Can T-Connector Wiring be Powered by 12V Accessory Outlet on 2004 Chrysler PT Cruiser

Question:

Dear experts, I purchased a Curt harness C55532 . My PT cruiser came installed with a power source a cigaret lighter fitting for computers etc. in the rear trunk area. It is located just inside the car behind the rear passenger taillight wiring harness. The circuit is only hot with the ignition on. The hardest thing about the install, for the trailer lighting, is running a hotwire from the battery. Can I put a cigaret lighter fitting in the needed hot wire and use that as my hotwire instead of the hotwire supplied all the way to the battery? I would only plug the trailer wiring harness in when using the trailer, which is seldom. My big question is do I need to supply power to the wiring harness 100 of the time? What happens to the cars lighting system in the case of a blown fuse in the trailer light hot wire? I am going to use a fuse between the cigarette lighter fitting just like the supplied system and the trailer harness, in this case power would go off everytime the ignition is turned off. I am only needing to run this hotwire about 6. Your advise will be greatly appreciated.

asked by: David R

Expert Reply:

We have actually had customers ask this in the past and when I contacted Tekonsha about running the power wire on their T-Connector harness, like the # C55532 for your 2004 Chrysler PT Cruiser, it is not recommended to connect the hot lead anywhere else than the battery.

The reason for this is that the 12V hot lead that comes with the harness is designed to bypass all of the wiring on the vehicle. The trailer lights will be drawing power directly from the battery which eliminates the chances that any circuits on your PT Cruiser can be damaged from the trailer lighting. Since the 12V outlet is likely connected to the other 12V ports in your vehicle (and who knows what else), it is much more safe to run the wire directly to your battery.

We know that this task can be a bit daunting to some customers so we created a helpful article, which I have linked to this page, that gives some general pointers on how and where to run the hot lead.

I have also attached an installation video we shot of the # C55532 being installed on a 2004 PT Cruiser for you to reference.

expert reply by: Jon G