None of the cigar lighters in my 01 XJ Vanden Plas worked. A search on the forum lead me to fuse #5 (25A) in the trunk area. Sure enough, it was blown, so I replaced it. But my cigar lighters still are not working. Any ideas?

 

Check to see if the fuse blew again. You may have a problem with an element or housing shorting out. Is there anything in the bottom of one of the lighters? I see coins and such in them all the time. Also, has the console been out recently, may have just left the cigar lighters unplugged. I, shamefully admitting, have done that once or twice before.

 

I don't think anything has shorted out since I've changed the fuse.

Yes there was change in there, but I fished it out.

The console has not been out since I've had the car, but I bought it used and the cigar lighters have never worked. How can I open it up to check to make sure they are plugged up?

 

I would put a test light in there. If it lights up you know it is plugged in.
LOL spanner.....I said exact same thing in PM to Chris....great minds.....

If fuse is still good, I would say element is bad, or pull fuse, bend the tabs inside the socket in a little and replace fuse. Then see if works. Pretty common once coins have gone in there for it to bend the tabs out a bit. Also, the cell phone chargers etc seem to do that too.

 

Thanks for the advice. How do I pull the socket out? Do I just pull it straight out with a little elbow grease?

Where do I find a test light to check whether or not it's plugged in?

It would make sense that the tabs are bent outwards because the cell phone charger was not snug in the socket, it wiggled (very technical term, I know) quite a bit.

I'll have to check all of this out. Unfortunetely it is my mom's car, a few states away. I was home for the weekend and started messing with it to fix it (but obviously didn't succeed) and I won't be out there again until mid-April. I'll make a list of things to check from this thread and I'll check it all when I'm home next.

Thanks agains

Chris

 

Ah to heck with that electric thingamabob..getcha one of these...

 

You do t remove socket, just look in there and you will see tabs, use small screwdriver to bend tabs inward a little.

 

Dennis- What is that thing???

 

A replacemnt cigar lighter, only problem is, might not charge the cell phone quite right.