Hello all. In addition to my wheel-changing project yesterday, I also completed a project to deal with nagging issue of connecting my Battery Tender to my car. The car is not my daily driver, but I drive it weekly, so I don't connect the car all the time. I am an avid motorcycle rider, and there are lots of minor DIY electrical projects that people do to their bikes (I've done quite a bit on my bikes in the past, but nothing too high-tech). Taking a page out of that book, I ordered 2 products from Powerlet Product (powerletproducts.com) which allowed me to add a power outlet in the forward trunk, connected directly to the battery, and the wire to connect to the Battery Tender (an SAE 2-prong connector - standard on the Battery Tender), plugs into the outlet and goes out between the hood and the windshield, where there's plenty of room. This project is very, very simple even if you have no wiring experience at all. You have to drill 2 holes in the trunk area, but neither is delicate or difficult. If anybody is in the NY area, I'd be glad to help you, and it will take less than an hour.

You need to order 2 products from powerletproducts.com:
PKT-046-36 Low Profile Powerlet Socket Kit (36") $47.95
PAC-011-24 Powerlet Right Angle Plug To SAE 24" Cable (Low Profile) $22.95

Optional: If you don't own an 11/16" hole saw (drill bit) order part number PMI-012 for $10.95 because it makes a nice, clean, perfectly sized hole for the socket. You might be able to find one for less money, but you'll probably spend the savings in gas. I had ordered one for a previous install on my bike.

The first thing to do is to drill the 2 holes in the trunk area. The first 2 pictures below show where I located the plug (circled in yellow in one of the pictures). Use the 11/16" hole saw for this hole. The 3rd picture shows where I drilled the hole to access the battery compartment from the trunk area. There's a double-walled metal structure there, with a hole through one wall on the trunk side, I just drilled through the second wall. I didn't make a note of the bit size I used, but choose something slightly smaller than the existing hole, drill through it from the trunk area, into the battery compartment. If you have a vacuum with a hose, it's helpful to hold the nozzle where you're drilling to catch the shavings and reduce the clean-up. If you've gotten this far, the hard part is over.

The instructions that come with the Powerlet socket are very clear, so I won't replicate them here. Insert and secure the socket per the instructions. The other part of the wiring harness attaches to the positive and negative battery terminals at one end (the positive terminal is fused, I used velcro to attach the fuse box to the side of the battery - 4th picture) and has a plug on the other end that connects to the plug on the socket wire. You have to pop the terminals out of the plug so you can feed the wire through the hole between the battery compartment and trunk area (this will make perfect sense when you see the wiring harness). Feed the wire through the hole, reattach the plug to the blade connectors, and plug male and female plugs together. Double-check that the positive and negative wires aren't reversed anywhere along the chain - it's simple to observe and confirm that each is continuous. Then, attach the positive to positive and negative to negative terminals on the battery. I cut away about a foot of the rubber covering on the wire harness so I could spread the wires enough to reach the 2 terminals - the original width was designed for a motorcycle batter. Then, put the supplied fuse into the fuse box.

Plug the right angle plug into the new socket (5th picture) and run it toward the windshield. Attach the connector to your Battery Tender, plug it in, and confirm that it is operating normally. If everything is working, use the supplied wire ties to neaten everything up, and voila!

This really is a simple and technically uninvolved install. Taking my time and being super-careful, I still think it took only an hour. The Powerlet components are very high quality, have easy-to-follow instructions, and the plug looks OEM. You're not wiring into a fuse panel or anything like that, you're just adding these wires to the battery terminals. Please ask questions if I've left anything out.

 

Just to show 2 more pictures of the wires when the car is plugged in, here are the last 2 images. The wire isn't pinched or stressed at all by the closing of the hood, and there's plenty of room to move the wire from side to side to suit your specific garage set-up.

Hope this was helpful,

Brian

 

Or you could have just bought the OEM Porsche charger instead and plugged it straight into the cig lighter....

 

I have one, I just don't care for having to feed it through an open window or pinching the wire in the door. I was spoiled by my last toy (an '02 360) which had a plug run to one of the front air intakes, so I could plug it in and then raise it up on my lift. I just wanted something similar for this car...

And as a last thought, I've successfully used Battery Tenders on motorcycles, boats, jet skis, snowmobiles, and cars over many years. If something works for me, I stick with it!

 

Nice work!

I did the same sort of thing to my car but a little different.I did it so I didn't close any panels(hood,door,etc) on the cord.

Here is a link

https://www.6speedonline.com/forums/...-question.html


Stacy

 

Hey Stacy,

I was following your thread - really like your solution too. I just wasn't sure how involved it was to thread the wire down to the wheel well. This seemed easier. Your thread came to mind when I saw on the Powerlet website that they have a connector that seals (waterproof) for use on Jet Skis. Would have been suitable. But this served my needs just fine...

I totally respect your ambition, including that magnetic front license plate holder idea. Brilliant! Now THAT is an ambitious project for a Saturday afternoon...

Drive safely,

Brian

 

Thanks Brian,
Everyone has a different way of doing things...it is like you said "Serves your needs"
Congrats!
As far as routing the wire through.....REALLY simple,just need to pull the front wheel off!

You too my friend.....Drive safely!

Stacy

 

FYI, there's a notch (or 2) in the bottom door insulation, just to thread the wire through.

 

The cord is so thin on the OEM you can just shut the door on it. I've been doing it for years. Works fine...

 

You are right,and I know it!!!!..... BUT...like every other mod (wheels,tires and power enhancements) why do we change that stuff when we already have a perfectly GREAT driving car?!

I guess I am just a mod junkie and feel the need to modify everything......."I need help",LOL!!


Stacy

 

And with that, the defense rests! Well said, Stacy!

 

You two have way too much free time

 

Cool project, but I have to agree with the dog, too much free time on your hands!

 

I've looked for these notches - maybe gone on '09s? Anyway, I just close the door on it. OK so far.