Constant 12V source near rear of interior?
 

Hey all,

I have a 2006 Mazda3 S 5-door and just received a hard-wiring kit for my Engel fridge, but now need to find a place to source power. I can't for the life of me find any wiring diagrams (other than stereo stuff) for this vehicle, and the FSM is among the worst I've ever seen in my life ("To remove the seat, remove it."). Not to mention it does not include wiring diagrams (digital copy - the HTML version).

Does anyone know off-hand where I can find a constant 12V source capable of handling a 2.5A peak draw? Ideally something under the back seat or in the rear cargo area, but the cord is 10' long so I have a bit of flexibility.

Thanks in advance!

Time for another question...

Is there a technically-oriented Mazda3 forum out there that discusses more than aesthetics and intake/exhaust mods?

I think the brake light is the only constant 12V, though tying off that should be fused again to keep from blowing the original fuse for the brakes. I don't think anything else there is constant since I would have used an existing instead of wiring my own 12V line from an unused fuse to run my trailer wiring.

IIRC the source for the cargo light is 12v constant (and then the door cuts off the light itself) if you tap it before the light. I'm not sure on what amount of power draw that could take however.

Just for general purposes it may be better to go ahead and make a run straight to the battery and just run a wire back. That way you won't be impacting any other systems by tapping off of them. You could still use another constant system to trigger a relay but pull the power straight from the battery. If you want to go all fancy there are several "bar" type fuse spots right next to the battery in the engine bay fuse box (towards the rear of the box) which are open. If you can find that style of fuse you can just stick a new one on and run your wire from there.

As to more technical forums I'll send you a PM.