Cigarette Lighter Fault - Possibly!!

[gilchrij]

Last week I bought a car charger for my mobile phone. When I went to plug it into the lighter socket however there was no power provided to it. I tried it with engine running as well as just the ignition on and got the same result.

To double check the socket I tried to use the lighter, however I found that you had to push and hold the lighter button in to get it to heat up, every other car I had you would just push it in and it would pop out when ready.

I returned to trying the charger again and found that if I pushed it in very slowly there was a point where the LED on the charger would flash on and then off again. I couldn't get it stay on though.

Is this a common problem (I did check older posts but couldn't see anything similar) or something unique that I should get the garage to check out for me. The car is a 1999 CLK 230.

Any help or advice would be very much appreciated.
Thanks

 

[television]

Your problem depends on how much it has been used as a cigar lighter, the current drawn by these things is high and the do burn the contacts a little.the other problem is that when a non standard or out of spec plug has been forced into the socket.

The contacts can be cleaned and adjusted, but do not do it when it is live (ignition on)

Malcolm

 

[gilchrij]

Well I tried cleaning the contacts and bending them out slightly. As a result the cigarette lighter works much better, I don't have to hold it in any more, it stays in and pops out when ready. However the car charger still doesn't work. If i plug it in before turning on the ignition, and then turn the ignition on the LED on the charger flashes on then off again, so i'm starting to think it's a fault with the charger.

 

[television]

Just ask someone else if you can try it in their car.

malcolm

 

[PINBALL]

As Malcolm has said - try it in another car & you'll prob find it works ok, but try a non smokers from new.

Being a smoker, I would say prob lies with female socket that collects ash from button element over time and prevents sprung nipple on male from a good contact which deteriorates over time.

The fact that lighter element is heating up is enough proof that female is working, although not very well.

I use mine to blow up tyres on car & bike & female is rather grubby and I have to wiggle male in order to get it to work eventually.

Fit a new cig lighter unit & I'm sure your troubles will be long gone.

Keith.