factory or dealer installed battery charger plug?

I was going to install a trickle charger on the battery on my '88 Mondial today and noticed two wires coming from the battery posts to a round plug installed next to the headlight assembly.

It looks very professionally done.

Could this be a factory or dealer installed option?

Does anyone know what type of male plug I would need to adapt my battery charger to this nice looking installation? The plug looks kind of odd with two prongs at the bottom. Maybe a cigarette lighter male plug??

See pic below with the plug circled in red. The view is from the left side of the front compartment looking towards the right headlight.
Alden
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I did check it with a voltmeter and it is a direct connect to the battery.

A male cigarette lighter plug is too big to fit.

I can get a different plug and wire it up in the same spot. I just wanted to keep it as "correct" as I could if if was a factory or dealer installed item.
Alden

 

Bumping this to see if anyone has an idea of what kind of male plug this system might use and if it is really a factory or dealer installed item or something the PO did.

It is smaller than a cigarette lighter plug and has two prongs at the bottom.

I will take some better pics once I remove it.

I am ready to rip it out and re-wire it with something more familiar and available, but if it is original, I would like to try to source the correct plug and build an adapter for my charger/maintainer.

Thanks!
Alden

 

I think you got this one right, Wade!

I will have to take the unit out to be sure, but it looks like the female plugs are the same.

Perhaps this was a factory installed receptacle for the "trouble light" or battery charger?

Either way, I think I know where to find the proper plug to adapt to my battery charger!

Looks like this should do the trick: http://www.ebay.com/itm/DC-12V-24V-1-5A-Motor-Car-Power-Adapter-Cigarette-Lighter-Plug-For-BMW-Motorbike-/381043195399?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item58b7f1be07

Thanks Wade!
Alden

 

A quick update to this thread.

When I tested the plug it had no power, but I could clearly see the wires from it running directly to the battery.

So I ordered this plug from the 'bay:DC 12V 24V 1 5A Motor Car Power Adapter Cigarette Lighter Plug for BMW Motorbike | eBay

Took it all apart today and it turns out that the wiring from the plug to the battery was bad, even though it looked fine. (Should I be surprised? lol!)

I replaced and upgraded the wiring to the battery, and used the plug to make an adapter for my battery tender and now I have a OEM looking battery charging port or, what I really think it was meant for, a place to plug in the roadside emergency light.

The manual shows a plug like this in the top back engine bay of a coupe identified as "Current socket for engine illumination," (item 33 in the diagram on the top right of page 42) but it is not there in the cabriolet, probably due to the convertible top mechanism being in the way.

BTW, the special plug above also fits the power socket on the right side of the glove box too
Alden
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Yes, mine has the snap on plastic cover with a clear strip down the center so you can "visually" check the battery condition thru the indicator window in the battery itself.

If you look closely at the photo, you can see the labels I added for "on-off" for the battery disconnect switch and "pos-neg" for the polarity of the terminals, both are difficult to see as presented stock.

It is possible to reach the battery terminals to attach jumper cables or a charger with clamps, but it is not an easy task.
Alden

 

Been using this found plug for my charger maintainer for a week now and it is really sweet.

Does anyone else have this plug installed in the same area?

I have seen the same hole in the same location, sans plug, in pics of other Mondials like mine.

It really looks like a factory installed option, especially since the plug is "euro" type.

Take a look at your Mondial and see if there is a plug or hole there.

I ordered a few more plugs on the 'bay and may be able to make adapters for chargers it anyone else has the plug in that location.

I am also going to make a "trouble light" to plug in there like the ones that come from the factory. We'll see.....
Alden