1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

I want switched power outlet at back under hatch

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by leea, Mar 8, 2023.

  1. leea

    leea Junior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 11, 2014
    25
    8
    0
    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    I want to put a power outlet in the back. The battery is right there but I want it to go off with the car. This is for a camera. I will put a relay on the switched lead and get power from the battery with a fuse so I don't draw too much through the existing wiring. I find all kinds of wires back there and I have tried to find a wiring location chart so I can tell which one. I assume most things that have power, like the wiper, are only hot when they operate. I can't think of anything in the back that is switched, but there are wires that disappear in the floor of the wheel well and some that go to the high voltage compartment.
    Thanks
    Lee
     
  2. PriusCamper

    PriusCamper Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 3, 2012
    10,955
    4,441
    0
    Location:
    Pacific Northwest, USA
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Back in my car stereo install days we'd use a test light probe with a sharp point and poke wires or plug sockets with other end of test light hooked to chassis as ground. Then once we got it to only light up when car is turned on we'd figure out what that wire was powering and if it could handle an additional load. In your case powering a camera won't draw too much of a charge and you'll have more options than if you were drawing larger loads.
     
  3. leea

    leea Junior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 11, 2014
    25
    8
    0
    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    Yeah, that may be my best choice.

    Lee
     
  4. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 30, 2008
    23,411
    15,170
    0
    Location:
    Indiana, USA
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    If by on and off with the car, you mean only on when the car is READY, you can do that without having to find any switched circuit, just by using a handy component called a "low voltage disconnect" that triggers on the voltage difference between the car being in READY and being in any other mode. That's what I did in my Gen 3.

    However, if you mean something different, like you want it on in IG ON or in ACC mode, yeah, you'd have to find a suitable circuit to tap.

    But switching by READY or not is pretty common, because READY is the mode where the car is able to keep the battery from going flat.
     
    Johnny Cakes likes this.
  5. leea

    leea Junior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 11, 2014
    25
    8
    0
    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    On your link you talk about a VCM-06. Amazon does not seem to have it and it is $149 on ebay. I did find low voltage disconnect on Amazon for less. If I can't find a wire as PriusCamper suggested I might do that.
    Lee
     
  6. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 30, 2008
    23,411
    15,170
    0
    Location:
    Indiana, USA
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    Yeah, I got the VCM-06 probably close to a decade ago. I liked its combination of features at the time, like a settable timed off delay, and built in current limiting. I haven't looked around at the products out there now, but there ought to be something comparable or better, or so I would hope.

    The VCM-06 actually drew a surprising amount of current when off. I mean, not large by any means, but not as small as it could have been. Ideally something available today might do better on that score.
     
  7. leea

    leea Junior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 11, 2014
    25
    8
    0
    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    Yeah, I do worry about standby power. When I leave my car in the airport parking lot for a week I want it to work when I get back. The battery isn't that big, I wonder how much it can handle, especially since mine is old and not in as good of shape.
    Lee
     
  8. PriusCamper

    PriusCamper Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 3, 2012
    10,955
    4,441
    0
    Location:
    Pacific Northwest, USA
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Here's one I just found for $25 ----> https://www.ebay.com/itm/234605312823 Of course it's a non-starter if the design of these makes it a significant phantom power drain when vehicle is turned off. That would defeat the purpose it's supposed to serve.
     
  9. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 30, 2008
    23,411
    15,170
    0
    Location:
    Indiana, USA
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    I found the post where I talked about the VCM-06 draw when off. It was about 7 mA. That was in my Gen 1, where I was used to seeing 63 to 70 mA quiescent draw, so it might have added about 10% to that.

    I noted that hobbit's figure for a quiescent Gen 2 was closer to 11 mA, so 7 mA for the VCM would be nearly doubling that ... unfortunate.

    When I emailed InPower about it, they said "That measurement is within .1Ma of our tested draw for this product. The power is to allow for the microprocess to remain active in a key off position." And as I mused in that earlier post,

    But, anyway, the thing is still in my car (in the Gen 3 now), still doing its job. So it draws 7 mA when it's off. I've got other stuff to worry about. :)

    Anyway, I might not have had any flat-battery worries since doing the solar maintenance charge mod.
     
  10. Grit

    Grit Senior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 22, 2017
    6,117
    4,041
    1
    Location:
    Wilkes Land
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    What kinda camera that’s going to draw that many amps that needs a dedicated outlet? Maybe a 300 watts lithium iron phosphate battery “generator” will do, charge it with car cigar lighter when close to 20% soc left.
     
  11. PriusCamper

    PriusCamper Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 3, 2012
    10,955
    4,441
    0
    Location:
    Pacific Northwest, USA
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    That's the problem with all the EE kids these days... They're little brats who think the electrical devices they design should never turn off just so their big ego feels even bigger!
     
    CR94 likes this.