[boblamb58]

Wow, that was easy... took me all of about a half-hour. Took me 2 days to put this how-to together

Tools I needed:
Phillis head screwdriver
Sharp knife
7/8 inch drill bit
drill
electrical tape
band-aids

Bell Automotive part 39048, 12 volt accessory outlet. $7.99 plus tax at Autozone.

Here's an exploded view of the outlet before I put it in place.

Take out the 2 tie-down bolts(10mm) and brackets, and the 2 10mm nuts holding the driver side tray in place.

<HR>

Yank on the rear cover plate that runs from side to side over the rear hatch latching point. It takes a very small effort to pop the plastic holders out of the frame. Also take out the left side tray that was just unbolted.

Now it's a little tricky.. tug on the left lower panel until it starts to pop out. Here's a view of the back of the panel, behind the light.

I drilled a 7/8 inch hole that just fit THIS particular outlet. Notice the missing insulation... I did not cut that out, the drill got caught in it and basically ripped it out for me. It didn't need to be there anyway.

OK, hooking up the electrical... the pic came out a bit blurred.. Unhook the plug from the light, cut out a piece from the cover over the wire to expose the red and green wires inside. Using a voltmeter I determined that the green wire is ground and the red wire is power. This kit included a splice tap, so I just used that on the red wire to tap into the power.

For the ground wire, I attached a loop crimp fitting on the end of the wire and screwed it to the vehicle frame, at a spot just to the left of where the supply wire comes down from the upper interior panel. The band aid came in handy when I crimped the fitting on the end of the wire and caught my thumb in between the crimper. Ouch is right.

I forgot to take a decent photo of the outlet from behind after i installed it, but it was a matter of assembling it in right order. I did need a second set of hands to hold the panle in place while I inserted the screw that held it all together.

And the finished product:

 

[Eric]

Niiiice
Thanks for posting!

 

[xseveredveganx]

Good job!!!!

 

[SLOBOX]

:clapping: That looks very nice. It looks like my girlfriends Xterra which has like 5 outlets all over the car. That will come in handy. Thanks 4 the job well done.

 

[boblamb58]

Thanks for the great replies!

It was way easier that I thought it would be. The hardest part actually, was getting up the nerve to drill a hole in a 2-day-old Scion xB that I had just laid out $18,000 for.

I'm thinking of putting in one more, but have yet to decide on a spot.

 

[CamSr]

I like it, hopefully it warms up here so I can put one in myself.

 

[boblamb58]

I like it, hopefully it warms up here so I can put one in myself.

You could probably do it under a blanket in about a half hour

 

[boblamb58]

Not trying to be a postwhore.. just wondering if anyone else has tried this and if so how it worked out for you.
Also, if you put one in a different spot, do you have a DIY for that you could post?

Thanks

 

[mfielden]

I'm wondering...

When you did this in your car, did you consider the option of adding one of those adapter dealios (technical term) that would then allow you to put in a regular 110 socket? Having another 12 volt is only somewhat beneficial for my use, but having a 110 in the car would be a huge plus for powering notebook computers, game systems, etc.

Michael

 

[xseveredveganx]

I'm wondering...

When you did this in your car, did you consider the option of adding one of those adapter dealios (technical term) that would then allow you to put in a regular 110 socket? Having another 12 volt is only somewhat beneficial for my use, but having a 110 in the car would be a huge plus for powering notebook computers, game systems, etc.

Michael

What you're speaking of is a power inverter. Adding one wouldn't be difficult at all. It depends on how much power you're wanting. A larger power inverter needs to be wired like any car stereo amplifier, to the battery with larger power cable. If you're a little more handy, you could use an outlet like in the wall of your home and have an outlet anywhere you want. Or you could just have your electronic devices plug right into the inverter.

After a quick search, it yielded me with this.

 

[Brewski]

Question....is the new outlet "hot" when the hatch is closed?

The only reason I ask is because when the hatch is down the cargo area light goes "off" regardless of the light's switch position.

Brewski
08 xB

 

[xseveredveganx]

Question....is the new outlet "hot" when the hatch is closed?

The only reason I ask is because when the hatch is down the cargo area light goes "off" regardless of the light's switch position.

Brewski
08 xB

That's because there's a pin switch like there is on all of the doors. If you hard wired it to the vehicle's battery, like an amplifier, it will always be on. Unless, there's a remote lead in which you can probably hook up a switch. But on second look, it appears that all of the inverters that I have listed have an external switch. So if you wanted it on, you'd have to physically flick the switch to turn it on.

 

[boblamb58]

It is always hot.. I know this for a fact as i have charged my cell phone several times through that outlet. Doesn't matter if the car is on or off or the door is open or shut. It's still powered.

 

[Brewski]

Thanks for the original post and for posting back on my question...

Great location for an auxiliary power outlet.


My guess is that the "pin switch" on the hatch that controls the cargo area light is on the negative (or ground side) of the wiring to the light.

Brewski
08 xB

 

[phat6]

just installed this in our 08 xb today. thanks for the great write up

 

[Capt Richard]

From looking at the pictures I assume that the wire is about 18-20 gauge that runs the light. I would caution you to not overload the wire with a heavy load. A spotlight or airpump that uses a regular plug normally has a 10 amp fuse in it. The plug would be great for lighter loads but you might run into trouble with a long term heavy draw. I would add a panel mount fuse under the plug for good measure. I am not sure what else is on the circuit.

The walmart ect option to 120v
I have an inexpensive inverter that plugs into the lighter socket with a 120 plug on the other end. It works for light loads like my laptop and printer. If you really need more you can mount the inverter under the hood with a remote switch and then run a cord ( extension cord ) inside the vehicle to power your devices. Most of the bigger inverters require you to run the engine since the alternator puts out 13.8 volts and the battery is only good for 12 volts. When the alternator is off it shuts the unit down thinking the battery is running low since under load the battery output would drop to slightly less than 12 volts. The advantage of it being under the hood is that it puts off heat and needs the air to keep it cool if its a larger unit. ( They look like stereo amps)

I ordered a shop manual so in a week or so I should be able to tell you what the circuit is fused at and what else is hooked to it. If the light and everything else is off you could strech its compacity rating.

 

[boblamb58]

From looking at the pictures I assume that the wire is about 18-20 gauge that runs the light. I would caution you to not overload the wire with a heavy load. A spotlight or airpump that uses a regular plug normally has a 10 amp fuse in it. The plug would be great for lighter loads but you might run into trouble with a long term heavy draw. I would add a panel mount fuse under the plug for good measure. I am not sure what else is on the circuit.

It's quite thin.. 18-20 sounds about right. Mostly I use mine to charge my cellphone. It's always powered, unlike the front outlet.

 

[RemyLitchfield]

Yep. I'll be doing this soon. Thanks.