I have a modest array of onboard electronics that I like to keep with me in the car (mp3/fm transmitter/dvd player/gps) How many cigarette lighters are in the prius, and what are the ramifications for expanding the existing ports, if there are too few? - Brian Herbert Withun potential prius owner
I would like to add that both lose power when the car is turned off. If you go to http://www.coastaletech.com/power_outlet_mod.htm there is a way to make the one under the dash have power all the time.
"Splitters" or "doublers" are available to give you more outlets. They plug into the existing outlet, and give you two 12v ports where there was only one. In theory, I suppose more than one could be used, but in practice they don't always stay plugged in very well.
Zero cigarette lighters. However, there are two power outlets, one in the console and one below the dash near the lower glove compartment.
I am not sure if I read it here or made it up but I'm pretty sure that someone posted that if something is plugged into the port under the dash the car will not shut down. It has a detector in the event that something's plugged in.
Hi all - Nope, the plug under the dash functions exactly as described earlier. It has power only when the car is on. Having something plugged into the outlet has no effect whatsoever on being able to turn the car off, etc. I use it every day to charge my cell phone, and sometimes I leave the phone plugged in while I run into a store, etc. Never notice any issues around the plugged in item affecting the vehicle shutdown/turning off. Greetings from rainy New England!
I think the location of 12V outlets in the Prius depends on which country you're in. You don't give your location. Here in the UK I think there's only one. If there's another I haven't been able to find it. And it's not a cigarette lighter. There isn't one.
Hmmm. I thought for sure I read a thread where someone was having problems with their car shutting down. Basically, they said it wouldn't. Turned out that they had plugged something into the passenger outlet while the car was ON. Someone else posted that the outlet had a detector. I tried to use the Search function but apperantly typing "the one where the guy can't shut down his car and someone else indicated that it was because he had something plugged into the passenger outlet" doesn't return any hits. So perhaps I did make it up. Oh well. Please disregard the blonde guy.
Depends on which Prius and in what country you buy it. 2001-2003 Prius only have one 12v accessory outlet. (you only get a cigarette lighter in the UK, and maybe parts of Europe. US/Canada it's just a plastic cover.) 2004-? Prius have a 12v accessory outlet in the center console (the moat between the two front seats), inside the console, at the bottom front of the console. No cigarette lighter. If you have a US/Canada Prius, you also get a second 12v accessory outlet on the dash about knee level on the passenger side.
Is there possibly a miscommunication with the term "shut down"? From your original post, I assumed you meant the ICE didn't shut down at stops but later posts make me think the concern is that the car won't shut down with the power button. I can come up with a logical reason for the former (don't want to drain the battery with a potentially 'large' device combined with other potential drains like the A/C) but not the latter.
