Fulltime 12V Accesory socket?

[cglensmith]

One of my bugbears with my wife's Megane is that the 12v Accesory socket is not on all the time i.e. it turns off when the car thinks you are done with it. I'd like it to stay on all the time for changing my phone, pumping up the air bed or running a light in the tent if we go camping etc.

Can the socket be set to stay on? I know you then have to be carefull not to flat the battery but I can do that.

Thanks

[A13XDT]

My socket stays on all the time that the key is in the car/ignition is on. I did notice that it turned off when i left the car, but to put it back on you only have to press the start button with the key in the holder, but not press the pedals, that will switch the electrics back on for 20 mins. After that 20 mins, the car cuts all electrics to stop you leaving anything running like the cd player when you are not using it.
Alex

[davelowe]

Take off the trim (see the how to on changing hand brake assembly), cut the cables from the connector about 2 inches from the end, tape off the originals, route +ve & -ve cables to the battery with a 15 amp fuse in series. Bit extreme, but would work. Reconnect it if you need to sell.

[cglensmith]

Thanks for the replies. I was hoping that the management computer could be reset to leave the accessory socket on but thinking about it that would mean keeping a relay energised which would eventually flatten the battery even if you weren't drawing power from the socket.

I could rewire it myself but would prefer it to be made iwth the accessory socket unswitched. My Volvo is, but it's older, 2001, the newer ones are probably like the Megane (i.e. big brother know best!) . With the electrics being so important in modern cars I guess they want to reduce the risk of a flat battery.

[Bumpy macaroon]

12v unswitched avail from back of radio connector A pin 4, save going through bulkhead

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