Coming back from today's 928OC I realized that electric cigarette lighter in the ash is not working. I had GPS hooked up to it and realized there was something wrong when battery on it died on my way back. Anyone can help me figuring this one out?

Thank You!

 

Are your interior lights working?

 

Yep, all of the lights are working.

Thank You!

 

Maybe remove the passenger console cover and all the connections will be visible. I was looking for a battery drain and discovered a slightly cut wire from a previous stereo install grounding out which caused a number of issues. The wire was the cigar lighter power.

 

Check fuse #2. The only thing it powers is the lighter. Should be a 20A fuse.

 

False alarm... Just went back to the car and tried plugging in GPS again. It was working now, so it seems like maybe GPS wasn't sitting tight enough in the lighter before (though I did play a bit with it while driving...). So to revise my question a bit, anything I can do to make connection better? Never took it apart, so I don't know what goes into it...

Thank You!

 

Lighter sockets are pretty crude, as electrical connectors go... Peer down inside and make sure the contact-point at the bottom is clean and shiny, a pencil-eraser makes a good cleaning tool and then use a vacuum to get any debris out.

On the backside (behind the aforementioned pass-side console cover) are a couple of slip-on spade connectors which might be loose, one to the center-contact and a ground connection to the ashtray frame.

Cheers,

 

You might possibly get more suggestions if you told us what year the 928 is...

 

Sorry, it's an 87 S4.

Jim, thanks a lot for suggestions - will take a look at it later on today.

Thank You!

 

You should have a heavy red wire, hot all the time, under the cover on the right door sill.

Go to a couple of auto parts places, and find a power extension box. This will have a lighter plug on one end, and a neat box with three power sockets on the other. Also get a good in-line fuse holder.

Cut the plug off, saving it for some later project. Splice the hot lead (center terminal in the sockets) to the in-line fuse holder, and the fuse holder to the red wire. Put a ring terminal on the other lead, and attach it to the body with a good clean connection.

You now have three much better power connectors that are always hot, attached to a cable that can lead to the passenger floor, the rear floor, the rear seat, the passenger seat, etc. Store the box under the passenger seat when not in use.

Very convenient for connecting cell phone, GPS, laptop, battery maintainer, etc. Total cost about ten bucks and an hour of clean, easy work.

 

Thanks Wally, I know the wire you speak of and will do this. Great idea!

 

I have this same problem with my GPS. I slid a little piece of cardboard in first then plug in the GPS. This makes it sit tighter in there. Not a perminent solution but works in a pinch.

I like Wally's suggestion. I'll try that sometime.