Cigarette Lighter, Easiest way to get to power and ground in back Options

[Baumgardner]

I am wiring the radio in my '72 914. (There is no old wiring). It would seem pretty simple - just run the ground and power to the back of the cigarette lighter running off Fuse 8. However, I cannot contort my body to get to it. From researching some other threads, some said you have to go inside the luggage compartment, remove the blower, and then access it that way. Ugh. Another said "there is a push on ring that holds the lighter housing against the dash. Get a hold of the lighter under the dash and wiggle to loosen up the grip from the ring to the lighter body. Then keep pushing and shortly it will be obvious and be out." Anyone have any thoughts on this? Not sure which of these should be pursued or if there is another way to access. Thanks.

[bbrock]

No way in hell would I remove the blower. I cannot fathom how that is going to help anyway. I have managed to contort to connect disconnect radio and cig lighter wires several times. I hold the connector with needle nose pliers to push them on. Try removing the knee pad to get a little more room. Wiggling the lighter loose also works.

[BPic]

Pop the speedometer out and you can see the wires to the lighter and reach them.

[76-914]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif) Easy peasy this way. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)
EDIT: You'll need to disconnect the cable from the rear of the speedo and the trip reset from the lower lip of the dash if it has one.

[Baumgardner]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif) Easy peasy this way. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)
EDIT: You'll need to disconnect the cable from the rear of the speedo and the trip reset from the lower lip of the dash if it has one.

Well, speedometer removal is now a third idea! It does sound like the simplest approach so I'll give it a shot this weekend. Thanks.

[Coondog]

Fourth option..........
Take it to professional installation shop... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif)

[bbrock]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif) Easy peasy this way. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)
EDIT: You'll need to disconnect the cable from the rear of the speedo and the trip reset from the lower lip of the dash if it has one.

Well, speedometer removal is now a third idea! It does sound like the simplest approach so I'll give it a shot this weekend. Thanks.

Come to think about it, I think that's how I did it the last time I had to plug the radio into the cig lighter. Had forgotten about that but yes, removing the speedo gives a nice window to a lot of things that are hard to access.

[barefoot]

Drop the fuze panel down & add a doubling connector the the fuzed side of the appropriate fuze. Run a new 12 V wire to your radio. there's a ground terminal just beside the fuze panel, add another ground wire there for the radio

[Baumgardner]

Drop the fuze panel down & add a doubling connector the the fuzed side of the appropriate fuze. Run a new 12 V wire to your radio. there's a ground terminal just beside the fuze panel, add another ground wire there for the radio

Thank you everyone. I think I should report that I believe I found a solution. I had tried in vain to contort my old body in a way to get to the back of the lighter with no success. Yesterday, as I prepared to remove the speedometer, I thought I might give it one more try. The key (ok, this may sound like I'm an idiot for not figuring this out before...) was to climb in from the passenger side instead of the drivers side. When I did that, I found I could contort myself to the point where I could reach it.



So there we have the power and ground and I think I'll be good. Just have to find the right wires and connectors to send them over. If I have trouble I'll move to one of the suggestions here... Anyone know if the radio power line can go there directly or does it need an inline fuse which I have seen pictures of on some Motorola radio installation wire harness kits (none of which are available for sale unfortunately)...? Thanks again for all your responses.