Are you a current or recent car shopper who bought an EV and then installed solar – or who had solar already, making the decision to go electric easier?
OR
Are you a recent EV buyer (past 3 months) as a result of manufacturer incentives and dealer discounts on these vehicles, including year-end deals? Were you convinced to buy an EV after finding a good end-of-year deal, or due to uncertainty around which EVs will no longer qualify for full/partial EV tax credits in 2024? A national business reporter is interested in speaking with you. Please reach out to [email protected] by 12/15 if interested in sharing your story.

Hitch receiver and wiring

reticulum12reticulum12 Member Posts: 8
edited August 2014 in Mazda
I have just installed a hitch receiver on my new mazda 5. I'd like to install the hitch wiring harness but on the one that is proposed to me i have to run a wire from the trunk to the battery.
Would it be allright if I take the 12 Volt power outlet in the trunk instaed of pulling a wire up to the battery?

Comments

  • qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 32,604
    Yes. That would be plenty heavy to power some lights (something like a stereo amp would be a different story).

    Fairly steady: '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c, '01 Xterra, '20 S90 T6, '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel, '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP / Rotating stock, but currently: '96 Daihatsu HiJet, '97 Alto Works, '11 Mini Cooper S

  • reticulum12reticulum12 Member Posts: 8
    Ok, this is what I tought. They should tell us to do that in the installation guide this is way easier than running a wire up to the battery.
    Thank you
  • qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 32,604
    Sure thing.

    By the way, what hitch did you purchase? I'm going to need to get one myself in the near future and I was going to use it to tow a utility trailer from harbor freight.

    Fairly steady: '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c, '01 Xterra, '20 S90 T6, '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel, '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP / Rotating stock, but currently: '96 Daihatsu HiJet, '97 Alto Works, '11 Mini Cooper S

  • reticulum12reticulum12 Member Posts: 8
    There are 2 different model for the mazda 5:
    http://www.etrailer.com/hitch-2010_Mazda_5.htm

    I took the model 11338. I bought it on e-bay. I have installed it last WE and it fit perfectly. I takes a lot of effort to enlarge the 2 existing holes in the bumper but this is the only difficulty. I should have bought the wiring harness at the same time it would have been less expensive.
  • qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 32,604
    Ok. Thanks. That's the same place I was looking. Couldn't see why I wouldn't just go with the cheapest, though.

    Fairly steady: '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c, '01 Xterra, '20 S90 T6, '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel, '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP / Rotating stock, but currently: '96 Daihatsu HiJet, '97 Alto Works, '11 Mini Cooper S

  • reticulum12reticulum12 Member Posts: 8
    I have installed the wiring harness last week end. Everything is working perfectly fine. I did not run a wire up to the battery but instead I used the 12 Volt from the trunk.
This discussion has been closed.