Power off cigarette lighter

[dmk9561]

I've been thinking of wiring the power adaptor for my MP3 player into the cigarette lighter that is closest to the stereo. How long does this remain powered after the car is turned off? I don't want it to stay on all the time, and if this shut off 15 minutes or an hour or so after the car, that would be ok. Anyone know?

[Texas Jim]

I hope yours works different than mine.

Mine "NEVER" turns off.

It is always "HOT", anytime anything is plugged into it.

[BodybyFisher]

I believe that is true about mine also, I always thought it turned off with the retained power circuit in about 10 minutes. I have left my cell phone charger attached to it however and it charges my phone while the car is off, once did it over night with no ill affects

[Cadillac Jim]

The lighter and courtesy lamps are on "inadvertent power" which is timed out by the PZM. I can't find the writeup in the 1997 model year FSM just this second but I think it's ten minutes, like the Retained Accessory Power. The difference is that the RAP is turned off when you open a door.

[Ranger]

Yes, RAP is 10 minutes.

Tex, check your RAP fuse. I think there are two sets of receptacles to plug the fuse into. One will power the RAP and the other will bypass it. You may be plugged in to continuous power.

[BodybyFisher]

The lighter and courtesy lamps are on "inadvertent power" which is timed out by the PZM. I can't find the writeup in the 1997 model year FSM just this second but I think it's ten minutes, like the Retained Accessory Power. The difference is that the RAP is turned off when you open a door.

Jim, so I am wrong that my lighter stays on?, thx, Mike

[Texas Jim]

Yes, RAP is 10 minutes.

Tex, check your RAP fuse. I think there are two sets of receptacles to plug the fuse into. One will power the RAP and the other will bypass it. You may be plugged in to continuous power.

Thanks Ranger,

I will check that fuse and see where it is plugged in when I get a little time, and report back.

But, everything ELSE does turn off after 10 minutes.

Only the lighter sockets stay powered on all time.

[Cadillac Jim]

In my 1997 FSM, the cigar lighters are on the inadvertent power, not RAP. The INDVERT fuse is 50 Amps and is in the LH MaxiFuse block between the BODY 3 (50 Amps) and LAMPS (60 Amps) fuses according to page 8A-10-0. The INDVET fuse loads shown on page 8A-10-10 are the blower motor and the inadvertent power relay. The loads after the relay are the CIG LTR 1 (and in Deville/Seville, the CIG LTR 2 fuse) (20 Amps) and the INT LPS fuse (10 Amps) which powers the interior lamps.

The CIG LTR fuses and the INT LPS fuse are in the engine compartment fuse/relay center shown on page 8A-11-0. The CIG LTR fuse circiuits are shown on page 8A-11-4 and power only the cigar lighters, although something labeled "WITH V4U" is shown, so the butt warmer (?) is probably on the CIG LTR 1 fuse. The INT LPS fuse circuit is shown on page 8A-11-1 and powers the interior lamps and the courtesy lamps.

I don't see retained accessory power there anywhere. The inadvertent power relay control is from the PZM and gets its power from the Mirror Fuse (10 Amps), according to page 8A-11-6. The PZM controls the inadvertent power relay through pin C3 of connector C4 according to page 8A-51-1.

The retained accessory power circuit controls by the PZM are all shown on page 8A-51-1, which show everything up to the RADIO/PHONE, AMP, and CLUSTER fuses. RAP is controlled by pin C2 of connector C2 on the PZM. The RAP is powered from the Controlled Power relay, which, with the Controlled Power Back-Up and Accessory Time Delay relays, control the RAP power logic described on page 8A-15-3. All the RAP relays and fuses are in the trunk compartment fuse/relay center except the time delay relay, which is in the "Left hand front of the passenger compartment, taped in the body harness (8A-201-34 Fig. 65)" for variety.

Thus, according to the 1997 FSM, the interior lights and cigar lighters are on the inadvertent power, not the RAP. RAP cuts off when the doors or opened or 10 minutes after the key is turned off, whichever comes first. Inadvertent power just times out; I don't know what the time is but I could find out by leaving my GPS in the car and watching for it to notice that the cigar power was cut, or anyone could do it by leaving on an interior light or a courtesy light and watching that.

BBF asked if he was wrong in saying that his inadvertent power stayed on; I can't say for sure for other cars, but my 1997 model year FSM says it's controlled by the PZM and my 1997 ETC does cut the inadvertent power when the PZM goes to sleep. We have a fellow with a 1997 Deville that has an overnight battery drain problem, and the first thing we asked him was whether he has a cell phone or GPS powered on a cigar lighter, but his problem was on the COMFORT fuse load. And, other model years may differ.

[BodybyFisher]

You are probably correct Jim, I cant test the notion, my car is sitting with a dead battery collecting leaves...thx

If I get a chance later, Ill check my FSM

[Cadillac Jim]

Regarding inadvertent power timeout -- all I could find in the FSM is that it's on a relay controlled by the PZM. I could NOT find a writeup on inadvertent power timeouts. I do know that it does time out on my car because when I accidentally leave an interior light on or the trunk or hood open, or forget the GPS and leave it in the cradle, they are out in the morning and the battery is OK. They come back on when I turn on the key. I once saw a post here that said it was about 40 minutes but I suspect it's more like 10 or 20 minutes. There are other timeouts done by the PZM that aren't documented very well in the FSM (I haven't checked the owner's manual lately, though) that include the headlights on time when locking or unlocking the car with the fob, and the headlights on time when turning off the car.