Convert ashtray into extra cigarette lighter sockets

[relyt120]

Hi guys this is my first DIY write up so let me know how I do.

So I bought my first MJ a few months ago and am loving every minute of it

but as I was exploring the interior I found that there is a HUGE ash tray.

Well I don't smoke so I figured I would put that nice little space to some good use.

Pondering what to do with it I realized there is only one cigarette lighter so I decided

to make use of the vacant ash tray space to fix that dilemma.

 

This should be easy for anyone with the necessary parts.

 

Here's what you need:

Ashtray

Cigarette lighter splitter or any acceptable lighter sockets

Wire

Soldering iron

Switch

LED with resistor (optional)

Plastic sheet (any size will do you will be cutting it)

Your favorite rotary tool

Hot glue gun (or other adhesive material)

Dry erase marker

Add a circuit (found at your auto parts store)

 

 

 

 

 

 

First things first you'll need to determine the shape of the interior of the ash tray by

folding a scrap of paper to fit inside, it’s pretty much a triangle. Also make one in the

shape of the left corner and a nice rectangle for the right corner.

See picture below.

 

 

Don't cover the little groves near the bottom or it won't close right.

 

 

Next you will need to take those forms and trace them onto the plastic,

utilizing the edges for straight lines where possible.

 

 

 

Then using your rotary tool cut the forms out and trim them to fit.

 

 

Glue the "triangle" pieces into the ash tray.

 

 

Next you will need to take apart the cigarette lighter splitter to retrieve the sockets

and any leds or switches that may be included.(cut the cord off you won’t be needing it)

Please note that some of these adapters have strange multi-part sockets which are not suitable for this application.

Additionally, you will want ports that have a bit of a lip at the top for seamless installation

Cut all the connections from within the adapter, we will be wiring ours up ourselves.

Next take one of the sockets and place it facedown onto the plastic piece cut out for the right corner,

trace the circle around the lip onto the plastic.

 

Cut out the circle with your rotary tool or a drill, be sure to periodically check to see if your

socket will fit though the hole you've made,

you want it to be snug and the circle you drew will be inherently too large due to the lip.]

 

Slide that socket in there and hot glue it from the inside to attach it to the plastic.

Lay that aside.

 

For the left hand side it's going to be a bit more difficult if you plan to have a switch and/or led you will need to choose a switch small enough to allow room for the socket and the led, my adapter had a switch so I just harvested it.

As for the LED you need to have a little resistor to make sure the 12v power source doesn't fry it once again my adapter had one so I just used it.(you can find these at radio shack or online)

 

Draw/trace your design for your socket/switch/led combination onto the plastic you cut out for the left corner then cut it out with your rotary tool just as before, once again be sure to only cut out just enough slide your components in and hot glue them in place if necessary, my led and switch fit snugly enough to not need further securing with hot glue.

 

 

Next comes the wiring, for this I used some automotive wire from Wal-Mart which I believe is 9 gauge cigarette lighter sockets have a positive on the bottom and the inner shell is a negative so they are pretty simple to wire up.

 

Here’s a basic diagram showing the wiring:

 

 

Use your soldering iron to connect the components as shown and the use your hot glue gun to cover the connections

(or not, I do so it can't come lose or short)

 

 

Give yourself a bit of extra wire for the positive and negative wire that will be going to the add a circuit.

 

 

Keep in mind that these two parts will need to be constructed separately and then connected once they have been glued into position within the ash tray, or you can do one with really long wires on the section that connects it to the other socket then run them to the other side of the ashtray and connect them directly to the solder points of the second socket.

 

 

Hot glue the plastic to the already in place triangle pieces and the edges of the ash tray, be sure to leave about an inch of space from the top of the ashtray to insure easy opening and closing of the unit

 

Next you will want to cut the end off of the add a circuit or leave it if you have the appropriate connector

 

splice in a nice length of wire, I used about 2 feet, run this wire under your dash to the area where the ashtray is mounted.

 

place your ashtray into its position but do not lock it into place.

See that screw behind the ashtray? That's a perfect ground for our unit.

 

Wire up your ground to the screw and wire your positive to the length of wire that you ran from the add a circuit

Close the ashtray.

 

Choose a fuse port for your add a circuit to go into, load the old fuse along with another into your add a circuit.

Plug in the add a circuit and everything should be functional.

 

PS. depending on which fuse you tap it may work with out the truck being turned on so be mindful of that when choosing where to place the tap.

[vaquaro]

:huh???: Now what ............ :hmm:

[relyt120]

That's all :D , after you hook it up you have 2 extra cigarette lighter sockets for your car electronics, ill get a picture of it installed and post it tomorrow.

[comanche12]

good idea! i always rather to have more than one cig lighter socket in any vehicle.

 

your awesome! :cheers:

 

edit: IMO, maybe it will be better if those sockets using their own ground?

