Short in Cig Lighter socket?

[Sparky-Watts]

RE: Buying a High mileage Jeep

I just want to say up front that I hate electricity and electrical problems.

Last week, my cigarette lighter started acting funny whenever I'd plug anything into it. It was working fine since I bought the YJ, using it for my cell phone charger, GPS, weather radio, and even to light cigarettes. All of a sudden, now when I plug anything into it, it kills the stereo, and the appliance plugged into it doesn't work either.

My question: Is the short most likely in the socket and will replacing the lighter socket fix it? Or are my troubles deeper than that?

 

[graewulf]

RE: A/C Compressor Problem

it is most likely the socket. look inside and see if there is corrosion. also, if you can get to the back of it easily, check if the wires are good & tight.

 

[88Wrangles]

RE: Buying a High mileage Jeep

You can buy a new socket for a couple bucks at the most...which would most likely solve your problem. At that same time you can make sure all the wires and connections are good.

 

[Sparky-Watts]

RE: Re: please confirm, ax-15 fluid

Oh, yeah, it's easy to get to the back of it....it's a YJ!! I'm hoping it's just in the socket, I've replaced those before in many other vehicles, just never had one that actually would cause a short and cut off the radio or any other equipment before.

 

[LVRockCrawler]

RE: I want my CJ-5 to look like this!

i replaced mine on its own circuit w/fuse = hate that YJ's require the key on for the lighter and horn to work... never understood that...

 

[mud4feet]

i replaced mine on its own circuit w/fuse = hate that YJ's require the key on for the lighter and horn to work... never understood that...

kinda like designing a vehicle with removable doors, and then putting the mirrors on the doors!?! :shock: Never understood that one, either.

 

[Sparky-Watts]

RE: Heater Fan Problems

i replaced mine on its own circuit w/fuse = hate that YJ's require the key on for the lighter and horn to work... never understood that...

kinda like designing a vehicle with removable doors, and then putting the mirrors on the doors!?! :shock: Never understood that one, either.

And no switch to simply turn off the dome light and ignition buzzer.

I never realized the horn didn't work when the key was off. Never had to honk the horn when I wasn't driving, I guess. :lol:

 

[XJNick]

Re: RE: Stalls ,no spark

Hi,

So does it knock out the radio, etc. anytime you've *just* plugged something into the lighter outlet or only when you *turn on* the thing that you've plugged in? How much power are you trying to pull through the lighter outlet?

-Nick :!:

 

[Sparky-Watts]

Re: RE: the end of my world...

Hi,

So does it knock out the radio, etc. anytime you've *just* plugged something into the lighter outlet or only when you *turn on* the thing that you've plugged in? How much power are you trying to pull through the lighter outlet?

-Nick :!:

If the radio is on and I either plug in an adapter or the lighter itself, it kills the radio, and it won't come back on until I unplug whatever it was. It does it even if it's an open adapter (nothing on the other end).

 

[LVRockCrawler]

Re: RE: the end of my world...

so its just shutting it off... not popping a fuse? now THATS weird! may be time to just let the gremlins win this one and pull some new wire....

 

[Sparky-Watts]

so its just shutting it off... not popping a fuse? now THATS weird! may be time to just let the gremlins win this one and pull some new wire....

Yeah.....kinda weird. I went ahead and bought a new socket and lighter today. I'll install that and see what happens. If the problem continues, I'll hardwire it with a fuse on it's own circuit.

 

[LVRockCrawler]

i hate giving in to them too... I did mine for convenience.... g'luck!

 

[Sparky-Watts]

SCORE: Jeep--3; Other Vehicles--0

Alright...now I'm both pissed and befuddled!! I installed the new lighter and socket today, hard wired them to their own power and ground source, and it still does it!!!! WTF?!?!? Please, anybody with any clues let me know what is happening here. New wire, new hookup to power, new grounding source....didn't use a bit of the old socket or wires. Why does it still kill the radio when I plug anything into it? I tried several adapters (for cell phones, weather radios, GPS, etc.) and they all did it. God I hate electrical problems!!!!!!! :evil:

 

[Sparky-Watts]

RE: Death of a Friend

Anybody at all got any ideas? Please?

 

[mud4feet]

Oh, yeah, it's easy to get to the back of it....it's a YJ!!..........

You know, Sparky, my TJ doesn't have that problem!! (Mingez told me to say that):lol: :lol: :lol:


They probably have some secret electical guru hidden in my TJ's bulbous dash! :lol: :lol:

JK, of course. Wish I could help..I'm like you when it comes to the electrical stuff. Could it possibly be something that's gone amiss in your radio?? Just a thought.......lot more electronics there than there is in a lighter socket.

 

[Inspector-Gadget]

RE: Re: RE: Stalls ,no spark

Hi-Ya, Sparky,

Too many possibilities to suggest a cause.

So much for elegant solutions.

It is time to kneel before the Goddess, Expedience.

Try wiring the radio to a new (independent) source of power: preferably directly to the battery. You mentioned something recently about someone installing a high-powered stereo. I suspect there is a connection (pun intended) to that installation and your lighter socket troubles.

If you run power for the radio directly from the battery (via a fuse, of course) if only temporarily, and everything works, you will have at the least worked around the problem and/or narrowed down the list of possible causes.

The radio will no longer shut down when the ignition key is turned to "Off," but that seems a minor inconvenience.

Regards,

Gadget

 

[Sparky-Watts]

The stereo and amp are already wired directly to the battery......what next?

 

[XJNick]

Hi,

There is at least one piece of *vital* information that you've yet to mention: What does the battery voltage do when you plug something into the cigarette lighter, or, for that matter, turn the radio on and off?

I suggest you get a known good digital multimeter on the battery and watch the voltage with the radio on and off, and the cig. lighter plugged/unplugged BOTH with the engine ON and OFF. Also be sure to measure the voltage of the battery with everything (including the engine) OFF, and then measure the voltage at the battery with the engine running but everything else OFF.

Once you have all of these readings, we should be able to help you further. :mrgreen:

-Nick :!:

 

[XJNick]

Hi,

The stereo and amp are already wired directly to the battery

Are they both still wired through fuses or circuit breakers of the proper size?

-Nick :!:

 

[Sparky-Watts]

RE: College and a pseudo-farewell?

Hi,

The stereo and amp are already wired directly to the battery

Are they both still wired through fuses or circuit breakers of the proper size?

-Nick :!:

Yuppers. As to your previous post, the gauge on the dash doesn't waver a bit when I plug in the lighter socket. It moves when I do anything else, such as turn on the stereo (just slightly), headlights, driving lights, honk the horn, fart, etc.......