r22tech

Both the power points are always "on", shouldn't at least one of them turn off when you turn the car off? It makes using a radar detector and remembering to turn it off a little difficult. Does anyone know of a way to make the one on the dash turn off when the car is not in use that doesn't require re-wiring the thing?

holderca1

I don't think there is a way to do it and other cars are the same way, left my radar detector plugged in without turning it off on my Grand Prix at the airport, came home two weeks later with a dead battery. Didn't have to replace the battery though.

whtmule

Look in the owners manual about it. In my 04 Caddy, there is a switch in the fuse box so you can either have it on all the time or turn off with the key.

adrenalin

Engineers must not have taken illegal devices like radar detectors into consideration when designing the power points

Galaxie

I guess they left it that way, because back in the day smokers would have to fire up the car to get the lighter to work.

SurfnSoCal

radar dectors aren't illegal everywhere. They are legal in Texas. In fact, most things are legal in texas...except for....woops...keep this g rated.

holderca1

Speaking of Texas laws, it wasn't too long ago that they didn't have an open container law.

RottenRonny

Radar detectors are illegal in Canada everywhere, except Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia....

Thank God I live in Sask.

On topic though, ya. Every car I have ever owend, mustangs included have always had power going to power points / cig lighters when the switch is off.

HastaLaVista

Or just turn the key to ACC. Plenty of cars (including Fords) today have the cigarett...uh...power outlets turn off when the car is. Leaving them hot all the time seems like poor design.

GhostTX

I'll take most of the legals we have over the legals others have.
God bless Texas. :tex:

I would think the hot power points are more for people charging items...cell phones, etc. Take down your radar detector anyway...why have a calling card for a crook?

cdemot02

Go to a stereo shop and have it wired in. Then it will automatically turn on and off with the car. I usually have mine wired up the driverside pillar and I place it at the upper corner of the windshield. That way crooks can't see it, and it's harder for cops to see it too.

sync007

I'm Not sure But, I know that the power outlet in the center glove box turns off after 10 to 15 min after you turn off your car. I would think that the upper one should be the same.

Radman

Upper one doesn't go off. I leave my detector plugged in when I'm at work, still on hours later.

Jason

Madhouse

In my Lightning, I pulled off the overhead console and found some power and a ground with my volt voltmeter.

I think I'll do the same thing in this car, that way there's no cable hanging down to the power point, and the detector is on/off with the key.

joeuser42

There was a thread about this a couple of months ago. Someone said a dealership quoted $100 to change the powerpoint to go off with the ignition on a previous model stang.

RRRoamer

If it is not built in, then it would require a bit of work to make it turn off with the key. The problem is that a relay would be required because the power outlet is a high current device. You would use the relay coil driven from a switched source and then splice the relay output inline with the power feed to the outlet.

jcopin

ok then what about sattelite radio units that power through the cig lighter..even if u splice the wire like i do and connect it to the back of the socket??
HMM??
yea i know i could wire it to anything that shuts off when the car does..but im a pain in the hiney ok?

=p

clintoris

go down to radio shack and buy yourself a $3.00 switch and and put it in-line on the radar detector's cord... I hate switched outlets in the house.... I'd be equally irritated with switched power points in a car too.