wires that go into the cab from behind the fuel filter unit, but they look sealed pretty well. on the drivers side i ran a PA speaker wire down through a hole near the hood hinge and through the kick panel vent unit (between the plastic and the metal of the cab) and so i might do something like that on the pass side. anyone know of a good place to run these wires? I should have it done by monday or tuesday. I'm going to radioshack tomorrow and i can find out the right gauge wire for the job. I've seen universal cigarette lighter kits at walmart so i will either do that or pull one from a junker (my 1st choice) to keep it stock looking. Just my bit of input on the matter. Please more info from those of you who have already done it.
John

there should be a gromet on passenger side to the right of the power bars.. or wireing terminals where the fire wall starts to indent into the cab! I think i have a pic and the lighter will ground to the body depending where you put it. I installed 2 in the dash up front for all my electronics

 

[jdeoliveira74]

the pic of the fuel filter to the right of it there are two gromets where you can run wire into cab

 

[jdeoliveira74]

Would I not want constant for the stereo settings to save, and ignition (yellow) to ignition on the fuse box?

yellow power wire is on all the time for memory, Red is ignition power turns on and off with truck. So the radio will shut off when the truck is off