Mercury 15HP manual start -- want to run a car cigarette lighter socket off it.

Can i connect up a car cig lighter socket to the alternator for my Merc 15HP outboard ? Its a 2012 model and comes standard with an alternator according to the brochure. I basically want to charge my phone/GPS off it while its running. IS that possible ? Do i need to have a battery connected to it or can i take the 2 wires from the cig socket and plug them into the outboard and then take a standard auto phone charger and plug it into the cellphone ?? will it fry the phone ?

Re: Mercury 15HP manual start -- want to run a car cigarette lighter socket off it.

I wouldnt do that. Its not true DC that your'e charging from. More like a pulsed DC. Could cause problems with the cell phone circuitry. Better to buffer it through a battery. A little lawn and garden 12 V should do the trick.

Re: Mercury 15HP manual start -- want to run a car cigarette lighter socket off it.

I even tried hooking up a 110 converter to my battery. It would charge when the motor was not running, but would not work when started. The voltage increase was more than the phone was made for

Re: Mercury 15HP manual start -- want to run a car cigarette lighter socket off it.

How would i hook up the battery ?
red, black from the outboard to the battery and then red black from battery terminals to the socket ?
can i charge and discharge at the same time (basically leave it hooked up to the outboard and charge the phone at the same time) ?

Re: Mercury 15HP manual start -- want to run a car cigarette lighter socket off it.

I don,t know the charging system your engine has. If you have a pull start engine I would not try to hook anything to the electrical system. Your best bet like stated in an earlier comment reply would be to get a small 12 V battery from lowes and a small battery charger for the home and charge it before leaving out on your journey

Re: Mercury 15HP manual start -- want to run a car cigarette lighter socket off it.

i went to ebay and bought a pair of spare battery for my phone. My phone is a very common model and the battery was under $3 including shipping.

Re: Mercury 15HP manual start -- want to run a car cigarette lighter socket off it.

There ya go

Re: Mercury 15HP manual start -- want to run a car cigarette lighter socket off it.

The OP has a 2012 model with a built in "alternator" . Probably a stator. It does have charging capabilities even if it isnt electric start. It will charge a battery just fine and he can hook up a variety of accessories to the battery. Personally, I wouldn't run anything with sensitive electronics of the motor directly but it probably would work just fine. Buffering the power through a $40 battery would be cheap insurance.

Re: Mercury 15HP manual start -- want to run a car cigarette lighter socket off it.

wired247 said:

It will charge a battery just fine and he can hook up a variety of accessories to the battery.

Click to expand...

That's probably the way the motor is designed to be used. That way accessories like a fish finder can be used and it's battery can stay charged.

Re: Mercury 15HP manual start -- want to run a car cigarette lighter socket off it.

Dave1027 said:

That's probably the way the motor is designed to be used. That way accessories like a fish finder can be used and it's battery can stay charged.

Click to expand...

This would apply only if the motor is also equipped with rectifier or voltage regulator/rectifier. Depending on the options that you ordered with the motor you may or may not have a voltage regulator/rectifer installed from the factory.

Typically, on these small motors you have a 6 amp alternator comprised of your flywheel, it's magnets and a stator. The alternator produces A/C voltage which is unusable for what you want to do but is just fine for igniton systems. Rectifiers are often considered part of the electric start option so on manual start system they are often not present.

The rectifiers job is to produce pulsed DC which is in turn used to charge a battery. The battery acts as both the load and the filter giving you clean and regulated DC. Around mid-year 1991/1992 Merc started using a combined Voltage Regulator/Rectifier to combat the large voltage spikes that the alternator might produce if the load is not present or momentarily lost.

If you're unsure whether your motor has a rectifier, either call Mercury Marine or order the Shop Manual which will help you to identify the component by it's location and physical features.

Don't forget, adding just the rectifer could result in damage to your accesories. You need to have a battery to filter and regulate the DC and then connect your accessory port to the battery.

Re: Mercury 15HP manual start -- want to run a car cigarette lighter socket off it.

This is what the details page says about it :
Type: Outboard Motor
Year: 2011
Model: 15 HP
Model Number: 15M
Part Number: 1F15201HK
Series: Four Stroke
HP: 15
HP/Kw @ Prop: 15 / 11.1
Full throttle RPM: 5400-5600
Cylinder Configuration: 2 (in-line)
Displacement (L / CID): 21.4 / 351
Bore and Stroke (in / mm): 2.40 x 2.36in
Fuel Induction System: 2 valves per cylinder, single overhead cam (SOHC)
Ignition: CDI w/electronic spark advance
Fuel System: Carbureted
Alternator Amp: 12 amp / 138 watt (Electric)
Cooling System: Water-cooled with thermostat
Starting: Manual
Gearcase Ratio: 2.15
Gear Shift: F-N-R
Steering: Remote
Trim System: Manual
Trim Positions: 6 with auto ratchet
Exhaust System: Though prop
Shallow water drive: Yes
Shallow water trim range (degrees): 16
Recommended Oil: Mercury 4-Stroke Outboard Oil
Fuel Ethanol Tolerance: 87 octane/up to 10% ethanol
Remote fuel tank standard (gal / L): 6.6 / 25
Engine Protection Operator Warning System: Low oil pressure
Shaft Length: 15 in
Propeller: 9.25"x9"
Dry Weight: * Lightest model available 111lbs / 52kg

is this ok to charge battery and run stuff off it ?

Re: Mercury 15HP manual start -- want to run a car cigarette lighter socket off it.

I checked with my dealer. You would need to use the Charging Kit Mercury part number 895299A03. Then you could charge the battery and run your accesories.

Re: Mercury 15HP manual start -- want to run a car cigarette lighter socket off it.

Charging kit huh. Probably just a rectumfrier they put a fancy name on it and charge $100 for.

Re: Mercury 15HP manual start -- want to run a car cigarette lighter socket off it.

$175. Probably a rectifier, regulator and harness.


$50 worth of parts.

Re: Mercury 15HP manual start -- want to run a car cigarette lighter socket off it.

You don't run 12V accessories directly from the motor, you run them from the battery. No battery, no accessories.
It's just how it's done.
If the motor has charging capabilities, no matter how small or what kind, you hook that to a battery.
Then you hook your accessory (whatever it is) to the battery, not the motor.

Re: Mercury 15HP manual start -- want to run a car cigarette lighter socket off it.

wired247 said:

$175. Probably a rectifier, regulator and harness.


$50 worth of parts.

Click to expand...

not even. maybe $10 not counting cost of battery.


1) go to radio shack and buy a 25A square bridge rectifier for $4. Use a small (8-32?) tap to thread the posts and use small ring terminals - or - use a high quality terminal crimper to connect standard female spades. Don't forget that your termination will need mechanical strain relief to keep the cable from breaking off with vibration.

2) find a suitable location where the square bridge can be bolted onto a metal bracket. the base of rectifier is a heatsink. A rectifier bolted onto a piece of metal is virtually indestructible.

3) run 12awg stranded wire from the rectifier output to your battery. If you plan to keep battery charging cable 6ft or less then you could use 14awg. Marine safety cable has a nice outer jacket and good stranding. High end outdoor extension cords are often made with SJ cord which will withstand oil and UV.

4) connect accessories to the battery, not the engine. if the battery accidentally disconnects from alternator or if one of the terminals becomes corroded with age then the engine wiring will have voltage spikes. These spikes can be more then enough to fry anything electronic.