marinesniper0318

Hello, my cigarette lighter did not work with external phone chargers so I checked the 25amp fuse and it was blown, I replaced it. I then reconnected the lighter in the photos and it is still not producing any power. I checked both wires and it lights up my tester when I connect both cables but does not work or charge anything...

So I bought a external unit from radio shack and connected the cables and still nothing...in the photos:

1) which cable do I connect to the botton of the cigarette lighter adaptor...the brown on or the black and yellow, what is the difference between the 2 cables...?

thank you...if I buy a volt/amp meter what should I read volt/amp wise and from which cable...?

Thank you in advance....as my goal is to delete the cigarette lighter and connect my phone charger to these cabled hidden below the cigarette console and just have the cable to plug into my phone visible.....

James Bailey

Some years the cig lighter only works when the key is on.....the brown wire is ground, black with yellow is power/ positive

marinesniper0318

James, does this mean in the picture that I have the connections backword...? Should the black cable be the one connected to the center piece to provide the power to the phone charger and then run the brown cable to a different ground point other than the original adaptor in the picture...?

thanks...

Maleficio

Check the fuse slot for power.

Yes, it looks like you have the wires reversed.

But you need to buy a meter to do any genuine troubleshooting.

You need a meter to verify that your ground wire actually goes to ground, and to verify that you have voltage at your fuse slot and then up to the power wire end.

marinesniper0318

James thanks, that is what I needed to know...!

fraggle

Radio shack has a great meter that fits in your glovebox for $12 or so.

tveltman

I would recommend buying a Fluke automotive meter. They are expensive, but they are well-fused and very good instruments. Agilent also sells nice ones. I had the occasion to use one the other day and it is a beautiful instrument, but I'm not sure how much the guy paid for it. Flukes are around 150. Remember you get what you pay for

Gary Knox

You might check the relay. I recently found that I had low voltage on my GTS lighter, and the fuse was fine. Replaced the relay with a spare used one I had, and Voila - 12.6 volts!

I also removed the OE lighter receptacle from the ash tray (drilled out the three spot welds) and installed one in the side upholstered piece on the passenger's side, and one in the tray beneath the dash on the driver's side for connecting electronic stuff (yes, I know, the airbag cars have no tray on drivers side, but Jim Mayzurk's and my GTS have them. The knee bolster under the steering wheel is only required to prevent submarining of the driver when the seat belt is not in use. My car does not leave the drive way without my seatbelt connected, so I don't need the bolster, but do like the tray).

Gary Knox

Gary Knox

marinesniper0318

Gary pardon my ignorance but which relay in the fuse box ?

Gary Knox

The relay is in a different position in many different model year cars. If you have the original hardened paper that shows the fuse positions, it also shows the relay positions and designations.

If you do not have that document, go to the 928 Specialists web site (www.928gt.com) and find their posting of all the fuse/relay positions for each model year car. Print that out, and you'll find the relay for the cigarette lighter(also, keep it for future reference). Check it's output if you can (you can check the voltage at the input for the cigarette lighter fuse, and if it's not ~12.5 volts, then you probably have a bad relay).

Gary--

marinesniper0318

Ok I tested at the cigarette lighter and it reads 11.90v-12.08v, I tested at the fuse and it showed 11.92v ( I did this by connecting the red lead to the fuse and the black to a grounding bolt. Does this mean the relay is bad...?

I have attached photos of my fuse/relay guide and the tool I used...

Please let me know what you think and while relay (if you think its bad to replace)...

Gary Knox

Assuming the engine was not running (alternator not charging), I'd think the ~12 V at the fuse means relay is good. Have you removed the fuse, cleaned the spades, and reinserted it? If the ~12V is before the fuse, it should also be ~12 V on the lighter receptacle side of the fuse if the fuse spades are making good contact. If you have 12 V on the lighter side of the fuse, do you still have 12 V at the connection on the back of the lighter receptacle? Is the ground connection on the lighter receptacle well connected? IF you have 12 V at the lighter receptacle, and the there is no resistance between that ground and another good ground location, then the problem must be the element in the lighter receptacle. Probe the middle of it with the + probe and the black probe touching a ground. IF there is no voltage, the it's that receptacle, and you'd be best off buying a used ash tray component from 928 International or someone. (All of these measurements are with the switch on, in the accessory or run position - just in case it's one of the model years where the lighter is not connected when the ignition switch is off).

Good luck,

Gary Knox

marinesniper0318

Ok did more testing, with the car off I tested the cigarette lighter (receptacle) and the connections seperately and they both read around 12v, with the car on they both read 14v...? same at the fuse as well...what gives...? (BTW I tested with 2 different 12v receptacles or cigarette lighters, one the original factory and the other an aftermarket I bought from Radio shack...

Gary Knox

Got me!!! Contact a buddy who is knowledgeable about electronics is my only suggestion.

Gary

Mrmerlin

can you please add the year of your car?

does the statement with the car on mean its running?
if so then the lighter is reading charging voltage witch sounds right.

with the car OFF ,
not running then its just reading battery voltage that number also sounds right..

I also do not see any relay for the cig lighter there is only a fuse.
On your plastic sheet if you go a few more pages you will see the listing for the relays in your car see if it indicates a relay then you can find its postion