How do I rewire cigarette lighter outlet?

My 1994 Ford Mustang's cigarette lighter receptacle is always on, even when the car is off. I'd prefer that it be off when the ignition is off. I use the lighter receptacle to power a radar detector, XM satellite radio and sometimes a laptop and cell phone. I worry about draining my battery if I forget to unplug or turn off these items.

I have some ideas, but I'd like some advice as to which method is best or if anyone has a better idea.

1.  I  could cut the 12+ Volt wire and connect it directly to the accessory wire with an inline fuse. But, I'm concerned that this would cause too much of a current draw on the accessory power. I'm also not crazy about the idea of a fuse under the dash that might be missed by a future owner or someone else who is trying to figure out why the cigarette lighter doesn't work(if the in-line fuse were to blow).

2. I could use a Bosch style 30 amp relay and power the relay from the accessory wire. This would have the benefit of using the existing cigarette lighter fuse.

3.  I could change the wire at the fuse box. I'd like the existing fust to continue to protect the circuit so I guess I'd need to change the wire on the 12+ Volt side of the fuse to connect to accessory power. However, I'm not sure how difficult it is to find the right wires.

Any suggestions or help would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Steve Smith

   # 2 IS THE BEST WAY TO GO.

SoundExplosion