Can the cigarette lighter port be used as a power port?

 

I've heard of people with '04-'08 trucks using their cig lighters that way and burning their trucks up. I don't think these trucks are wired for the lighter to be used as anything but a lighter. Wire up a few accessory power points, if you need to plug up multiple devices.

 

Yeah, it doesn't work too good. It'll blow your fuse.

 

You can use your cigarette lighter jack as a power port with no problem. Heating the lighter element pulls a helluva lot more juice than a couple of phone chargers or an Ipod dock ever will (unless, of course, they have a dead short).

The fire and fuse blowing problems come if someone tries to plug a cigarette lighter into a dedicated power port. Power ports are not designed to handle the current demands or heat of a cigarette lighter and will quickly blow a fuse... if they don't melt and catch fire first.

Brad

 

Brad,

Not to argue but I found this after searching just a moment...

https://www.f150online.com/forums/el...ower-port.html

and after researching my own Owner's Manual (2008), it indeed states that the cigarette lighter should not be used as a power point.

 

I've had my phone plugged into the cigarette lighter for almost 3 years now. Never blew a fuse or even got a little bit warm.

 

i dont use it as a port port, for the same reasons already listed above.

i believe there is a very good reason ford put a PP a little more then a foot way with a "12V" tag on it. try using it!

 

There is nothing wrong with using a CL for a PP. I have used them many many times for that purpose. The disclaimer is that, as noted, the CL is FULL TIME HOT, the PP is Ign. hot. If you were going to use it for a PP (as in needing 2 PP's at the same time) You need to match the wire size going to it to the max load planned for it. If you planned to use something with a continuos load of say 15A, you probably need to increase wire size. It uses only a 16Ga., possibly 14Ga. which is adaquate for the short term of a CL but not for long term of the same load. The lighter itself is more than adaquate. I usually take the lighter out and unscrew the nut on the back, remove the "U" shaped "latch" for the CL and then put it back together. Under those guidelines there is no reason it can't be used for that purpose. Remember to rewire to Ign. if leaving something plugged in full time or unplug it when not running it. Light loads on it, there is no need to increase wire size.

 

but what about when you have to plug in your gps and charge your cell phone?

Ive never heard of not being able to use the lighter as an outlet. I did it all the time in my Mustang (only power source in the car) and in the truck at work.

 

^ If I had to do that, I would just buy a splitter, that would allow me to plug both devices into the same PP. Either that, or do as code said, and add a higher gauge wire that can handle increased loads. I've never had trouble myself, but then again I've never plugged anything in there for an extended amount of time.

 

are u saying that the PP are ignition hot? or that we should make it ign. hot?
mine is ALWAYS HOT.


i believe in vehicles where it is the ONLY source of 12V you have no choice and they set them up differently. all the new vehicles have PP's that are intended to be used for toys.

this is what i did. i had a 24hr road trip one weekend with 4 ppl in the truck and i went out and bought a 3way splitter. i never ended up using it because i had a PP front and back but my intentions were there.

 

Yeah 4x4,

That rear PP sure comes in handy lol

I hardly ever have enough people in my truck to require 2 PPs, but last weekend was a similar situation to your description. I had four folks total, and that rear 12v was a life saver with 4 cell phones/iPods. Just another reason I enjoy my newly-installed Flow Through console

 

I've used my cigarette lighter tons of times to power my phone charger and such, never had any issue with it. What would make the one in our trucks any different than older vehicles without additional ports? As long as it's fused I don't see how there would be any issues with it. Also, the power ports on my truck are all always hot, truck doesn't need to be running.

If you're worried about it, you could do something similar to what I did and install new ports somewhere in the truck. I added a fused three-way and installed in under the dash so the cord from my hitch camera wasn't in the way

 

Sorry, I was thinking the original PP were Ign., my bad. The CL is ALWAYS hot, problem is the CL is fused at 20A I believe and that's probably pretty heavy fusing for steady draw on those wires. Remember, the CL draws pretty heavy but only for about 10 seconds. CL circuit is plenty heavy for all the Low draws you can reasonably put on it (such as plugging in a triple outlet). Just don't plug in a triple and then plug 3-1 miilion candle power lights into it. :o

 

Lol yeah if you do that, the old guard from Indy and the Last Crusade will appear in your back seat and say--He Chose...Poorly.