# Can you rewire the cigarette lighter to bypass the ignition switch? **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** rav4, toyota\ **Created:** [April 7, 2010, 12:05am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/can-you-rewire-the-cigarette-lighter-to-bypass-the-ignition-switch/47081 "2010-04-07T00:05:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mike\_loeven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@mike\_loeven](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mike_loeven)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2010, 12:05am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/can-you-rewire-the-cigarette-lighter-to-bypass-the-ignition-switch/47081/1 "2010-04-07T00:05:01Z")
i am looking for a quick and easy way to rewire the cigarette lighter socket so that it bypasses the ignition switch and continues to provide power when the car is turned off ---
**Author:** ![mike\_loeven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@mike\_loeven](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mike_loeven)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2010, 12:05am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/can-you-rewire-the-cigarette-lighter-to-bypass-the-ignition-switch/47081/2 "2010-04-07T00:05:27Z")
for got to mention that my rav4 is a 2008 ---
**Author:** ![BustedKnuckles](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bustedknuckles/32/25_2.png) [@BustedKnuckles](https://community.cartalk.com/u/BustedKnuckles)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2010, 12:11am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/can-you-rewire-the-cigarette-lighter-to-bypass-the-ignition-switch/47081/3 "2010-04-07T00:11:31Z")
I purchased an auxiliary plug and wired it to a constant hot from the fuse box on my Toyota. I do want to warn you that I had left a phone charger plugged into it over a week and a half that I had the car parked while away on vacation. I came back to a low down flat battery. It took 6 hours for my battery charger to bring it back from the dead. That phone charger has been thrown away, and no more drain to the battery. But that’s a risk if your willing to assume it. ---
**Author:** ![UncleTurbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e9a140/32.png) [@UncleTurbo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/UncleTurbo)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2010, 12:15am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/can-you-rewire-the-cigarette-lighter-to-bypass-the-ignition-switch/47081/4 "2010-04-07T00:15:45Z")
Shouldn’t be hard if you have a complete wiring diagram for the Rav 4. You just need to find a “hot” wire when the ignition switch is off. Easy with a wiring diagram, not so easy without. You also need a circut that can handle a pretty heavy current draw. A shop that installs car audio might be your best and cheapest way to go if you can’t figure this out yourself. ---
**Author:** ![mike\_loeven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@mike\_loeven](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mike_loeven)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2010, 12:25am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/can-you-rewire-the-cigarette-lighter-to-bypass-the-ignition-switch/47081/5 "2010-04-07T00:25:03Z")
where can you get these diagrams ---
**Author:** ![waterboy](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/waterboy/32/764_2.png) [@waterboy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/waterboy)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2010, 12:43am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/can-you-rewire-the-cigarette-lighter-to-bypass-the-ignition-switch/47081/6 "2010-04-07T00:43:14Z")
It is really easy to put a connector on the hot side of any unused dedicated powered circuit(ie not off when ignition is off) with an inline fuse afterwords to power anything. If you have a vtvm, or tvm you can find one easily.