Weird Problem with my Cigarette Lighter

Snaps · Post by **Snaps** » 21 Aug 2008, 10:39

Hi All (again),

I have another small issue with my car. I drive a Citroen Xsara LX 2001 (51 plate) 1.6 hatchback.

I recently purchased a Wireless Bluetooth GPS adapter for my N95 phone, so I can use GPS with my phone. The adapter came with a incar charger.

I just cannot get my incar charger to work in the lighter area. The lighter works fine on its own, but when I plug the incar charger in, there is no power! I made sure I played around with the incar charger by moving it about and trying to hold it in, hoping to get a light on the incar charger, but still nothing.

The incar charger works, as tested in a BMW.

Why is this happening? The lighter works, so the device does have power, but when the incar charger is plugged in, there is no power in the charger.

Any ideas? Could it be using a different voltage? Or does my car not support in car chargers (never heard of this tho). Or does the lighter have 2 streams of power? One for the lighter and another for incar chargers?

Not really sure why this is, but the device cost me £30, and I do want to use it.

Please help!

civvie · Post by **civvie** » 21 Aug 2008, 12:28

Snaps, I had the same sort of problem with my sat nav with my C5. I found that the incar charger contacts didn't reach the terminals. I managed to find a straight extension tube this sorted the problem.
Have now hardwired the satnav power supply into the car system.

Steve

jeremy · Post by **jeremy** » 21 Aug 2008, 12:47

Some Citroen lighters seem to be a bigger diameter than the standard ones.

You may be able to sleeve your plug to get it to work.

Snaps · Post by **Snaps** » 21 Aug 2008, 13:20

Hi Guys,

Thanks for your input to this problem. Unfortunately, cars, isnt my best point, and am a bit of a noob when it comes to cars! (Im an IT professional you see!)

Whats a straight extension tube? Where can I get this?

Also, jeremy, what do you mean when you say "sleeve your plug".

Unfortunately, I dont really understand your proposed solutions!

EDIT: Just to confirm, It does seem like the lighter is the same size as the incar charger?

How can I hard wire the charger into the cars power?

civvie · Post by **civvie** » 21 Aug 2008, 13:52

The straight extension tube was something I had at home, what does it look like well ,its about 4to5" long with a male plug on one end to go into the lighter socket and on the other end is a female socket that your power adaptor plugs into. Don't know where I got it from but Maplin do something that might work their ref BV47B

http://www.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?Mod ... 6&doy=21m8

Hard wired. I purchased a special power supply that I could do away with the cigeratte lighter power option from Navman, may not be worth it for you.

Good luck.
Steve

Snaps · Post by **Snaps** » 21 Aug 2008, 14:04

Thing I dont understand is why I need an extension cord? What if the extension cord doesnt work?

I will try it. I can ebay one for a pound.

civvie · Post by **civvie** » 21 Aug 2008, 15:58

Maybe your power adaptor doesn't reach to the contacts on your fag lighter? maybe the power adaptor is shaped so it stops short (as happened to me) only you will know. The extension lead is straight and tube shaped so it should go right in the socket. If it works in another car its not the power adapter, if the lighter works on its own then its not that.
Does your lighter socket only come live when the ignition is on? some do this, or is the supply constant even when the ignition is off. Has the fuse blown in the power adapter since you tried it in the BMW.

good luck

JamesQB · Post by **JamesQB** » 22 Aug 2008, 20:58

Another cause that I have encountered is a tarnished, dirty centre contact point inside the cigarette lighter socket - often encrusted with the remnants of cigarette ash that's been cooked in place. The lighter will still work, but lower current demanding things like sat nav supplies will get nothing through the crud.

If you can see the centre contact point inside is dirty, try to clean it up. Easiest method is a fibreglass pencil available from eBay, Maplin, CPC, etc. Otherwise a bit of carborundum origami might get you results.

jeremy · Post by **jeremy** » 22 Aug 2008, 21:06

I found the someone has put a 24 volt lighter in my BX - so it doesn't work. I had a spare element from a British car - but when I tried to use it I found it was very slack in the hole - Had I been interested and determined enough to get the thing to work I'd have had to increase the diameter of the replacement element - possibly by wrapping it with something non combustible that didn't get caught up. (old tin can, copper wire . . ?)

If it was an ordinary plug that I was trying to fit I might be able to wrap it with tape to increase the diameter. There is the problem of the side conductor - perhaps this could be removed before binding and replaced afterwards - so that it lies on top.