Self inflicted electrical issue - help required

[Black 535i]

I recently acquired a center console lighter outlet form a donor car and installed it and it works just fine. Small problem though as one of the wires that appeared to be dead (had current) but I could not figure out what it did was the one I tapped into. Now, my screen below the speedo and tach does not work. Who would have thought something under there connected to the left stalk that scrolls through the screen. I could just rewire everything as it was but I would like to have this toy I installed working as it frees up the front lighter and I can close the ashtray and still charge the phone. Any suggestions on what I can tap into or should I just splice the cut wires back into where they were? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Ferret]

I recently acquired a center console lighter outlet form a donor car and installed it and it works just fine. Small problem though as one of the wires that appeared to be dead (had current) but I could not figure out what it did was the one I tapped into. Now, my screen below the speedo and tach does not work. Who would have thought something under there connected to the left stalk that scrolls through the screen. I could just rewire everything as it was but I would like to have this toy I installed working as it frees up the front lighter and I can close the ashtray and still charge the phone. Any suggestions on what I can tap into or should I just splice the cut wires back into where they were? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Take a feed off the back of the radio, it has switched +12 and permenant +12

[Black 535i]

...I have already installed an aftermarket Clarion. Will this make a difference? There are no more wires under the shifter boot that I want to try at this point.

[Ferret]

...I have already installed an aftermarket Clarion. Will this make a difference? There are no more wires under the shifter boot that I want to try at this point.

You can just vampire the power feed to the Clarion unit :) the lines that go to a radio are usually pretty high power.

[attack eagle]

yeah or go even closer and get the battery for a constant power.

[Paul in NZ]

there must be a wire you can use under the console,as you say there are many E34,s with rear lighters.The wire will be live in position 1 and beyond

[attack eagle]

not under the rear console, I believe the factory plug is up near the radio andthe pigtail was only in cars that had the rear lighter factory. in any case it wasn't in my USA spec 92, and my lighters are constant on.

[Black 535i]

There was no wiring for the lighter in my car either so I wired directly to the battery under the rear seat and used the unpainted metal under the console bracket as the ground. This should be okay as long as I do not leave it parked for more than 2 weeks at a time which I don't. Everything else I put back as it was. Amazing how much I missed the dash display even after one drive. I hate looking over at the other area by the radio and taking my eyes off the road especially here in Chicago. Thanks for everyone's help. Next task when it gets cooler will be to install the donor foam from a barely used E34 into my driver's side seat and repair the split seam in the leather.