Non Fiat Question

[davery]

I have a non-Fiat electrical question and if this not allowed mod, please delete. The people on this forum know much more about electrical stuff than I do. I have a 2011 VW Eos and am wanting to replace my cigarette lighter with a USB port. I have the USB port and it has a "positve" and "negative" connection. It looks like my lighter has three wires. How do I find out which one is the positve and which one the negative?

[ORFORD2004]

Using a testlight the third wire is probably the light wire, it give you positive when the lights are on.

[garion]

Just wondering, but why not just use a small adapter? Something like this:

http://www.amazon.com/Griffin-Technolog ... 674&sr=1-1

Less risk of mistakes...

[wizard124]

Using a testlight the third wire is probably the light wire, it give you positive when the lights are on.

Sounds like you are new to electrical systems. The chassis is connected to the NEG terminal of the battery. Get your test light. Take the clip at the end of the wire and connect it to clean metal (end of a bolt or sheet metal connected to the chassis). Then take the probe end and touch each wire. When the probe touches the POS wire, this complete the circuit and the bulb lights up. The key may need to be in RUN, or the lighter may be hot at all times.

Likely, the 3rd wire is for a light. If so, it will also show POS when the lights are turned on. Regardless, be sure to insulate the end ( electrical tape or wire nut) when you disconnect it and it wont be in use (if the USB port has an integral light, you may be able to hook it up!). You don't want it touching ground and create a short (this will blow a fuse or worse).

The wire that never lights the bulb is your NEG wire.