[relyt120]

:thumbsup: Thanks, that may be a good idea, actually I may redo mine with a little more support in the near future. I find that rough use may cause the plastic to bend in because if the weakness of the hot glue so I will keep that in mind.

[vaquaro]

That's all :D , after you hook it up you have 2 extra cigarette lighter sockets for your car electronics, ill get a picture of it installed and post it tomorrow.

Waiting...... :yes:

[relyt120]

 

 

Update fail :doh:

[vaquaro]

At last :thumbsup:

[Blue88Comanche]

is there room in the dash to hook up a power inverter for things that use A/C power? right now my inverter is behind the drivers seat but i like the idea of a plug being in the ash tray.

 

Great write up :thumbsup:

[relyt120]

:eek: You know that's an interesting idea! I bet you could make room for it , a small one at least. I have a no cd player after market stereo in mine and it is a bit smaller than a regular stereo with a cd player so I bet one could make room if they had a really neat space behind the stereo and ac controls, wire wise. or you could just wire it up in the under dash space and run the wires for the jacks to the ashtray. Thanks btw.

[Blue88Comanche]

here is my current inverter, its a bit big and no longer located in that spot. It can power several of my power tools, such as the starter for my gas trimmer, heavy duty power drill, laptop, or my tv, xbox, and direct tv box all at once. :yes:

 

My dad has a smaller inverter somewhere its about half the size of mine and is 300 watts vs 1000 watts

 

[carnuck]

is there room in the dash to hook up a power inverter for things that use A/C power? right now my inverter is behind the drivers seat but i like the idea of a plug being in the ash tray.

 

Great write up :thumbsup:

 

I have a USB port that lives in my cigarette lighter but I plan to replace my ashtray with a 3 outlet box from work (NAPA) and put a 350 watt inverter on the bottom of the dash with a mechanical timer (so the battery won't go dead)

[relyt120]

here is my current inverter, its a bit big and no longer located in that spot. It can power several of my power tools, such as the starter for my gas trimmer, heavy duty power drill, laptop, or my tv, xbox, and direct tv box all at once. :yes:

 

My dad has a smaller inverter somewhere its about half the size of mine and is 300 watts vs 1000 watts

 

 

 

I doubt there's room for that behemoth! You wold have to install it elsewhere and run the cables

[MancheKid86]

lookin good,

 

one suggestion tho :thumbsup:

right now, the cigar lighters are hooked up in series,

acting like 2 resistors in series making the circuit more resistive,

making less current flow through the circuit,

and there will be a voltage drop from the first lighter to the second, the aux powered item acting as a variable resistor.

 

if you put them in parallel in a circuit,

then the resistance is actually less because it causes the electron flow to have two paths,

causing more current to flow,

and giving the aux outputs equal voltage

 

ie.

single-lane traffic versus multi-lane

 

 

this is what i mean,

 

 

ground plane can be the same,

just needs a junction

:D

[BEATNGU]

BOY THATS SOME SLOPPY WIRING.... HAHAHA JUST KIDDING..... I'm gonna do this, hope you don't mind me swipin your invention.....!!!! :clapping: and for anyone trying to fix broken plastic a soildering gun works wonders, always work from backside and have strips of same material your fixing cause some plastics don't work well together when you go mixing them.....!!!! :typing: :smart: school is over go to your trucks young jedi,s and may the rust be not with you.....!

[relyt120]

:wrench: hot glue ftw!

[relyt120]

BOY THATS SOME SLOPPY WIRING.... HAHAHA JUST KIDDING..... I'm gonna do this, hope you don't mind me swipin your invention.....!!!! :clapping: and for anyone trying to fix broken plastic a soildering gun works wonders, always work from backside and have strips of same material your fixing cause some plastics don't work well together when you go mixing them.....!!!! :typing: :smart: school is over go to your trucks young jedi,s and may the rust be not with you.....!

 

 

Btw- Nice to see someone else from Tennessee on here :clapping:

[BEATNGU]

BOY THATS SOME SLOPPY WIRING.... HAHAHA JUST KIDDING..... I'm gonna do this, hope you don't mind me swipin your invention.....!!!! :clapping: and for anyone trying to fix broken plastic a soildering gun works wonders, always work from backside and have strips of same material your fixing cause some plastics don't work well together when you go mixing them.....!!!! :typing: :smart: school is over go to your trucks young jedi,s and may the rust be not with you.....!

 

 

Btw- Nice to see someone else from Tennessee on here :clapping:

 

hey man , have jeep will travel...!!! windrock is not that far from me... ;) sucks going alone, all my friends are into hondas and lowriders, but i have fun pulling them off speed bumps and outa ditches in the winter.... lol ......

[87Chief]

whoa knoxville, tn? I used to live there for 9 years. What part are you from? I used to live on Sara Sota Dr, near the Gulf Park Pool. Haven't been there in years.