Using the 12v trunk plug without cutting out after 3 minutes?

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bbyer

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Some? I guess the LR4 may be different. Curious which ones are now constant power.

So, I am guessing that if I do this I just have to be responsible and not leave a power sucking device attached that'll drain your battery. BUT, leaving a cell phone connected, for instance, would not be a concern.

THANK YOU for sharing the photo.
Correct, low power stuff like a cell phone is not a real concern but one of those coffee warmer things might be.

I use those cigarette lighter USB adapters with a LED and then pull it back a bit so it is not powered until needed.

As I recall one of the two front console sockets would go off, the one in the centre armrest for the second row of seats and the socket in the left wall near the rear hatch would all power off - now they remain powered.
 

umbertob

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May God strike the greedy owners of Photobucket dead. Sorry about the broken links, I can't edit that old post but here is a copy-and-paste with new photo links... Although you've figured it out without them. I don't check this forum nearly as often as I used to.


Pull the "offending" relay (photo is from a RHD Sport, but besides the surrounding wires the fuse box is the same on "our", LHD LR4), located in the front passenger compartment behind the lower glovebox:
bnkDCPaQ-L.jpg



This is the relay you pulled. The arrows show the two contacts you need to bridge on the fuse box to get permanent power to the 3, 12v sockets it controls: front passenger side, rear passengers and cargo area. Basically all of them except the front cigar lighter on the driver's side, which is controlled by a different relay.
_KqgXgXQ-L.jpg



Make a short wire bridge - 8 or 10 AWG will work - with a male spade connector at each end and plug it into the female connectors on the fusebox to jump the relay. It helps to have Cinderella hands as space is super tight, especially on LHD vehicles. Or, you can use needlenose pliers, but be careful:
YvbXoJmQ-S.jpg



If you own a diagnostic tool such as IIDTool, you will routinely retrieve a stored fault as the electronics detect the relay is missing and think it's defective, but other than that (and the possibility you will run your battery flat by leaving a device connected to one of those sockets long enough), no adverse effects. The always-on 12v sockets are still protected from overloads by their own separate fuses.

Umberto
 

bbyer

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Fault code?

I noticed you made a comment that pulling the relay can generate a fault code that is picked up by the Black Box Faultmate.

I have the Blackbox Nanocom Evolution and yes, it has routinely been displaying fault codes that seemed to me were always present but I never did know why.

Was there any fault code in particular that it would display?

I often get a "lost communication" with something, but all seems good with my 3 but I wondered what might be causing the error messages.

I certainly appreciated your comment as I had never thought that removing a relay would be noticed by the 3's computers.
 

Rover Runner

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I got so tired of this problem and the fact that the wire (not cable) that goes to the trunk is too small a gauge to run anything worthwhile. I just drilled a hole for another 12V socket and ran a #12 wire all the way to the engine compartment and plugged it in to the "constant on" fuse position. I'm happy, and it will power my electric fridge and tools when I need the power.
 

avslash

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May God strike the greedy owners of Photobucket dead. Sorry about the broken links, I can't edit that old post but here is a copy-and-paste with new photo links... Although you've figured it out without them. I don't check this forum nearly as often as I used to.


Pull the "offending" relay (photo is from a RHD Sport, but besides the surrounding wires the fuse box is the same on "our", LHD LR4), located in the front passenger compartment behind the lower glovebox:
bnkDCPaQ-L.jpg



This is the relay you pulled. The arrows show the two contacts you need to bridge on the fuse box to get permanent power to the 3, 12v sockets it controls: front passenger side, rear passengers and cargo area. Basically all of them except the front cigar lighter on the driver's side, which is controlled by a different relay.
_KqgXgXQ-L.jpg



Make a short wire bridge - 8 or 10 AWG will work - with a male spade connector at each end and plug it into the female connectors on the fusebox to jump the relay. It helps to have Cinderella hands as space is super tight, especially on LHD vehicles. Or, you can use needlenose pliers, but be careful:
YvbXoJmQ-S.jpg



If you own a diagnostic tool such as IIDTool, you will routinely retrieve a stored fault as the electronics detect the relay is missing and think it's defective, but other than that (and the possibility you will run your battery flat by leaving a device connected to one of those sockets long enough), no adverse effects. The always-on 12v sockets are still protected from overloads by their own separate fuses.

Umberto

Photobucket's owners need to die an exceedingly protracted and painful death. Couldn't agree with you more on that.

That post you made years ago, by the way, might just be the single most useful thing posted here.

I feel like I've referred people back to that dozens of times over the years.
 

bbyer

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Well either the diagnostics of the LR4 are smarter than on my LR3 or the IID tool picks up more or creates better detailed fault messages.

I have never seen my Faultmate show as detailed a message as that one. I have always complained that the software cannot tell the difference between a broken conductor and a hardware failure. It looks like what you have does or the LR4 has better diagnostics - I am impressed.

Thanks for showing the message as I will never see that from my 3.

I will pay more attention next time I do a scan as to what the obscure ones I ignore might be really trying to tell me.
 

ftillier

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Has anyone tried to use something like the Traxide ABG-25 to limit the possible draw on the main battery when powering these 12v outlets? Basically replace the relay with the ABG-25. Won't solve the code thing from missing relay. An installation of an aux battery could be used in a similar manner, avoiding the need to run wiring to the rear - just power the existing circuit at the fuse panel using the 'output' pin of the relay...
 

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