I just installed a Sirius Starmate 5 radio in my xA. Everything went well (almost too well) until it came to hardwiring the power to the fuse panel to avoid taking up the only cigarette power outlet available for the plug. So as I've done in 2 other previous cars I've owned, I cut the cig lighter adapter off, took the hot wire and put it into fuse #24 for the clock and cig lighter power, and grounded the ground wire to a metal bracket near the fuse panel.

Sirius radio doesn't power up. I tried a number of things from jamming the wire in with the fuse, to using one of those add-a-fuse taps. Neither work. But when I connect the wires back up to the cigarette lighter adapter the radio still works.

Anyone have suggestions? I'm beginning to think there is a required circuit board and 2 amp fuse in the cig lighter adapter unit which is maybe required for the radio to work? I've hardwired a number of things from GPS units to radar detectors to Sirius radios this same way and they have all been fine.

 

Mystery solved. Unlike all electronics I've hardwired in the past, the new Sirius radios that require the use of the car docks have a 5V regulator in the cig lighter adapters that take the 12v down to 5v. Apparently 12v is too much for the radio - luckily I didn't fry the radio.

I'm going to wire up a second cig lighter behind the dash for the adapter. I know I can take out the guts of the adapter and wire them but this will be cleaner.