Cigarette Lighter Wiring

I have the original cigarette lighter for my 1971 cj5. It came with the jeep. However it was not wired to a power source. Can I just run a wire to a hot post on the firewall with an inline fuse? I think it grounds itself when screwed into the dash. Any help is appreciated.

 

If it has only the one post center-rear, yes it does ground to the dash. However, you should hook the power to an accessory post on the ignition switch. An inline 20a fuse is a good idea.

 

You can hook it to accessory if you want it to power off with the key

Or if you want to be able to use it with the engine off wire it to a constant hot
Both with a fuse of course

 

you can pick up power at the light switch 12V hot . before breaker . yes use a 15A fuse

 

Could always just tie in to a battery pos with a inline fuse. Probably the easiest too unless you have to have it switched.

 

Most modern cars will have a 15 to 20 amp fuse in the cigarette/aux plug. A factory cigarette lighter back in the day would have had a 12 or 15 amp fuse. My factory lighter in my 71 had an in-line buss that was a 12 amp and it was wired live all the time.

 

My car and truck are both 20 amp. There generally listed as power ports nowadays for charging laptops and such.

 

I believe in a 71 the cigar lighter is 10 a fuse from the fuse block

 

In 71 there was no fuse block. Why I said mine had an inline buss fuse with a 12 amp fuse.

 

Get a Zippo.

 

I bet they're banking on USB computer and phone stuff for a 5A rating, not a huge antique spotlight for shining deer or a hot coil of metal to light a nice, manly cigar with. Lol

 

Thanks guys. I have a terminal block on my firewall. I will connect to the hot all the time with an inline fuse. Simplest way for me.

 

Yes, no fuse block on 71, fuse holder. Do check wire size to fuse rating. Don't want wire to become the fuse.
for 15a use 12 ga, for 10a use 14 ga., 20a requires 11 ga. (or more common 10 ga).
Many of the inline holders come with 2a leads for use with radios, etc.