Easy 12 Volt Tap Under Dash?

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Permalink Reply by SATO on September 18, 2008 at 5:57pm

in the glove box.. midway up and toward the audio jack. that area is easy to get to from the back.. just reach and feel the empty area there. I'll post a pic later.

PS: by putting a 12v plug in there you declutter your dash, I added a "Y" harness as well and power my sat radio and GPS from there....no clutter out..."cables" can be attractive to prying eyes!

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Permalink Reply by AarenJ on September 18, 2008 at 6:32pm

Did you use the expansion slots on the fuse box to power these new plugs, or split the fuse for the existing cigarette lighter? If you used the expansion slots where did you get the expansion plugs? I've tried two auto parts chains and neither have seen that type of expansion plug before and couldn't source it. Both Mercedes dealerships in my area are two hours away in either direction so I hesitate in using the dealer unless I have too.

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Permalink Reply by SATO on September 20, 2008 at 9:43pm

I made them... and pluged into the switched slots.... its really simple!

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Permalink Reply by 451 Kahn on September 18, 2008 at 8:35pm

http://www.evilution.co.uk/index.php?page=modpage&id=350&me...
The above link should help.

Mini blade fuses are used in positions 5 to 27 on the fuse box.
Standard blade fuses are used in positions 1 to 4 and 28 to 31.
Maxi blade fuses are used in positions 32 to 35.

Positions 32 to 35 are on the unseen top side of the fuse box and they can only be accessed by removing the dash or pulling the fuse box from it's mountings in the footwell.

Standard blade fuses are also used in positions R1 to R9 which are also known as positions 36 to 44 which are on the right hand edge of the SAM unit. Half the fuse is held by the SAM unit, the other half floats free to the side where a spade connector can be connected.

In a standard car these spaces would be empty and are used as an aux power source
for optional extras such as heated seats. These can be used for what ever you wish.
Thanks to Evilution for this info.

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Permalink Reply by 451 Kahn on September 18, 2008 at 8:59pm

Check the link where to buy fuse that fit the SAM unit.
http://www.smart-parts-direct.com/cgi-bin/sh000002.pl?REFPAGE=http%...

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Permalink Reply by AarenJ on September 19, 2008 at 11:15am

Thanks I found this info myself and I'm in the process of emailing the website to find out what their shipping prices are for the pigtail adapter for the fuse box.

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Permalink Reply by DendoRacing on September 18, 2008 at 11:47pm

Check out this post for details on using the fusebox expansion connector.

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Permalink Reply by AarenJ on September 19, 2008 at 10:13am

thanks, that's the part number I was looking for.

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Permalink Reply by Donovan on September 19, 2008 at 8:26am

If you look up under the passengers side of the dash there is a flat plastic panel with open space behind it. I picked up 2 12volt sockets and installed them in this panel and wired them direct to the battery with inline fuses. I can now charge my cell phone or GPS even if the car is off. I have the XM unit mounted in the glove box and the power for it goes out to the factory 12volt plug so it can come on with the car. I am also going to add 2 more in the back of the car on the passengers side tail light access cover so we can use 12 volt devices when we travel.

Dink

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Permalink Reply by AarenJ on September 19, 2008 at 8:44pm

The Mercedes part number for the pigtail adaptor is 211-545-12-01 and can be purchased at any Mercedes or smart dealership. It's about $6.00. The part number is from a 2003+ E class Mercedes but it is a shared part across the brands.

This advice from another website isn't entirely correct. My MB dealer in Canada says the part isn't available and contacted MB Canada headquarters on my behalf. They said that it's a sub-part only available as part of the entire fuse box kit. Bummer!

Option #1 - Order it from Dennis in the UK at http://www.smart-parts-direct.com. Price is £1.70 each for the pigtail adapter mentioned above. Add £5.40 for overseas shipping . They accept Paypal or Credit Card orders.

Option #2 - Build your own from a standard blade fuse (the same type that would plug into the pigtail adapter, and a 187 female stud 16-14 blue connector (see photos). File down one tooth on the fuse to match the width required to plug the female stud onto the tooth. Crimp your devices 12 volt positive wire to the female stud and plug it onto the slimmed down fuse tooth. Then plug the other side of the fuse into one of the expansion slots down the left side of the fuse box. A connection point for your devices ground wire is found just behind the fuse box, there is a bolt coming from the car's metal frame that serves as a connection point for multiple ground wires off the fuse box, loosen the nut and add your 12 volt ground wire to this spot.

I just used option #2 to wire my Sirius sat radio into my 451 and it worked well. The pigtail adapter only adds the feature of locking the fuse into place in the fuse box. The friction fit of the fuse in the fuse box is more than enough to hold the modified fuse I made firmly in place.

Attachments:

• Picture 1.jpg, 27 KB
• Picture 2.jpg, 22 KB

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Permalink Reply by mvaldes on September 20, 2008 at 6:52pm

I put mine in the glove box using a Radio Shack outlet (part number 2701556, $6.99). It comes fused and with wires that turned out to be long enough to reach the battery. I crimped on "Y" connectors and slid them under the existing connector terminals next to the battery. I used a 1" hole drill (the round, not spade type) and then enlarged it slightly with a dremmel. The outlet pushes in and seats itself nicely.

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Permalink Reply by mvaldes on September 21, 2008 at 12:07am

Here's a photo of it installed:

Attachments:

• Tmater12v outlet.JPG, 147 KB

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