Hey folks,

I'm looking to add in a couple extra cigarette lighters and am planning to go with the "tap a fuse" route. I already have an aftermarket stereo wired into #21, and I'd like these to be switched with the ignition. Is there another spare slot I can use that would behave the same as #21?

 

A "couple" of cig lighters is going to take more than 1 fuse. Unless you really want to go up in flames.

Best advice is to learn about relays and inline fuses and amperes.

 

Just get out the multi-meter and check all the spare/empty slots. That would be the best way to be sure that it's a switched slot.
I wouldn't make a bet on someones suggestion of which one to use. It's possible there could be a wiring difference between year/models.

I know everyone says the fuse boxes are all the same in the HHR line, but, you never know for sure until you check yours.

 

When I added the fog lamps to my buggy I used a switched fuse socket to run a relay that in turn powers the lights but turns them off when the engine is turned off. My car did not come with fog lights so I just bought some round ones that fit the holes fairly well and mounted them.

The relay is a simple enough device and is rated at 50 amps, I got it and the inline blade fuse holders from Mouser. Since I'm a ham radio operator I was thinking about using old school Buss fuses because I have some of the old kind of inline fuse holders in my junk box but decided to go with the new type fuses. That way I don't have to carry the old glass tube type fuses at all. I have a 15 amp fuse inline with the relay and another 15 amp fuse in the wire that goes to the fog lamps. I wasn't really sure how many amps the fog lamps would draw so I use 15 gauge wire {from my junk box} and went directly to the battery with it.

The wire is strung under the car and held in place with some fairly hefty nylon wire loops I found at Menard's. I was very careful about drilling the holes for the screws for these so I did not run into anything that might cause problems later and I made sure I did not get fouled in anything like the E brake cable or fuel lines or evap line or anything electrical. When I drilled the hole for the battery wire I used a nylon insert with a rubber grommet inside it to poke the wire through.

That wire runs to the fog lights. I cut the wire and put the relay between the ends. There is another wire that is fed by the switched fuse in the car. This goes to energize the relay.

The way I have it set up is the engine has to be turned on or at least the ignition switch has to be turned on to power relay so the fog lights can be turned on.

Probably more involved than it really needed to be but I did not want to take the chance of leaving the fogs on and draining the battery. I've done dumber stuff.