Hi Guys,

High on my list of Fiero irritations, just be behind the abscence of cup holders, is the absence of power outlets! Yes, one can use the cigar lighter....but I am an unreconstructed smoker and like to USE my cigar lighter, so that does not work for me.

In previous cars I put DC panel jacks into the ALDL cover plate, but that required cutting off the connector on what ever devices I wanted to use in my Fiero.

I looked at putting an Aux Outlet in the same panel, but there is just not enough room. So what to do?

Well, I recently had to replace the switch for my remote trunk release. Since I do not have the rear window defogger, I had a very tempting black empty plate below the trunk release switch. When I removed the plate to install the switch I discovered LOTS of empty space behind it!

I already had an Aux Outlet to install since I had bought one from Radio Shack to try and fit it into the ALDL plate. So I measured and, though it is very close, discovered it WOULD fit!

But I wanted just a bit more: a dash switch to operate my radar detector. Sure enough, there was room on the plate to install both. It is VERY close and requires quite a bit of trimming of the switch and outlet, but it WORKS. The end result looks sorta like this (forgive the pic quality, please):



Front view before installing in dash:



Side View:



Rear View:


Wiring is a piece of cake:

Disconnect battery (read codes first).

On the connector which attaches to the Trunk Release Switch is a Black wire (ground for the light) and an Orange/Blu wire (+12 for the switch). Tap into the Orange/Blu and connect to the center pin on the Aux Outlet. Tap into the Black and connect to the outer pin on the Aux Outlet. (If you add a lighted rocker like I did refer to the package schematic for the switch and have fun running your switched power wire to the device that needs it!) Push the modified switch plate back into place, put in the four screws, reconnect your battery and you are done! Less than an hour all told!

Enjoy. One fewer Fiero irritant!

Larry

Nice! Good spot if you don't have the rear defroster.

-Dave

Well that looks like a good solution to your problem. You solved another problem for me as well.

Today I did some major surgery on my radio and console and saw the blank plate above the defogger switch. I removed the four retaining screws and noted the large wires and a connector and wondered if that is my trunk solenoid and you verified it for me. Thanks!