I'm using my phone like a madman over the next few weeks and running it down by 2pm because the lighter port is only powered when the key is on. It would be great to leave it in the truck to charge when I'm not using it and the truck.

I'm not near a computer, so my wiring diagram viewing and searching are not up to snuff. I've found A ton of links for 3rd gen, 4th gen, but none for 1st gen 4runners.

I refuse to run another power line from the battery for this.

Can anyone point me at a thread where a relay is bypassed, etc, for theses trucks? Please! :-)

 

You could just probe around with a test light till you find constant power, the radio will have one, so you could just hook up to that wire

 

You can find a constant power source in the fuse block .

Since your just charging the phone the draw will not be that much .

Some chargers are fuse protected if it is not good idea to put a inline fuse.

 

Be sure to throw away the lighter; you don't want someone accidentally leaving it in an always-on outlet. And WTF do you need a cigarette lighter for anyway?

You also want a "plug" of some sort for when nothing is in the outlet, to prevent a bit of metal from getting in there. I use a wine cork -- just the right size.

In the end, you're going to find this so useful that you'll want more outlets -- phone, gps, computer. Consider getting a cheap multiple-outlet converter , cut off the male plug, and then just wire that into the always-on radio power.

 

I have an inverter I use as well, and my kids use the truck too, so it needs to be done right. I'm good with electrics, just don't have a good way to read the schematics for the next few weeks.

There has too be a write up... 4th gen is a simple as replacing a relay with a jumper.

 

Re a lighter... sometimes when you're camping, all other flame sources have disappeared.. :-)

Wal-Mart has a $12 splitter with a 2.1a USB port (you can now navigate AND charge your phone at the same time), a port which takes the cigarette lighter, and a power port. Too bad it lights up green, but it's a nice combo.

 

The Amazon charger has a 0.5a USB port, so if you use the phone while charging, most activities will result in it draining... much less a tablet. Just fyi.

Here is the one I bought: http://mobile.walmart.com/m/phoenix;...-Port/23704302

 

I was running a power wire from the battery for an audio amplifier anyway, so just T'd off of that and installed an auxilary cigarette lighter in the trim piece below the stock cigarette lighter.

Seems to me the radio constant power is not a very high-current circuit. I wanted to be able to run my 450W inverter (just in case), which is almost 40 amps from a 12V source. With 12 gauge wire and a 40A fuse, I should be good to go if I ever need the full capacity of that inverter.

I know you specifically stated that you do not want to run another wire, but I had to be devil's advocate, since it has worked out so well for me and took all of 30 minutes to do. Plus, now I have the "always on" circuit and the "on with ignition" circuit to use for different applications.

 

Hmmm. What IS the ampacity of 12 gauge wire? http://www.usawire-cable.com/pdfs/NEC%20AMPACITIES.pdf You might want to think about getting a 25 amp fuse; if that inverter goes south and shorts out, I don't think you want 40amps going through wire that small.

 

Thank you for the warning. However, this table http://www.powerstream.com/Wire_Size.htm seems to indicate that I am well within limits.

I think the table you referenced is for building wire, bundled in sets of three, stuck in a conduit. My wire is solitary and free-air, so should be good to go.

Of course, my ambient temperature is much greater than 30C at times, around the wire. I have a few spare 40A fuses. I might try shorting the circuit myself, with a fire extinguisher handy, just to make sure that wire will not burn up.

I am not too worried about this particular circuit, but I did use the same wire to set up a headlight harness. It has a 40A fuse on the high beam circuit and if 12 AWG wire is not big enough, that is a problem.

Please let me know if I am mistaken.