Why is my cigarette lighter shorting out?

[quikveedb2]

It works fine with my iPod FM transmitter, and phone charger, but if I plug in the OEM cigarette lighter the outlet loses power. The fuse does not blow, but if I pull it & re-install it I get power back at the outlet. The PO installed a 2nd outlet in the rear portion of the console, that is spliced into the power feeding the original outlet, but I disconnected that a while ago to eliminate it as a variable. I'm no electrical engineer, but I've been teaching myself to use a multimeter. Thoughts?

[ck_taft325is]

How's the socket itself looking? Half the time the springs or metal itself that carries current gets loose from heat, use, etc... remember, current creates heat which creates stress in the terminal which creates heat which further current creates loose terminals which creates heat which... etc, etc... ;)

Check out the socket itself. You should be able to pull the ash tray and pop the 12v socket out after removing the wires. Careful when removing that you don't bridge them.

[DaveSmed]

Give this a try.

Pull the cigarette lighter/ashtray bracket out and, leaving the lighter connected to the car, connect your multimeter to the +ve and -ve wires.

Should have +12v right?

That is your open circuit voltage.

Now pop the lighter in. Did it drop down to basically nothing? Try the charger. Did it drop down, but not as bad?

If so, you have a poor connection somewhere, which is one of the things that has people cursing electrical problems more than anything else.

The trick to finding the problem is to check the circuit under load, and perform a voltage drop test.

In your case, pop the lighter in, and recheck that the voltage went back down. Now, leaving the red lead on the +ve part of the lighter, connect the black lead to a verified good ground. Do you have voltage?

If you do not, you have a problem with your +ve lead, and you must check the rest of the circuit with the lighter in (or else it will just float back up to the open circuit voltage and look OK)

If you do, Move the red lead to the -ve part of the lighter, and leave the black lead on the ground. If you now have voltage, the problem is your ground.

[bernzpeed]

if you don't smoke, throw it out.

[quikveedb2]

Give this a try.

Pull the cigarette lighter/ashtray bracket out and, leaving the lighter connected to the car, connect your multimeter to the +ve and -ve wires.

Should have +12v right?

That is your open circuit voltage.

Now pop the lighter in. Did it drop down to basically nothing? Try the charger. Did it drop down, but not as bad?

If so, you have a poor connection somewhere, which is one of the things that has people cursing electrical problems more than anything else.

The trick to finding the problem is to check the circuit under load, and perform a voltage drop test.

In your case, pop the lighter in, and recheck that the voltage went back down. Now, leaving the red lead on the +ve part of the lighter, connect the black lead to a verified good ground. Do you have voltage?

If you do not, you have a problem with your +ve lead, and you must check the rest of the circuit with the lighter in (or else it will just float back up to the open circuit voltage and look OK)

If you do, Move the red lead to the -ve part of the lighter, and leave the black lead on the ground. If you now have voltage, the problem is your ground.

Sweet, thanks for the good info!