Lighters working, but not correctly.

[red vtec]

My lighters do not seem to work, If I wire them one way the green ring lights are on all the time, if I wire them the other way the lighter heats all the time!

Has anyone any ideas what this may be? as I would like to get them working so I can power my sat nav. I have a stevens and the lighters are in the door arms.

Thanks as always.

[sky_cz]

if i good remember there r 3 connectors, 2 small sq conectors (2x2 wires) going to bottom of lighter, and 3rd black single with some round long connector going to side. (back side of lighter - door arm)

Edited June 25, 2008 by SKY

[Glyn Harper]

Just stop smoking, and it won't be an issue anymore

[martynv]

Chris, Surely the lighter won't heat up unless you push it down since there will be no connection to the element what ever way you wire it. There should presumably be three wires a ground, permanent live and one from the lighting circuit. The permanent live should be fairly easy to find with a meter connected to ground poke around with the other meter lead until you find 12v, once you've found that one switch the side lights on and try the other two wires till you find 12v again which will be the ilumination wire and the remaining one will be ground which needs to go to the outer shell of the socket.

Martyn

[red vtec]

Hi Martyn,

I need to have another look. I have no idea why the lighters were getting hot without being pushed in . And when I wired them the other way they let up all the time.

I may have a look at the weekend if I can be arsed to take the door cards off again.

Thanks for your help.

Chris

Edited June 26, 2008 by Tentenths
Removed quote

[rogerch]

Glyn stole my line, don't you just love a reformed smoker, seriously, I increased the spring tension held it place longer and both work,

But I'm just having my radiator re-cored, and can cover the cost from my "Non smoking account" set up 6 weeks ago when I stopped smoking!!

Roger

[red vtec]

I'm not a smoker I want them working so I can power my sat nav.

I cant afford to smoke and run the Esprit (or rather take it apart all the time)

Chris

[iainmclean]

Hi,

When I bought the car I plugged in my sat nav and the lighter started smoking. I have since had a double socket extension fitted when I replaced the stero and I use this and dont bother with the door ones. The extension lives in the glove box which I find neater than trailing power from the doors.

Iain

[red vtec]

Thats what mine was doing!, I may put an extra socket in as you have done

Edited June 26, 2008 by Tentenths
Removed quote

[ramjet]

I had the smoking lighter problem in my S4 when I plugged in my sons TomTom car charger. Testing the lighter showed the wiring is arse about. Should be set up as -ve ground but is +ve on the contact that should be -ve. Before I just blunder in trying to work out how to get to the wiring on the back of the lighter (single lighter in centre console under aircon controls), can anyone let me know what bits I need to remove to get to the back of the lighter to be able to swap the wiring?

Thanks guys,

Michael.

Aha! I have found the answer to my quandry in Simon's post about adding a big red start button. Now what I might look at is if there is room to move the lighter into the centre console recess AND add a big red start button. B)

Edited December 21, 2008 by ramjet

[rene1993earlys4turbo]

Hi Chris Ihave some Cuban CoHibas for sale

[rotaryspeed]

Ugh, I found out the hard way today that my wiring for the cigarette lighter is reversed. So negative in the middle and positive on the outside. I fried a couple of fuses on my tomtom to realize something was odd.

 

I thought it was me not plugging it in correctly and shorting it. So I took out the fluke and there ya go ... 

 

So back to business. How can I change the wire polarity ? Just swapping the connectors on the underside ? (I havent taken apart the door board to get to the wiring) Its quite urgent as I have a longer journey on the weekend and I absolutely need the tomtom to work.

 

I feel less motivated to fabricate a custom 7805 voltage regulator to feed my tomtom when I just can swap the cables

 

Brgds

Steven

[rotaryspeed]

Update: Cables swapped. Needed to remove the doorboards and then simply swap the wires ...

 

While I was at it I also cleaned and lubed the window rails and put a new plastic shield on it. Window goes faster than ever

 

Tomtom is working too

Edited June 5, 2014 by rotaryspeed