Power Ports

[Tyg3rW01f]

This is me taking it upon myself to move the POWER OUTLETS section of the Ash Tray? (https://sl-i.net/FORUM/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=4698l) thread into a thread all it's own.

History: I purchased my very first Subaru, a 1999 30th Anniversary Edition Subaru Legacy SUS, on February 21, 2014. The car was sold to me for $1200 by the original owner, a wonderful older lady. It had been her husband's vehicle and had 131.4 thousand miles on it.
I've been fighting the heating issues of this little car since then, but I think AND HOPE I have it licked. But now, there is one annoying detail about this car I have to get fixed by the end of March.

I ABSOLUTELY NEED at least two power ports as I am a modern-day Pizza Delivery Dude who drives a Subaru and has to be able to power --at the very least-- a pizza-store identification car-topper, and a GPS. (I wouldn't bother with the GPS except for the fact I drive 99% of my deliveries in the dead of night, when a map, compass, flashlight, and mailbox numbers are just a little impossible to use with five cars up your muffler with their brights on, honking, and their drivers cussing you out as they try to get you to do 50 down a road you don't know!)

The power port in my Subaru was registering "hot" on a multimeter, but it wasn't powering anything, so I removed the socket. The VERY NEXT DAY, I discovered Ash Tray? (https://sl-i.net/FORUM/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=4698) and the DIY installation thread (https://sl-i.net/FORUM/viewtopic.php?t=4694) on this site and realized "Well, that was stupid of me."

But then I discovered the part in the DIY had been discontinued years before I bough the car...

So here and now, I ask the SLI Tech Geniuses (you guys know more about Legacies than I do, so you are all Geniuses and gurus) about this part (http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/detail/CA00/10242/N0225.oap?ck=Search_N0225_-1_2496&pt=N0225&ppt=C0335) I found at my local O'Reilly Auto Parts store. Is this thing is worth the $14 and my time, SLI Tech?
Or am I just freakin' screwed and have to figure out how to reinstall my cig-port and buy a P.O.S. splitter (http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41HeMu0INRL._SY300_.jpg) that will last me two weeks before I have to replace it again and again and again and again until I get too frustrated with wasting my money and just lose my job over late deliveries, getting lost, and not having a lit car-topper? (one of these)
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2014/03/design_your_own_car_topper-1.jpg

[Tyg3rW01f]

in the extremely unlikely event it is found to be worth the time and money, is there a way to install one of those dual-outlets in the back of the center console?!

[decke48]

What do mean "hot"? Like its pulling amps with no load? You could add that socket pretty easy anywhere you have room to fit it and just tap into the existing power outlet positive wire and ground to body. Might need some extra wire leads look short on it. Ive mounted one under the glove box.

[Tyg3rW01f]

What do mean "hot"? Like its pulling amps with no load?
multimeter was set to check volts, and it would peg every time it was applied to the center of the plug and the plug wall, but the socket would not power anything.

[Tyg3rW01f]

Ive mounted one under the glove box.
so you have installed that socket? that brand?

[decke48]

no i've mounted a generic single port one.
what was it showing for voltage? im confused by "pegging".. most, even cheap ones will go up to 28 volts. the wall is the ground and the center pin is the postive. i would make sure the fuse is good, test voltage, if its good and the accessory isnt working, try checking the fuse built into the plug, most use a 1.5amp glass fuse.
heres a little diagram to setup another outlet
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2014/03/poweroutletpng-1.jpg

[Tyg3rW01f]

cords for GPS and topper work in mom's 06 Outback, sister's 'zuki Grand Vitara AND Dad's Monte Carlo... but they WON'T work in MY Subaru?

[decke48]

Could be a defective outlet or sometime people replace them with cigarette outlets that wont allow the plugs to function right. Try measuring the voltage at the wire lead instead of in the outlet.

[Tyg3rW01f]

will do...
but does anyone know the gauge of wire I need to do the work? I'm presuming I will need at least 8' of wire (so there is slack and enough to "My Bad" with) as I want to install TWO of the double-ports mentioned in the first post; one in the ash tray, the other on the back of the center console...
...also, where might I find said wire as a fused wire?
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2014/03/FreeShipWaterproofFused12VCarAutoCigaret-1.jpg