Fix your 12-volt outlet yourself

[Uncle Ben]

I posted the question here a month ago about how to get at the
accessory outlet in the cargo space of my 1999 OB, which was giving me
no power, but I got no answer. So I took the car to my local
distributor's service dept. They said the socket is defective, they
could order a new one, it would cost $133 with installation. No thanks!
I reply. They say, $75, please, for the diagnosis. AARGH!

So I bought a replacement socket at Radio Shack for $9 and went to work
pulling off upholstery and liners in the back trying to get at the
socket myself. I should have saved the $9 and thought a little harder:

Lots of the upholstery and lining in the car just pops out. If you're
lucky, you can re-use the little plastic buttons that pop out when you
yank on things when it's time to re-assemble. But a little thought
would have saved me lots of trouble.

Because you don't have to remove anything. Just wedge a screwdrver
behind the rim of the outlet and it will pop out too.

The socket was not at all defective. It was just fused, not with an
ordinary fuse, but with a fusible link of alloy wire ingeniously
constructed inside the back of the outlet. I figured it was safe
enough to rely on the fuse for the circuit itself, which also serves
the seat heat in my car, so I soldered on a little jumper across the
melted wire, and the thing works fine.

Saved $133. Would have saved the $75 + $9 and an hour of my time if I
had had the knowledge beforehand as to how easy the fix was.

If anybody finds this useful, drop me a line, please. Otherwise I
would feel that I had wasted even more time by posting this.

 

[Victor Roberts]

If anybody finds this useful, drop me a line, please. Otherwise I
would feel that I had wasted even more time by posting this.

A good post is never a waste of time. If we don't have the
problem now we may in the future.

 

[mulder]

I posted the question here a month ago about how to get at the
accessory outlet in the cargo space of my 1999 OB, which was giving me
no power, but I got no answer. So I took the car to my local
distributor's service dept. They said the socket is defective, they
could order a new one, it would cost $133 with installation. No thanks!
I reply. They say, $75, please, for the diagnosis. AARGH!

So I bought a replacement socket at Radio Shack for $9 and went to work
pulling off upholstery and liners in the back trying to get at the
socket myself. I should have saved the $9 and thought a little harder:

Lots of the upholstery and lining in the car just pops out. If you're
lucky, you can re-use the little plastic buttons that pop out when you
yank on things when it's time to re-assemble. But a little thought
would have saved me lots of trouble.

Because you don't have to remove anything. Just wedge a screwdrver
behind the rim of the outlet and it will pop out too.

The socket was not at all defective. It was just fused, not with an
ordinary fuse, but with a fusible link of alloy wire ingeniously
constructed inside the back of the outlet. I figured it was safe
enough to rely on the fuse for the circuit itself, which also serves
the seat heat in my car, so I soldered on a little jumper across the
melted wire, and the thing works fine.

Saved $133. Would have saved the $75 + $9 and an hour of my time if I
had had the knowledge beforehand as to how easy the fix was.

If anybody finds this useful, drop me a line, please. Otherwise I
would feel that I had wasted even more time by posting this.

The reason that extra fuse is there is for protection against
overheating of the socket, it is a thermal fuse. By soldering a jumper
across it you have defeated this protection, so although the socket
now works again it is not as safe as it was before.
The thermal fuse typically blows when a high-current device such as an
AC inverter or air compressor is plugged into the socket and it gets
too hot.

 

[nobody >]

The reason that extra fuse is there is for protection against
overheating of the socket, it is a thermal fuse. By soldering a jumper
across it you have defeated this protection, so although the socket
now works again it is not as safe as it was before.
The thermal fuse typically blows when a high-current device such as an
AC inverter or air compressor is plugged into the socket and it gets
too hot.

I'm going to check the wire gauge on the outlet on mine. If it's #12 or
larger and the fusepanel fuse (not that fusible link) is 20 Amp (which
is probable), it's just another case of screwball Subaru engineering.
I'm not pulling those numbers out of my hat, 20 amp fusing on a 12 gauge
wire is automotive standard as well has house and business wiring.

If what I suspect is true, I'm going to solder-bridge that sucker ahead
of time.

 

[Glenn]

Hi all

I had a similar problem in my 98 Outback. I was running a fridge from
it (3 way fridge which draws 4 amps at 12 volts). I was surprised that
the socket failed since it is well below the 10 amps that the socket is
rated for. I removed the socket and found the fusible link had failed,
so I simply shorted it out and put an in-line 10 amp fuse in the lead
to the socket.

Guess what? The socket failed again. I checked the current draw and
all looked fine. I deduced that the cigarette lighter type socket used
for the fridge doesn't connect reliably on a continuous basis. On a
trip, the socket and plug vibrate and move slightly causing momentary
reistance and ongoing heating until finally the fusible link dies. I
have now added a new two pin push connector to the line and run it out
of the small storage pocket in the back (just near the socket). This
is also protected by the in-line fuse. I've never had trouble since.

Cheers
Glenn
PS Sorry I didn't notice your question: could have saved you time.

 

[sapper]

I posted the question here a month ago about how to get at the
accessory outlet in the cargo space of my 1999 OB, which was giving me
no power, but I got no answer. So I took the car to my local
distributor's service dept. They said the socket is defective, they
could order a new one, it would cost $133 with installation. No thanks!
I reply. They say, $75, please, for the diagnosis. AARGH!

So I bought a replacement socket at Radio Shack for $9 and went to work
pulling off upholstery and liners in the back trying to get at the
socket myself. I should have saved the $9 and thought a little harder:

Lots of the upholstery and lining in the car just pops out. If you're
lucky, you can re-use the little plastic buttons that pop out when you
yank on things when it's time to re-assemble. But a little thought
would have saved me lots of trouble.

Because you don't have to remove anything. Just wedge a screwdrver
behind the rim of the outlet and it will pop out too.

The socket was not at all defective. It was just fused, not with an
ordinary fuse, but with a fusible link of alloy wire ingeniously
constructed inside the back of the outlet. I figured it was safe
enough to rely on the fuse for the circuit itself, which also serves
the seat heat in my car, so I soldered on a little jumper across the
melted wire, and the thing works fine.

Saved $133. Would have saved the $75 + $9 and an hour of my time if I
had had the knowledge beforehand as to how easy the fix was.

If anybody finds this useful, drop me a line, please. Otherwise I
would feel that I had wasted even more time by posting this.

My 2000 Forester has the same problem. I discovered it just after the
car came out of warranty. High time I tried to fix it - thanks