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Originally Posted by CAAK
Yes. (for me)
I have a Teac DVD player (portable) that I would like to have the 12V socket hard wired, so that it does not loose power when the ignition is turned off and again when the car is started.
Can this be achieved?
CAAK
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It certainly can, with running some wires (I am assuming to the 12v outlet in the rear of the console?), but with the obvious dowside that any device left running on this outlet will have the potential to run the battery flat if the car is not running to charge the battery - the time this will take will depend on the load applied - your DVD player would take a while to do this I would suggest.
My word of caution here would be to ensure nothing remains connected for significant time periods whilst the car is not running, as jump starting modern vehicles, with all their electronic devices, can be (not always) problematic.
As for the DVD remaining running when you do start the car: When cars start, current flows to the least resistive path - which is your starter motor. As the starter motor is a very high current demand device, this also has the effect that battery voltage drops for the period the engine is cranking - which many devices (other than ones that were designed to operate on about 8 - 14V) do not tolerate very well - which may cause your DVD player to stop briefly - and therefore want to restart from the beginning of the disc, which is what you're trying to avoid I presume.
You may be able to avoid this in several ways:
1) Test the setup by temporarily hard-wiring a "cigarette lighter" socket (or the plug itself) directly to the battery, and start the car to see if the current flow/voltage to the DVD is sufficient to keep it "alive";
2) When you hard-wire the actual console 12V outlet, hard-wire it directly from the battery (not the fuse box or other 12V supply point), with decent gauge wire - the wire gauge must be sufficient to support whatever you plug into this socket (fridge etc);
3) Test that the DVD will (or won't) stay operating as the car is started etc;
4) Use batteries in the DVD player (if it has this facility) as well as the external power source - as most devices that have this capability (more than 1 power source) will revert to the alternate power source when the other is not available or not suitable - and then revert back to the external power source when it is normalised.
Also, remember when hardwiring your 12V outlet to:
1) Disconnect its existing wires and ensure they are insulated and cannot inadvertently short together, or to an earthing point like a metal body component or screw etc;
2) When connecting the new wires, ensure battery positive goes to the centre contact of the "cigarette lighter" style socket.
3) Fit an inline fuse, as you've now bypassed the car's fuses, and the protection they afford. I would do this at the battery end to ensure the whole length of the wire that you've run, and anything connected to it, is protected from an over-current situation. The size of the fuse should be no more than 0.5 - 1 amp larger than the demand of the device you intend to run on this power source. But remember here, that the two amp fuse you put in for your DVD player will not run a fridge etc!! So your choice of fuse rating will depend on what is likely to get plugged in;
4) If you're not familar with car electrics, go and get an auto electrician to do the job. You're extremely unlikely to electrocute yourself working on car electrics, but wires connected directly to car batteries - when shorted to an earthing point or earth wire - glow red hot, melt and catch fire rather quickly, which no one would want in their new Territory!
Lastly, I thought I had read somewhere that the power source in the luggage area was a permanent 12V source to cater for fridges etc - could be wrong on this though.
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