I have several different electronic units wired off the cigarette lighter power wire, and I'm wondering how many more devices I can add before I need to start worrying about maxing out the current capacity of the wire and/or adding safety fuses.

Currently installed:
DEI Alarm unit
DEI Automatic window unit
DEI Alarm pager unit
Greddy Peak/Hold boost gauge

To be installed:
Greddy Peak/Hold fuel pressure gauge
Greddy Peak/Hold EGT gauge
Valentine 1 hardwire (right now I'm just plugging it into the cigarette socket)


This seems like a lot of current draw for one little wire, but I suppose the cigarette lighter is a big current draw itself when you push it in. Should I consider running a dedicated power cable for all the gadgets, or is the stock wiring fine?

Not that the wire can't take the extra load, but I would get the power for the other gauges from the dimmer switch. Its a shorter route, plus the cigarette lighter power wire will not be that clogged with power wires.

Just my $0.02

just wondering why the hell would you put that much stuff on that 18 guage wire? you should run your powers to the 12 guage main power wire on the ignition harness, or better yet run a 10 or 8 guage from the battery into the car. That would work out better for you. You are going to overload that cig. lighter if you aren't carefull.

That DEI stuff is next to nothing, the Greddy stuff isn't too bad either for draw.

Consider leeching the 12V for the stereo, I think I got my S-AFC and turbo timer from that.

Could be time to run a 12V source from the battery and get a distribution block set up for future expansion?? That way you can add amps and stereos and LCDs and all sorts of stuff.

Sucks that the streets are so bad, I haven't even started up the car in 2 days. :mad:

That cigarette lighter lead does carry enough power to heat up the coil element, so it can carry some juice. But I wouldn't put anything mission critical on it once you've ghetto tapped so many things onto it.