How to reconnect cig lighter on E240?

[stevem51]

Previous owner of my E240 must've been a rabid anti-smoker - so much so that they disconnected the cig lighter! so no power to my phone charger or other plug-in stuff
Can anyone tell me how to get at the back of the ashtray fitting to reconnect it? little hole next to the cig lighter is too small to get fingers inside to hold the conector - so I can see what's wrong but can't reach in to fix it!
(I know, "take it to the dealer..." - but I'm loath to pay mechanic's hourly rates for such an apparently simple task)
Can the ashtray/lighter assembly be pulled out somehow? or is there some easy way to get inside the console ?
Suggestions please?

 

[teky]

normally you can remove the radio or a storage box to get in there but check he hasnt just removed the fuse

 

[stevem51]

Definitely not the fuse, I can see the connector hanging loose behind the cig lighter.
Couldn't see how to remove storage box insert either - just as firmly fixed as the ashtray assembly. Is there some trick to getting it to pop out? don't want to lever too hard in case I break something...

 

[teky]

the lighter screws in but very hard to remove it, you could try goin in through the side " heater blower area" infornt of the heater matrix