We bought a pre-owned 2001 Outback wagon a couple months ago. After reading the owners manual, I see you're not supposed to use the cigarette lighter as a power tap for a CD palyer, etc. I also see in the manual there's power tap in the way back and another between the front seats in the upper part of the console. This part of our console has a coin holder instead. Does anyone know if the wiring for the power tap is aleady in the console and if I can replace the coin holder with the power tap?

 

Thanks

Sounds like lawyer talk to me. We've been powering a CD player with our cigarette lighter for years, and l-o-o-n-g trips.

 

I'd jus' plug the damnthing in and fuggidaboudit.

Interesting this is noted, because although the lighter works, when I plug in my cell phone charger it won't power up. The charger worked fine on my last vehicle.

 

Anyone have a clue why? Is this normal?

 

 

Sounds like lawyer talk to me. We've been powering a CD player with our cigarette lighter for years, and l-o-o-n-g trips.

 

I'd jus' plug the damnthing in and fuggidaboudit.

The problem with tapping into the cig' lighter is that the back is not well reinforced, the thinking being that the ligher coil is self limiting in how far it can go back. Lots of power adapiers can be pushed much further in, and this breaks the positive contact off the back. The wires are also dangling around the shifter, which can be awkward. My experience with subies is that most of the wiring harness for any option is there, just the option and its' wire back to the first connector is missing. Use the cig' lighter and just don't push in too hard.